First time for everything, never thought static was a really serious issue...

jaswrx said:

Direct sunlight. The fact that multiple of their elx’s did it, shows me that they don’t do well in direct sunlight.

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This is not uncommon in direct sunlight, especially those with no cooling systems.

steve149 said:

I'm assuming it's the heat build up inside. Don't know the ELX, but they could be shutting down from thermal conditions (most likely) or the heat is causing issues with the motor assemblies. It seems they don't have fans so not a lot of surface area to dissipate excess heat (again, assuming the rear panel IS the heatsink). The ELX sound fine, just not a real robust construction and outdoor use in the sun is stressful to gear.

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I have never had an ELX top go thermal - but I also try not to run active speakers in sunlight. Every active speaker that I've seen has this warning (fan cooled or not).

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EV Manual

Precautions:
If an Electro-Voice loudspeaker is used outdoors on a sunny day, place the loudspeaker in a shaded or covered area. The loudspeaker amplifiers have protection circuits that temporarily shut the loudspeaker off when extremely high temperatures are reached. This can happen on hot days when the loudspeaker is in direct sunlight.

Do not use Electro-Voice loudspeakers in an environment where temperatures are below 0°C (32°F) or exceed +40°C (104°F).

Never expose an Electro-Voice loudspeaker to rain, water, or high moisture.

Electro-Voice loudspeakers are easily capable of generating sound pressure levels sufficient to cause permanent hearing damage to anyone within normal coverage distance. Caution should be taken to avoid prolonged exposure to sound pressure levels exceeding 90 dB.

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QSC Manual

Cooling
This is a powered loudspeaker containing an internal power amplifier that produces heat. Allow a minimum of 6" (152 mm) clearance at cabinet back for convection cooling. Keep anything that might restrict airflow away from the rear of the enclosure (i.e draperies, walls, etc.)

CAUTION:
Do not install enclosures with their rear panels exposed to direct sunlight. Direct sunlight will heat the amplifier module and reduce its ability to produce full output. Install sunshades if needed. Maximum ambient temperature for full performance to specification is 50° C (122° F). Do not install enclosures where exposed to rain or other water sources. The enclosure is not weatherproof. Outdoor installations must provide protection from the elements.

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JBL Manual

Operating Temperature
The design of the amplifier is such that it is very energy efficient and, as a result, does not get very hot. In the rare event that it does get too hot, it will automatically shut down to protect itself. When its temperature has returned to within its operating range, it will turn back on. A condition under which this may occur is when the system is operated in very high ambient temperatures or the rear of the enclosure is in direct sunlight. Always ensure adequate cooling and appropriate shade.

Hearing Damage, Prolonged Exposure To Excessive SPL
PRX800 Series loudspeakers are easily capable of generating sound pressure levels (SPL) sufficient to cause permanent hearing damage to performers, production crew and audience members. Caution should be taken to avoid prolonged exposure to SPL in excess of 90 dB.

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EV & JBL specifically mention hearing damage and use 90dB as their point of reference.

For all the non-love they get these days, I used to run my Mackie SRM450s 6-8 hours in direct sun with temps in the low 90s .. never had an issue .. sound wasn't the best, but they were workhorses.

Mackie manual:

Thermal Protection
All amplifiers produce heat. SRMv3 loudspeakers are designed to be efficient both electrically and thermally. In the unlikely event of the amplifier overheating, a built-in thermal switch will activate, muting the signal. When the amplifier has cooled down to a safe operating temperature, the thermal switch resets itself, and the SRMv3 loudspeaker resumes normal operation. If the thermal switch activates, try turning down the level control a notch or two on the mixing console (or the back of the loudspeaker) to avoid overheating the amplifier. Be aware that direct sunlight and/or hot stage lights may be the culprit of an amplifier overheating.

Exposure to extremely high noise levels may cause permanent hearing loss. Individuals vary considerably in susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss, but nearly everyone will lose some hearing if exposed to sufficiently intense noise for a period of time. The U.S. Government’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has specified the permissible noise level exposures shown in the following chart.

According to OSHA, any exposure in excess of these permissible limits could result in some hearing loss. To ensure against potentially dangerous exposure to high sound pressure levels, it is recommended that all persons exposed to equipment capable of producing high sound pressure levels use hearing protectors while the equipment is in operation. Ear plugs or protectors in the ear canals or over the ears must be worn when operating the equipment in order to prevent permanent hearing loss if exposure is in excess of the limits set forth here:

OSHA chart is presented in the manual

I don't know which vintage mine were .. they weren't the Italian ones though .. never had an issue, but I also had proper gain staging and NEVER ran them at 11 ..

The original SRM-450s shut down at only 113 degrees. I was once talking to one of the original designers and he told me that the engineering team had called for a heat sink that was twice the original size. The aesthetic design team overrode their recommendations. 113 is pretty low if you live in AZ. Some manufacturers have chosen to add internal fans, larger heat sinks and a few throttle back the output as the temp approaches the shut down limit. In general though, I can't fault a speaker designed primarily for indoor use for shutting in direct sunlight on a hot day. Speakers designed for outdoor use would have an IP rating. Most powered speakers don't have such a rating or the rating is pretty low and basically meeting indoor specs.