Introduction: How to Control Your Stereo While in the Bath

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Hi

I like listening to my music in the bathroom. The only problem is not being able to control the volume or selecting another track.

So I decided to make a controller which I can use in my bathroom and control my stereo in another room.

Step 1: Parts Needed

1 A stereo
2 a pair of speakers. I used waterproof speakers
3 An old learner remote or old remote which is compatible with your stereo.
4 Some cable (I used alarm wire but phone cable is just as good.)
5 Some relays
6 some tactile switches.
7 some plastic (I used a strip of PVC and a lid from an ice cream tube.)
6 a terminal bock

Step 2: Modifing the Old Remote Control

to start with I carefully prized open the remote control.
So I could get to the button contact on the PCB.

I soldered some fine wires to each side of the button contacts that I was going to use.
and I cut away the rubber buttons so I could feed the wires out of the holes.

Then I just clipped the remote back together.

and tested it by touching the wires together to make sure it made contact and still worked corectly.

Step 3: Making the Relay Control Board

I only needed to control 4 buttons. so I got hold of 4 read relays.
just add extra buttons and relays as required.

and wired them up as shown in the circuit diagram.


I soldered the relays to a piece of vero board and then fitted a terminal block so the control panel can be connected.

Step 4: Making the Control Panel

The control panel was made out of some old pvc plastic strip I had.
some low profile tactile switches A lenth of 6 core alarm cable and the lid of an ice cream tub.

to start with I messured the pvc strip to make sure it was just thiner than the switches I was using.

I then cut a slot in the pvc strip and lined the switches up in the slot.

when the switches were in place I wired them.

I cut a piece of cable long enough to reach from my stereo to my bathroom.

and soldered the red wire for the 9 volt supply to one side of all the switches.
and the other colours to the other side of each of the switch to return the 9 volt to the relays.

then I used a multimeter to check the switches worked correctly.
so when I pressed one of the buttons the red wire was connected to the corasponding wire connected to the button.

when I had tested all the buttons I sealed the switches in place with a little silicone sillent on the back.

then I cut out 2 pieces of plastic from the ice cream tub lid just a little bigger than the strip of pvc.
and glued them on the front and back of the plastic strip so the switches are sandwiched and sealed in side.

and checked that the button would still work correctly when pressed.

when I had confermed that they were all still working I trimmed the plastic down to the size I wanted and removed the sharp edges.

And to finish it off I printed a label with the text vol up and vol down so I knew where I had to press to activate the buttons.

Step 5: Testing

then It was just a matter of wiring the switches to the relays and attaching the 9v battery.

when I press each of the buttons they activated each of the relays which will activated the remote control.
and send the signal to my stereo.

Step 6: Instaling the Controller and Speakers.

my amp is wired to a pair of waterproof speakers which are mounted in the ceiling in the shower room and in the bathroom.

Then I just stuck the control panel in the shower room and bathroom.

Step 7: Testing

then it was just a matter of playing some music.
pointing the modifided remote at my stereo .
and pressing the button on the controler to make sure the volume will increases or decreases.

if not check your connections the batterys, and the position of the remote control.

Step 8: Extra Tips and Ideas

All my music is stored on my music server. which allows me to control of all my music wirelessly.
http://www.slimdevices.com/su_downloads.html

so I got myself an otter case so I can control my music from my pda while in the shower or bath. while keeping my PDA dry.
http://www.otterbox.com/handheld-pda-cases/2600-series-pda-case/

so now I have full control of my music in the bath.