Noob building a beach set up

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slicvic19

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Ok, so I have a deep cycle battery to start with.
It is connected to an ac/dc power inverter.
I also have a peavey pr10 non powered speaker.

Now my question is, to power the speaker, could I use a home theater receiver with rca speaker outputs to 1/4" (into the speaker) and run it? The speaker takes about 400watts so would I have to get a receiver that is 400 watts? or would it be best to get an amp? Can an ipod be connected to the amp or would I need an amp and then some sort of receiver to run the ipod through?

Sorry, I'm new to monitors etc.. I'm only familiar with car audio. And yes, I know it's a little afroengineering but it's something to jam on the beach besides a crappy boom box.
 
It's not the most elegant arrangement in the world, but it will work. Connect one of your home theatre receiver's rca speaker outputs to the Peavey with a 1/4" jack.

Your biggest risk is frying the receiver by trying to get sufficient volume out of it and consequently driving it into distortion.
 
gecko zzed said:
It's not the most elegant arrangement in the world, but it will work. Connect one of your home theatre receiver's rca speaker outputs to the Peavey with a 1/4" jack.

Your biggest risk is frying the receiver by trying to get sufficient volume out of it and consequently driving it into distortion.
Click to expand...

Yea, I'm not looking for a pro setup on this. It's basically just to get loud music on the sand :)

Does my receiver have to put out 400watts to match the speaker or could it be less?
 
The speaker is capable of handling 400 watts. That doesn't mean the receiver needs to give it that amount. It can be less. But what I said before: if you push the receiver too hard to get volume, you can drive it into distortion. This can overload it, and is not good for speaker or receiver.
 
gecko zzed said:
The speaker is capable of handling 400 watts. That doesn't mean the receiver needs to give it that amount. It can be less. But what I said before: if you push the receiver too hard to get volume, you can drive it into distortion. This can overload it, and is not good for speaker or receiver.
Click to expand...

Sounds good, I figured it was just like car audio but a best buy worker was trying to tell me otherwise. He said it wouldn't play at all but that didn't make sense lol.

So if I get an amp to power the sub, I would need a mixer to connect the iPod and plug music?
 
I am thinking you will be disappointed by the results you get at the beach. A home audio system that sounds quite loud in even a larger living room has walls, floors and ceiling to bounce the sound off of- a beach is quite different, with only one surface- the sand- which is irregular and probably quite absorbing of sound. (It's quite easy to sneak up on women sunbathing/dozing topless... :) ) Add to that wind and surf sound, and your home audio may be out-paced by ambient noise.

You can get a 1/8" to two RCA adapter cable to run from the ipod to the receiver. Rat Shack. No mixer needed.

You sorta mention a sub from out of the blue- if you mean the Peavey PR-10, it's not a sub and the receiver you are talking about should drive it okay. Gecko is right- just run it from the receiver- forget about stereo, it won't matter outdoors at a beach party. I think I would get another speaker, though- driving two should give you more volume, as they will push more air.

If you are familiar with car audio, as Pat Travers once said, "Go for what you know." Use a car audio setup and build a ice-chest setup. You can get some darn big ice chests... Mount speakers and car stereo head unit on the sides and front of the ice chest (even the back, if you wanna), put the battery, amp, playing device, inside. Cart the whole shebang out onto the beach- get a bud to carry the other end- and everybody will love you (you get to choose who you love, back.) Heck, install one speaker out jack on the "ice chest boom box," and hook the Peavey speaker up, too.

I would do a trial run before the beach blanket bingo party.
 
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stevieb said:
I am thinking you will be disappointed by the results you get at the beach. A home audio system that sounds quite loud in even a larger living room has walls, floors and ceiling to bounce the sound off of- a beach is quite different, with only one surface- the sand- which is irregular and probably quite absorbing of sound. (It's quite easy to sneak up on women sunbathing/dozing topless... :) ) Add to that wind and surf sound, and your home audio may be out-paced by ambient noise.

You can get a 1/8" to two RCA adapter cable to run from the ipod to the receiver. Rat Shack. No mixer needed.

You sorta mention a sub from out of the blue- if you mean the Peavey PR-10, it's not a sub and the receiver you are talking about should drive it okay. Gecko is right- just run it from the receiver- forget about stereo, it won't matter outdoors at a beach party. I think I would get another speaker, though- driving two should give you more volume, as they will push more air.

If you are familiar with car audio, as Pat Travers once said, "Go for what you know." Use a car audio setup and build a ice-chest setup. You can get some darn big ice chests... Mount speakers and car stereo head unit on the sides and front of the ice chest (even the back, if you wanna), put the battery, amp, playing device, inside. Cart the whole shebang out onto the beach- get a bud to carry the other end- and everybody will love you (you get to choose who you love, back.) Heck, install one speaker out jack on the "ice chest boom box," and hook the Peavey speaker up, too.

I would do a trial run before the beach blanket bingo party.
Click to expand...

Awesome! "You must spread rep . . ."
 
stevieb said:
I am thinking you will be disappointed by the results you get at the beach. A home audio system that sounds quite loud in even a larger living room has walls, floors and ceiling to bounce the sound off of- a beach is quite different, with only one surface- the sand- which is irregular and probably quite absorbing of sound. (It's quite easy to sneak up on women sunbathing/dozing topless... :) ) Add to that wind and surf sound, and your home audio may be out-paced by ambient noise.

You can get a 1/8" to two RCA adapter cable to run from the ipod to the receiver. Rat Shack. No mixer needed.

You sorta mention a sub from out of the blue- if you mean the Peavey PR-10, it's not a sub and the receiver you are talking about should drive it okay. Gecko is right- just run it from the receiver- forget about stereo, it won't matter outdoors at a beach party. I think I would get another speaker, though- driving two should give you more volume, as they will push more air.

If you are familiar with car audio, as Pat Travers once said, "Go for what you know." Use a car audio setup and build a ice-chest setup. You can get some darn big ice chests... Mount speakers and car stereo head unit on the sides and front of the ice chest (even the back, if you wanna), put the battery, amp, playing device, inside. Cart the whole shebang out onto the beach- get a bud to carry the other end- and everybody will love you (you get to choose who you love, back.) Heck, install one speaker out jack on the "ice chest boom box," and hook the Peavey speaker up, too.

I would do a trial run before the beach blanket bingo party.
Click to expand...

my fault, I didn't mean to say sub, it's just habit :) my home theater receiver doesnt have RCA jack speaker outputs on it, just wired connection. could I cut the RCA plugs off my wore from speaker to receiver and just use the red wire for positive and white for negative?
 
Who said anything about RCA OUTPUTS? I have not seen speaker outs with RCA connections on them since the 70's, and then only on cheap stereos. But yes, if you have RCA plugs on cables attached to speakers, and assuming they are not self-powered speakers (like computer speakers,) sure, you can cut 'em.
 
8496jam_box.jpg
 
I wouldn't recommend powering any sensitive electronic gear off just any power inverter. Use one with true sine wave output.
 
bouldersoundguy said:
I wouldn't recommend powering any sensitive electronic gear off just any power inverter. Use one with true sine wave output.
Click to expand...

Would it hurt anything to use a regular power inverter? I've never really heard of anything like that, where can I pick one up?
 
Home stereo amp doesn't seem very portable... And probably very apt to get filled with sand.

They make some decent portable ipod speakers that run < $100
 
arcadeko said:
Home stereo amp doesn't seem very portable... And probably very apt to get filled with sand.

They make some decent portable ipod speakers that run < $100
Click to expand...

I looked at some of the iPod speakers but they weren't quite loud enough for the beach. I think I'm going to try to build a box of some
Sort for the home theater receiver to keep it out of the sand.
 
arcadeko said:
cool - good luck!

StereoBike.jpg
Click to expand...

Now that's classic! But seriously, I'll make it look a lil better than that while keeping it a cost efficient way to jam. I was going to do a
Powered speaker but all I've seen so far is a bit to pricy to bring to the beach and it possibly get damaged.
 
My power inverter is a simulated sine wave output, is that the same as a modified sine wave or is that more pure?

I've called around locally to try to find a pure sine wave inverter but can't find one anywhere.
 
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