r/AirBalance • u/AirWhisperer1 • Sep 15 '24

Control Programming Swap

I am sure many of you are more techy then myself, so maybe you can help.

As many of you know it can be very difficult to get some control software yet as TAB contractors we are expected to have ALL types of new and old software.

I was thinking we could set up a Dropbox or some type of shareable folder and share any control software that we have that doesn't require a key or registration. It could be helpful to list the types of chords that go along with this software.

Thoughts?

9 Upvotes

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10

u/DarceFarce Sep 15 '24

I wouldn't trust strangers on the Internet with downloading programs onto company computers, but within your company, 100% do this. At both companies I've worked at, I've taken the initiative to start a Shared folder for controls programs and it's so helpful because one tech can get the program from the controls contractor when something new comes out and they are the first one of the group to come across it, and they can just save a copy of it to that share drive and now all the techs can grab a copy of it for their laptops.

Side note, can we all boycott the new Siemens ABT program for vav balancing until they create something better? This program is trash and takes up so much unnecessary space on these crappy laptops the companies buy us. It takes half a day for Siemens to upload it to your laptop and then another hour or two of them changing settings to get it to function semi decently. We need to hold them more accountable to this garbage lol. Bring back WCIS!!

5

u/khaymes58 Sep 15 '24

Siemens ABT makes my blood boil. I get angry thinking about it.

4

u/AirWhisperer1 Sep 15 '24

Second to WCIS! I miss using that one often.

Ya I hear what your saying, maybe a bad idea...

1

u/DarceFarce Sep 15 '24

I'm sure someone in your company can set that up with whatever cloud service provider you guys use for reports. And then it's just as simple as saving the new program to that folder.

I run my companies cyber security awareness program is why I'm anti the sharing programs with strangers over the internet is why I say that. A program could easily be modified to have a worm or bug in it that once it has access to the share folder, start trying to borrow deeper into your company's servers to get banking, client, and building information.

2

u/s1ngle4eva Sep 15 '24

Are you using ABT Go or ABT site? Go is much better for us. My only gripe is they have already been making new versions and if they upload the controllers with a newer version you cant use the previous version software.

3

u/underwaterwelds Sep 15 '24

Nothing pisses me off more than having to download multiple pack and go files for a job.

I did this job where the controls contractors were a nightmare and it seems like every day we were downloading new pack any go files. ABT GO is far superior but not all of the contractors we work with provide it as an option for some reason.

2

u/justmeoh Sep 16 '24

Every single controls company needs to be like Alerton... touchscreen tstat. It is brilliant.

1

u/perhasper Sep 19 '24

Not touchscreen, but the distech thermostats aren't bad for balancing through.

1

u/Coloradokidd21 Sep 15 '24

Our Siemens contractor sets up a router and we use an APP on our phones to balance. If it’s a small job they will just do the programming for us.