Can you control the Simplese (each zone) with IR - discrete zone control (source selection, power off, vol-/+, mute, etc...) for each zone?

I have a job that I can use the Niles ZR4. I don't need, nor can I use keypads - so I want to give the customer a URC RF remote to control all zones. If the Nuvo can do this, it would be a reasonable substitute for the Niles ZR4.

The short answer is no. You can do it via RS232, but not IR.

The only really cheesy way around it is if you were to take all 4 keypads and put IR emitters on them.

If you can put an emitter on the keypad, can you not just tap into whatever wire feeds IR back to the Simplese? Its rather easy with a Speakercraft MZC but have not worked with Nuvo. I know they use RJ45 connections, but I assumed you could isolate the IR and Ground wires and just splice in. Does this not work with Nuvo, or just not with the Simplese?

If the customer has Ipads, look into Bitwise.  Works over wifi, and bitwise has the 232 file for Nuvo.  

If you go up to the essentia you could use the music port and skip all of the control devices and just use the ipad app. 

These folks are in their late 70s. No iPad, no iPhone, no iPod, not even sure about a wireless network)and there are no keypad wires in the house, certainly not Cat 5 (system is 18-19 years old). I'm replacing an old McIntosh (shudder) Whole House music system that is a cobbled up mess. They only will have 2 sources, an existing 6 disc CD player and a tuner. A Niles ZR4 ($1800 MSRP) would work perfectly for this but I'm not sure if they can or would be willing to budget for it. I plan on giving them one URC980 remote to control any desired zone (MRF260) and let them use that as a control. I could use a cheaper URC remote but the 980 will be much easier to make it easy to work (with one remote for all 4 zones).

I'm just trying to help out some old folks that might not be around in 5-10 years, and not dig into their pocket book too much.

Why?  They're not going to need it in 5-10 years anyway.  JK.    

I'd still consider the bitwise and the ipad.  $499 for the 16g ipad.  You can lay it out anyway you want.  Nice Big buttons for their old eyes.  Believe me they'll take to it much faster than they will a remote of any kind.   

I've done alot of Nuvo and Bitwise, they work nicely together.  Sure it'll cost them an extra $500.  But they'll be able to use it when you leave.

It will cost more then an extra $500. The time to program, plus a BC4X1, plus your fee for the template (assuming you don't bundle this into programming)

I was talking about the ipad itself. But I understand your point.

I know you meant the iPad only. Just pointing out it will cost a lot more then just the cost of the iPad. I do think that Bitwise works great and is a nice solution however.

Forget the iPad, forget anything involving Ethernet.

Back to the OP....
Anyone familiar enough with Nuvo know if you can inject IR directly into the keypad ports (i.e. from a URC RF base station) and have it control zones...even if you have to inject IR into each zone's keypad ports? (burn a port for each zone on hte RF base station)

I'm guessing that no one would really try this since most (if not all) situations are going to use the keypads and call it a day.

Wish I could answer that for you. I know it's possible with other system, such as the Speakercraft MZC like I mentioned before. Interested to see if it's possible now.

Hiding the KP's in a cabinet and taping emitters to them will work. It works ok.
I've done this once for a client, but in the end, we fished wires for KP's in each zone and then upgraded to a Concerto.

I inherited a system with a couple keypads in the equipment room, emitters taped on, MRF350... Changed to an MSC400 so I could control it better and specify a start up volume level... It's been reliable.

There's no guarantee that a voltage and current appropriate for an LED would be appropriate for the wire feeding signal to the Simplese. It's worth checking, though.

The keypad would have an IR sensor, the output of which works with the Simplese, but might have DC on it, or might be the opposite phase of the voltage going to the IR, or might be on a twelve volt basis while the emitter is on a five volt basis (or the reverse).


Who among us has had the need to invest the time to find this out? The default position is that it doesn't work, but that's just because wiring it up according to instructions does work.