On Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:01:11 -0500, Nate Nagel
wrote:


Question #2. In two of the upstairs bedrooms I am using old .040" solid
brass switch plates. I know that I can buy new repro blank plates to
match. Should I do that, and just drill a hole for the cable connector
thing? Or will the fact that the plate is metal cause an issue, and I
should get one with a Decora hole and use a plastic insert with the
cable connection in that? Or does it make no darn difference whatsoever?

They make wall plates now that are attractive, in my opiniion, but are
sort of inverted funnels, so you can't see into the wall, but you can
run cables through the wall and right out into the room, without the
nuisance of terminating them at a wall plate, with the right
connector, and then having another cable to go to the device.

It has room for several cables. For example, when I was going to
run 2 RCA cables and an S-video cable from my computer into the wall,
into the attic and to the video distribution center in my bedroom, I
was going to use that. (Now that I'm only using one cat-6 cable (with
baluns at each end) I don't need to do that.

If you're interested, I'll look in my bookmarks and find you a page
that sells them, and what they're called.

(Even before knew of these, I would take blank wall plates, drill a
hole, maybe put in a grommet, and either add the plug after running
the wire through the hole, or make the hole big enough for the entire
plug. For example, the wire from the speakers in my bathroom come out
just behind the tv on the counter, through a plate like that.

I've also done it the other way, with the bedroom speakers and RCA
jacks in the wall, and a couple other things. It doesn't seem worth
it anymore.)

thanks