Wireless speakers

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Generators have their place but they come with their own set of issues:
  • Many places (especially near me) simply don't allow them
  • The generator must be kept away from where you are working. In other words, it must operate unattended.
    * Hard to monitor gas levels
    * Someone could screw with it
  • Portable gas gens have only a one gallon tank You really shouldn't refill while running.
  • You must carry extra gas
  • Cheap gens are loud
  • Many non-inverter gens are unregulated and change voltage as the load changes
  • Many inverter gens create a modified sine wave which some gear doesn't like.
  • The gas can go bad if you let it sit too long between uses
I have two pure-sine inverter gensets. One is 2kW the other is 3.2kW. Both are very quite, CARB certified (approved for use in CA) and, can run on propane or gas. They weigh 58 and 99 pounds respectively and a full tank of propane adds another 38 pounds. My EcoFlow power station with extra battery weighs less than the just propane canister and takes up less space. It also produces a lot less power than my gensets but if it gives me an option when a generator will not work or is just too much of a pain to bring. I also have my battery powered JBL speakers. These have become my go-to speakers when friends ask me to bring karaoke to their place. The built-in mixer is great for karaoke needs.
 
For the events we do, I’ve found battery units to be just as reliable as generators when we need to provide power. Also, a lot less noisy and easier to transport, maintain and store.

For a recent event, we had 3 battery units, one each for each pro32 and one for computers/mixer/ controller mics. Worked flawlessly with plenty of power.

Battery technology continues to advance at a rapid pace.

I use ecoflow Lfp’s, but not really sure if it’s any better than others.
Let me ask. How long do the batteries last?
 
Generators have their place but they come with their own set of issues:
  • Many places (especially near me) simply don't allow them
  • The generator must be kept away from where you are working. In other words, it must operate unattended.
    * Hard to monitor gas levels
    * Someone could screw with it
  • Portable gas gens have only a one gallon tank You really shouldn't refill while running.
  • You must carry extra gas
  • Cheap gens are loud
  • Many non-inverter gens are unregulated and change voltage as the load changes
  • Many inverter gens create a modified sine wave which some gear doesn't like.
  • The gas can go bad if you let it sit too long between uses
I have two pure-sine inverter gensets. One is 2kW the other is 3.2kW. Both are very quite, CARB certified (approved for use in CA) and, can run on propane or gas. They weigh 58 and 99 pounds respectively and a full tank of propane adds another 38 pounds. My EcoFlow power station with extra battery weighs less than the just propane canister and takes up less space. It also produces a lot less power than my gensets but if it gives me an option when a generator will not work or is just too much of a pain to bring. I also have my battery powered JBL speakers. These have become my go-to speakers when friends ask me to bring karaoke to their place. The built-in mixer is great for karaoke needs.
None of that is really allowed anymore. I hire generators that are extremely quiet and fully self contained trailers. No noise, no refueling.

You can thank antifa and the leftist crazies for all the bans on gas generators. They will tell you it's about "safety" and while stupidity is always a factor, the primary culprit is terrorism and rioting. You simply cannot be at a public gathering in any U.S. city with a 5 gallon can of gasoline on hand.
 
None of that is really allowed anymore. I hire generators that are extremely quiet and fully self contained trailers. No noise, no refueling.

You can thank antifa and the leftist crazies for all the bans on gas generators. They will tell you it's about "safety" and while stupidity is always a factor, the primary culprit is terrorism and rioting. You simply cannot be at a public gathering in any U.S. city with a 5 gallon can of gasoline on hand.
I never heard that you can't have a 5 gallon gas can at an event to use if a generator runs out of gas.
 
Let me ask. How long do the batteries last?
It varies depending on the load. But my ecoflow delta 2 max is 2 kilowatts and my river 2 pro’s are 786 watt hours.
My typical powered speakers use about 45 watt hours each at high volume and computer and accessories take up about 40.

So with some buffer, one river pro 2 can last me 4 hours. I always have back up so the 2nd one can charge the first or be used to power some things. Either way, it extends the run time. These things are 17 lbs.

The delta 2 max is 2 kw. It’s done a 6 hour event completely and used just over half. Weighs about 50 lbs.

I also have a river 3, 7lbs 250 watt hours. Very portable, good for light duty, ceremony type power needs. My ceremony speakers have their own batteries, but it comes in handy when I need power for mics or other accessories.

I have solar panels for these. I’ve never used these at an event. But technically they could extend the run time easily by a few hours.

And not that I’d ever need it, but in a pinch, I could use the power to add some miles to my car😁

I do have a Generac xt8500 generator I keep at the cabin. It charges up my batteries for the cabin if the solar panels aren’t keeping up.
I just got new lithium iron phosphate batteries to replace my agm batteries for power at the cabin. They should be able to be drained more than the agm batteries, giving me more power.
 

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^^^ I never ran a power cord to the speaker as it's battery powered.... When I ran non battery speakers, I ran it off a battery anyhow.
The QLXD is not battery powered (external regulated 12V). The point is - there's additional equipment and and setup required and this Shure unit resolves some of that, but independent power of the position still requires more gear, more effort, more risk. I don't need to be carrying heavy battery/power supplies with me.

For me, there has to be an actual physical NEED to go wireless. It can be a problem solver but is not by itself automatically convenient or without risk.
 
Only used a generator for an event once.
It was a casual ceremony and reception at a local park.
Used a Honda whisper quiet generator, it needed to be re-filled once.
Had no issues.

I do use a battery powered speaker for ceremonies.
Not wireless for audio.
 
The QLXD is not battery powered (external regulated 12V). The point is - there's additional equipment and and setup required and this Shure unit resolves some of that, but independent power of the position still requires more gear, more effort, more risk. I don't need to be carrying heavy battery/power supplies with me.

For me, there has to be an actual physical NEED to go wireless. It can be a problem solver but is not by itself automatically convenient or without risk.
If you don't think you will benefit from it, all good. Just trying to help others who could benefit from running additional speakers without long cable runs. I use at least one of these at every gig for convenience as it saves a lot of time but planners are constantly thanking me b/c it's simply a cleaner look and I can place speakers in the ideal place for better sound acoustics. I even run it for my main DJ speakers sometimes if I get stuck in a corner or there isn't a good place for optimal sound next to my DJ booth, even if I have to run AC power, although I do have a battery if needed. Since all my satellite/fill or small speakers are all battery powered and have built in delay, I can run one transmitter with as many receivers as needed using standard AA, Shure's rechargeable lithium battery or use the USB-C ( powered from the battery powered speaker). I have even used 4 satellite speakers in bigger rooms with appropriate delays set, running the speakers a lower volume to create a very even coverage supplemting my main DJ speakers. I just find myself using them all the time, and I see it is a competitive edge in my market.
 
It varies depending on the load. But my ecoflow delta 2 max is 2 kilowatts and my river 2 pro’s are 786 watt hours.
My typical powered speakers use about 45 watt hours each at high volume and computer and accessories take up about 40.

So with some buffer, one river pro 2 can last me 4 hours. I always have back up so the 2nd one can charge the first or be used to power some things. Either way, it extends the run time. These things are 17 lbs.

The delta 2 max is 2 kw. It’s done a 6 hour event completely and used just over half. Weighs about 50 lbs.

I also have a river 3, 7lbs 250 watt hours. Very portable, good for light duty, ceremony type power needs. My ceremony speakers have their own batteries, but it comes in handy when I need power for mics or other accessories.

I have solar panels for these. I’ve never used these at an event. But technically they could extend the run time easily by a few hours.

And not that I’d ever need it, but in a pinch, I could use the power to add some miles to my car😁

I do have a Generac xt8500 generator I keep at the cabin. It charges up my batteries for the cabin if the solar panels aren’t keeping up.
I just got new lithium iron phosphate batteries to replace my agm batteries for power at the cabin. They should be able to be drained more than the agm batteries, vivifying me most power.

When I run the Pro32, I have to use a bigger battery too as the Sub2 initial power on draws quite a bit, although overall they are super efficient.
 
You can thank antifa and the leftist crazies for all the bans on gas generators. They will tell you it's about "safety" and while stupidity is always a factor, the primary culprit is terrorism and rioting. You simply cannot be at a public gathering in any U.S. city with a 5 gallon can of gasoline on hand.
Perhaps that is true by you. Out here, the genset restrictions have been in place long before we ever heard of Antifa. CA gensets must meet pollution standards and have spark arrestors on them. The issue wtih their use in public parks is more to do with noise standards and usage permits. I have used rented WhisperWatts in the past but these were for events that required serious power for other reasons. I think the smallest WhisperWatt is about 7kW.
 
I find 17lb battery packs to be very convenient, very comfortable to transport.
Makes great backup plans to keep in the car too. Not often, but sometimes venue power can be sketchy. Especially in backyards, barns, etc.
 
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Which model do you use that is 17 pounds for the L1 Pro 32, and how long do you get?
Ecoflow river 2 pro. 786 wh. 800w. About 4 hrs safely with some buffer. I don’t like getting close to zero.
 
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Has anyone investigated SKAA technology?

If you believe the brochure, it is less compressed, long-range, and low-latency. Zero drop outs, not affected by the number of cellphones in the room, super long-life on a single charge less scared of water (ever had wireless mic issues next to a lake?).

SKAA is the new-ish tech that doesn't get a lot of love.
 
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Has anyone investigated SKAA technology?

If you believe the brochure, it is less compressed, long-range, and low-latency. Zero drop outs, not affected by the number of cellphones in the room, super long-life on a single charge less scared of water (ever had wireless mic issues next to a lake?).

SKAA is the new-ish tech that doesn't get a lot of love.
I blame themselves on the lack of love. Their website tells me ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the product other than its latency. I don't know its power requirements, input and output levels, impedances, RF frequency, audio bandwidth, support for multi-channel (e.g. stereo) audio, etc, etc. How can the company be taken seriously when they don't provide basic info? I requested technical info from their website. I'll let you know if I get a reply.
 
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@NickNZ DillingerLabs (makers of SKAA) got back to me quickly. They operate in the 2.4 GHz band that WiFi, BT and many other wireless devices including mics operate in. They are a bit unique in support of stereo or dual mono transmission. They have thought through the interface and offer switchable pads to feed consumer line level gear and a built-in amp for powering headphones. The internal battery should give 14 hours operation and the 1/4-20 screw on the bottom enables easy mounting up high for direct line-of-sight. A system with one transmitter and receiver will set you back about $500 over here. However that gives 2-channels of transmission. A decent MI grade wireless link is about $500/channel. In other words, this could be the right deal for someone.
 
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@NickNZ DillingerLabs (makers of SKAA) got back to me quickly. They operate in the 2.4 GHz band that WiFi, BT and many other wireless devices including mics operate in.
2.4 GHz is the devil, right?

The way they sell it, it's not as susceptible to interference or drops like "normal" 2.GHz equipment. They claim it's nothing like wireless tech we've seen before.
 
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