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Solution of the Week
Control Outdoor Speaker Volume From the Patio Table
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There's nothing better than spending those warm, summer weekends in your yard, sipping iced tea or other beverages while you relax to your favorite mood music. The only problem is that every time your CD jukebox skips to the next disc, or when the radio station cuts to a commercial, you usually end up having to change the volume. Fortunately, with a few, affordable Smarthome products, you can adjust the volume — or switch between music sources — without leaving your patio chair. Read on to see how �
| | Adjusting the Volume &
Switching Sources | |
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If you mainly listen to one or two primary radio or satellite TV music stations, or simply put your 200-disc stereo CD changer into shuffle mode, chances are you'll be happy with basic volume and source selection control. Our easiest, and most affordable solution is the HT Pro IR/RF Remote
This full-featured remote offers control of up to eight home entertainment devices from practically anywhere in the house — without having to be in direct line of sight. How? In addition to infrared (IR) codes, all commands are also sent out via radio frequency (RF) signals, which can go through walls and doors. An included receiver, which goes in the same room as the stereo equipment you want to control, then converts the RF signals into IR signals that your stereo equipment can understand. The whole process takes just fractions of the seconds, with no detectable delay.
Just set it up once and it you'll be able to do dozens of functions from the patio table, including:
- Adjust the volume
- Switch between the CD jukebox, AM/FM tuner or the satellite TV tuner (to enjoy the commercial-free music stations)
- Turn your entire home entertainment system on or off with the press of a button
- Skip a song or an entire CD
- Mute the music
- And more
| | Adjusting the Volume &
Selecting Music | |
If you want to go beyond simple volume control and source selection — and want the ability to choose between multiple styles of music from a completely configurable remote control that you can label yourself (i.e. Rock, Pop, Jazz, Soft Classical or any other category you choose) — then consider upgrading to our next solution.
With a HouseLinc intelligent controller and an X10 Wireless Remote Control System, you can activate up to 32 events with the press of a single button. For example, you can:
- Adjust the volume
- Switch between the CD jukebox, AM/FM tuner or the satellite TV tuner (to enjoy the commercial-free music stations)
- Select from a list of radio stations or satellite TV music stations that you can label any way you want (i.e. Rock, Jazz, Soft Classical, Big Band, etc.)
- Select from a list of CD jukebox groups that you create and label yourself
a list of music types using your own custom labels (i.e. Party, Dinner, Relaxation, Joe's Favorites, etc.)
- Control a lamp or appliance (or several lamps or appliances with optional X10 plug-in modules)
- Turn your entire home entertainment system on or off with the press of a button
- Skip a song or an entire CD
- Mute the music
- And more
This solution starts with the hand-held, configurable remote control, which sends out radio frequency (RF) signals to a receiver base that you plug into any indoor electrical outlet. That receiver base then converts that RF signal into an X10 signal that travels to the HouseLinc over the power lines that are already in your home. The HouseLinc, which goes in the same room as the stereo equipment you want to control, detects the X10 signal and reacts with an action that you programmed it to respond with.
So for example, if you press A1-ON button, you can program the HouseLinc to turn your entire entertainment system on and switch to the Jazz station. Of if you press A2-ON, you can program the HouseLinc to turn your entire system on and switch to the shuffle mode on the CD jukebox "Party" group. If you want, the HouseLinc can also be programmed to turn on the patio lights or heat up the hot tub (requires additional X10 modules, sold separately). The overall process takes only a second or two to kick in and provides much more flexibility than the first solution on this page.
Wall-Mounted Controllers Also Available
If you'd rather not worry about keeping a remote control handy, you can also use the optional X10 Wireless 4-Button Wall Controller, which you can adhere to any wall protected from harsh weather conditions (i.e. under an eave or patio cover). Much like the X10 remote described above, this unit sends radio frequency signals to the plug-in receiver inside. Although it has fewer buttons, it's perfect if you have eight or fewer music stations or CD groups that you commonly use. It's also a great solution for a built-in look, but without having to mess around with a single electrical wire.
For more great solutions, visit our Solution of the Week Archive.
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