The working from home thread: tips and advice

It was more how other people felt about the difference, I guess I'll find out as I go on more and more calls.

Used https://timothycrosley.github.io/streamdeck-ui/ and got my StreamDeck Mini all setup on Linux. That was easier than I expected. No pretty images on the Stream Deck keys, just some text for the moment, will find and copy over some of the images from the Windows app when I get a chance.

Needed to write some scripts to use the REST api of the lights to turn on/off and change brightness and colour temp. Working nicely.

Also found out how to use amixer to mute the mic so I've got a mute button on the Stream Deck. It just happens to do it in a way that the mic knows about it, so the LED on the mic goes red when it is muted (even from the command line), which is lovely as I now have a great visual indicator that the mic is muted (hopefully nothing ever switches to one of the other mics [headphones, laptop, webcam, etc].)

Now to plan how to put the laptop down the side of the desk and declutter.

I have time in my calendar today, schedule a meeting :)

Spent 3 hrs straight on a team call with 7 others today. All with heavy accents and poor connections.

No one to blame but my brain is fried.

Now to plan how to put the laptop down the side of the desk and declutter.

Went in neatly in the cargo net I had lying around. Also stuck a laptop cooler in there just in case it gets a bit warm, I can get to the on/off switch for that with a bit of faff but I might get a USB cable with an in-line power switch to make it a bit easier to turn on/off.

Oh good, looks like I bought two cargo nets so I can do the same on the other end of the desk for my personal laptop.

Next thing is a whiteboard. I've got 3 Ikea Flysta shelving units behind me (all vertical) which are 4x2 cubes. I can turn the one directly behind me horizontal and move the other two up along the wall.

Each Flysta is 132cm x 69cm so on its side that's a nice height for some books (freeing up some cubes) and a plant, and then the space above I can mount a 120x90cm whiteboard on the wall.

Also need a webcam that isn't as wide angled as the Aukey one I have.

(Below is shot of current setup/mess, and shows how wide angled the Aukey webcam is. It sits on top of my monitor and is 60cm from the lens to my nose but shows a huge amount of the room to everyone on a video call. It's only 1.66m from the lens to that back wall.)

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Something like this:

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Yeh it's draining, makes you realise the difference in intensity between active and passive listening

Also have realised I should have got the Elgato low profile mic arm that could come out from under the monitor (I've got ~19cm from desk to bottom of monitor, plenty of space) rather than the normal mic arm.

May just buy it, work out which one is best, and try and flog the other one.

Bought a cheap Logitech C920 from eBay, should be much narrower angle lens than the Aukey based on a few youtube videos I've seen.

Initial rearrangement and think a 120x90cm whiteboard will work well there. Posters/palmares will obviously have to move but there are other walls.

Also need to get rid of some more stuff to free up some cubes.

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Has anyone come across an open topped magazine/document holder but in A3 format? I've a little nice next to my desk , about 40 x 10cm in plan, where I'd like to store a graphics tablet and keyboard when not in use, but the tablet is too big for A4.

Google: a3 magazine holder wall mounted

brings up a bunch of stuff in wood or metal. Some A3 and some without sides so they could fit things bigger than A4.

Any particular style?

how much too big? paperchase magazine files are 25cm

Just under 27. @Greenbank good call, I didn't think of wall mounting but it might actual work better.

Whiteboard got approval and has been ordered.

Have an Elgato mic arm spare now as I prefer the low profile version. Opened and installed for a few days so otherwise perfect. DM for first dibs, will create a proper FS thread in a bit.

Almost there. Whiteboard not mounted on the wall yet (see drill), so it should go a bit higher.

That's also the new Logitech C920 camera, which isn't so wide angle as the Aukey although the Aukey is a bit better quality.

Will tidy things up and take a photo of the desk itself as I've got another bluetooth mouse for the personal laptop which helps remove some more clutter.

The cabling under the desk also needs a big sort out. So wires. Much tangle.

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Have you considered using a mobile phone with iVCam? Far superior quality, especially in low light (no need to set up bright lights) and you can zoom in to crop out the unwanted background.

Thanks but a mobile phone would only be even more faff than just finding the right webcam.

And opposite that, here's the desk and it's pretty much done.

Back on the orange Dynamic Sitall sit/stand stool (had been using a random chair for the days when I had hours of onboarding calls and quarterly company meeting calls).
Laptops off the desk and in cargo nets down the side.
Two webcams as I'm still umm'ing and arr'ing over the Aukey PC-LM1E vs Logitech C920.

Acer DM431K 43" 4K monitor - can't remember name of monitor arm - PiP with personal laptop displaying bottom right
Aukey PC-LM1E webcam (right) and Logitech C920 (left)
Elgato Key Light
Elgato Wave 1 mic on Elgato Low Profile mic arm
Elgato Stream Deck Mini for controlling light/mic
Cheapshit desk fan
Ikea Tertial desk lamp with 4K bulb
Filco Majestouch 2 TKL Ninja wired keyboard (left) on work laptop
Filco Majestouch 2 TKL Convertible (wireless) keyboard on right for personal laptop - with aftermarket ninja keycaps from Banggood
Two cheap Compoint Bluetooth wireless mice
Charging cable for iPhones (one mag, one lightning)
Charging/data cable for Garmin Forerunner watch
Charging cable for Headphones
Power strip in case Mrs GB uses my desk and wants to plug in her laptop/monitor, or I'm doing some stuff with a Raspberry Pi or soldering iron
Spare network cable for Raspberry Pi
Golf ball on floor to keep plantar fasciitis at bay
Emergency headphones in work laptop if mic/speaker/headphones don't work

Underneath of the desk still needs some work on the cabling and sticking some bits to the underside of the desk (Laptop dock and USB hub in particular).

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For those with Flexispot standing desks (or other ones), which model did you go for? All look pretty similar in specs but there's a lot of different ones.

Cheapest electric one here (above in that photo). Flexispot EC1. Very happy with it.

If you're interested, I'm about to sell a Flexispot desk base...

Got an E5 in silver which I no longer need. Perfect condition.

Asking for £200 (£360 new).

I hate wfh, my partner loves it. We have a dog now, so one of us at least stays home every day. No prizes for guessing which of us is being dragged into the office more and more

With the move to Derby and a requirement to work three days a week from home, I was given the front room as my man boudoir…

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Possibly interested but fairly sure I've been told to get a white one. Just in case, whereabouts are you and does it dismantle enough to fit in the back of a hatchback?

I’m in Royston (near Cambridge) and it’ll definitely dismantle / fit in a hatchback.

Happy to meet in the middle or deliver.

My girlfriend had to get one of the more expensive ones which have 3 part legs (rather than 2) so that it could be low enough for her.