Spring is coming, and there's nothing more fun than a group ride through town with 10, 100 or 1,000 of your closest friends. I've been on a lot of group rides and if there is 1 thing that really ads to the event its COSTUMES. and if there is a 2nd thing, its MUSIC. having a good sound system really ads to any bike event - both for riders and spectators. I have several friends that consistently bring the music to local events, but its hard going. Most of them have a trailer with a huge DJ speaker, weighty amp, maybe an inverter, and a car battery to power it. Here in San Francisco that means a squat team has to help push them up the hills to keep up with the ride! Today's project uses high efficiency components to make a much more convenient 25 pound (10kg) setup that mounts on any rear rack and gives the 150 pound (60kg) sound trailers a run for their money.
This setup is easy to build and if you buy all new parts will cost about $150. The main cost is the speaker and you may be able to re-use one you have around.
If you need a more complete reference on off-grid party sound systems, check out my other article.
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This article is sponsored by Momentum magazine and MonkeyLectric. The article appears in Momentum Issue 45. Here on Instructables i've posted an expanded build section that has tons more inspirational photos annotated with building tips.
This setup is easy to build and if you buy all new parts will cost about $150. The main cost is the speaker and you may be able to re-use one you have around.
If you need a more complete reference on off-grid party sound systems, check out my other article.
----
This article is sponsored by Momentum magazine and MonkeyLectric. The article appears in Momentum Issue 45. Here on Instructables i've posted an expanded build section that has tons more inspirational photos annotated with building tips.
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Signing UpStep 1: What you need
The basic stuff:
Efficient speakers:
PA and DJ speakers are the best place to look for efficiency. Auto and home speakers are usually poor. Large speakers are nearly always more efficient than small ones - this is one of our real tradeoffs because large speakers also weigh more.
The smallest speaker I recommend is the Gemini RS-308, you can get that at Amazon and other places for $70. It fits into a milk crate and weighs 15 lbs.
For the current project I used a somewhat larger Behringer S1020, I got it from parts-express.com for $100, it weighs about 20 pounds. American Musical has a lot of speaker choices too.
Go MONO! Stereo doesn't make a lot of sense when you are riding around on a bike. Using one larger speaker you get will more sound and less weight than two small ones, and its less work to mount it.
How big a speaker can you fit on a bike rack? The speaker in my project photos has a 10" woofer, most models with a 10" woofer are about this size. The Gemini 8" speaker is quite a bit smaller, it fits into a milk crate that you might already have on your rack.
Hacker Tip: Occasionally I've seen hackers try to use a bare speaker cone with no box to save weight. Do not do this! The box of a speaker is critical to its ability to create sounds. When you get rid of the box you lose most of your sound output.
Efficient amplifiers:
For amplifiers there is really only one choice: a Tripath-based amp, sometimes called a T-amp, Class-T amp or Digital amp. These ultra-efficient wonders are inexpensive but obscure. T-amps are available in a couple of different sizes. parts-express.com sells the 10 watt DTA-1 for $45 and it includes a built-in battery holder. It runs at full power for 4-6 hours on 8 rechargeable AA's - wow!
On Ebay.com there are several vendors with higher power T-amps. For a 20 watt amp I recommend the TA2020 amp from ebay seller indeed-hi-fi-lab. It's only $20 and is very good quality with durable construction. indeed-hi-fi-lab seems to have 2 variations called the "Tripath TA2020 Mini Cute Class T Amp Amplifier Ipod MP3" and the "NEW Class T Amp TA2020 Amplifier Tripath Chip TA 2020". Rest assured the one I bought is the "mini cute" type, but the other one looks equally well made in their photos.
The larger T-amps don't include a battery holder, you will need to supply an appropriate 12V battery. 12V "SLA" type batteries are very inexpensive, and also easy to find at recycle yards. For a new one try batterymart.com. A 7.0 Ah capacity should last you all day and costs $20. They also have a nice charger for $15. Amazon has these batteries too.
Much more details about speakers and amps I have tested if you need it.
- rear bike rack
- mp3 player with belt clip/holder
- small wood screws
- mount from an old bike light
- mp3 player cable and speaker cable
- tupperware box
- 4 bolts around 3" x 5/16" (80 x 8mm) with 8 washers and 4 nuts
- about 2' (70cm) of wood around 1" x 5/8" section (25 x 15mm).
- if you want 2 speakers instead of 1: a piece of plywood to mount them on
- Amplifier
- Speaker (1 or 2)
Efficient speakers:
PA and DJ speakers are the best place to look for efficiency. Auto and home speakers are usually poor. Large speakers are nearly always more efficient than small ones - this is one of our real tradeoffs because large speakers also weigh more.
The smallest speaker I recommend is the Gemini RS-308, you can get that at Amazon and other places for $70. It fits into a milk crate and weighs 15 lbs.
For the current project I used a somewhat larger Behringer S1020, I got it from parts-express.com for $100, it weighs about 20 pounds. American Musical has a lot of speaker choices too.
Go MONO! Stereo doesn't make a lot of sense when you are riding around on a bike. Using one larger speaker you get will more sound and less weight than two small ones, and its less work to mount it.
How big a speaker can you fit on a bike rack? The speaker in my project photos has a 10" woofer, most models with a 10" woofer are about this size. The Gemini 8" speaker is quite a bit smaller, it fits into a milk crate that you might already have on your rack.
Hacker Tip: Occasionally I've seen hackers try to use a bare speaker cone with no box to save weight. Do not do this! The box of a speaker is critical to its ability to create sounds. When you get rid of the box you lose most of your sound output.
Efficient amplifiers:
For amplifiers there is really only one choice: a Tripath-based amp, sometimes called a T-amp, Class-T amp or Digital amp. These ultra-efficient wonders are inexpensive but obscure. T-amps are available in a couple of different sizes. parts-express.com sells the 10 watt DTA-1 for $45 and it includes a built-in battery holder. It runs at full power for 4-6 hours on 8 rechargeable AA's - wow!
On Ebay.com there are several vendors with higher power T-amps. For a 20 watt amp I recommend the TA2020 amp from ebay seller indeed-hi-fi-lab. It's only $20 and is very good quality with durable construction. indeed-hi-fi-lab seems to have 2 variations called the "Tripath TA2020 Mini Cute Class T Amp Amplifier Ipod MP3" and the "NEW Class T Amp TA2020 Amplifier Tripath Chip TA 2020". Rest assured the one I bought is the "mini cute" type, but the other one looks equally well made in their photos.
The larger T-amps don't include a battery holder, you will need to supply an appropriate 12V battery. 12V "SLA" type batteries are very inexpensive, and also easy to find at recycle yards. For a new one try batterymart.com. A 7.0 Ah capacity should last you all day and costs $20. They also have a nice charger for $15. Amazon has these batteries too.
Much more details about speakers and amps I have tested if you need it.
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Here is how it sounds like: youtube.com/watch?v=lrgaHQrWwLQ
Instructions on how i built it are in the description!
Did you ever manage to mount the Behnringer 212XL to a rear rack? Did the suggested plywood method work out?
thanks!
Ewen
in regards to the mono, some songs play different things on one side than other and if one speaker goes out the song sounds different. if i just use one (i think u'd said to use the right) side on the amp, would i be able to hear all the sounds of the song or would i have to do something like in your monoXover instructables?
thx for the help. i suppose i'll ask more at the next bike partyyyyy :)
In the video it's not even turned up full blast! All the mount details are in the video description...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JApv_hFocTU
Wharfedale EVP-X Rated at 300 watts rms nice and loud and not too heavy.
i also have the speaker mounted on rear rack but facing forward, this has the advantage that u get the full benefit of the sound, and can monitor and EQ your output as u ride. You also get the benefit of seeing peoples shocked faces as u approach.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DRW3JwETc8
I'm very inexperienced with sound systems and amps, so bear with me, but how are the speakers powered? Do they even need power? The use of the amplifier I get, amplifies the sound and such, but does one need the specific model you suggested? Type T?
The next party is a month away, but I think I can get this going... I shall use this as my Go-To Bible!
I bought the Dayton DTA-1 Amplifier and have been using it with a nice set of book shelf speakers but it is just not loud enough. :) The setup is perfect for my personal use but it has yet to turn heads.
Now I am a bit of a realist in what I can expect from this amp, but I would love to hear from you what kind of overall volume you get from this exact setup using the Dayton amp.
How loud does this setup really get? Can you hear it from a half block away? We have a group ride coming up in June and I want to be ready this year. Your feedback would be most appreciated.
the hard way: follow the instructions in my other sound system projects.
i'd like to do an on bike system in fiberglass next time to cut weight & be able to use larger & more efficient speakers than my little mission 5 1/4" 2 ways. ideally, i'd like to go with 8" woofers if i built a no holds barred bike system.
if you're really looking to get loud, parts express just started carrying sure electronics' class D amps including a 24-30v one that puts out a solid 70wpc with very low distortion into 8 ohms. that would make a big speaker like you have shake the bike for certain.
i like how clean your install looks. everything is integrated & uncluttered. you should post a video of your rig in action on youtube.