IR extender / wall sensor

[kneeko]

Hi, I'm new to posting here but have found the boards quite helpful in setting up some new systems in my apartment. Now I have a problem that I'm not able to solve myself and I was wondering if anyone had any ideas.

My place came with a bunch of audio-related multi-room wiring already in place. This included a wall sensor in the kitchen to extend the IR signals from the living room stereo. I purchased the Niles repeater hub, on the assumption that it would be compatible with the sensor but now I find the connections seem to be different. The hub has a 4-wire cat 5 connection and the sensor only has space for 3 wires (only 2 of which were connected when i pulled the sensor out of the wall). The cable has 4 wires in it but it doesn't look anything like cat 5, it looks more like thin-gauge 4 lead speaker wire. I can always get a new Nile sensor that will work with the hub, but now i'm worried that the wire won't work. Is anyone aware of an IR sensor that uses 3 wires -- and not cat 5? What's going on here?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

Nick

P.S. I just discovered that the cable in the wall is "Belden Non-Paired - Audio, Control and Instrumentation Cable" -- if that means anything to anyone!

 

[mtrycrafts]

Hi, I'm new to posting here but have found the boards quite helpful in setting up some new systems in my apartment. Now I have a problem that I'm not able to solve myself and I was wondering if anyone had any ideas.

My place came with a bunch of audio-related multi-room wiring already in place. This included a wall sensor in the kitchen to extend the IR signals from the living room stereo. I purchased the Niles repeater hub, on the assumption that it would be compatible with the sensor but now I find the connections seem to be different. The hub has a 4-wire cat 5 connection and the sensor only has space for 3 wires (only 2 of which were connected when i pulled the sensor out of the wall). The cable has 4 wires in it but it doesn't look anything like cat 5, it looks more like thin-gauge 4 lead speaker wire. I can always get a new Nile sensor that will work with the hub, but now i'm worried that the wire won't work. Is anyone aware of an IR sensor that uses 3 wires -- and not cat 5? What's going on here?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

Nick

P.S. I just discovered that the cable in the wall is "Belden Non-Paired - Audio, Control and Instrumentation Cable" -- if that means anything to anyone!

That wire should work with a sensor. Two wire is all that a sensor uses. Not sure about that cat 5, unless they tie in multiple sensors. Use two of the cat 5 wires and see.

 

[kneeko]

That wire should work with a sensor. Two wire is all that a sensor uses. Not sure about that cat 5, unless they tie in multiple sensors. Use two of the cat 5 wires and see.

Thanks! I haven't been able to get it working yet, but will give it another try. I appreciate the reassurance as I would hate to have to run more wire.

 

[muncybob]

I have yet to purchase the equipment from Niles but the manuals state to use Cat5 wire..so I have already run this. Here is a link to one of their hub manuals(PDF)....
http://www.nilesaudio.com/images/PDF/MSU250_manual.pdf

 

[kneeko]

I have yet to purchase the equipment from Niles but the manuals state to use Cat5 wire..so I have already run this. Here is a link to one of their hub manuals(PDF)....
http://www.nilesaudio.com/images/PDF/MSU250_manual.pdf

Yeah, that's what I thought was in there but it turns out it's something else. I know it worked before, but I'm not sure what make the current sensor actually is -- or what the hub setup was on the other end. I would really rather not have to rewire.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Yeah, that's what I thought was in there but it turns out it's something else. I know it worked before, but I'm not sure what make the current sensor actually is -- or what the hub setup was on the other end. I would really rather not have to rewire.

Was your wall sensor similar to what is in that link above? If so, all the wires are needed as the 12Vdc is to power the wall sensor, then the other for data, etc. You may want to try that two wire by sending it to the data and ground or between the 12Vdc and grnd?

 

[kneeko]

Was your wall sensor similar to what is in that link above? If so, all the wires are needed as the 12Vdc is to power the wall sensor, then the other for data, etc. You may want to try that two wire by sending it to the data and ground or between the 12Vdc and grnd?

Sorry, which link? I think the sensor is an older Niles. My concern is that the sensor and wire won't work with the new hub that seems to require 4 leads and cat 5 cable.

 

[kneeko]

Resolution -- apparently

For anyone who's following this, I had an email exchange with someone in Niles tech support and here's the apparent outcome. The Wall Sensor with the 3-wire connector is an older model that is not compatible with the new hub with the 4-wire connector. *However* it appears that the wire in the wall (4-wire 22 gauge shielded cable) will be ok for connecting a "new" sensor and the "new" hub. So all I need to do is get a new sensor. This has been ordered and we'll see what happens. Thanks to everyone who replied!

 

[mtrycrafts]

For anyone who's following this, I had an email exchange with someone in Niles tech support and here's the apparent outcome. The Wall Sensor with the 3-wire connector is an older model that is not compatible with the new hub with the 4-wire connector. *However* it appears that the wire in the wall (4-wire 22 gauge shielded cable) will be ok for connecting a "new" sensor and the "new" hub. So all I need to do is get a new sensor. This has been ordered and we'll see what happens. Thanks to everyone who replied!

Thanks for the feedback. Maybe we'll remember this for the next question