Re: Linn Classik / KAT5

[tefxp]

Hi Nick/Mark/Guys 'n Gals generally,

Am new to this list (am awaiting delivery of Kat 5 as we speak), but
am very interested in Linn-KAT5 connectivity.
I'm the opposite of you Nick, in that I have a Linn multiroom system,
but with none of the sources being Linn!

The main bugbears I have are:
- No video distribution with Knekt
- No two way communications unless to other Linn kit
- very very expensive to add new rooms!!!!

The video dist at the moment is 'handled' (badly) via RF on the basis
that the quality degradation isn't a big issue when watching on the
bedroom portable, but it would be nice to have decent quality.....

The 2 way comms is a bugger for my Sony CD jukebox which sends info
back and forth to the remote (easier to use this than to select disk
198 with the Linn RCU!), but also with nin linn stuff, How do I know
which radio station I have selected for example?

The expense thing is terrible too - about 1500 per room, enough that
I was considering just buying standalone stereos for any addition
rooms I want to add in the future (have 3 separate zones + patio
linked to dining room @ the moment).

I have found Linn very unhelpful in getting technical info out of
them - presumably they are trying to protect their interests.

In theory, it should be possible to hook a PC up to the system to act
as a source so that you could have an MP3 server & digital radio
even
(psion wave finder) that can tell the RCU's what track/station is
playing - should be a bit cheaper than the 12k or so Linn want for
their sound server jobbie......

It would be great if Kat5 could interface to RCU's for controlling
purposes (replacing the Line Receiver at about £400 a shot!) and/or
to the distribution system masquerading as a Linn source....

Of course, when the KAT-5 distribution unit is complete, no need for
the linn direktor to distribute!!
Although, you will need some handy way to control the Kat-5 dist
unit, so perhaps keith is considering (hint hint!) that it could
interface to Linn RCU's. You could then have a cheap-ish system
based around Kat-5 modeules & dist unit, with Linn RCU's in each
room
for control purposes - the RCU's are, after all, a relative snip @
399 :-) At least you wouldn't need the direkor + linn line amps for
each room!


If you get any info from linn about wiring etc, please share with the
group! It might be useful. I can't even get them to send me the
latest knekt software:( They will only send it to dealers, but I
fell out with my local dealer due to their incompetence & nobody
else
locally does knekt, so I'm stuffed for reconfiguring my kit
unless/until I decide to add another knekt room :[

On the wiring front, for a while I was in touch (online) with a guy
who had knekt _everywhere_ - in the pool too, so serious money thrown
at it! His house was flood wired for Cat-5 and he just used standard
wiring everywhere on the basis that an RCU doesn't know if a wire is
red or green, so why not just follow the standard CAT-5 wiring system?
It worked for him - no loss of sound quality (guy pays 8 grand a
speaker so quality is everything!) and the convenience that a socket
is only a Linn socket by virtue of the fact that it is patched that
way @ Node 0, not that it is specifically wired as such.....

I wan't aware the classik interfaced to knekt - that being the case,
could be a cheap way to knekt up another room! Do you know if it can
behave as an RCU, or just a source into the line receiver?

thanks & sorry if this is boring to the non knekt users!

Tony.

--- In kat5-users@y..., "Nick Towers" <nickt@t...> wrote:
> OK - lets keep in on here then. Mike's just posted some info.. (see
below),
> I'll start badgering Linn again. I don't have a D type serial port
on the
> Classik, but there's an ACC RJ45 socket which links up to Room
Control Units
> (RCU's), I'll see if I can get info on this...
> but knowing Linn I may be some time....
> Nick
>
> Hi nick
> Sorry didn't explain very well
> Ace is software <a href="http://www.honesoftware.com/";>http://www.honesoftware.com/</a>
> it really just acts as an interface between home automation
controlers
> like Comfort <a href="http://www.comfort.org.uk";>http://www.comfort.org.uk</a>
&amp; HomeVision
> <a href="http://www.csi3.com/homevis2.htm";>http://www.csi3.com/homevis2.htm</a>
etc
> it really is just a big funnel for lots of commands connected to
serial
> ports
> Dan who writes it would kill me for that but really in simple terms
thats it
>
> As some of the Linn kit has a serial port on you can get the
protocol from
> linn
> ( eventually)
>
> then you can set up a program on your PC to control it
> on the pre amp you send $MUTE Y$ to mute and $MUTE N$ to unmute
> one you get the protocol from Linn it really isnt rocket science
>
> Once its on the PC in ACE then anything else can control it
> X10, IR , doorbells etc
>
> Linn are trerrible to deal with but they make brilliant kit
>
> Hope this helps
> I have attached the doc from Linn so that if you have a serial port
on the
> Classik you know what to ask for
> good luck
>
> Mike
> At Home
>