Electrically Cords: A room for every cord&a cord for every room? (vacuum, phones)
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This morning as I was prepping for festival (cats changed that plan, but otherwise), I was trying to find the charger for the camera batteries. I had been using it two weeks ago, where was it now? About the time that the cats changed my plans for the day (you are always rushing off, can't you spend some time at home?), I walked by a bathroom and there it was on a counter. I immediately snatched it up, took it elsewhere, and put it to work.
It got me to thinking, though. As oppose to dissembling it when I am done, putting it in a backpack of camera extras, and then putting that bag somewhere where it can be found (I couldn't find the last one for weeks because it got grabbed for a different mission and then got stuffed in a vault), perhaps there ought to be an outlet in a room with a power strip where things like this can be posted.
If they aren't charging all the time, the power strip can be toggled off, and if they are in a lesser used room,they aren't in the way.
That bathroom isn't use much. It was going to be a kitten room, but no one liked it. It generally gets used as an uncluttered space to put contacts in and out, box storage, and the place to fill water dishes for the cat that took over a bed room. Of course, water and electricity close together does bug me.....but how many things in our lives are in close to sinks, anyhow?
Back in the day, we had fewer things that needed electricity, and those that DID need it usually could be plugged in and left alone.
That led to outlets being placed in hard-to-reach or illogical places, making stuff like extension cords and power strips an unattractive necessity.
I do agree that homebuilders need to (and some are) become more intuitive about how people actually use and access outlets now. I've seen it in some hotels.
We have a 1970s ranch house, and the few outlets in each room are in the middle of the wall, which means they usually end up located behind a piece of heavy furniture. But I really hate having to move the couch every time I need to vacuum the den.
(As a bonus, the dumb*ss who installed every single one of our outlets placed them upside down, so I always have to stop and turn the plug over to fit.)
(As a bonus, the dumb*ss who installed every single one of our outlets placed them upside down, so I always have to stop and turn the plug over to fit.)
But ... at least we have power.
There isn't an "upside-down" in regards to outlets, it is usually whatever the electricians preference is.
Hard to tell for sure with the OP, as they sorta ramble and never get to a point... btu I can see 2 Potential items they're trying to bring up.
Cords for specific devices (pretty much a USB cable of some sort these days). This is simple for me, if you use it Daily, integrate it into that spot. Most people have cell phones these days, for my wife we has a dedicated spot right next to the door with a table/shelves for her pocket book, any loose change, our hat/glove/scarf basket and a permanently mounted USB cable for her phone. Her phone is the only thing that uses that plug, and it's only there for her phone. We have 1 other spot in the house that's similar, but with 2 types of USB cable that cover 100% (I think) of our rechargeable devices. The cables live in a bowl and plug into a USB outlet that's located right next to the bowl.
Everything else has a removable battery and dedicated charger. ALL of those chargers are on one shelf in one room. Doesn't matter what needs to be charged, that's where the charger lives and I have a spare spot in my UPS (battery backup for my modem, router, printer and home server). Plug in what's needed, when done put it back where it came from. Nothing is Ever "lost", no hunting, everything has its dedicated place. The OP knows this, but doesn't want to bother based on how difficult she made it sound to put the cable she needed into a bag and a bag on a shelf.
Past that, physical outlets might be the other issue. Talking so much about the (frankly, nasty sounding) bathroom and worried about water... that is 100% resolved with GFCI outlets or breakers. Other outlet locations can be added onto, moved, expanded, whatever. It's not a difficult thing to do. Messy, time consuming, maybe costly if you have to hire someone, sure.. but hard? Never.
Then again, when someone's talking about buying multiples enough to leave one in Every room, cost doesn't seem to be much of a worry.
I think that's a neat idea to have a charging station in every room, with all the chargers.
I have just one charging station, right by my easy chair, for things that I charge every night or almost every night. Basically, my iPhone, iPad, three handheld video game players (3DS), Wii remotes, and a weather/emergency radio. It's quick and easy to check at bedtime and make sure everything that needs to be charged is being charged.
For all the other cables, cords, extras, re-usable battery rechargers, and so on, I have one of those clear plastic storage containers that I keep on my desk in my home office room, out of the way on top of the credenza. So, I always know where to look for them.
Hard to tell for sure with the OP, as they sorta ramble and never get to a point... btu I can see 2 Potential items they're trying to bring up.
Cords for specific devices (pretty much a USB cable of some sort these days). This is simple for me, if you use it Daily, integrate it into that spot. Most people have cell phones these days, for my wife we has a dedicated spot right next to the door with a table/shelves for her pocket book, any loose change, our hat/glove/scarf basket and a permanently mounted USB cable for her phone. Her phone is the only thing that uses that plug, and it's only there for her phone. We have 1 other spot in the house that's similar, but with 2 types of USB cable that cover 100% (I think) of our rechargeable devices. The cables live in a bowl and plug into a USB outlet that's located right next to the bowl.
Everything else has a removable battery and dedicated charger. ALL of those chargers are on one shelf in one room. Doesn't matter what needs to be charged, that's where the charger lives and I have a spare spot in my UPS (battery backup for my modem, router, printer and home server). Plug in what's needed, when done put it back where it came from. Nothing is Ever "lost", no hunting, everything has its dedicated place. The OP knows this, but doesn't want to bother based on how difficult she made it sound to put the cable she needed into a bag and a bag on a shelf.
Past that, physical outlets might be the other issue. Talking so much about the (frankly, nasty sounding) bathroom and worried about water... that is 100% resolved with GFCI outlets or breakers. Other outlet locations can be added onto, moved, expanded, whatever. It's not a difficult thing to do. Messy, time consuming, maybe costly if you have to hire someone, sure.. but hard? Never.
Then again, when someone's talking about buying multiples enough to leave one in Every room, cost doesn't seem to be much of a worry.
Hard to tell for sure with the OP, as they sorta ramble and never get to a point... btu I can see 2 Potential items they're trying to bring up.
Cords for specific devices (pretty much a USB cable of some sort these days). .........
Everything else has a removable battery and dedicated charger. ALL of those chargers are on one shelf in one room. Doesn't matter what needs to be charged, that's where the charger lives and I have a spare spot in my UPS (battery backup for my modem, router, printer and home server). Plug in what's needed, when done put it back where it came from. Nothing is Ever "lost", no hunting, everything has its dedicated place. The OP knows this, but doesn't want to bother based on how difficult she made it sound to put the cable she needed into a bag and a bag on a shelf.
Past that, physical outlets might be the other issue. Talking so much about the (frankly, nasty sounding) bathroom and worried about water... that is 100% resolved with GFCI outlets or breakers. Other outlet locations can be added onto, moved, expanded, whatever. It's not a difficult thing to do. Messy, time consuming, maybe costly if you have to hire someone, sure.. but hard? Never.
Then again, when someone's talking about buying multiples enough to leave one in Every room, cost doesn't seem to be much of a worry.
In this case, we aren't talking about USB, but rather something like this:http://g02.a.alicdn.com/kf/HTB14YQXI...b-font-USB.jpg
The battery is an NB2L for a Canon Rebel DSLR. As things go, I think I have three chargers such as the flat plugin one, entirely palm size, that came with the camera. That one is misplaced and while useful, takes about 6-8 hours to charge the battery. Then there are two similar to the above, one in a location unknown, which are preferred for charge time is like 10 minutes.
Now, as to what I supposedly know, one thing is that as a photographer, one doesn't want to be anywhere without backup systems. At festivals, +700 shots in a day, that usually means more in the terms of carrying 3 or more batteries and at least two memory cards because even though it is possible to charge, transfer off a running car's systems, there are ozone concerns. In any event, when traveling, I do like to have a charger and card reader with me. It makes sense to have such with one, right, since the camera usually goes everywhere I go, even if I am not going there to be a photographer.
Currently, this is a rented house and I am not at liberty to have an electrician come in and make adjustments. As far as leaving multiples around, it may be the thing to do if done right. The flat Canon battery charger runs about $50.....but the fast chargers are a lot cheaper.
Bags and their contents get shifted around, however, for various reasons. In January, for example, the camera and extras were not in their usual backpack (it was "missing", hidden in a vault), but loose among a sleeping bag in a duffle bag. The equipment bag of the camera, extras, sleeping bag, lap top, keyboard..........and the rifle concealed at the bottom.
One of the interesting aftermaths of that trip is that weeks later, when I was looking for my camera and stuff, two thoughts came to mind that made it possible to find it. The first one was, "come to think of it, I haven't seen the sleeping bag, either" and then the second one was realizing that for all my searching of a duffle bag in the house, I had used two duffles and I was searching the wrong one. Then it was out to the garage to where the duffle bag had been dropped since the rifle went immediately into its vault upon my return. It was a good association for that trip, but I don't think I ought to assign my camera gear to the vault.
Out of sight, out of mind, out of memory. Many years ago, when I was living in the apartment, I couldn't find either my telephoto or my megaflash. They just couldn't be found and I ended up buying new ones. I did eventually find them, at the end of a festival, I had put them in a gun storage "vault" for security and then in the months till the next festival, have forgotten that I done so (it may have been back in my film days, so I didn't shoot as often).
THE POINT IS that if something that isn't used everyday is going to be placed somewhere where it isn't seen everyday, it stands an excellent chance to be "lost", especially in our many, many small components oriented world.
There isn't an "upside-down" in regards to outlets, it is usually whatever the electricians preference is.
Maybe technically. But the ground isn't ***usually*** on the top. Even when Googling "electrical outlets," you'll find that there is a standard image of an outlet with the ground position on the bottom.
Besides, if it wan't a thing, articles like this wouldn't exist:
Maybe technically. But the ground isn't ***usually*** on the top. Even when Googling "electrical outlets," you'll find that there is a standard image of an outlet with the ground position on the bottom.
Besides, if it wasn't a thing, articles like this wouldn't exist:
It is there because some people think their outlets are "Upside-down" which they are not.
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