Outdoor Speakers

[dkoehler42]

Hey all,

 

I'm looking for good quality outdoor wireless speakers that are not Bluetooth.  Does anyone have any suggestions that are under $200?

[ndutton]

eBay.... you can get outdoor speakers for under 50 USD. I was getting some myself funnily enough.

Of course you can also get high quality JBL speakers for about 200, but for the xmas display I dont know if you need those...

[dkoehler42]

18 minutes ago, ndutton said:

eBay.... you can get outdoor speakers for under 50 USD. I was getting some myself funnily enough.

Of course you can also get high quality JBL speakers for about 200, but for the xmas display I dont know if you need those...

Which ones on eBay?  I already looked and wasn't sure on a brand.

[GriswoldStyle]

it's not too takeover the answer for your question but With our display, we just use rock landscape speakers. I got them on eBay a few years back.  Back then they were only $30 I think they're up to 50 now. It's an off brand generic but they work you're not really cranking it up but they will get loud if you want them to we use them for barbecues and neighborhood get-togethers outside as well, you're normally for Christmas keeping it down low so neighbors don't complain but you can make them pretty loud for being as cheap as they are. it really won't matter too much if it's name brand or not. ours have been through the rain storms and everything and still work 5 years later. I think it's called theater Solutions outdoor speakers

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F382111606194

The name for ours I believe are acoustic audio but it's all made by the same Factory they just put different names on it.

Edited July 24, 2018 by GriswoldStyle

[Mr. P]

OP stated that they were looking for wireless but no bluetooth. So I guess they are looking for a wifi speaker.

[GriswoldStyle]

2 minutes ago, Mr. P said:

OP stated that they were looking for wireless but no bluetooth. So I guess they are looking for a wifi speaker.

Good catch I totally missed that part. Yeah the ones I linked to are definitely not wireless.

[dkoehler42]

27 minutes ago, GriswoldStyle said:

Good catch I totally missed that part. Yeah the ones I linked to are definitely not wireless.

I was going to ask if they were, because they didn't look it.  I don't know how to wire hardwire from inside to outside.

[dibblejr]

7 minutes ago, dkoehler42 said:

I was going to ask if they were, because they didn't look it.  I don't know how to wire hardwire from inside to outside.

Depends on how you are controlling your lights but when I test in my backyard I have the LOR mini director and have an RCA adapter plug for that for outdoor speakers. For HAlloween I use both FM transmitter for the cars and speakers for the brave trick or treaters. We don't get much foot traffic on our side of the sub division. The developers got lazy so we have land.

For the show I use my computer, I did not use outdoor speakers but you could use the same jack or possibly USB adapter depending on speakers.

JR

[GriswoldStyle]

In my case i  bought a used  receiver/stereo from eBay,  then a 3.5 headphone to rca cable 25', hook that up  to either your headphone jack on CPU  or in my case to the output on the mini  show director and then hook up the rca inputs to the stereo. Then just run speaker wire to the speakers. I actually have mine set up in the garage right next to the light O Rama mini director. I have it on the timers so the stereo comes on when the system Powers up. But that's just the way that I have it done it's really not hard. But if you feel more comfortable going Wireless then by all means do that.

[GriswoldStyle]

This might help explain better. I just took a short video to show you how easy it is to hook the audio up if you have the Lor MP3 mini director.... if not all you do is hook that headphone wire jack up to your computer if you're running your show off of the computer. it's a lot easier to show you in the video then it is to try to explain it.

Pardon the spider webs that's just all part of our Halloween show the spiders never leave lol

 

Edited July 24, 2018 by GriswoldStyle

[OzAz]

or buy speakers with built-in FM receiver

[dkoehler42]

30 minutes ago, GriswoldStyle said:

This might help explain better. I just took a short video to show you how easy it is to hook the audio up if you have the Lor MP3 mini director.... if not all you do is hook that headphone wire jack up to your computer if you're running your show off of the computer. it's a lot easier to show you in the video then it is to try to explain it.

Pardon the spider webs that's just all part of our Halloween show the spiders never leave lol

 

Thank you very much for the video, that was definitely helpful.  In the past, I had run the audio off the same computer running the show using either an FM transmitter or an older wireless speaker set that used to have more interference issues than I'd like.  I figure there has to be a good brand for wireless speakers out there.

[k6ccc]

At least at the consumer level, about the only "wireless" method for speakers would be either bluetooth (which the OP does not want to use) or an FM receiver driving the speakers and use wired speakers.  That could be either an integrated unit (such as a boombox), or a separate receiver driving wired speakers.  The problem is that most of those are not waterproof.

In my case, I am using completely wired speakers.  These are similar speakers to what you find semi-hidden in flowerbeds all over Disneyland.  I have four of them in four different planters scattered across the yard.  Yea, yea, I need to do some weeding!

  On a shelf in my bedroom closet, there are a pair of 75 watt per channel stereo amplifiers.  There is a conduit path from that shelf to each speaker in the yard.  In the speaker photo above, you can see a 4x4x4 PVC electrical box.  That is a junction box for the speaker wires, the RGB strips that is around the top of the brick, and a pair of spotlights that help illuminate my flags.  There are a couple of conduit stubs out of that box that have direct burial cable in them that go to the various lights and the speakers.

Below is a photo of the amplifier shelf.  As you can tell, it is only about 8 eight inches below the ceiling.  The conduit coming out out of the ceiling is carrying two circuits of electrical into a 4x4 box with four outlets.  Two of the outlets are permanent hot, and the other two are normally switched hot where the switching is via a relay controlled by a LOR channel.  The intent is that the amps are plugged into the switched outlets and a power supply that powers one of my E6804 controllers is plugged into one of the un-switched outlets.  That way I can have the amplifiers (and therefore the speakers) controlled by a LOR channel.  Because of some issues with how I was controlling my evening vs late evening show, last year I changed it to have all four outlets hot and the little black timer to the right of the amplifiers controls power to the the amps.  9:00 PM and the yard gets quiet.  To the far right is part of the power supply for the E6804 - which is out in the yard.

 

[dibblejr]

A cheap boombox/ stereo receiver and speakers may be the way to go. You can just use it along with your transmitter. You would have to bring it in during inclement weather but as that goes your audience probably wont be standing outside in the rain.

Under your $200 range it may be difficult to find decent outdoor speakers and wire them up.

JR

[Tharkun]

I went to SAMs club and bought an water resistant Explorer Outback system. Portable, self contained, battery power or cord, blue tooth or wired, with a microphone. Currently at $149.00. Works great. I put it on my porch and crank it up for the outside music of sound effects. I actually does a really good job. I have yet to run out of power with a 6 hour show, including running the MP3 player hooked up to it. Has a built in handle and wheels for moving around. People commented on my speakers, thought I had a fancy system out in yard.

https://www.samsclub.com/sams/explorer-outback-2/prod21991828.ip?searchTerm=explorer outback speaker

 

 

[dkoehler42]

1 hour ago, Tharkun said:

I went to SAMs club and bought an water resistant Explorer Outback system. Portable, self contained, battery power or cord, blue tooth or wired, with a microphone. Currently at $149.00. Works great. I put it on my porch and crank it up for the outside music of sound effects. I actually does a really good job. I have yet to run out of power with a 6 hour show, including running the MP3 player hooked up to it. Has a built in handle and wheels for moving around. People commented on my speakers, thought I had a fancy system out in yard.

https://www.samsclub.com/sams/explorer-outback-2/prod21991828.ip?searchTerm=explorer outback speaker

 

 

That's a cool unit, but I'm sourcing the audio from my computer. I don't know how I'd run a wire, and I don't trust that I have Bluetooth installed. Ideally, I'd like a standalone wireless speaker(s).  I know they do exist, but are they all iffy?

[k6ccc]

That radio dkoehler42 posted is an AM / FM radio in addition to Bluetooth.  Have your computer output to your FM transmitter and then have that unit receive it.

 

[GriswoldStyle]

Question, if you're running the show from your computer, where are you going to run your cat cable to your controllers? Just curious as you mentioned you're concerned about wires for the speakers. just trying to get a visual of how your setting everything up.

What @k6ccc mentioned would actually be a really good alternative if you find you cannot do what you're wanting to. I use FM transmitters as well. all you do is hook that up to your computer with the double sided 3. 5 mm Jacks cord and then just use a portable boombox or radio and tune it to that station. before my projector died that's how I used to broadcast audio for the movies in our Christmas display and just had a sign up that told people for the movie audio tune to a specific station.

The problem I ran into while searching trying to help you is almost everything I found was either Bluetooth or did not state it was water resistant. I'm sure they exist but then you run into the same situation with needing to power them with wires.

Edited July 25, 2018 by GriswoldStyle

[dkoehler42]

2 hours ago, GriswoldStyle said:

Question, if you're running the show from your computer, where are you going to run your cat cable to your controllers? Just curious as you mentioned you're concerned about wires for the speakers. just trying to get a visual of how your setting everything up.

What @k6ccc mentioned would actually be a really good alternative if you find you cannot do what you're wanting to. I use FM transmitters as well. all you do is hook that up to your computer with the double sided 3. 5 mm Jacks cord and then just use a portable boombox or radio and tune it to that station. before my projector died that's how I used to broadcast audio for the movies in our Christmas display and just had a sign up that told people for the movie audio tune to a specific station.

The problem I ran into while searching trying to help you is almost everything I found was either Bluetooth or did not state it was water resistant. I'm sure they exist but then you run into the same situation with needing to power them with wires.

I used an FM transmitter and sign for Christmas back in the day.  I use the LinkLighter system to connect to my controller. 

[GriswoldStyle]

56 minutes ago, dkoehler42 said:

I used an FM transmitter and sign for Christmas back in the day.  I use the LinkLighter system to connect to my controller. 

Ahh ok now I understand why you're trying to Go Wireless. I use the light linkers off my controllers to control my neighbor's house as well. Unfortunately the only thing that I have seen searching last night are professional venue wireless speakers but they are way more than 200. 5 times that lol.

Edited July 25, 2018 by GriswoldStyle