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How to Convert from Passive to Bluetooth Volume Control
In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to convert a standard existing passive volume control into a stand alone zone with it’s own Bluetooth name and amplifier for the speakers in that room only. The existing volume control should have it’s own set of left and right wires coming into it from a central wiring area and a set of left and right speaker wires going out to the speakers in the room.
For this tutorial, the InwallTech BT1 will be used as the demo product.
DISCONNECTING THE OLD EQUIPMENT
First determine if you have an appropriate wire gauge for the amount of distance the wire is going from the central area to the BT1. The recommend lengths are detailed in this post. Disconnect the wires and label them on both ends so you can identify them properly later on.
At the entertainment center / Central wiring location
You might have an existing speaker selector for your whole house audio system. You’ll want to find the wires that are going to the remote room and disconnect them from the speaker selector. You’ll be using one of those for connecting to the power supply to power the new BT1. This is a clever way to avoid any new wiring at the central wiring area.
At the volume control site
Disconnect and label the wires for incoming and output. Remember that you’ll be using one of the incoming wires for power. Either the left or right but make sure the polarity is correct. Polarity is adhering to positive and negative. If reversed, it will damage your new BT1.
CONNECTING THE NEW EQUIPMENT
At the central wiring area
You’ll be using one of these power supplies available from Amazon.com
This is the power port for connecting into a standard Jbox. You may or may not be able to use this for your particular installation in adapting. You might want to install it into a stand alone Jbox and hide it behind your equipment and use your existing wire to your wall plate or wire entry into the wall. Beware of the connectors if on a wall plate as they will be live with 24 volts of DC. This won’t harm you if you touch them but if you short them, (touch a wire between them), the power supply may fail immediately.
You may want to install an “old work box” style Jbox above or below where the wire enters the wall for an installed clean look.
At the volume control location
One of the incoming wires from the central location is now going to be a DC power cord. The wire you’ve chosen from the central area is going to connect into the power input of the BT1. The other wire will be abandoned for now and unused, available to revert if necessary should you want to take the BT1 with you if you move out perhaps.
The speaker outputs go to the speakers as before. Left / Right, Positive / Negative.
And you’re done. You can view the product specifications for the InwallTech BT1 here.
Here’s a diagram that shows a full wiring sample for your reference:
