Remember when we had to run a new 4-conductor for every single keypad?

I was retrofitting a 1970s split-level in Boise and the thought of fishing that many new wires made me groan. On a whim, I tried using the existing doorbell wire as a data loop for a modern wireless translator module. It worked perfectly for the upstairs zone. What's the oldest wiring you've successfully repurposed for a smart system?

3 comments

3 Comments

iris_rivera441mo agoMost Upvoted

That doorbell wire trick only works if your translator module is designed for low-voltage loops, @johnthompson, not general data speeds. You're overthinking it with the speed part - most translators use two wires for power and two for a simple contact closure, so the gauge barely matters. The real limit I've hit was trying to run a full RS-485 bus over old telephone wire from the 60s, which died above 40 feet. But for basic zone signaling, I've pushed 50-year-old bell wire over 100 feet without issue. Just don't expect video or high-speed data out of it.

johnthompson3mo ago

That doorbell wire trick is clever. What specific wireless translator module did you use for that setup? I'm curious about the data speed it could handle over such old copper.

jesse_cooper3mo ago

Yeah, that old copper can be a real pain. Makes you wonder what the actual limit is, right?