I am looking to make a subwoofer for a fire pit area and a pool area. I have two different drivers coming to test out - a 15" American Bass TNT1544 4 ohm and a 12" Pioneer TSW311D4 4 ohm. I also have two boxes (one each) to easily move around for placement / sound. The sub will be driven by a Crown XLS10002.
I want to create something that can be outside in Southern Florida... which as most of you know - is hot and humid.
Is there anything I can do to the speakers to protect them? I will have them firing downward about 6 inches off the ground with a grille.
I can either make a concrete structure and put the sub box in it or ditch the box and put the speaker directly in the enclosure.
Any thoughts or advice is welcome! Thanks!! _steve
I want to create something that can be outside in Southern Florida... which as most of you know - is hot and humid.
Is there anything I can do to the speakers to protect them? I will have them firing downward about 6 inches off the ground with a grille.
I can either make a concrete structure and put the sub box in it or ditch the box and put the speaker directly in the enclosure.
Any thoughts or advice is welcome! Thanks!! _steve
Welcome to the forum MovingOn! 
I relocated your thread to the subwoofer forum as I think it much more likely you will get some responses here.
Steve,
LP SmartSide panels are an incredible innovation in structural exterior projects. SmartSide panel is super strong, less resonant than plywood, comes pre-primed, and takes any grade house paint easily. I have used many different finishes on it, but even unfinished, it has continued to survive as a sidewalk in a termite infested area for the last 17 years in spite of the non-finished side directly laying on the ground.
I have used SmartSide panels for outdoor subs and speakers, and for cable ramps, they have survived more truck and car traffic than I ever thought would be possible in the pedestrian areas I have used them in.
There are other products that look similar but don't hold up, LP SmartSide panel held up to testing in Hawaii, a worse climate from a rain/insect/mold aspect than Key Largo.
Art
A few years ago there was a topic about concrete horn build by someone in his yard. can't remember his name. anyway. in this topic you can find al lot of answers.
Get a driver that's waterproof (e.g. a plastic or treated paper cone). That, plus how you plan to orient them, should be plenty of protection.
The drivers you cite work well in small enclosures. Outdoors, presumably you can use a bigger enclosure. Do you have a size limit?
By the latter, am I right in thinking you are OK with an immobile sub?
I think a very easy build would be something like this.
Subwoofer
It wouldn't cost much to scale it up (subs need to be bigger or work harder for outdoor use). e.g. you should be able to get thick-walled 200 litre plastic drums for $15 each from recycling yards or food wholesalers (they are used for importing olives etc).
You could make a very solid structure by embedding the barrel in concrete, as pictured - and then put a tabletop on it.
Another decent weather-resistant material: formply. This is plywood with a slick, waterproof face. Large amounts are used for concrete pours on construction sites, and it is fairly affordable.
Or just regular ply + paint.
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Open Air Issues
1) Due the lack of a listening enclosure (room), you need more or larger drivers to produce the same LF output at your listening position. Cluster them together as well.
2) Near the sea is not a friendly environment for loudspeakers. Put them on casters and roll them inside when not in use.
3) Never the less, moisture resistance remains important even for units only temporarily placed outdoors.
Regards,
WHG
1) Due the lack of a listening enclosure (room), you need more or larger drivers to produce the same LF output at your listening position. Cluster them together as well.
2) Near the sea is not a friendly environment for loudspeakers. Put them on casters and roll them inside when not in use.
3) Never the less, moisture resistance remains important even for units only temporarily placed outdoors.
Regards,
WHG
I'm thinking he might be better with some pro woofers of some kind.
I had free range of Community boxes with crown amp powering them. Thats the direction I would probably go.
Yea. I think Faital and B&C make drivers that are good and also waterproof. There are probably lots of others.
B&C sell some recone kits that include waterproofing goo, so I'm guessing that waterproofing a 'normal' pro driver can be done without a doctorate in rocket surgery.
The LP SmartSide Panel works well to sheath houses and outdoor speaker cabinets.
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Thanks all for the input! I made a concrete box and below are the photos of the form and the completed body. The top is drying as I type this. It is for a 15" sub but I'm wondering if I should have went with an 18".
I'm going to see how this sounds in a few days. If it is anywhere near where I hope then I'll make four more as we have areas that subs will be (three will be around the pool area (pool is 40' x 20' with a fairly large cabana) and the other two will bye in the fire pit area.
We haven't sealed the concrete yet - so hopefully when it is done it will look even nicer.
I'm going to see how this sounds in a few days. If it is anywhere near where I hope then I'll make four more as we have areas that subs will be (three will be around the pool area (pool is 40' x 20' with a fairly large cabana) and the other two will bye in the fire pit area.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
We haven't sealed the concrete yet - so hopefully when it is done it will look even nicer.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
There are thick waterproofing compounds....these might be useful to damp concrete 'ringing'.
Dan.
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