Battery Powered SOS

Ben Lawrence

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Mar 2, 2011
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What are the current decent options for battery powered speakers on sticks? I prefer running off generator as I know the run time is not an issue for the events I usually need it for. It seems to turn off a lot of folks who are looking for a Ceremony Sound system though. I think I can pick something up that can blue tooth phone playback but it leaves you with wired mics as you need power for wireless stuff and a mixer. Is that Sennheiser unit thats been out for a bit the only way to go?
 
What are the current decent options for battery powered speakers on sticks? I prefer running off generator as I know the run time is not an issue for the events I usually need it for. It seems to turn off a lot of folks who are looking for a Ceremony Sound system though. I think I can pick something up that can blue tooth phone playback but it leaves you with wired mics as you need power for wireless stuff and a mixer. Is that Sennheiser unit thats been out for a bit the only way to go?

Sennheiser wireless mics (both lav and hand-held) with Senn EK-100 battery powered receivers.

Behringer XENYX 1002B battery-powered mixer

Behringer MPA40-BT-PRO BETTERY-powered speaker

Except for the mics, inexpensive, portable, and it works.


Sent from my iPhone
 
What are the current decent options for battery powered speakers on sticks? I prefer running off generator as I know the run time is not an issue for the events I usually need it for. It seems to turn off a lot of folks who are looking for a Ceremony Sound system though. I think I can pick something up that can blue tooth phone playback but it leaves you with wired mics as you need power for wireless stuff and a mixer. Is that Sennheiser unit thats been out for a bit the only way to go?
Ben,

Rather than buying battery powered speakers why not buy a good battery and an inverter or two? This leaves you able to use any inventory you already own, rather than paying premium prices for "convenience".
I have found the Cen-Tech Harbor Freight inverters to be very clean, available in a number of power ranges, and really inexpensive, especially if you find the right coupon ;^). A sale notice came today with the Cen-Tech 750 watt continuous/1500 watt peak item 69660 for $39.99, plenty of power for most S.O.S. gigs.
For as cheap as they are, getting a backup (which you might leave wired in your vehicle) makes sense, though none of the 3 Cen-Tech inverters ( 1K/2K & 2K/4K) I own have had any problems.

If you decide on lead-acid batteries, the AGM (absorbed glass mat) deep-cycle type are worth the extra expense, no water to add, nothing to spill, available in a size to fit any package you could concieve of. You pay by the pound, going with multiple small units has some advantages, though is ultimately a bit more costly per amp hour delivered.

If you want to really reduce weight and invest in something that can ultimately cost less per delivered power, Lithium Ion Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) are a good choice. LiFePO4 require careful attention to individual cells, a BMS (Battery Management System) further drives up cost, but will prevent individual cell death, which can result in system failure.
LiFePO4 are probably not worth the extra expense for the amount of use you would be using them for, but the peak power they are capable of is incredible by comparison to lead-acid.

Add a 100 watt solar panel, and you can keep a well-insulated refrigerator full of food from going bad during power outages. Power was out for around 28 hours after hurricane Matthew, and 9 days after Irma, during which I increased panels to around 500 watts...

Art
 
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The inverter idea is interesting. I guess I would Need to dress it up a bit in some sort of case.
You could fit an inverter and a very healthy battery bank in a 3 space rack, though old Samsonite luggage from thrift stores (painted black, of course..) can work equally well for almost no cost, other than some hard foam to secure the components.

Use an in line fuse or breaker between the battery and inverter, and try to secure the battery in such a way that shorting the terminals is as near impossible as possible- contact with a rack rail or an aluminum valance can start a fire in a fraction of a second.
 
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You could fit an inverter and a very healthy battery bank in a 3 space rack, though old Samsonite luggage from thrift stores (painted black, of course..) can work equally well for almost no cost, other than some hard foam to secure the components.

Use an in line fuse or breaker between the battery and inverter, and try to secure the battery in such a way that shorting the terminals is as near impossible as possible- contact with a rack rail or an aluminum valance can start a fire in a fraction of a second.

FWIW, you're essentially building a UPS (minus the switch-over and notification circuitry) or a "battery generator" (which is available commercially, although usefully large ones get pricey quick). It's also worthwhile determining how much energy your system will use, as that will be helpful in sizing the battery bank (especially since AGM batteries are around 60 lbs per gross kWh)