Integrated Backpack Speakers

I have always loved my music, and I love to share it with my friends. Last year I carried either these fragile speakers of this bulky boom box in my messenger bag at school. For this school year I decided to permanently install these speakers discreetly and safely inside my messenger bag.

P.S. This is my first Instructable so sorry in advance for any spelling mistakes, bad pictures, or any thing else that I might have messed up on.

**Test Drive** Today i wore the backpack to school, everyone loved it. They thought it was store bought item and were amazed when i told them i made it myself (eventhough this is an extremly basic set-up). So build your own and impress all of your friends too.

Step 1 Materials

These are the materials that i used, although this is a pretty simple set-up, so use your imagination.

Speakers (of course, i used leftover speakers from a 70's era record player that was otherwise going to be tossed. Recycling!)

Medium gauge wire (just a couple feet will do)

Old 3.5 mm male audio jack (the kind you would find on a pair of headphones. Preferably you should leave 5-6 inches of wire on it or more.)

Amplifier (optional, makes the sound louder, duh)

For Durability:

5-6 inches of 4 inch PVC piping

~2 square feet of chicken wire

For Installing in Backpack

Extra fabric

Thread

Velcro

Tools

Wire stripping (Kleina tools make the best)

Soldering iron

Solder

Wire Nippers

Glue gun

Sewing machine

Comments

[Vijster1]

http://www.instructables.com/id/MP3-Back-Pack-Speakers/

[hvalerio_007]

and do i need a battery

[hvalerio_007]

is it okay if my speaker is 15 watts

[Kendallkip]

Thank you for this, loved the instructable. However I do have a question. I already made one without an amplifier but I want one with an amp. The amp takes 2 AAAs but there are only 2 wires, one red, one black, on the same side of the amp so one goes into the negative and one the positive. How would I wire this with the lack of a place to put the output?

[applesaucemodifier]

That is odd. It sounds like for your input you may have to, unfortuantly, combine the two channels. as for out put it sounds like the wire may be stuck inside the amp or possibly the leads are within and do not have wires soldered on. I can't be entirely certain without seeing the amp.
I'm not much one for electronics as of late. I have been cooking more, but i still know my way around more or less.

[Kendallkip]

Here's a picture of the back of the amp

[applesaucemodifier]

hmmm, I Don't recognize this configuration, where did you pull this off of? I Don't see where your out put is, or even just a connection for a speaker(same thing i guess). Could you try opening it up and showing me a picture of the inside?
I'm sorry I couldn't be of more assistance to you :(

[Kendallkip]

I got it from a door alarm toy thing I had as a kid. Here's the inside.

[applesaucemodifier]

I'm sorry but from what I can see this does no amplifying. This seems to just be a battery pack. Amps are pretty easy to build, given you have a little experience, but they are even easier to hack an old one you have lying around. You could try the traditional computer speaker or grab one for your self at the local electronics store. Hell, sometimes you find some cheap little do-dad at target half price that will fit your needs.

[Kendallkip]

PS: The jack is stereo

[snippa1]

hi i had a big speaker just straight to a 3.5mm audio jack to my ipod and it was really quiet how can i make it loud thanks

[the seaker]

its funny that i came across your instructable while browsing the web, when today walking home from school i was thinking, "hmm if only i had speakers/amp in my backpack..." lol nice 'ible i will probably attempt this soon and post how it goes soon!

[srew70]

i have reacently built my back pack sound system it has a old computer speaker chip with 8in pioneer and some 5in generic speaker and it has a mp3 jack so were i can hook it up to any thing but like how loud can yours get im jus courius

[applesaucemodifier]

 it gets pretty darn loud, i must say. it fills a room

[srew70]

so like is it hooked up just to the radio or hooked up like mine on a computer speaker sound chip thing

[applesaucemodifier]

 well, i have both, a computer speaker chip and the cassette player. The speaker chip is louder though 

[holyfire]

where did you buy ur bag from, I really like it

[applesaucemodifier]

Thanks! I got it from the Converse store, there is one really near to my house, they are poping up all over SoCal. Oh, and by the way, i think they have discontinued this type, but they have a similiar bag that has no lining. It comes in both black and brown.

[pancho del rancho]

wat amp did u use

[applesaucemodifier]

I had an old cassette player that I ended up using. I plugged the speakers into the output and wired in an input jack that makes the sound significantly louder.

[pancho del rancho]

oh okay thx nice instructable by the way