Audio Systems: connecting stereo to in-house system, channel allocations, continuity check

Question
Please help! We moved to a house that has stereo system built-in 3 different rooms - tv room, linai, bedroom. I disconnected to try to get better reception and need help reconnecting. Can only get Tv room ones to work - have red and black wires. 2 other room's wiring are encased in yellow cable cover and have 4 wires - red, green, black and white. Trying to combine these into Sharp mini component systme (old one - Nov 97) that has 2 speaker outlets. 2 for left and 2 for right. I know this works because we had a handyman hook them up. Please help me and thanks so much.

Answer
Note for readers of this question when it goes into the archives; always write down the connection diagram whenever taking a system apart or working on it.  That way you have a document that can be referenced for restoring the system and for future reference.

If you have no diagram you will need to check out the wires by continuity check and determine their channel allocations.  Easiest way is to go to Walmart and purchase from their electrical department a small VOM for $9.83.  It is a very handy unit and has a good ohmmeter built into it.

With the ohmmeter you can measure the resistance of each pair of speaker leads.  The resistance should read about 4 to 6 ohms when you are measuring the resistance.  Then you know you have one of the speakers at the end of that pair of wires.  Then, you can hook that speaker wire to the amplifier output and send music to it.  Then you will now which room it is in and whether it should be the left channel or the right channel.  Repeat until you are done.

I suggest you take a short piece of masking tape, mark the room and channel on each pair and tape it right to the wires; that way you will always know the connections.

Good Luck,
c