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scodavis

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Hello everyone,

My very first display will be in 2016.  While I know I will likely get lots of driving traffic for my display (for which I am using an FM Transmitter) I also anticipate some walking traffic and gatherings with neighbors.  For that purpose, I also wanted to provide an external source of audio.  I was thinking of hooking up some speakers to the underside of my roof eaves in the front of my house, but I was wondering if anybody else had any ideas on how best to accomplish external audio.  And if any of you have specific brands/models of systems you use, that would be wonderful as well.

As a reference, here is a link to the Google Maps Street View of my house, so you can see it isn't a super-large front yard.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/630+W+Holland+Ave,+Clovis,+CA+93612/@36.7976212,-119.7234758,3a,60y,180.2h,76.61t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sapFG5Lxv0wwSoYO-1aashg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m2!3m1!1s0x80945c416b8347db:0x2756189c84743fa!6m1!1e1

Thank you!

-Scott

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I use an FM transmitter but I also use four speakers as I get a lot of traffic that will stop and stand outside their cars. I use a stereo receiver which picks up my FM broadcast then I just wire in some regular shelf speakers, wrap them in black garbage bags and stick them under bushes.

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same here... I use outside patio weather proof radios and set three or four in my yard along the area between my lights and the walkways so I do not have to turn the volume up so loud that the neighbors get tired hearing it.

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2 minutes ago, Old Sarge said:

same here... I use outside patio weather proof radios and set three or four in my yard along the area between my lights and the walkways so I do not have to turn the volume up so loud that the neighbors get tired hearing it.

Can you give me the Brand/Model of these water proof radios?

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dewalt jobsite radios can be left in pouring rain for days . only ones I use on the job. for my display I use speakers picked up at the thrift store for cheap and nice speakers.  put them in a Rubbermaid tote and they sit back in the container and I add some cheesecloth on the front for extra protection.  leave them out all season

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5 hours ago, kingfish said:

dewalt jobsite radios can be left in pouring rain for days . only ones I use on the job. for my display I use speakers picked up at the thrift store for cheap and nice speakers.  put them in a Rubbermaid tote and they sit back in the container and I add some cheesecloth on the front for extra protection.  leave them out all season

Just to make sure I am understanding and visualizing this properly - so you put the speakers inside of a Rubbermaid tote (which I'm assuming you have laying on its side) with the speakers inside, and then drape cheesecloth in front of the opening?  I'm amazed it keeps the speakers dry.

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I duct tape the cheesecloth  to the outside  also lean the tote forward so if any moisture gets in it drains out

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First off, Welcome to the madness!!!! :D

I put out a speaker on Friday and Saturday nights.  I use a Bluetooth speaker so there are no wires to run and I can place it where ever I like.  Works out great.  Here is the link to the speaker I use.  http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Tailgater-Portable-Bluetooth-Microphone/dp/B00SNBCBGE/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1459429300&sr=8-4&keywords=ion+block+rocker

And it's useful for tailgating and parties.

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In my case, I use a receiver in the garage but connect outside to external rock speakers, designed for the outside. They just completed their 3rd year of use for Halloween and Christmas only. There are outside speakers designed for under the eve mounting too which is a good possibility.

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I use those rock speakers & place them out in the yard in the planters. I have a audio splitter plugged in to the audio port on the controller then plug 1 end of the Y audio cable to the FM transmitter and the other audio end to my stereo receiver, in my garage. I run speaker wire from receiver out to the rock speakers. It works and sounds great.

Amazon-

OSD Audio

OSD Audio RX550 5.25-inch 2-Way Outdoor 100-Watt Rock Speaker Pair, Slate Grey

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On 31/03/2016 at 2:06 PM, 75redman said:

First off, Welcome to the madness!!!! :D

I put out a speaker on Friday and Saturday nights.  I use a Bluetooth speaker so there are no wires to run and I can place it where ever I like.  Works out great.  Here is the link to the speaker I use.  http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Tailgater-Portable-Bluetooth-Microphone/dp/B00SNBCBGE/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1459429300&sr=8-4&keywords=ion+block+rocker

And it's useful for tailgating and parties.

Do you connect them with Bluetooth? Or use the FM radio?

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7 hours ago, EmmienLightFan said:

Do you connect them with Bluetooth? Or use the FM radio?

For the show I use the FM radio. For parties I use the Bluetooth.

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We just put our old 1990s boombox in a plastic bag behind some bushes and tuned it to the radio station we were using.  Had it down low enough that the neighbors didn't complain, but high enough that if there was no traffic driving by, walkers could hear the music.  It worked well until we had MASSIVE rainstorms the two nights we were out of town - the bag filled with water, and the radio shorted out.

Fortunately, once it dried out completely on it's own, the radio on the boombox still worked, so we'll be doing it again this year, but double-bagging it this time around.

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For my Christmas show I have 2 blue tooth rock speakers in my rock garden and 2 water proof box speakers (wired) under the eves of the house. I power the wired speakers with a cheap 35w power amp. They are available for sound year round. I have a splitter out the back of my computer that routes the sound to 2 locations. One to the Power amp and one to my FM transmitter. For the Halloween display I use everything listed above plus on Halloween Night I add an Acoustic model 136 Bass guitar amplifier inside the Garage to add some bottom end for Thunder cracks. It has 150 watts and is so loud and bassy that you feel the thunder in your belly. 

These are not the exact models but pretty close.

http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-PDWR51BTWT-Waterproof-Bluetooth-Speakers/dp/B01954Q028/ref=sr_1_30?ie=UTF8&qid=1460377509&sr=8-30&keywords=outdoor+water+proof+speakers

http://www.amazon.com/OSD-Audio-BTR-150-Slate-Bluetooth/dp/B00IEMLNWA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1460377417&sr=8-2&keywords=outdoor+water+proof+rock+speakers

 

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Update - I replaced the Whole transmitter last year with CZH-05B with the rubber duckie. Other than that, this stands:

 

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This past year I put out 2 outdoor speakers (Pyle through Amazon) which did great.  I have them mounted to trees out front (about halfway between the house & road) and ran wires from an old stereo radio to the speakers. (the stereo was just inside our front door and ran wires under door to the outside). They worked fine through rain, snow, and cold.  I would turn them off about 9 each night and just let the FM transmission continue to run until shut down.  They are still mounted on the trees - not intending to take them down.

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