Just got a good used Laptop (Steamhead)

Steamhead

so I can do onsite heat-loss calcs! Going to use the Slant/Fin Heat-Loss Explorer for now (thanks Steve and Noel), but will look at whatever else comes out.

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Dan Peel

Didn't work with me

I tried on-site for a while but just couldn't get the salesman in me to slow down long enough to input all the right information. Instead I'm now using a heatloss information sheet (manual) and then transfering into the software afterwards. What did work well with the laptop was taking the information out to the van, away from the client, and spending a few minutes. When time permits it sure is nice to present your whole package in a single visit. Good luck with it. Enjoy.....Dan

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John@Reliable

Steamhead will you ?

also try to do quotes while still on site and print them before leaving? I have been thinking about doing this and wonder if it works Thanks John@Reliable

John@Reliable

Steamhead

That may happen, John

depending on what kind of software is available. I really like the Slant/Fin Heat-Loss Explorer program for automating heat-loss calcs (and selecting Slant/Fin boilers too), and Glenn Stanton is sending me the Burnham program to try out also. The problem I see with on-the-spot quotes is making sure we have up-to-date prices on materials. This could get rather complicated.

But having the heat-loss program right there will definitely save a step, and we can at least determine what size boiler is needed. Other needed items such as pipe and fittings for the steam header, hot-water circs and air separator will be apparent when we pick out the boiler.

I expect we'll be able to do our quotes faster this way.

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JIM F.

printing

just wondering how you print your proposal at the job site. power inverter in the truck with a standard printer??

Mark Eatherton1

It works OK...

I had my designer/estimator (AKA salesman) do this on a couple of jobs, and he sold both of them (simple boiler/ side arm change outs) on the spot.

I think the element of instant decision has a lot to do with the psycology of selling.

"I can get a crew on this today!"

ME

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Steamhead

Tried it the first time this morning

at a neighbor's house who wants to replace his steam boiler. I actually had an old chart I'd made for that house years ago (and he did his own using the charts in Lost Art), but he wants to make some changes over the next couple years so I heat-lossed those using the Slant/Fin program. I think it took 10 minutes to do four rooms.

Good thing I did- it showed we needed the next larger boiler! And my neighbor could see it right on the screen (I don't have a portable printer yet). This definitely made an impression- he could see we weren't leaving anything to chance.

I'm pretty sure we will get this job. I'll post pics of the job when we do it.

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JIM F.

SLANT/FIN

WERE CAN I OBTAIN THAT HEAT LOSS CALCULATION, ON THE WEB??

Dan Peel

The software

If you click on - Heat Loss Software up on the left side of the screen it willl take you out to the free Slant/Fin software. Enjoy.....Dan

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Steamhead

Or

e-mail Noel at nmurdough@slantfin.com and he'll see that you get a copy.

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Jeff Lawrence_24

Printer

I carry a laptop in the van with a battery powered printer. I chose the HP350 printer over the Canon printer because I liked the way it 'stood up' and that someone told me the Canon cartridges would leak sometimes.

I've had the printer for almost a year now and love it.

I do heatlosses (and gains) as well as my invoicing on the laptop. It gives a very professional looking invoice that is easy to read.

BillW@honeywell

Give this a try...

If your laptop has Microsoft's "PowerPoint" presentation software installed, learn to use it, and apply it to your presentations. A little animation and cool graphics really get the prospect's attention, keeps them interested, and explains things graphically that are hard put into words. It also is very effective for training. It's not hard to learn, and is also fun to play with while you're figuring out how to use it. Good luck!

Steamhead

Corel \"Presentations\"

will do the same thing. It's part of the WordPerfect Suite.

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kevin

Steamhead......

if you don't mind me asking ...about how much did you pay and what are the numbers...ie how much RAM...hard drive size speed...etc. thanks kpc

Steamhead

Don't mind at all

that's why we're here!

It's a Hewlett-Packard 4150, Pentium-II 450 MHZ, 10GB hard drive (don't know who made the drive), 14-inch diagonal screen, 128MB RAM, Windows ME, and a Xircom combination 56K modem and Ethernet PC-Card. It didn't come with any software but I loaded the WordPerfect Suite, the Slant/Fin Heat-Loss Explorer program, Netscape, McAfee and ZoneAlarm.

What made me decide on this one was that it has a docking station, with which I can just plug the laptop in and "sync up" with my desktop system- for example, to transfer heat-loss-calc files that I did on-site. I've also set it up so I can access e-mail while on the road.

I got it at a local used-computer dealer. I'd been researching these for a while, and found most people selling used laptops in this area wanted almost as much money for a slower machine with no docking station. Therefore, I concluded that their asking price of $699 was fair.

The only glitch I encountered was that someone had upgraded this machine from Windows 98 to Windows ME without re-installing some of the docking station drivers. These I quickly downloaded from HP's site over my DSL connection.

So far, it has worked quite well.

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Boonierat

Laptops & instant heat loss/quotes

Don't know where you gentlemen are from but please check with your suppliers. Here in the Northeast we offer an on-line heat loss/heat gain program and the ability to price out your stock lists. We give our clients a password and they get access to this via the internet. They do their heat loss/heat gains, prepare their material list & check our inventory. When they sign a contract they place orders for delivery based in those same stock lists. No fee for it. I would think suppliers in your neck-o-the-woods offer similar services, this ain't rocket science.
regards, Nels

Steamhead

Never heard of that

but you can bet I'll check into it! Thanks, Nels.



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