ZMC v3 Whole house audio system on the cheap

[ckellyusa]

The specs says Maximum Level: 20 dBu
How much this is in wattage? I don't know. Louder that the music for a iPhone for sure. It can be to loud in the livingroom to have a pleasant conversation. If i would guess somewhere between 0.5- 0.75 W.
The followup version of the XAP has buildin amps but you have to throw some serious extra bucks to it to get that one.

Thanks again for all your help! I got it mocked up and working last night! I used my phone's headphone jack as the input to try it out and a ceiling mounted speaker as the output. I don't know if I have something setup wrong or if I'm just deaf, but I had to increase the gain all the way up to make it slightly audible! ---so I think amps are going to be required for my setup.

On your blog when you mention speakers, are you using powered speakers?

[AshaiRey]

Did you have to change this setting much? Does temperature and cable length introduce significant delay to the audio?

I have no need for using this. My livingroom isn't +20 meters long..

[AshaiRey]

Thanks again for all your help! I got it mocked up and working last night! I used my phone's headphone jack as the input to try it out and a ceiling mounted speaker as the output. I don't know if I have something setup wrong or if I'm just deaf, but I had to increase the gain all the way up to make it slightly audible! ---so I think amps are going to be required for my setup.

If you have to crank the gain all the way up then there is something wrong. If you leave all the gain settings (input-matrix-output) at 0dB then the volume at the output should be the same as what you put in at the headphone jack.

For a quick check use this example
Connect speaker (4-8 Ohms) to output 1
headphone input at input 9.
Raise the volume on the input device.
Look via Gware at Input 9
- Unmute
- gain level at 0 dB
- check box at post gain

The VU marker should move now. Raise the volume on your input device till the marker goes into yellow. (in red the sound will distort)

Next step
Open the matrix
connect input 9 to output 1
Right click at this crosspoint
- select cross point
- Make sure it's at 0 dB

Goto output screen
select output 1
- Unmute
- NOM off
- Checkbox at Level
- Gain at 0 db
Does the meter move
Raise gain till it bounces into yellow.
Your music must be heard in the speaker now.

If still no sound then check in Gware if your site isn't muted
(Thats the icon on the top menu bar on the far right)

On your blog when you mention speakers, are you using powered speakers?

I use just plain 8 ohms ceiling speakers. The cheapest i could get (about $8,-). I also use a few none amplified speaker boxes from a old stereo set bought for $1,- each on a garage sale. They look ugly but they are under my kitchen cabinets behind a wooden board. The dust and spiders love them much For the living room i use again none amplified speakers. They are nice looking 15 year old Bose speakers that where left over.

[LeoS]

I have no need for using this. My livingroom isn't +20 meters long..

Lol prolly if you need to set it up in a stadium.
Or if any of your equipment introduces significant processing delay. I know many (upsampling) TV does.. fortunately it's not something we need.

[ckellyusa]

By now it seems that i have a working script for HS3 too. The last report back was in the line of 'it works and i don't want to test anymore'. Now i don't feel very confident with just this feedback so i need another commited person to test things on HS3 for me before i release this.

I am having problems with the script that's on your website and I'm assuming that it's because it doesn't work with HS3... haha. I finally got the XAP800 installed and setup this weekend as well as one of my inputs and speakers connected. I'll be adding more over the next couple days/weeks, but I'd like to help you test the HS3 script if you're still looking for people! I'm new to scripting though, not sure if that will be a deterrent.

Thanks!

If you have to crank the gain all the way up then there is something wrong. If you leave all the gain settings (input-matrix-output) at 0dB then the volume at the output should be the same as what you put in at the headphone jack.

I did a factory reset on the unit and followed your directions. I do believe I was able to get it to "speaker phone" volume which was decent, though I do have to have all the levels on the computer at 100 and a bit of gain in the XAP800. ---I could be slightly deaf! But I connected an amp to test and it worked great. I also have more amps on order for every room, so I should be good!

[LeoS]

While waiting for my XAP800s (shipped via surface w/ other stuff), I've installed some of the cabling with an AP800: 2 speaker zones, 3 mics. I wonder if anyone can help w/ the following Qs...

1. I'm planning to connect to AP800's serial through GC-100-12. Has anyone tried that setup before?

2. The AP800 defaults to 9600 baud, the XAP800 defaults to 38400 baud. Does it matter to their performance? Are there circumstances where a lag would be noticable if you stick with the slower baudrate? (The max for either unit is 57,600 baud btw).

Btw, for those planning to use more than 1 units, i've learned of the following tidbits:

- Max distance between AP800 is just 6m (20ft). For XAP800 it's upgraded to 24m (80ft).
- The cable used is plain cat5/6 cable with rj45 jacks, but it has to be direct (can't go through switches/hubs).
- You need to install G-Link terminators (dongles w/ rj45 jack) on the first and last unit in the chain. So make sure your units come with one if you're buying it from Ebay.
- If you didn't get the G-Link terminator, you can make one yourself by shorting an 100ohm resistor over pin3 to 6.

(These are all from memory, please double check w/ google before you hose your system )

[Rotech]

You can change baud rate on xap800 to 9600 easily.

[LeoS]

It's not a difficult script and 90% is repeating the same trick. However i don't have HS3 to test the script. The script doesn't work directly on HS3 because Homeseer has changed how the scripting engine works. But i know a few have made a conversion and you need to change a few minor commands to reflect the new syntax. Sadly they never send me back the changes so i don't know what is done.

Hi Bram, how's the HS3 script? May I test it too?

Spec:
HS3 latest stable (.164)
AP800
3 mics, 2 speakers

You can change baud rate on xap800 to 9600 easily.

I think I'd rather change the AP800 to 38.4k so I can leave the XAP800 at default when I swap them.

[LeoS]

Thanks Bram for the script, unfortunately after wiring the AP800 back to my computer... I went to install AP-Ware... and found that IT HARDWIRES THE COM PORT SELECTION!! It only presents COM1-4, meanwhile my system has a mix of USB-to-RS-232 and IP-to-RS-232 adapters that the COM port that I need is COM 11.

Now I need to see if I can switch com port assignments around and not cause more issues .... or maybe I should just wait for the darned XAP units.

[TomTom]

Are AP and XAP limited to com ports 1-4?


Tom

[LeoS]

Are AP and XAP limited to com ports 1-4?


Tom

It's the AP-Ware utility that's hardwired to com1-4. It's a very old looking utility, i doubt G-Ware (xap800's utility) has the same limitation.

Anyway, thankfully i have 1 free com port between com1-4, so it's just a matter of swapping com address in win 8.1.

[ckellyusa]

Hey AshaiRey! Any update on the HS3 version of the script?

Thanks!

[TomTom]

+1, think I'll have time very soon(fingers crossed) to get into this, since school is out for kids.

[AshaiRey]

Well an update....

Short version
Still working on it. I make progress and the basics are working with HS3.

Long version
I got my 2 XAP delivered, made a develop comp for this setup with HS2 and HS3 installed. First i made sure that the setup worked with HS2 and 1 XAP. Then I switched to HS3 and trouble started. Man, that user interface sucks. Even the most basic usuability test will fail on that one. I could only make 2 events, that's it. No more new events. Now i just make a copy of an old event and adept that the copy for my need. However i got the script running on HS3 with all the XAP control commands. However the nice options that ZMC provide for switching, setting up events and such aren't working yet. The scripting engine of HS3 has been revamped for some of the major parts such as the event class. and no more using device codes. The online manuals aren't complete and/or out dated so that is a real PITA.
But why this go so slow you may ask?
Well there is happening a lot around me since i started work on this. I work 5 days a week, 9 hours a day and have 4 hours travel time by train each day. That is if i am lucky because if one train has 1 min. delay then i am 30 min. later at home. Thank God this happend only 6 times this last month.
A few appliances broke down in the kitchen so i had to repair those, a wedding, 4 birthdays to attend, my car broke down and my fruit garden needs attention. Then there where 4 archery competitions that i had to attend and my wife was sick for a week and i have to take care my aged mother that lives 80 Km away and go there each weekend. Then there were still many 'small' disturbances not even mentioned here. And this all started to fall down on me at the moment i started working on this script.

[Rotech]

Baby step my friend, don't want to see you sick ....