Fellow Automation Enthusiasts,
I found a way to effectively distribute the sound from your PC (specifically homeseer) into your house with minimal wiring. The only catch is that you will need to have a phone jack relatively close to the location where you want to have the speakers. The method that I use in my house to get the audio from upstairs is definitely non-conventional but it is extremely effective both with the sound quality, reliability, and mostly the overall cost of buying the parts. I’ll explain:
The audio exits your PC's soundcard and sent to a splitter. One split goes to local speakers, the other goes into a Terk leapfrog audio/video transmitter. This encodes the sound to 30Mhz then can be demodulated the Terk leapfrog receiver on the receiving end by the Terk leapfrog receiver. (You can have multiple receiving points. The sound signal is strong when sent this way.) Best of all it uses the standard phone line already in your house. The leapfrog’s actual use is to transmit the audio and video from your dvd or vcr to a remote room’s TV then will send the IR back to the source. It can be used as instructed but also works just as good when all you want to do is transmit the Audio Left and Right from one place to another. On the Receiving end there is a cheap $20.00 set of amplified CompUsa speakers. You can have as many distribution points that you’ like. The most expensive part is the Terk transmitters/receiver. A set of both retails for $179.00, but I found them for much cheaper online at consumer-direct.com for $89.00. One you buy the first set additional receivers are $55.00. The link is:
http://www.consumer-direct.com/list1.cfm
Provided that you buy the CompUsa amplified speakers which are $20.00 for a set you are looking at about $75.00 for each room or area that you want the PC audio. I use the CompUsa house brand (Housebrand is FMI), CompUsa PC audio speakers with subwoofer and two satellites. They are sold on Compusa.com; part number 10225025.
Here is what to buy:
1. Go to Radio Shack or somewhere that sells wires and buy 1 1/8 male to 2 1/8 females (“y” jack.)
2. While there buy 2 of “stereo 1/8 male that terminates to RCA left and right.”
3. Also at Radio Shack buy a male-to-male adapter. (The one piece adapter that connects two male plugs.)
4. Last, buy two of 2-line phone adapters (They have 1 input to wall plug, then 3 holes; L1, L2, L1&2)
5. Buy a Terk Leapfrog transmitter and receiver.
6. Buy a set of cheap amplified speakers from CompUsa.
Note- Terk says that you can piggyback the modulated signal right into your existing phone line. It probably works fine that way but to avoid any future interference problems, I wired it into Line 2 which was not used.
Now to hook it all up:
1. Plug the 1/8 male “y” adapter into your PC. Plug one end into your existing speaker system, the other into the second adapter that converts a male 1/8 inch to left and right RCA.
2. Plug the RCA Left and Right into the Leapfrog Transmitter Input.
3. Plug the phone jack splitter into the phone line. Connect a phone wire from line 2 to the back of the Terk Transmitter.
4. Designate a location for the source of sound somewhere else in the house. Set up the speakers where you’d like them in the room. (I hide them on top of china hutches, in air vents, under beds, behind the sofas, etc.)
5. Plug in the Leapfrog receiver, then connect the RCA jacks to the male-to-male adapter. Plug the other end of this into the PC speaker input. On the CompUsa speakers, it is the blue plug. Plug the phone wire into correct input on the receiver coming from line 2.
For additional rooms, just buy an additional phone jack splitter, an additional receiver, the wires and just plug it into line 2. For more control of when the sound comes out from the remote rooms, just use X10 appliance modules in the remote room to power the speakers and leapfrog receiver.
The system works awesome and I’m already using it in 5 general areas. In homeseer I have a device set up for each of the rooms so they can be independently controlled when I want audio in them. For general announcements, all of the speakers come on. If I am downstairs and press a slimline button or touchpanel, only that room will speak. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions at ewapat@usa.net
[This message was edited by gregewan on Tuesday, 30 April 2002 at 10:42 AM.]
I found a way to effectively distribute the sound from your PC (specifically homeseer) into your house with minimal wiring. The only catch is that you will need to have a phone jack relatively close to the location where you want to have the speakers. The method that I use in my house to get the audio from upstairs is definitely non-conventional but it is extremely effective both with the sound quality, reliability, and mostly the overall cost of buying the parts. I’ll explain:
The audio exits your PC's soundcard and sent to a splitter. One split goes to local speakers, the other goes into a Terk leapfrog audio/video transmitter. This encodes the sound to 30Mhz then can be demodulated the Terk leapfrog receiver on the receiving end by the Terk leapfrog receiver. (You can have multiple receiving points. The sound signal is strong when sent this way.) Best of all it uses the standard phone line already in your house. The leapfrog’s actual use is to transmit the audio and video from your dvd or vcr to a remote room’s TV then will send the IR back to the source. It can be used as instructed but also works just as good when all you want to do is transmit the Audio Left and Right from one place to another. On the Receiving end there is a cheap $20.00 set of amplified CompUsa speakers. You can have as many distribution points that you’ like. The most expensive part is the Terk transmitters/receiver. A set of both retails for $179.00, but I found them for much cheaper online at consumer-direct.com for $89.00. One you buy the first set additional receivers are $55.00. The link is:
http://www.consumer-direct.com/list1.cfm
Provided that you buy the CompUsa amplified speakers which are $20.00 for a set you are looking at about $75.00 for each room or area that you want the PC audio. I use the CompUsa house brand (Housebrand is FMI), CompUsa PC audio speakers with subwoofer and two satellites. They are sold on Compusa.com; part number 10225025.
Here is what to buy:
1. Go to Radio Shack or somewhere that sells wires and buy 1 1/8 male to 2 1/8 females (“y” jack.)
2. While there buy 2 of “stereo 1/8 male that terminates to RCA left and right.”
3. Also at Radio Shack buy a male-to-male adapter. (The one piece adapter that connects two male plugs.)
4. Last, buy two of 2-line phone adapters (They have 1 input to wall plug, then 3 holes; L1, L2, L1&2)
5. Buy a Terk Leapfrog transmitter and receiver.
6. Buy a set of cheap amplified speakers from CompUsa.
Note- Terk says that you can piggyback the modulated signal right into your existing phone line. It probably works fine that way but to avoid any future interference problems, I wired it into Line 2 which was not used.
Now to hook it all up:
1. Plug the 1/8 male “y” adapter into your PC. Plug one end into your existing speaker system, the other into the second adapter that converts a male 1/8 inch to left and right RCA.
2. Plug the RCA Left and Right into the Leapfrog Transmitter Input.
3. Plug the phone jack splitter into the phone line. Connect a phone wire from line 2 to the back of the Terk Transmitter.
4. Designate a location for the source of sound somewhere else in the house. Set up the speakers where you’d like them in the room. (I hide them on top of china hutches, in air vents, under beds, behind the sofas, etc.)
5. Plug in the Leapfrog receiver, then connect the RCA jacks to the male-to-male adapter. Plug the other end of this into the PC speaker input. On the CompUsa speakers, it is the blue plug. Plug the phone wire into correct input on the receiver coming from line 2.
For additional rooms, just buy an additional phone jack splitter, an additional receiver, the wires and just plug it into line 2. For more control of when the sound comes out from the remote rooms, just use X10 appliance modules in the remote room to power the speakers and leapfrog receiver.
The system works awesome and I’m already using it in 5 general areas. In homeseer I have a device set up for each of the rooms so they can be independently controlled when I want audio in them. For general announcements, all of the speakers come on. If I am downstairs and press a slimline button or touchpanel, only that room will speak. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions at ewapat@usa.net
[This message was edited by gregewan on Tuesday, 30 April 2002 at 10:42 AM.]