Monoprice multi-zone audio

[swamiller]

@nutt318
 
I recently got mine working with OpenHAB 2 using iTach Flex serial control.  There isn't a binding to directly control the monoprice amp but you can control the unit through the GlobalCache binding and sending serial commands via rules.  
 
You can also hook up the Echo and IFTTT through OpenHAB as well, although I haven't done that yet. 

 

[nutt318]

@swamiller
 
How do I send serial commands with the global cache? Any help would be appreciated.
 
Thanks!

 

[hughesne]

@swamiller
 
How do I send serial commands with the global cache? Any help would be appreciated.
 
Thanks!

You can download this app and it will send them for you.

Monoprice Whole Home 6 Zone Audio Control by NT Mobile Innovations
https://appsto.re/us/a41Qfb.i

 

[mpisano]

@nutt318, Newbie (and Others)
 
I looked into IFTTT a year or so ago and have been meaning to look into it further, currently I use my Amazon Echos to control amp Amps via Homeseer and my service and App
 
I initially looked at the iTach and other types of Ethernet to Rs-232 adapters but the Amp's serial command set is very primitive which is why I decided to write an amp service to locally monitor and control the amp. 
 
My service does require a more powerful device, I feel most people have some sort of windows based machine setup for File&Print \ serving Music & Videos dedicated in their automation closet, if not I felt that a Raspberry Pi for 50.00 is more versatile than 100.00 for an iTach. 
Since the device had more power I decided to host the app on it as well... I could of registered it with the app store, but that would've cost me money and I wanted this product\service\app to be free and "local" - not requiring it to reach out to the internet.
 
Granted the Pi Route does take a bit more knowledge to setup over Windows, but I've offered to send people SD card images and everybody so far has done it on their own. 
 
As others have pointed out, other developers are marketing an app for the amp as well - and bravo to them, I can't speak about their solution and how it performs the only thing I can say is there always more than one way to skin a cat, for me and many others my solution is perfect.
 
Also,Besides the "App" and Homeseer Plugin - any third party system can call My Amp Api to control the Amp via HTTP/GET
(ie)
 

http://localhost:50231/api/Value?Channel=1&Property=VO&value=10
http://localhost:50231/api/ValueDn?Channel=1&Property=VO
Property:"MU,VO,BS,TR,CH,BL,PR"
 
Kind Regards,
Mike Pisano
mPisano1 at AOL
https://www.dropbox.com/s/aem6yck98etq9mb/MonoAmpV41.zip

 

[nutt318]

@mpisano
 
Thank you for the information! Yes sorry a newb and I currently use the iTach setup with http://www.tinystarship.com/home-audio/ app on my iPhone. I love the ability to control the audio matrix from my phone and it just simply works. But I would like to be able to control it with other devices like the Echo. Like you said I do have a windows machine always running next to the audio matrix. So with your windows app is there an easy way to control zones/volumes/inputs with out using homeseer and instead control it from my phone?
 
I'm working slowly trying to get all of my smarthome stuff into 1 app but still unsure what is the best method for me.
 
Thanks!
Jake

 

[mpisano]

Yes, you can use my App to control it via a phone.
 
I know Alexa is supported under IFTT, not sure how you decode a phrase, but I have heard people using "Date & Time" to turn Amp On\Off via Webhooks
 
Look at: https://ifttt.com/maker_webhooks
 
You need to port forward the Windows\Pi port 50230 to your public IP in your router.
 
You should be able to create a IFTT recipe to send HTTP\GET to the Public IP with  URL http://PublicIP:50231/api/Value?Channel=1&Property=PO&value=1  To turn the Amp On
 
HTH,
Mike

 

[tmbrown97]

Just chiming in to say, after talking about this new product about 4 years ago, I finally bought one.  Just bought a new house that had about 11 zones of speakers put in when it was built.  I have a 12 channel amp, but needed a few more, so I ordered one of these to hook up with the other amp to zone some spaces together, and get the PA feature working.
 
mpisano - if you're still around, thanks for writing the driver - can't wait to get my unit on Wednesday and check it all out!

 

[mpisano]

Your welcome @Work2play I'm here!
 
Let me know if you have any questions or issues
 
Regards,
Mike Pisano

 

[tmbrown97]

Hey All,
 
I read this whole thread a couple weeks ago, and I could've sworn it was mentioned that the keypads only use 4 of the 8 wires of the Cat5, but when I got my unit and looked at the keypads, I couldn't readily tell which 4 it's using since it uses a standard 8-pin RJ45 jack on the back of the keypad.
 
Anyone know if it's true that it only uses 4, and know which ones?  I have two locations that have a single Cat5 next to the volume control (was originally for IR repeaters), but I'm hoping to mount an Echo right next to them and back-feed the low level audio via the extra pairs down to the amp to serve as some of the sources.
 
I'm leaving the volume controls in because I ultimately have ~11 zones currently and the amp only does 6 (unless I buy more and chain them) - but I already have a high end 12-channel amp that'd make the perfect companion so I'm going to group things like Kitchen + Dining + Livingroom; Master Bed + Master Bath; Basement Rec Room + Basement TV Room; Outside 2-3 areas; Den, etc - so that'll let me fine tune volume levels for each area.
 
Hoping to finally hook that all up tomorrow...  so far we've just been using a single Echo hooked to a 20 year old sony low powered 2-channel amp into a speaker selector to run the whole house - so this will be a major wattage upgrade!

 

[mpisano]

I remember reading somewhere too, but I believe 2 wires were used for the IR repeater and 6 were necessary.
 
I would cut a short cat5 in half hook one up locally. start twisting the pairs and see where  power and communications are.
There also might be more than one power and ground which you might not need if its a short run
 
HTH - Mike

 

[tmbrown97]

I think I got the answer... I couldn't tell from the keypads, so I decided to examine the hub itself - and sure enough, it looks like there's only tracing for 4 of the 8 pins (except for the connection back to the amp and the passthrough one).
 
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:1140]
 
If it weren't for the fact that I need to remove all the shelves in the media cabinet and create some new exploratory holes, I would've hooked this up already... getting anxious to have multi-zone capabilities.