FSR’s CB Series Ceiling Boxes
Being that we’re all about networking and rackmounting server equipment, it can be easy to get a little narrow-minded about the options that are available. If you see enough open server racks or cabinet-style enclosures, those can start to seem like the only choices out there. Sure, you can customize things a bit by choosing whether you want to wall mount the rack or just set it on the floor, but what about those times when you might not want to see any rack at all? Granted, there are quite a few companies out there whose server and A/V racks get better looking all the time, but when all is said and done, a rack is a rack, and no matter how sleek and updated its look is, it still has the potential to drag down the aesthetics of certain environments.
Unfortunately, it’s not as easy just nixing electronics in rooms that can’t be marred by bulky equipment racks. Should a high-end executive conference room or beautifully designed house of worship have to go “unplugged” just to avoid the techy look of projectors and computers? No way! Multimedia presentations are a staple in many different venues today, no matter how clean and uncluttered appearances need to remain. Luckily, FSR has come up with an easy solution for facility managers who need to keep rooms technologically up to speed, yet visually electronic, cable, and rack free: the CB Series Ceiling Box.
FSR’s CB Series boxes actually let you mount projectors and network equipment right in your drop ceiling. Length and width-wise, the boxes are sized to the roughly the same dimensions as standard ceiling tiles, so they can be installed right within the dropped-ceiling frame. The bottom of each box (what you’d see if you were looking up at the ceiling) stays flush with the ceiling tiles for a uniform look, and can be opened trap-door style when equipment needs to be accessed. And thanks to varying numbers of built-in outlets (it depends on which box you pick), all of the the cables – including power cords – can be routed and hidden in the ceiling as well, you’ll more or less never see a thing. Talk about invisible.
Get Wired
It’s Friday morning, and that can only mean one thing: product training time. I just had the opportunity to sit in on a session with a representative of FSR, a New jersey-based company that manufactures a pretty impressive array of electrical and data connection boxes, which install flush into everything from walls and floors to conference table tops. FSR floor boxes are really strongly built, and can be custom-configured according to your needs.
Aside from power and data connections, one of the best features of FSR’s floor boxes is their convenience. Having sung on both church and school stages, I can personally attest to how much easier a performance can be when you’re able to just plug microphone and other equipment directly into outlets recessed into a stage floor. And these aren’t only helpful for musicians – courtrooms, conference rooms, and any other settings in which presentations are regularly made can definitely benefit.
One other thing that I really like about FSR floor boxes (the FL-600P, to be specific) is the fact their top surfaces can be covered in carpet or hard flooring material to blend almost seamlessly into your floor, creating a very professional-looking appearance.