Turner F, I utterly agree. But have a feeling I have overwhelmed them with infor that they are not ready or capable of dealing with during this turbulent month. (and the old display broke – sans the urgency for immediate replacement) otherwise I’d HIGHLY recommend they wait for the fall lineup. (more choices in DVI, Firewire, more of a price range in low to high-end models launched). I have a feeling since its already sitting in their living room, they will sit on this model rather than 'deal' with the issues.
And Bruin when I get off this speaker thing, I’ll look up your suggestions (very unfamiliar product line to me).

Whatever I do it needs to be simple.

Follow's what I’ve been trying to post all afternoon, typed hours ago but not sent due to my work-related interrupts. Sorry it’s so messy. BUT HELP!?…..

Pulling My hair out in wads. Another call to the husband, Please let me know the model of your camcorder. He tells me JVC 320X. I say thanks, - plug that in google for specs, it appears to 320X refers to the ZOOM capabilities and is not the model # of the camera itself.

ADDITIONALY, and far more disturbing. My girlfriend just called. Asked for emergency help to get the speakers working with the new display this weekend. (the husband is making everyone else go deaf turning up the display right now. SO I call husband get him to go into the house (from the barn) and tell me what speakers he has…

This is what he tells me, (all satellite size). He has two speakers that sat on the floor L/R of the old display. He THINKS these have speaker wire attached. He has 2 speakers hung at ceiling does not know if wire runs through the wall (we will assume). All four are labeled RCA.

He has two speakers (and these are the CRITICAL ONES) that sat at the end table next to his chair, with no brand label,,,,,,,,,,,and no speaker wire attached. They just plugged into the wall into the electrical socket behind the table. And used to ‘work’ with the old TV. I asked him if these two table top speakers come with the original display? (thinking the display incorporated some sort of wireless station). He stated no,,,,these speakers were added after display when he had trouble hearing it. Next I asked for the number of the guy who came out and set this all up. He’s lost the contact, and states…”that guy did not know what he was doing anyway but somehow he got the sound out of the old display into the 2 tabletop speakers, but it won’t ‘talk’ to the new TV.” URRRRGGGGG.
Then I ask do you have some sort of box (the wireless base) sitting around, I feel these tabletop plugged in remote speakers (with no speaker wire attached), - HAD to interface with something! He said no, used to have a little FM/CD box the speakers went through orginially, - but does not have that radio cd player anymore. I asked if the tabletop speakers still received audio from the old display with the CD/Radio unit gone. He said yes.

My questions is: what am I going to find when I get out there. Any thoughts on how I can rig those orginial two tabletop remotes to receive from the new display?
Are there wireless products out currently that I can purchase two NEW remote speakers (wireless..any recommendations?) Where whatever interface is neccasary for this whole mess is included with purchase of speakers to connect to the new display?

Am I even making sense????


[This message has been edited by Smart Little Lena (edited July 09, 2003).]

Sounds like they had some sort of Recoton wireless speaker, which obviously is self powered (hence only plugging into the wall). If this is the case, and their is a broadcast, hookup point, you may be home free.

You have my sympathy. I remember helping my parents select a decent sound system in the late 70's. After my mom, passed away, my Dad (who was hard of hearing) announced that he had replaced that "hard to use system", with a nice simple boombox, that he could carry from room to room. So much for sound quality.

[This message has been edited by 73Bruin (edited July 09, 2003).]

Bruin, just checked the thread. You’re a GENUS!.

The husband had given me the only lettering he could find on the plug to the speakers, he spelled it out as ROCOTOM DC-15V

I typed that spelling in Goggle search with no luck. I gave up assuming it was something to do with the electrical plug manuf coding.

Unfortunately all links to RECOTON appear as if they have ceased business. I can pull up odd pics of their units which show a disc shaped transmitter included in with 2 speaker sets. (so there must be one around their house unless the delivery guys have thrown it away while setting up new set.

Unfortantly no specs or pics that show how the transmitter connects. (and recoton's #s are disconnected) (I assume bare wire terminated or RCA). If it is RCA terminated how do these little gizmo’s work with a display, Maybe the old display had some sort of center channel output option the new display does not. I’m not sure if these things would work with normal L/R audio outputs from a display?? Maybe in a pinch for them till I can get out there and sort them out? I’ll recommend they hunt till they find it, it ought to be somewhere.

THANK YOU!.

Lena:

I don't know if you are right about Recoton going out of business. It may truely be sloppy web site development. In either case, I was able to find another link that has a picture that might help you describe the system and its trasmitter over the telephone. It also indicated that the Recoton may use RCA presumably to attach to a line out feed. If so connection to the Mitsubishi should be a snap if your friends can locate the transmitter.

http://www.recoton.com/_archived_sites/recoton_wireless/wire440.asp

It sounds like Bruin may have got it pegged. Presumably two of the speakers around the TV (the two next to it or the two on the wall) relied on a small amp in the old TV -- maybe one set was driven by the TV and the other by the now-absent CD/radio unit. That would explain the installer's comment about not being able to hook the speakers up to the new TV. It's possible that those speakers will no longer be needed, as I'm guessing the new set has some decent speakers built in to it. The husband's speakers are almost certainly something similar to the Recoton's Bruin found a link to. Hopefully there's a little transmitter station sitting on the floor somewhere with a pair of RCA plugs on it, just waiting to be plugged into the audio outputs of the new set.

If the Recoton's not the answer and/or there's no way to connect whatever-they-are to the new set, a wireless speaker approach could still work. (Some possibilities: a few RCA wireless speaker models .) Also possible would be wireless headphones and a headphone amp connected to the TV's analog audio outputs (a little Creek headphone amp and a pair of Sennheiser wireless headphones would cost a little over $300) or even a pair of computer speakers hooked up to the TV's analog audio outputs if you can conceal the wires from the TV to the husband's chair (relatively inexpensive, and the equipment would be easy to get at any electronics store).

While we're on the subject of visual aids for remote troubleshooting, there's this collection of pics that might help if you think you're getting any misleading info over the phone.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

Women in audio. It’s a scary thing:

While I was popping in here yesterday, these calls were going on concurrently which passed between herself and me. (Realize we have a hard rule being closest friends since the age of 13, we can hang up abruptly, per need basis, never offense taken).

Her: I’m in Lab, only have a min. Do you think you might come up this Friday, and go with me to help me purchase a receiver, I’m gong back out on Friday (she’s in town during the week to finish some college courses).
Me: No I have to be somewhere early AM Sat. I might can come up after that.
Her: Well, I cant’ stand it I’ll just go get something Friday night, I’m sure it will be okay.
Me: I wouldn’t advise that, we have time to deal with choosing a S System if you want one. Listen the guys at Outlaw have helped me figure it out. I never even knew little wireless Satellite’s existed till now.
Her: Why won’t getting a receiver do it? I know I should wait for you, but I AM NOT going to live this weekend with that display volume up, I have to get those two speakers working!!
Me: It won’t….
Her: My timer went off, gotta go.

(Next Call)
Her: It won’t what?
Me: It won’t help. Listen, the Outlaw guys helped me figure out what could be going on, you need to look for a transmitter, it HAS to be lying around somewhere. I’ve seen some pics on the web of your brand and it should look. ……..(Other Line beeps in)………..I’ll Call you back.

(Next Call- hour later)
Me: Hi, by the way, I just ordered you some cables for your audio from Outlaw they are very good. Had them shipped via 2-day.
Her: Oh good, the display salesman said this could really make a difference on the quality of a HD picture.
Me: No, I did not buy RF coaxial cable, You have a lot to do before you get to HD. We need to look at what you have. I believe you need something RG8 (9), give me some time on this we just need to be sure it’s capable of carrying larger bandwidth cleanly. Could be replacing your old cable if it’s chintzy stuff might help your general feed, and even SD, but you still wont’ see HD yet, and the cable might be fine.
Her: Why? Can’t we just get some?
Me: Well how long is the run from your dish? And how does it enter the wall, we might need a electrician to fish the new run through. And since the electrician wired the whole house for satellite when it was built not too many years ago, you may already have the grade cable that’s preferable. I need to see it and figure it out. Then we have to upgrade your Dish, and your STB
Her: STB? What’s that again?? Oh never mind, we’ll do that later. Well what kind of cable did you get?
Me: For your audio, I should not have said cables (but some use both terms) I bought interconnects……..gotta go.

(next call)
Me: Hi
Her: What’s an interconnect????
Me: It’s for your L/R analog audio outputs.
Her: For what?
Me: Between say your VHS, Satellite decoder and your display, and whatever DVD player we pick up.
Her: Oh. Okay…… Sounds Good. Why won’t a receiver help? I can’t live with those speakers not working!! I know I should wait for you but it will be okay.
Me: Okay, you pick up a receiver Friday, and bring it home. What are you going to do next? At this point that still won’t make those two speakers work.
Her: Why not, that’s the message the delivery guys left, “They need a receiver to hook the speakers back up”
Me: How are you going to hook those two speakers back up?
Her: Well, …..OH…….I see….wait a second, Oh Damm, .Ummm, how do you hook them up?
Me: You’ve got to look around and find that transmitter, I looked up that brand, there should be something around which looks like little flying saucer or an L if it was standing on a desk, upright shaped on the short base.
Her: No No, He’s looked, there’s no receiver or box around or anything like that that those speakers were run through. Well if I get a RECIEVER like those guys said, WHY wont’ it work?
Me: NOT a receiver, a transmitter, It will be a LITTLE black thing, very small, likely shaped like a flying saucer. If you get a receiver what are you going to do? Introduce them. “Here Mr. Onkyo meet the brothers, Retocon?” We have to find the part the INTERFACES between audio outputs and the speakers.
Her: But there were NEVER any wires connected to those speakers. SO what part???
Me: ..the part that TALKS THROUGH THE AIR TO THE SPEAKERS WITH NO WIRES.
Her: OH, wait, I think I remember, a few inches?
Me: YES.
Her: We thought you meant something the size of a DVD player!
Me: No, it will be smaller than one of those two speakers.
Her: I think I seen something like that….It’s always been around ….I thought it did something with the satellite!!!
Me: No, find that, then call me and let me know what’s hanging off the back. It will either have bare wire, RCA, or a 3.5mm terminating. Maybe one or two cables >.Oh JUST Call me if you find it!

I know this is not helpful in anyway, but please keep us up todate on this...I am afraid I find it very funny (just like when I try to give my family computer support over the phone) and now I am hooked! Will they get the satellite speakers (remote speakers... ) working for the weekend... find out next week on...

The mental picture that comment generated is comedy gold...

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

Update:

Her: Guess what he found it!
Me: the transmitter
Her: Yes it was a little black flying saucer he says there’s 3 wires out the back. One DC plug and two wires.
Me: GOOD, what’s on the end of the wires? That should be your L/R audio. Do they terminate in RCA jacks?.
Her: I won’t be up there for a couple of hours. He doesn’t know what RCA jacks are, I don’t know what’s on the end. The Delivery guys are coming right now to pick up the old display and remove it. I’m going to call him back and have him tell the delivery guys to call you while they are there.
Me: If its bare wire you don’t have spring clips on your new display. They won’t be able to do anything.
Her: If it’s bare wire can’t we just solder RCA connectors on the end??

Me: Don’t know. I’ll ask Outlaw?


?????

Lena:

In my opinion the most important things the delivery guys can do is record how the transmitter was hooked up. Specifically was it attached to a line level out or an amplified line out. That will tell you if you need a receiver or not. From what has been exchanged previously RCA's could be either.

Sounds like you need to make a recommendation for Outlaw Wireless Speakers :-)

This thread is beginning to remind me of conversations with my late father and how the menu's and tool bars disappeared from excel. We had some very interesting telephone calls on that.

[This message has been edited by 73Bruin (edited July 10, 2003).]