Its 2007 - does a Ghetto Blaster solution exist?

We've all been there. Summers around the corner and at the beach or the park you want some decent tunes, without bringing a backpack full of batteries.

Any portable stereo/sound solutions for this kind of thing? You'd want something like 3 hours playback I guess, with decent sound.

Can anyone help?

 

Ipod with a ipod speaker pack?

 

It's probably not loud enough, but my Logitech MM-50 has a built-in rechargeable battery:

 

Don't think you'll be able to avoid the back pack of batteries. The Ipod Speaker thing from apple goes damn hard, also costs a damn lot and will chew through 8 D cell batteries.

Obviously this wouldn't work at the park with a bunch of people but I've got some Creative Popz speakers that i got from work for free, plug them into my Creative Zen and they go damn loud for what they are (unpowered speakers with drivers the size of a 50 cent piece) Good bass and clarity, if you are sitting around out the back having a few quiet beers with mates they are brilliant. I know they don't look like much but give them a go because they really surprised me.

 

Sonic Impact Class-T amp?
I think it gets 2x8w off batteries.

 

This project pops into my head every summer... Team up a small chip amp with some effecient full range fostex drivers or something and i reckon could get a ghetto blaster solution that actually sounds pretty damn good.

I was thinking a sealed lead acid battery, but someone once mentioned on here they can be rather 'noisy'. Not sure how much of an issue it would be though in this situation. If you could base it on a 12V design too, it could be charged/run off the cigarette lighter too if the batteries are drained and the car is nearby.

When I was younger thought a car headunit teamed with a 12V battery could also do the job all-in-one too, now I'm not so sure. May not be terribly effecient.

 

check the PCDB for that insane ghetto blaster that an OCAUer made a couple of years back. put a touch-screen PDA in it with bluetooth and shit. seriously, seriously rad.

 

Check this out. It's solar powered!

http://www.instructables.com/id/EYASGDSF0FI3ADK/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47642593@N00/sets/72157600117133010/

 

Got a link? I couldn't find it anywhere...

 

Yeh I've been thinking of going the t-amp route for a while now. Problem is I just can't find any cheap efficient speakers/drivers. Almost considering buying some car speakers just so I can get it built. Anyone know whether the t amp could power something like this? There are efficient enough, just have a feeling the little t amp might struggle a bit....

 

you probably won't get high efficiency drivers for cheap... the higher the efficiency = the more expensive.

here's a good one: http://tuner.bdb.fi/supaghettoblaster.php

another I just found the other day, and really nice build, is the boominator over on diyaudio... http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=104402

I'm thinking of building something like that myself ( after my next 3 projects :-/... 4780 chipamp, 2mtr frugal horn, hybrid tube headamp)

 

I know , but I just wish we could get something similar to what is available on parts express. A $30-40 full range driver etc...options seem really limited here...

 

http://www.majormusic.com.au/pricelists/MMW_Fostex_Speaker_Components_RRP_may_07.pdf

 

Been seriously contemplating the fosteks, but it has been said on diyaudio that they wouldn't be too durable in a portable speaker system. Would prefer to get something cheaper for my first system and perhaps upgrade to the nicer fosteks later.

What do people think of a jaycar woofer/pa tweeter combo? Or any recommended car speakers?

 

my old school grounds were just a big park, a few of us would bring our sets of battery powered pc speakers.
it wasnt elegant but 3 or 4 sets of pc speakers would provide us with music while we played in the park.

 

Heh! I remember years ago I made an LM380N amp and put it in a plastic take-away container. Ran off a 9V, ganged-pot for volume, sweet! Put that, some old Sanyo box car speakers I had and my CD walkman on my school bag...

It rocked! Battery would last about 4 hours, was plenty loud, and gave us something to do at those stupid school athletics carnivals...

 

yeah like this:



hahaha

 

actually if you want to built a ghetto blaster, you definately want a high sensitivity driver, so you will pay...

ie just found the p.audio 10" 100w mid bass, 96db, still $79 ea in au http://www.cannononline.com.au/catalogue/c6/c10/c94/c314/c304/p868

or fostex FE167E, 6.5" $99 http://store.majormusic.com.au/s.nl/it.A/id.719/.f

can't seem to find anything else suitable.

 

How about Boomboxes on eBay?

 

Australian ebay might be better.

Boombox with bling! lol.