wrote:

Hello,
I purchased a new home (that was 95% completed when I bought it) that
was prewired for surround sound. I opened the plates where the
speakers are supposed to be attached on the walls, and found a (rather
low-quality) speaker wire there. There are four such plates. However,
the other end of the wire is not visible - no plates, exposed wires,
etc where I would expect to plug into my receiver.

The builder and electrician are completely unresponsive, so I can't
ask them for information. Is there any way to find out where the other
ends terminate?

Thanks for any help!


Plans should be on file at the local building department.

Hello,
I purchased a new home (that was 95% completed when I bought it) that
was prewired for surround sound. I opened the plates where the
speakers are supposed to be attached on the walls, and found a (rather
low-quality) speaker wire there. There are four such plates. However,
the other end of the wire is not visible - no plates, exposed wires,
etc where I would expect to plug into my receiver.

The builder and electrician are completely unresponsive, so I can't
ask them for information. Is there any way to find out where the other
ends terminate?

Thanks for any help!

On Dec 4, 10:51 am, wrote:
Hello,
I purchased a new home (that was 95% completed when I bought it) that
was prewired for surround sound. I opened the plates where the
speakers are supposed to be attached on the walls, and found a (rather
low-quality) speaker wire there. There are four such plates. However,
the other end of the wire is not visible - no plates, exposed wires,
etc where I would expect to plug into my receiver.

The builder and electrician are completely unresponsive, so I can't
ask them for information. Is there any way to find out where the other
ends terminate?

Thanks for any help!


There are a wide variety of circuit tracers available where a device
that generates a signal is connected on one end of the wire and then a
receiver is used to follow where it goes. I would think Home Depot,
etc would have them, certainly electric supply would, also probably on
Ebay, online, etc. You want one that will work on an un-energized
circuit.

electronic gadgets that beep or flash when brought near a live wire are
common. Some come with electronic laser levels on sale for cheap, but the
quality may be in question. May be a question of sensitivity. An
electrician may have them.



----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

wrote in message
...
Hello,
I purchased a new home (that was 95% completed when I bought it) that
was prewired for surround sound. I opened the plates where the
speakers are supposed to be attached on the walls, and found a (rather
low-quality) speaker wire there. There are four such plates. However,
the other end of the wire is not visible - no plates, exposed wires,
etc where I would expect to plug into my receiver.

The builder and electrician are completely unresponsive, so I can't
ask them for information. Is there any way to find out where the other
ends terminate?

Thanks for any help!


If it's low quality wire, do you intend to use it? If not, then never mind
where it goes. Run new wire.

On Dec 4, 12:16 pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:

If it's low quality wire, do you intend to use it? If not, then never mind
where it goes. Run new wire.

I was hoping to attach my new (and better) wire onto the existing one
and pull it through the walls so I don't have to drill new holes
through the joists...

On Dec 4, 12:22�pm, wrote:
On Dec 4, 12:16 pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:



If it's low quality wire, do you intend to use it? If not, then never mind
where it goes. Run new wire.

I was hoping to attach my new (and better) wire onto the existing one
and pull it through the walls so I don't have to drill new holes
through the joists...

codes require the existing wires are stapled in place, so you cant
pull them ...........

sorry for bad news

wrote in message
...
On Dec 4, 12:16 pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:

If it's low quality wire, do you intend to use it? If not, then never
mind
where it goes. Run new wire.

I was hoping to attach my new (and better) wire onto the existing one
and pull it through the walls so I don't have to drill new holes
through the joists...


Ground floor? Maybe check the basement for holes drilled beneath the
mysterious plates. You've probably already done that, but I'm just
sayin'....

wrote in message
...
On Dec 4, 12:22?pm, wrote:
On Dec 4, 12:16 pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:



If it's low quality wire, do you intend to use it? If not, then never
mind
where it goes. Run new wire.

I was hoping to attach my new (and better) wire onto the existing one
and pull it through the walls so I don't have to drill new holes
through the joists...

codes require the existing wires are stapled in place, so you cant
pull them ...........

sorry for bad news

================

Staples for speaker wire?

In article , Homer wrote:

You need a tone generator and inductive probe. They are the alarm
installers best friend. While a bit expensive for a one-time use
perhaps you can find a used set in a pawn shop.

Almost every telephone installer/repair person will have one.
If you happen to know someone that works for your local telco...


--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Dec 4, 9:51 am, wrote:
Hello,
I purchased a new home (that was 95% completed when I bought it) that
was prewired for surround sound. I opened the plates where the
speakers are supposed to be attached on the walls, and found a (rather
low-quality) speaker wire there. There are four such plates. However,
the other end of the wire is not visible - no plates, exposed wires,
etc where I would expect to plug into my receiver.

The builder and electrician are completely unresponsive, so I can't
ask them for information. Is there any way to find out where the other
ends terminate?

Thanks for any help!

An RF wire (tone) tracer and a lot of patience. At Home Despot you
will find a couple of brands but the one with the gray box is the best
(the brand name escapes me but I think it begins with the letter P).
I have that one and I also have the Fluke wire tracer, but the one
with the gray square box seems to have a more sensitive and powerful
RF signal. You simply attach the transmitter alligator clips to the
speaker wire. This basically makes that whole wire into a big
transmitting antenna. You then walk around with your "sniffer" (its
an RF receiver tuned to your transmitter) until you hear the test
tone, then you know the wire continues in that direction in your
ceiling or wall. An RF tracer will be handy if you did not pre-wire
this house yourself and the owner did not label the wires at the
termination end.

On Dec 4, 9:51 am, wrote:
Hello,
I purchased a new home (that was 95% completed when I bought it) that
was prewired for surround sound. I opened the plates where the
speakers are supposed to be attached on the walls, and found a (rather
low-quality) speaker wire there. There are four such plates. However,
the other end of the wire is not visible - no plates, exposed wires,
etc where I would expect to plug into my receiver.

The builder and electrician are completely unresponsive, so I can't
ask them for information. Is there any way to find out where the other
ends terminate?

Thanks for any help!

A very cheap signal tracer can made with a doorbell type
buzzer of the type that's been around forever. Hook it to
a doorbell transformer, attach an extra wire to one of the
terminals and hook it to one or both wires of your speaker
cable. Wrap the buzzer in a towel to muffle the sound and
use a cheap AM/FM battery powered radio to pick up the
RF static produced by the buzzer on the speaker cable.
You can trace the wire all through the walls with this
method.

[8~{} Uncle Monster

a friend had a home fire and home gutted. codes in pittsburgh required
all cables be stapled or secured in center of joists so drywall
installers couldnt pierce damage wires with drywall screws.

wrote in message
...
a friend had a home fire and home gutted. codes in pittsburgh required
all cables be stapled or secured in center of joists so drywall
installers couldnt pierce damage wires with drywall screws.


Even speaker wires? Puncture those and you either lose your connection, or
if it shorts the two channels, your amplifier goes silent for any of three
reasons.

"Homer" wrote in message
...
wrote: Here's a cheap one at HD:

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...y=THDSiteMa p



Or you can build one http://www.uoguelph.ca/~antoon/circ/foxhound.html

Norminn wrote:

Hello,
I purchased a new home (that was 95% completed when I bought it) that
was prewired for surround sound. I opened the plates where the
speakers are supposed to be attached on the walls, and found a (rather
low-quality) speaker wire there. There are four such plates. However,
the other end of the wire is not visible - no plates, exposed wires,
etc where I would expect to plug into my receiver.

The builder and electrician are completely unresponsive, so I can't
ask them for information. Is there any way to find out where the other
ends terminate?

Thanks for any help!


Plans should be on file at the local building department.

It's unlikely that low voltage lines will be shown on the building plans. You
can buy an inexpensive toner/prob and trace the lines out yourself. Attach the
tone device to the exposed wires and wave the wand around where you think the
lines go. These are available at Harbor Freight or the big box hardware stores.

This is similar to a situation I ran into on my new house. Some time over the
last 10 years or so, prewire (alarm, stereo, intercom, etc) has morphed from
something you buy, to a marketing device.

The idea is to get you to have to go to a specific subcontractor for completion
(and pay $$$) instead of providing something you could finish yourself or get
competitive bids on.

--
"Tell me what I should do, Annie."
"Stay. Here. Forever." - Life On Mars

wrote:

I was hoping to attach my new (and better) wire onto the existing one
and pull it through the walls so I don't have to drill new holes
through the joists...

The existing wire is probably stapled, with the holes caulked. You won't be able
to pull them.

--
"Tell me what I should do, Annie."
"Stay. Here. Forever." - Life On Mars

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:


Staples for speaker wire?

Staples for any low voltage wire in the wall.

--
"Tell me what I should do, Annie."
"Stay. Here. Forever." - Life On Mars