[mom-news] RE: PBX System

Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2008 10:00:00 -0600
From: kjm43b@MST.EDU
Subject: Re: Fwd: PBX System
To: MOM-ALUM@LISTS.MST.EDU

The biggest problem we have is that we can send emails back and forth about who wants what, when, where, why? I think we are too caught up in the politics of everything. We need to get things done. I think that the last year we had a good working phone was when I pledges. We are still fighting about what to do. If only we could get to the decision part and actually do something good for the house. I think this stuff is wasting our time. If someone wants to make a donation to the house then I say that they can put the donation where they want it to go. For example, If I wanted to replace all of the thermostats then I should be allowed to either donate the new ones and have them installed properly or don't donate at all. We do need new thermostats by the way. I just think it is ridiculous that everyone can get so worked up about something so stupid. We should think about this. The house needs a phone system, someone offers to replace what we got free of charge. Too easy, we should be able to get this done in a few weeks, not several years. I think the slogan we took on in the last year of my schooling was a great one... "1....2....Just DO IT!!!"

If anyone has an objection to someone making the donation then they should donate something different that will be better than the previous donation. Otherwise just keep your shit to yourself. I am glad that someone is making an effort to do something good for the house. I mean last alumni work day? We need to start working harder if we expect to continue to get guys in the house that are more than just a number. I worked my ass off trying to fix the mentality in the house. We need to show the guys that we care about the well being of the house and the men living in it. We cant always have an excuse why shit doesn't get done. Seems to me that people come to party. I think that is all fine and dandy, but you still need to try and help the house if you want to continue to come back and party the next year, and the year after. You get my point. There are several things that need to be done and I think anything we do is a step up from what has been done in the past.

Did you guys know that we received a sum of money from National to give us a new computer room. This room will be outfitted with a good working printer, and a computer, that both have maintenance by the school. I am sure if we said ohh lets try and do something on our own, the computer would get messed up and the printer would stop working and no one would know how to fix it.

In my time at school I fixed up at least 3 rooms. 1 of which was a complete remodel. Fireplace is an awesome room now. Several guys have been doing this to make the house a better place to live in. I think what we need to do as alumni is keep in touch and help out wherever we can. Just try and do something good for our brothers and we can help our chapter grow.

FS&C

Kevin

From: Missouri Mines Chapter Triangle Fraternity Alumni Listserv on behalf of Capelle, Steven SIK
Sent: Wed 2/13/2008 8:40 AM
To: MOM-ALUM@LISTS.MST.EDU
Subject: Re: Fwd: PBX System

I vote we do the phone system like the great cable tv wiring to the rooms. One line in with about 20 splitters.

One person can be in charge of answering the phone per day to tell the persons room to pick up. With almost everyone having cell phones for long distance the phone system is less relevant. If you are doing rush calls, then go to the phone-a-thon office.

Since the house is only half full you only need to buy half the splitters. When the house is full with people then you can purchase a cheap system off ebay that comes with an instruction book.

Although if someone wants to install a maintenance free system like the old one was and pay for it, that is great too.

From: Missouri Mines Chapter Triangle Fraternity Alumni Listserv [mailto:MOM-ALUM@LISTS.MST.EDU] On Behalf Of Josh Buedel
Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 9:30 AM
To: MOM-ALUM@LISTS.MST.EDU
Subject: Fwd: PBX System

Forwarded on behalf of Mike Knittel.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <Mike.Knittel@emerson.com>
Date: Feb 12, 2008 4:34 PM
Subject: Re: PBX System
To: jbuedel@gmail.com

Josh:

The list mom-alum list serv rejected my post, because my address is now @emerson.com not @emersonprocess.com

Can you forward to mom-alum on my behalf?

From: Knittel, Mike [PROCESS/PSS/HZLW] On Behalf Of Knittel, Mike
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 4:32 PM
To: 'MOM-ALUM@LISTS.MST.EDU'
Subject: RE: Re: PBX System

Joe:

I don't know the ins and outs of the system you mention, but I don't see why you need NEMA 4 enclosure…we don't plan on installing this out doors, and if you relegate this system to a Type 4 enclosure you limit heat dissipation to natural conduction to ambient through the walls of the enclosure, short of using a vortex cooler (which is noisy and requires a source of compressed air) or a heat exchanger which would maintain the NEMA 4 integrity. This system (hopefully) would not be subject to windblown dust, rain, splashing water, or hose directed water. In my estimation the most protection you would need would be NEMA 12, and I'm not so sure NEMA 1 would not fit the bill. The old system I'm sure was not more than a NEMA 1 equivalent. It seems like we are going overboard in specifying this system. Why "bake" in costs (read WASTE) that do not add value to fulfilling the house's basic needs for a phone system?

Has anyone taken the approach of evaluating the house's needs (not gee wiz coolness factor), and (real) potential future utilization by the house, and use this to develop a legitimate specification on what this system needs to do? After this is complete you can then consider factors like risk of obsolescence, maintenance costs, etc.

I see projects everyday that bust their budgets because designers over-design systems because they justify their design by saying, its only a little bit more cost. When you have six different people with this attitude then a little bit more cost turns into a lot more cost, and the system far out performs the customer's specifications and expectations, and you've eroded margin. I realize that this is not a business decision, but we are all professionals here. As a Fraternity of Engineers, et al, and as Alumni members of such an organization we should be teaching the younger generation of our profession(s) how to be successful in the real world, or at the very least set an example. If an alumnus had tried to teach some of these lessons to me as an active, I might not have had to struggle my first few years in industry learning things the hard way. I think we can all agree the university doesn't do an adequate job of teaching the finer points of the real world.

At the end of the day it really doesn't matter if we use a NEMA 4 enclosure or not. We can use a cast explosion proof enclosure rated for a Class I Division I area for all I care. I just think we need to take a controlled, systematic approach to this. The process is ready, aim, fire…..not ready, fire, aim, re-fire. I just want to avoid another example of carpeting over perfectly good tile in the 2^nd floor because it looks better. We all know from experience that carpet in a Fraternity house looks like crap after a few years. The reason we got carpet over tile was that no one stopped to decide what the performance criteria was for a floor in a Fraternity House. If they had, they should have come to the conclusion that with a little bit of maintenance, the tile was a better fit for a Fraternity House floor, and the resources devoted to carpeting over the tile could have been diverted to some other project of greater value to the organization.

I am sorry if this appears as a rant. I just get frustrated because I see the same mistakes made over and again. Don't get me wrong, I applaud Dave and Joe for their willingness to help out the Fraternity by donating their time and money. I just want to make sure we go about this intelligently, and we maximize their donation, as it makes the donor feel better about their donation, and makes others feel that their donations will not be wasted.

My $.02

F/S/C

Br. Mike Knittel mom96

Mike Knittel, PE
Project Manager

Emerson Process Management
FABCON
641 Lambert Pointe Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63042
NOTE NEW EMAIL: mike.knittel@emerson.com
' (314) 810-5140
7 (314) 872-8617

From: Missouri Mines Chapter Triangle Fraternity Alumni Listserv [mailto:MOM-ALUM@LISTS.MST.EDU] On Behalf Of Joe Gibbens
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 2:03 PM
To: MOM-ALUM@LISTS.MST.EDU
Subject: Re: PBX System

Eric does have a point.

Anywhere we put a PBX isn't going to be particularly server friendly. I'd like to consider an all solid state system like one of the soekris boards.

http://www.soekris.com/net5501.htm

The closet upstairs will probably be hot for a server, and the laundry room could easily have condensing humidity. With a soekris like system, heat won't be as much of an issue so we could mount the system in a small NEMA 4 enclosure. The downside would be in processor power and a lack of raid, but that can be worked around.

f/s/c

--
Joe Gibbens
TLA Inc.
High Speed Internet
(309) 449-6002