Arlington Roof Topper Supports: Rooftop Conduit Mounts Without the Tricky Installation Factor
Blame it on my childhood Mary Poppins movie binges, but the first time I laid eyes on the product we’re about to talk about, all I could think of were Cockney chimney sweeps shouting “step in time” while dancing and jumping over chimneys, stovepipes and other rooftop obstacles. Not that Arlington Industries’ Roof Topper™ Rooftop Conduit Supports qualify as rooftop obstacles… quite the opposite, in fact.
To be honest, I generally don’t really give what goes on on rooftops a lot of thought, unless a storm with driving winds happens to be forcing rain between my shingles and causing a leak, or, of course, I happen to be curled up in front of the TV watching Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke “popping in and out of chalk pavement pictures” and conducting tea parties on the ceiling for the 5,347th time in my life (just an estimate). But the truth is that roofs need to be given quite a bit of though, especially if you need to route pipes or conduit across them and have any respect at all for the National Electrical Code and safety in general.
Roof Topper Rooftop Conduit Supports allow you to elevate conduit and pipes about roof surfaces per NEC requirements without having to drill or install any special hardware. They’re designed with UV-resistant plastic bases that simply sit on your roof deck and allow you to clamp on conduit. That’s it. No heavy rubber blocks that crack and crumble after long-term weather exposure, no power tools or holes in your roof.
Roof Topper supports are intended for use with conduit 4 inches or more in diameter, and are rated to withstand weights of up to 2,000 lbs, so they can tackle just about any job you throw at them. They’re also available in several different configurations, from base-only to models with your choice of struts, end clamps and threaded rods, so all you need to do is select the style you need and install that conduit – so easy! It’s almost enough to make you want to compete in a derby on the back of a carousel horse.
Climatronix Stretch Connect: More Fun (and Simpler to Use) Than Your Average Lacing Bar
What do you get when you combine effective and efficient rack cable management with a design that vaguely reminds you of a toy? A really fun way to manage patch cords!
I guess I should start out by saying that rack cable management, while a very necessary and worthwhile thing, has never really excited me. It’s all business – no bells, whistles or sparkles, because why would you need them? Rack cable managers are usually hidden in the dark recesses of server enclosures, so they’re strictly utilitarian. Yawn.
Then I got a look at the Climatronix Stretch Connect™ System, and the fun-loving part of me felt a glimmer of hope. While the Stretch Connect is based on the standard black powder-coated cable management bar design, its top and bottom edges have a very interesting cut-out pattern that not only adds a little visual flair, but is also the key to Stretch Connect’s method of functionality.
Method of functionality? That would be how the Stretch Connect actually controls cables, which, like any other cable bar, is to have patch cords routed and fastened along it. But unlike other cable bars, which tend to make heavy use of cable ties and hook-and-loop wraps that fully loop either around or through both the bars and the cables lashed to them, Stretch Connect employs reusable stretchy connectors, which simply, well, stretch across the front of the bar to hold patch cords in place.
These reusable stretchy connectors have wide grips at the ends, which not only give you a good handhold, but also fit snugly into the cutout edging I mentioned earlier. To fasten patch cords against the Stretch Connect, you just hold the cords in place, slide one end grip behind the cutouts, stretch the strap across the cables, and slip the other connector end behind the opposite cutouts. Fast, simple, and a lot more fun to look at (and use) than most other lacing bars out there.
Home Theater Cable Management Sweepstakes: Like Us for a Chance to Win
Alright, so I’m technically violating my Strictly Product Review policy for the second week running, but there’s one more giveaway we have going that it would be just wrong not to tell you about: from now through July 31st, 2012 (that’s only 1 week away – yikes!), if you like us on Facebook, leave a comment and fill out a quick entry form (click here to do all three), you’ll be entered to win a free Home Theater Cable Management Kit that we’ve put together just for the occasion.
The main reason I’m getting the word out is, in fact, because the products in the Home Theater Cable Management Kit are pretty standout, and a few in particular are downright killer. The heavy-hitters may even be items that you’ve always loved the idea of, but could never bring yourself to shell out for. Or maybe you didn’t even know they existed. Anyway, now’s your chance to win everything you need for the kind of DIY home theater organization that will make your setup look professionally finished.
The kit includes my two favorites, a flat panel wall mount and an HDTV cord cover, as well as Velcro® wraps, cable clips, raceways and braided sleeving to fine-tune your cable management. But like I said, the flat panel mount and cord cover are my favorites. The screen mount is self-explanatory and it’s desirability is probably obvious, but let me tell you about the HDTV cord cover.
You know when you sometimes see a flat screen TV that’s been wall mounted, and it should look really cool, except that there are wires trailing down the wall below it, and they sort of wreck the whole effect? That’s what the flat screen cord channel is designed to tackle, without you having to actually run your cables in-wall. It installs right onto your wall to cover up and camouflage home theater cables, so all you really see is uninterrupted wall space – you can even paint it for a perfect, seamless match.
So what are you waiting for? This is your chance to get a flawlessly organized and finished home theater without spending a penny or agonizing over product choices. Enter now so you don’t miss out!
The Scoop Slotted Cable Entry Plate: In-Wall A/V Cables Without the Expense of Pro Installers
When you think of things associated with the word “scoop,” they tend to be classified as “the good stuff”… as in useful information, ice cream, and Woody Allen movies starring Hugh Jackman (don’t worry, boys, Scarlett Johansson’s in it, too). And it’s the same with cable management, hence Arlington Industries® dubbing their super awesome (and more importantly, easy to use) cable plate the Scoop™.
We’ve talked about the Scoop cable entry plate before, but there’s a new version of it that I can’t help showing off: the Scoop with Slotted Cover. While the original scoop has a (you guessed it) scoop-shaped design that helps to neatly transition home theater cables into and out of walls, the new Scoop with a slotted cover makes for an even neater finish, thanks to flexible wedge-shaped flaps that surround penetrating cables to hold them in place and fill in extra gaps around the edges.
In case you’re not familiar with them, cable entry plates like the Scoop are the perfect way to run in-wall low voltage cable without having to hire a professional or go through the hassle of terminating A/V faceplates yourself. That means you can enjoy a great-looking home theater setup without the distraction or clutter of exposed cable by doing nothing more than cutting a couple of strategic holes in your drywall (one where the cables need to start, and another where they need to end), fish your cables through the wall from Point A to Point B, and pop in a couple of entry/exit plates.
Instead of the cables being terminated to faceplates with the appropriate A/V connectors, they just come back through the wall and connect directly to your devices, so it’s essentially the same as running any other home theater cables from one spot to another, except that you happen to be hiding them behind your wall along the way.
A professional-looking finish for cheap – you’ve gotta love it.
BlueLounge CableClips: How to Keep Cords Simply and Stylishly Organized
Over the past few days, I keep seeing mentions of a college guy who decided to ditch the Internet (e-mail, social media, web surfing – you name it) as well as his cell phone for 90 days. During this time, he had infinitely more time to study, learned the value of a handwritten letter, found creative ways to meet up with friends and family, and was even able to win an old girlfriend back. After an extremely unplugged 3 months, he concluded that he’d found out who his true friends are, strengthened relationships with those who matter most, and gained an appreciation for the basic day-to-day social interactions that were facts of life as little as a generation ago, but are practically unknown in our current Facebook and text message addicted age.
To say the least, I was inspired, at least enough to break away from my usual ramblings about chargers and other accessories that pimp out the gadgets that are permanently glued in our hands and to our ears, and keep them ready for use now now now. While each of those things is great in its own respect, there’s also something to be said for things that don’t glow, beep, or have apps, so that’s what we’re sticking with today.
Meet BlueLounge® CableClips™, a line of multi-purpose cord wraps that very recently charmed me with their no-nonsense functionality and minimalistic good looks. They have a basic one-piece design that features two cord channels, and absolutely no components that will pinch cords or snap off. They’re made to keep excess cable length coiled and clipped together, and that’s exactly what they do – just push cords into CableClips through the lengthwise openings in the cable channels, and you’re organized. And like everything from BlueLounge, they’re aesthetically designed to complement, and not overwhelm, their surroundings.
Sometimes simple is just better.
The CableOrganizer E-Mail Club: Why You’ve Gotta Get in on the Action
It’s painfully Monday, and my mind keeps drifting toward more fun and diverting times, like this past weekend (which was extra amusing, thanks to Halloween), and even last week, when we ran our E-mail Costume Contest. Never heard of it? In that case, you must not be one of our subscribers. Sounds like someone (that’s you, by the way) has some opting-in to do.
Why sign up to get e-mails from CableOrganizer.com? First of all, it’s free. Secondly, it’s all about you. We let you in on new products that we think might be of interest to you, or make your life or job easier. Third, it can save you money. We’ve been known to keep our e-mail subscribers posted on deals, and who doesn’t like getting every chance they can to save money on stuff they need? And last (but absolutely not least), they’re fun. That’s right: fun. As in games and prizes, which we randomly throw out there via e-mail every now and then.
What kind of prizes, you ask? The good stuff: in the past 6 weeks or so, we’ve given away a restaurant gift card, a cake from the nationally-known (Oprah digs them) We Take the Cake bakery, and even donated $1 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure for every e-mail game response sent back by our customers. Now that’s my idea of teaming up to make a difference.
But I have to say, my absolute favorite so far has been last week’s Costume Contest. We CableOrganizers are a fun and quirky bunch (to say the least), and we always make the most of Halloween, and tend to get a little competitive costume-wise. So this year, instead of deliberating amongst ourselves, we sent out photos of our top 3 costumed individuals/teams, and let our e-mail subscribers do the judging. Everyone who sent in a vote was entered into a drawing to win one of the Oprah-approved cakes I just mentioned, and now there’s one very lucky gentleman eagerly awaiting a FedEx box full of autumny goodies. And it could have been you, had you only been on our e-mail list…
Don’t miss out on anything else… sign up, and get in on the action!