outdoor speakers

[lightzilla]

As for me I use a Ridgid outdoor job site radio. I am close enough to the street & it comes out clear enough for folks to hear .......for those who brave -20+ temps in December

[ItsMeBobO]

My suggestion is to get very simple speakers with no buttons or knobs and no internal amp.  Then get a little cheapy bookshelf stereo receiver / radio which will have an amplifier in it.  Garage sale item.     You have a transmitter which is sending the FM already.  So there is no need to split the director output.    Just tune your new radio to your FM channel.   You will control the volume from there.  Run speaker wire to your basic speakers.      

My setup includes a boom box tuned to my frequency.  Its normally on with volume way down.  But when I am testing or even explaining to someone in the yard we have to hear.  So I adjust the volume on the boom box which is setting under the eaves out of the rain. 

 

 

Edited September 5, 2016 by ItsMeBobO

[k6ccc]

So how do I get this analog sound to a non-powered speaker - like these speakers?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/pyle-pylepro-2-way-120-w-indoor-outdoor-speaker-pack-of-2/3419087.p?id=1218401496951&skuId=3419087

You take the line level audio output from the director (or a PC, or any of many other devices that output audio), and run that into an amplifier. The amplifier produces speaker level audio which is connected to the speakers.

That is what I'm doing. I have two 75 watt per channel amplifiers on a shelf in a bedroom closet. In the yard are four permanently installed speakers that are wired to the amps. I have a LOR channel that controls a relay which switches AC power to the amps, so I can have the show turn the amps on or off.

Sent from my Droid Turbo via Tapatalk, so blame any typos or spelling errors on Android

[Mega Arch]

32 minutes ago, EmmienLightFan said:

Those Pyle speakers need an amplifier. Those are "passive" speakers.

 

You can get loads of outdoor powered speakers. If you want to connect a line level analogue audio input directly to the speakers (Output of an MP3 director), you need a "powered" or "active" speaker. These are speakers with an internal amplifier. Some come in pairs and one side contains an amplifier and the other side is passive.

exactly - thanks for confirming.

which is why I'm looking at the speaker Chet's using above.

I plug it into my eave electrical system that's tied to my show timer. Power done.

Split off minidirector output straight to it. Sound done.

 

[Mega Arch]

17 minutes ago, ItsMeBobO said:

My suggestion is to get very simple speakers with no buttons or knobs and no internal amp.  Then get a little cheapy bookshelf stereo receiver / radio which will have an amplifier in it.  Garage sale item.     You have a transmitter which is sending the FM already.  So there is no need to split the director output.    Just tune your new radio to your FM channel.   You will control the volume from there.  Run speaker wire to your basic speakers.      

My setup includes a boom box tuned to my frequency.  Its normally on with volume way down.  But when I am testing or even explaining to someone in the yard we have to hear.  So I adjust the volume on the boom box which is setting under the eaves out of the rain. 

 

 

I have entire show outside - no wires etc coming from inside. No PC or laptop tied up. Don't want to buy receiver & speakers and have to make the receiver waterproof.

Have thought about a boom box, but mounting, or power, or ____ has always stopped me.

Might have to re-think this & check them out too.

[Mega Arch]

13 minutes ago, k6ccc said:

You take the line level audio output from the director (or a PC, or any of many other devices that output audio), and run that into an amplifier. The amplifier produces speaker level audio which is connected to the speakers.

That is what I'm doing. I have two 75 watt per channel amplifiers on a shelf in a bedroom closet. In the yard are four permanently installed speakers that are wired to the amps. I have a LOR channel that controls a relay which switches AC power to the amps, so I can have the show turn the amps on or off.

Sent from my Droid Turbo via Tapatalk, so blame any typos or spelling errors on Android

Thanks - but as above, I'm trying not to have wires running between insides & out. - And don't want an amp/receiver. Main reason is I gave 2 old ones to charity drives & it would drive me crazy to go to thrift store to buy my own back....

 

[tomsusie]

I bought a pair of Pyle speakers which are mounted to trees out front about 100 feet from the house.  I had an old FM Stereo system so I just tune it to my FM channel.  I am using wires that run under the front door out to the speakers as the stereo would be difficult to waterproof since it's rather large.  It works well and I can control volume from inside the house on the FM receiver. These speakers have been outside for about 10 months so far and still work fine. I would think you could also go the way of Bluetooth if you had a compatible receiver/speakers which should eliminate wiring.

Edited September 5, 2016 by tomsusie
add'l comment added

[ItsMeBobO]

ok Mega  thanks for clarifying the requirements.   I have three holes in my house for Cat5 which my wife graciously overlooks because they are just off the ground at the same level as the power outlets.  Certainly understand the totally outside show.  But my show computer took offence to being called tied up. It's completely voluntary on her part. She loves being in my man cave playing music for me at my command.   

 

[Mega Arch]

12 minutes ago, ItsMeBobO said:

ok Mega  thanks for clarifying the requirements.   I have three holes in my house for Cat5 which my wife graciously overlooks because they are just off the ground at the same level as the power outlets.  Certainly understand the totally outside show.  But my show computer took offence to being called tied up. It's completely voluntary on her part. She loves being in my man cave playing music for me at my command.   

 

I'm outta likes again (still say 4 per day isn't enough...)

so quoting instead 

[DisneyMatt10]

On 11/7/2015 at 7:36 PM, JRF said:

Yeah that leads me to another question, similar to Ed K's.....Is it best to use an FM transmitter and just tune a stereo system outside to the FM freq with the volume cranked up? Or is it best to run the music from your computer or laptop via a cable to speakers outside?

thanks

I have an outdoor radio tuned to the station for the lightshow so those neighbours walking through the neighborhood can hear the music, and those in their cars can tune to the station. To me that's been the easiest way to get music heard by those just walking through the neighborhood. 

~Matt

[tomsusie]

3 hours ago, DisneyMatt10 said:

I have an outdoor radio tuned to the station for the lightshow so those neighbours walking through the neighborhood can hear the music, and those in their cars can tune to the station. To me that's been the easiest way to get music heard by those just walking through the neighborhood. 

~Matt

I do the same so that those in cars can listen to their radio but walkers can hear from the speakers.  I suppose there is a way to use your computer to provide the sound and route it to speakers as well as a transmitter.  Not enough know-how to say how that might be done.

[jimswinder]

3 hours ago, tomsusie said:

I do the same so that those in cars can listen to their radio but walkers can hear from the speakers.  I suppose there is a way to use your computer to provide the sound and route it to speakers as well as a transmitter.  Not enough know-how to say how that might be done.

You can buy RCA "Y" cables..essentially one connection into your computer headphone jack (male) but "y"'s out to two female pigtails so you can hook up more than one device (Transmitter, and amp)

[Greg Young]

13 hours ago, jimswinder said:

You can buy RCA "Y" cables..essentially one connection into your computer headphone jack (male) but "y"'s out to two female pigtails so you can hook up more than one device (Transmitter, and amp)

A lot of us use that approach, as it gives you the best of both worlds.

[paralegalnc]

we dont use speakers.  My husband has this construction radio box thing from Bosch

we put it outside and tune it to our radio station.

[k6ccc]

On 9/6/2016 at 0:47 PM, tomsusie said:

I do the same so that those in cars can listen to their radio but walkers can hear from the speakers.  I suppose there is a way to use your computer to provide the sound and route it to speakers as well as a transmitter.  Not enough know-how to say how that might be done.

That's what I do.  However having worked as a broadcast engineer, I DO know how to do it right and make it work despite some very long cable runs.  Before you even read the novel I'm about to write, I will repeat an offer I have made in the past.  If you need assistance in audio distribution (for example, long cable runs or distribution to multiple distant locations), my background may be able to help to do it right.  Feel free to contact me.  Admittedly my setup is more complex than most other people have any need to use, but it works well for me.  In my case, my show computer has been in the very back of my house.  As part of my front yard landscaping project, I installed four speakers in the front yard, and two 75 watt per channel amplifiers in a closet that drives them.  There is a conduit path from the show computer to the amplifiers, but it's about 100 feet long.  Additionally, there is a conduit path from the show computer to the brick column in the front yard where the FM transmitter is located, but it's a little over 150 feet.  If I were to simply connect a Y splitter on the output of the show computer and long cables to the amplifiers and transmitter, there is a HIGH probability that there would be noise and /or hum introduced into one or more likely both.  Now I'm going to explain how to do it right.  Then I will add a little about the rest of my audio distribution - and how I added yet another complication this year.

The big issue with long cables is that most consumer audio devices use un-balanced audio inputs and outputs.  That means that the audio signal is carried on a single wire that is referenced to whatever ground that the equipment has.  The cable used is normally a shielded co-axial cable with the audio signal on the center conductor and the ground on the shield.  This works OK for short distances, and in particular when all the attached equipment is using the same power system.  If the two pieces of equipment either don't really have a real ground connection (most consumer audio equipment these days doesn't), or have a different ground, there can be substantial amounts of noise introduced because of differences in ground.  The solution to this is to use a balanced audio line rather than an un-balanced distribution.  In an balanced input or output, the audio signal is sent over two wires that are not referenced to ground, but rather a differential to each other.  The cable normally used is two twisted wires inside a shield.  The shield is normally grounded at only one end of the cable.  Fortunately it is easy to convert the audio signal from an un-balanced signal to a balanced signal.  The normal way to do this is by connecting the un-balanced signal to one side of an isolation transformer, and there is now a balanced signal on the other side of the transformer.  Assuming that both your show computer and your FM transmitter have unbalanced inputs and outputs, you would use an isolation transformer at each end of the circuit.  Note that the description I have given is for a single circuit.  If you are sending a stereo signal (and most of use are using stereo), you need a separate isolation transformer at each end of the circuit, and separate cable for each channel.  If you are splitting the output of your show computer to go to both a FM transmitter and also amplifiers for speakers, you could use a Y type splitter cable to create two outputs from your computer, and run one output from the splitter to the FM transmitter and the the other output to the amplifiers.  If either of the cable runs is long, use the un-balanced to balanced transformer process described above for the long cable.

In my case I'm not using a Y splitter cable.  I have the output from the show computer (un-balanced) run through isolation transformers to two channel inputs of a sound mixer (balanced).  This is despite the fact that the computer and mixer have been less than two feet apart.  The mixer has a main output which is cabled to the FM transmitter, and an Aux output which is cabled to the amplifiers.  The main output from the mixer is a true balanced output, so I don't need to use isolation transformers at the mixer end of those cables, however my FM transmitter has un-balanced inputs, so there are isolation transformers before the inputs to the transmitter.  BTW, to give an idea how well using a balanced signal works, for the first year that I used an  FM transmitter, I used a piece of unshielded Cat-5 cable for the 160 foot run, and it worked fine.  I don't recommend doing that, but I really did not have the budget to buy the right cable at the time, and I had boxes of Cat-5 in stock.  The Aux output from my mixer is semi-balanced output so I am using isolation transformers at both ends of the cables to the amplifiers.

This year I complicated it a bit by moving the show computer out into a newly constructed data cabinet in my garage.  Now I will have about 60 feet of cable from the computer to sound mixer.  Of course that will have isolation transformers at the computer.  One more note.  The conduit paths that I'm using for these long runs, are also used for several other types of signal including, computer LAN, LOR networking, another low speed data used for some environmental monitors, telephone, and low current 12 volt power.  All of these would likely bother an un-balanced signal, but have no effect on a balanced signal.

 

[EmmienLightFan]

I run balanced XLR from my mixer's FX send to my transmitter. I run only mono. Most cars are parked side on so the stereo effect won't be as good. My mixer's FX send is only mono too.

The stereo effect does work well on my outdoor speakers (1990s PC speakers in boxes) placed either side of the small house. The speakers were great but I wanted to turn it up loud at Halloween but it got really distorted.

[Mr. P]

There is no no need to make this difficult or expensive. All i do is run my fm transmitter from my computer which broadcasts out on my FM frequency. I have an older stereo receiver which I bought from  pawn shop for about $25 that sits in a front room window which picks up my FM broadcast and has four speakers which the wires run out the front window so the window still closes. I then have four smaller bookshelf speakers wrapped in black garbage bags hidden in the front bushes. This way people in cars can hear the broadcast on their radio and walkers can hear the music through the speakers.

[k6ccc]

Mr. P, you are absolutely correct. In my case I use the amps and speakers from time to time while the FM transmitter is in storage. In fact the amps and speakers were installed several years before I started doing a LOR musical show. Again in my case, because the show computer is in the back of the house (and no practical way to have it near the front), I have no choice but to run long cables to get to the FM which is less than 10 feet from the street.

Sent from my Droid Turbo via Tapatalk, so blame any typos or spelling errors on Android

[k6ccc]

4 hours ago, EmmienLightFan said:

I run balanced XLR from my mixer's FX send to my transmitter. My mixer's FX send is only mono too.

A balanced output (or at least semi-balanced) is quite common on sound mixers at anything above the bottom consumer grade devices.  Note BTW, that a lot of mixers that are using XLR connectors and claim that it's a balanced output are not really a true balanced output - particularly on secondary outputs.  If the manufacturer provides schematics (does not need to be to the component level), take a look and it will be obvious.  In many case the output has one wire is the signal and the other is floating above ground - what I refer to as semi-balanced.  It works better than an un-balanced signal, but not as well as a true balanced output - especially for longer cable runs.  That's the situation with the Aux outputs from my mixer - hence the reason that I have isolation transformers on that output.

4 hours ago, EmmienLightFan said:

I run only mono. Most cars are parked side on so the stereo effect won't be as good.

I sort of understand what you're saying, but having it mono takes away something from the music (makes it sound flat) - IMHO.  Noted above that the output being used from the mixer is mono...

 

[TitusCarnathan]

I use a 60 watt amp from PYLE. https://www.amazon.com/Pyle-PFA200-60-Watt-Class-T-Amplifier/dp/B0071HZ5EQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1474586616&sr=8-3&keywords=pyle+60+watt+amp

 

And 2 Rock Speakers Which I believe I bought from Outdoor Speaker Depot.  http://www.outdoorspeakerdepot.com/rockspeaker.html

I had bad experience before with cheap store bought "outdoor speakers" that had to be protected from the weather. These Rock speakers have been outside for at least 5 years and they work great.