Hiya Chaps,
Well many thanks for all your replies. I have spent the last few days working on it.
I had used NetRemote to control MC before with great success, but in this instance I was looking for a more "hard" type solution, e.g. Wall Buttons in rooms, perhaps some IR remotes.
The answer clearly lied in Girder, and I after spending a few days on it I think this is definietly the way to go. Any how, the IR stuff was pretty easy, the really important bit for me was having buttons. So, I bought a USB gamepad from PC World for 4.99UKP and tried out this with Girder. Again, a success!
Anyway, with all of this under my belt, it was time to do the job properly. Room number one that needed doing was the Bathroom. Lots of time soaking in the tub, so getting control over the music was important. I thought about and even tried various differnt controls....
1) IR Remote -> couldn't find any water proof ones.
2) Net Remote -> no way I was going to put my Axim anywhere near the bath.
3) Voice Commands (using VoiceFlux), didn't cope when music was playing
4) Hardware switches - clearly the best way forward.
So... and this is the main reason for posting cos I thought you might like this :-).
I dismanteled a game pad at got it working with Girder & MC, all A-OK. I then wired some CAT5 cable onto the game pad controller, 1 pair for each button. (am using four buttons).
I then ran this cable through the loft from media centre PC to the bathroom. In the bathroom then mounted reed switches on the side of the bath. See picy:
I then marked the inside of the bath with a marker where the switches where and what they did. (Play/Pause, Next Track, Vol + and Vol - ). Finished product before button the side of the bath back on:
Note, cable routing yet to go through the wall.
So, all you need to do to control MC in the bath is to wave a magenet over the right symbol on the inside of the bath! Simple, watherproof control! Pretty cool I thought...
I am now having great fun ramming magnets up orrifices of rubber ducks trying to make a decent "remote control" to use in the bath
Hope this is as interesting for you as it was for me! And thanks for all the help!
Kind Regards
Simon