If you haven’t read part 1 – do it now. In summary, I converted a Dell Small Form Factor PC into a Video Conferencing trolly. I mounted the PC to the sack barrow using some tiedowns.

After trialling many different options – trying hard to find a free one – we were left with a shortlist of Mirial Softphone, or Polycom PVX. While there were other free products out there, we specifically wanted a product which would allow us to do direct IP calls, so we could call into parties using real hardware conferencing units too.

We trialled both products, not scientifically. The general consensus was that Mirial perhaps had slightly better performance/quality, but the user interface of Polycom PVX was much more intuitive.

Both are great products, in the end it came down to affordability – Polycom gave us a great educational price through an NZ dealer which sealed the deal.

Our video conferencing setup hasn’t been without its problems – first it was a faulty network cable, then we didn’t have a static IP address set for the unit in Hokitika, obviously small problems which could happen with any units.

I’ll go out on a limb here and say that this seems to be an area that could do with some quality open source development!

We began with a couple of requirements:

• The unit must be portable, able to be wheeled around the campus.
• Upon arrival at the location, it should be able to be up and running within a couple of minutes.
• As our demand for video conferencing isn’t that high, the unit should be able to be used for video editing, to help justify the cost of having a powerful computer on the unit.

I first spent a few hours looking through catalogues of AV Trolleys and general computer trolleys, but wasn’t able to find any I was satisfied. The trolley would need to hold a computer, monitor, webcam, keyboard/mouse, speakerphone.

Last Wednesday I was down in our tech workshop when I noticed a sack barrow and realised we could convert one into a pretty useful trolley ourselves.

Building the trolley:

Trolley Ingredients:

• 1 x sack barrow with pneumatic wheels, purchased from The Warehouse ($39.95)
• 6 x pipe clips (I forget what size exactly, but they fit perfectly over the pipes on the sides of the sack barrow ($3)
• A strip of a wood of your choice. I used custom board, slightly wider & taller than the sack barrow ($0 – had it lying around).
• Bunch of screws suitable for the thickness of the wood
• 2 x cans of matte black spray paint from ($14)
• 2 x |_ brackets (sorry, cant remember their name) to secure the computer from sideways movement. ($3)
• A black ratchet tie-down type strop to go around the computer and trolley and hold it in place ($5)
• A simple VESA mount, this will mount the LCD to the trolley. I used this ($15)
• Total cost: around $80 NZD (the Polycom trolley was $600 alone….)

Computer Components:

(usually using the cheapest sources from PriceSpy)

• Your choice of VESA capable LCD – we used a 22″ BenQ G2110W ($310)
• Your choice of small form computer – we got a Dell Optiplex SFF Core 2 Duo, a very nice machine. ($400 brand new from GraysOnline auctions)
• Your choice of webcam – we got a Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 ($125)
• Your choice of speaker/mic – we got a Logitech QuickCall USB Speakerphone ($100)
• Your choice of keyboard/mouse – we got a Microsoft Wireless Desktop 1000 ($55)
• Total cost: around $990 NZD

The Build:

1. Lightly sand the sack barrow to make the spray paint stick, then spray. I didn’t want a bright red conferencing trolley, so matte black it was.
2. Prepare the wood suitably, for me this involved sanding, sealing, then a couple of coats of matte black on all surfaces.
3. Sit the wood on the bottom of the sack barrow, and secure to the sack barrow with the pipe clips.
4. Now mount the VESA bracket for the LCD close to the top of the board. Obviously the exact placement will depend on your LCD.
5. Bore a hole for the monitor cables to go through, then attach the LCD.This is where I’m up to currently – the computer hasn’t arrived yet, so bear with me.
   Anticipated steps when the computer arrives:
6. Place the computer you are using, sideways on the bottom of the sack barrow. Use the |_ brackets on either side to secure the computer from sideways movement, and throw the ratchet tie-down around the machine to stop it escaping.
7. Find a place to mount or stow the keyboard, mouse and speakerphone. I am wondering about making a padded pouch of some sorts that will keep the keyboard and mouse on the back of the unit.
8. By using piggyback power cables I will eliminate the need for a multibox, as I’m finding it hard to come across a black multibox.

Backboard painted and mounted to the sack barrow with the pipe clips

Positioning the VESA mount

VESA Mounted & Cable hole drilled

VESA Mounted on the LCD

LCD Mounted onto Sack Barrow

LCD Mounted to Trolley

Testing the LCD with the new iTunes visualisations

Conclusion:

So far I am pretty pleased with how it has all turned out. I only attached the monitor thismorning, and the computer hasn’t arrived yet, but I’m looking forward to getting that all setup after the Christmas break.

Stay tuned for Affordable Video Conferencing – Part 2 – Software!