Hi everybody I’m new here and have kind of a simple problem. I am a member of an electronics forum but I haven’t been on it for a while and now I can’t find it so I signed up here. Although this place looks similar, my user name & password doesn't work.

Anyway I need an A/B switch that a little different than what I’ve found so far. It seems that everyone is looking for something to connect iPods and such. I don’t know if there is much difference in what I want but before I build something or buy if the price is right, I want to run it by someone who knows more than I do.

I want to connect two sets of L/R Stereo speakers, one on my patio and the other in my garage shop. I’ll have a single input from my home stereo system and I switch between the patio and the garage from there. I have #12 gauge speaker wires with RCA connectors.

I don’t know if there is a difference in wiring for my speakers and little iPods, but the switches I’ve seen for sale don’t look like they will handle it what I’m powering my speakers width.

So I defiantly would appreciate it if someone would help me out with some direction or information. I'm sure I can figure out the wiring, but I don't know about the switch itself.

 

You need a DPDT switch (double-pole double-throw).

 

Thanks MrChips but that’s where I get confused. Someone else said that, but I don’t see how a DPDT switch will work with 12 wires.
Anyway I just now tried drawing it out with a DPDT and it suddenly occurred to me that maybe a 4PDT might work, I’m sorry to have wasted your time, I should have done that earlier but I was over thinking it.

 

Check to see if the outside of all RCA jacks are common.
Then there is no need to switch the common connections.

 

Check to see if the outside of all RCA jacks are common.
Then there is no need to switch the common connections.

I’m not sure because they don’t appear to be from the outside, but maybe internally.

I have a Yamaha RX-V650 AV Receiver with a 7-Chanel power amplifier. It has been a few years and my memory is a little fussy, but I thought there was a warning about sharing common wires. I couldn’t find it in the manual and it might have been a sticker on the unit itself, so until I know for sure I think I’ll keep them separate. I do have something if not this unit that clearly states not to connect common wire, but I just don't remember what it is.

There are so many other warnings about connecting speakers with different modes and not being able to redirect signals that I’m just a little paranoid without a wiring diagram or schematic of the unit.

 

Take an ohmmeter and measure the resistance between the outside connections of the RCA jacks.