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Shark Tank: Well, that's a relief
38 comments- IT TOPICS:Networking, Personal Technology
This distribution plant is running out of office space, so the boss decides to empty a storage room and convert it to an office, reports an IT pilot fish working there.
"New CAT-5 wiring, phone wiring, UPS power -- everything installed new," fish says.
"Operations manager moves into the new office and is quick to notice both of his 22-in. CRT monitors flickering and jumping, so he calls me in."
There must be interference from somewhere, fish thinks. Is it the fluorescent lights? Fish flips the switch -- no change.
But a quick walk around to the other side of the wall reveals the problem: The monitors are inches away from a set of 1950s-style power-distribution panels. Wall to wall. Ceiling to floor. Big, fused disconnect switches.
"After hours that night, we disconnect utility power at the main," says fish. "Only power in the building is UPS power. As I suspected, his monitors are just fine with no power in those switches."
Fish proposes a plan of action to the boss: spend $1,500 to have an engineering firm measure the induced voltage through the wall and make recommendations.
No way, says boss, too expensive and won't fix the problem.
OK, fish says, how about $1,500 to have a 1-inch-thick lead shield put up on the wall -- nicely painted, of course.
No way, too expensive.
What about $850 to put new flat-panel LCD displays on the operations manager's desk?
Approved.
"So as I am putting in these new LCD panels, the operations manager asks about the voltage," fish says.
"I tell him, 'The LCD panels are not affected by the voltage. It's gonna kill you -- but the monitors will be fine.'"
Sharky loves a comforting word. But I love true tales of IT life even more. Send me yours at sharky@computerworld.com, and I'll send you a comfortable Shark shirt if I use it. You can also add comments by using the form at the bottom of this page.
See more Shark Tank stories at the Sharkives.
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