Portable speakers for camping

[JtCann]

Hello, I just found this forum today looks great hopefully it will help me get started with my project. I'm temporarily unemployed so I have some free time to learn about this stuff.

I go camping every year for about a week in a pretty remote area and I like to bring my music with me but batteries can be an issue. I have been using these old radio shack speakers powered by 4 C batteries they are great Link to Specs but they are starting to get old and they arent as loud as i would like sometimes. I thought about trying to find slightly better speakers to fit in the case but i wasnt sure if it would be compatible with the amp built in or if they would even fit.

Radio shack doesnt make these anymore and the only other portable speaker system i can find is much smaller with less sound.

I'm looking for any tips i could use to either improve the speakers i'm using or build a similar system that would be a little louder and have decent battery longevity and sturdiness. Thanks

James

[steve shiels]

mmm, I 'm no help with camping speakers..

but i've recently installed a vintage pair of full range wharfedale super 10's in my caravan..

i thought i may have all sorts of problems but they work very well
no boom or tiz, sweet mids.. and a good bass

i've got them powered by a pair of m8 tape amps until i build a proper amp
they make quite a sound...
i was suprised how good those amps and speakers sound together

but.. i always book a 240volt hook up...

steve

[speakrsrfun]

Using the amp and enclosure may tend to be problematic with new drivers. If you want a great camping setup and what I actually use is a Sonic Impact T amp and a Fonken with the Fostex FE127E.

Sonic impact amp is available at Partsexpress and the Dayton copy is actually a option.

With the SI amp and the FE127E I get plenty of volume for camping and the sound quality I'm acustomed to. This isn't really a potagable setup because the cabinets for the FE126E's are fairly big. If you can live with little output below 100hz or so the FF85K is a Stellar driver from FOstex and the cabinets could be reletively small. I'm sure there will be other options given here, it's just a matter of picking some brains..... Peace and keep well.

[planet10]

We had a dec a couple years back with 18 days of no power. An SI T-amp, an iPod & a set of RonHorn A126 kept us sane (almost )

The extra efficiency of the FE127 over the FF85 would be an advantage for battery life -- but you could also just run a set of jumpers from the car battery (just make sure you disconnect before starting the car)

dave

[chris661]

http://www.parts-express.com/project...roject=Podzuma

You could copy one of the above...

--- OR ---

I would advise buying some speakers, as it is difficult to make a box as small as the manufacturers do...

[JtCann]

Thanks for the help. That podzuma project looks really cool and it just what i was looking maybe a little over the top for what i need. It looks like the Sonic T-amp is off the market now. are there any other comparable amps? I could build an enclosure for 2 speakers with the amp inside of the box i guess.

[JtCann]

sorry i didnt see all those replies when i replied earlier. thanks for all the suggestions. The dayton or the gen 2 t-amp would be my best bet. What about buying speakers ready made in a enclosure either 2 boxes or one speaker in each. i guess some pc speakers would work but sound probably stinks. I like the keep the set up in a backpack to setup whenever i can so large enclosures are not really practical.

[planet10]

Originally posted by JtCann
It looks like the Sonic T-amp is off the market now.

No it isn't... Parts Express just bought sufficient quantity for them to have it exclusively

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=300-380



dave

[loninappleton]

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...gn=%20Flyer_9C

This is the line of least resistance: no building. But be aware that this setup doesn't give much loudness (though that may be relative)
and the speakers' connections are "captured" as in the reviews shown describe. This means they're wired to be used together.

Advantage is the Swans t-amp and portability and connections to common devices.

It's on deal at Parts Express currently.

[speakrsrfun]

I doubt the 5W and diminutive size of that setup Lonin will provide much output in open space. I must say with my setup there is some headroom. Ok lets say a tiny sealed cabinet with FF85K's would work great and you could probably build the boxes out of bread pans stuffed and hot glue or epoxy a plexiglass baffle on them, more than portable for an average size pack. You could even build a slight frame around the plexi as to enable you to stack the speakers for travel, lots of ways to get great sound and portability. When you buy a pre made system like the one posted by Loninappelton your pretty much buying a computer speaker not something meant to be listened to in open space, actually most of these are meant and designed to be used near field within a few feet of your head.

I'm sure a pair of FF85K's will surprise you even in a small 1ltr box. There will be little bass but the sound will be sweet and refined. The T-amp I believe has 15W into 8ohm, which should be more than enough to get the little FF85K singing.

Consider the effort before making the plunge into a pre made system, the differences will be staggering, Peace and keep well.