Portable wireless PA system for outdoors

[kaphc]

Been asked by the head to have a look at portable PA systems for using outdoors at sports day / school fair etc - it's a primary school so not going to be a massive site to cover.

 

Wireless is ideal from a H&S viewpoint, so needs to be something rechargeable and with a 2 - 3 hour battery life.

 

We'd need a speaker and a microphone and looking at a budget of £200 - £300.

 

Anyone got any recommendations?

[twin--turbo]

best bet is to leave a PA Amp in the building and run out cables to a pair of speakers. but 200-300 is going to be pushing it.

 

A portable rechargable PA is going to require a Big heavy battery to give decent amplification for a reasonable time.

 

Rob

[gumbygaz]

I was looking at this the other day:

Stafford Sound & Lighting - Special Offers

 

Fairly poor website really, but only found it because the place is local and we were looking at sports day PA stuff to hire.

Didn't look too bad for the money, worth checking if it'd be powerful enough though.

[kaphc]

I was looking at this the other day:

Stafford Sound & Lighting - Special Offers

 

Fairly poor website really, but only found it because the place is local and we were looking at sports day PA stuff to hire.

Didn't look too bad for the money, worth checking if it'd be powerful enough though.

 

That looks like the sort of thing the head had in mind. As you say it depends on the power .. seems to be no way of telling whether it'd be enough without trialling it first. I'd be interested to see if anyone else uses something similar and whether it's any good.

[dhicks]

Anyone got any recommendations?

 

Maplin seem to have a bunch of portable PA systems in at the moment:

 

Maplin Electronics : PA & Live Sound

 

I saw one of the iPod dock systems (around £160) last weekend - the sound seemed pretty loud (this was in someone's backgarden, so maybe check how loud you need before you buy). The one I saw had two iPod docks, two mic inputs and an auxillery stereo in connector. If you could figure out how to add a stereo out connector (someone assured me it's a simple matter of splicing a stereo cable in just before the connector to the volume control, if you fancy trying) then you could link two (or more) together. It has its own wheels and carry handle and comes with a battery that lasts for (seemingly) at least 5 hours.

[kaphc]

Maplin seem to have a bunch of portable PA systems in at the moment:

 

Maplin Electronics : PA & Live Sound

 

I saw one of the iPod dock systems (around £160) last weekend - the sound seemed pretty loud (this was in someone's backgarden, so maybe check how loud you need before you buy). The one I saw had two iPod docks, two mic inputs and an auxillery stereo in connector. If you could figure out how to add a stereo out connector (someone assured me it's a simple matter of splicing a stereo cable in just before the connector to the volume control, if you fancy trying) then you could link two (or more) together. It has its own wheels and carry handle and comes with a battery that lasts for (seemingly) at least 5 hours.

 

Thanks for the Maplins link, it looks pretty good! Not sure about splicing cables but I'll take a look at what else is out there.

 

This may be a daft question but is the wattage of a sound system indicative of its power and therefore the volume it will produce? (So does higher wattage = louder sound system?)

Edited July 9, 2012 by kaphc
Missed a capital letter, yes I am a pedant :-)