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TH & Unity Horn - Solar sound system

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Phil B View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Phil B Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 November 2015 at 11:02am
Hi Peter

I think you`ll struggle with scoops using only a 2 way Unity of the same design as ours? The Celestion mid 4" doesn`t go down much past 300 - 250 before running out of steam. Scoops outside of their band pass are notorious lumpy and trying to run a 15" scoop up to 250-300 will not be great. Our TH`s have a big dip at around 170 but are less lumpy higher up. If you must go 2 way use a decent 6 or 8" and the best 1 / 1.4" comp driver that will get you as low a high / mid crossover as possible.

As for mini dsp/ ultradrive...no idea mate. Both good enough for starters.

No changes since 2012 except a newer design outside shell  for the 2nd pair of 3 ways.

.p.
Mostly harmless.... except if catering is shut.

Solar Sound System Shennanigans..http://diyhifi.biz/
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Phil B View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Phil B Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 December 2015 at 12:54pm
So....

Digital = 6 KG ( that`s tablet, Xair, all power leads and secondary Wifi router in the box)




Analogue ...Mixer, core, outboard eq , dynamics , fx and inserts = 88 KG



That`s quite a weight saving in our ( very ) over weight battery trailer ! Still keeping the analogue gear though for the engineers who just " can't" cope with mixing on a tablet. Means also we can do all our EQ in the X air and move over to the BSS360`s I bought a while back. I reckon it makes best of both worlds..analogue limiting with digital eq...?

On another note we experimented with cone correction in one of the subs a while back to see what happened, and guess which one had no damage to the surrounds or cracked front panel on a closer inspection of our rig  last week....

So 3 other subs were " corrected" , drivers bodged, cracks repaired and we are ready for summer , actually WTF am I talking about it was 41 degrees last week and Xmas is going to be " white" hot ! Must be Summer already !

.p.




edit...what is going on with Google photos ..can`t paste a link even with removing https etc etc ...

edit 2...has to resort to Picasa web albums??? Never had any issues linking G photos..some things changed no doubt !





Edited by Phil B - 23 December 2015 at 1:14pm
Mostly harmless.... except if catering is shut.

Solar Sound System Shennanigans..http://diyhifi.biz/
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Phil B View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Phil B Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 August 2016 at 3:02am
So more updates to the system.. New solar panels , new inverter and goodbye to the wind power. We have tried getting decent power out of the wind system for a few years now and for the weight / size and safety factor it just doesn't make enough juice to justify itself! Yes it looks great and promotes the other side of renewable energy but we were looking at a desert mission and trying to save weight...it had to go !


So all those big heavy brackets, poles , winch etc were taken off.

And on with a new set of 250 watt 24v panels.. 4 on the roof and 2 mounted on fold out frames down the side ..so a total of 1.5kw of power on the roof compared to the old 680 watt !



In with a newer 3000 watt Invertek inverter. We on average draw about 2.5 - 3.0 amps @ 240v running dj's / program material but with bands and lights that can creep up to 7 - 9 amps @ 240v,the old one ( Selectronics 1500 watt) was right at the limit of our current draw ( 7a constant) and would occasionally trip out under hard use. New one is super clever and can take incoming 240v and distribute to add to load or to charge the batteries. Will do a 6000 watt peak for a few seconds as well,  so loads of headroom. 



All new cabling throughout,  new breakers on everything, new 240v breaker box and 32a ceeform output on trailer exterior, big fuses on batt + and batt - and the Midnite Solar is now doing just solar power with a whizzbang jnr shunt giving us the state of charge info over a wifi connection. Panels running in strings of 3 x  series and the 2 strings parallel.

And then we drove it straight to the desert.....



Everything worked! Loads of solar ( a peak of 1.25 kw one day) and the inverter coped with bands and even veggie oil fuel pumps ! The one thing that really loaded it up was the organ. Some crazy individual dragged an original 1971 organ out there and it had inbuilt Moog section plus rotating speaker. Never had so much fun setting something up... added in a harmonizer in the mixer to really give the bottom end a 2 down octave  boost! That had the system running flat out for a couple of hours in the midday sun and it survived! Job done....



.p.




Edited by Phil B - 15 August 2016 at 3:22am
Mostly harmless.... except if catering is shut.

Solar Sound System Shennanigans..http://diyhifi.biz/
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Phil B View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Phil B Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 August 2016 at 3:50am
And whilst I was out there with time on my hands..... 80kms to the nearest small town so no cheating and buying anything here, it's all gotta be local and free !



Take 1 x spare 15" RCF we had in the trailer... consult hornres about what we can do with it ... so mount on old piece of plywood...



Then use old aircon duct found on the local scrap heap....




Seal off back chamber with box foam and a cut of piece of wood...



Use an old chimney duct as first flare and throat... from same scrap heap



Then just bury it all in the ground ! 



Dig a 5m long 2m horn path in the rock hard soil !! It took me a week on my own....




Cover it all up with a wooden roof, put the soil back on top run it from 25 - 45 hz.... and you get a...



The gate over the horn mouth was to keep the small children out ! 

It worked really well under our tapped horns as they have a 40hz 48db HPF and I really miss the low down stuff. Not incredibly powerful but you could tell it was adding to the overall sound if you went back 100m.. 

So if you happen to be on the Oodnadatta track and passing Mutonia Sculpture park / Plane Henge at Alberrie Creek. ....


And you have a spare amp plus NL4 on board it's still there waiting for you to have a play.... 

.p.


Mostly harmless.... except if catering is shut.

Solar Sound System Shennanigans..http://diyhifi.biz/
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote fatfreddiescat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 August 2016 at 7:17am
Brilliant, loving it :)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cravings Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 August 2016 at 10:54am
so good.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sabbelbacke Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 August 2016 at 12:24pm
Great!!!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote carlosdelondres Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 August 2016 at 2:49pm
Awesome Big smile

have to give this a try under our ss15s some time! Should be a bit easier to dig out over here at least...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote valve head777 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 August 2016 at 5:28pm
that is so brilliant! thats how many kwh over a day? loads of power!
so wish we had the space here to do the sort of things you get up to! love it!
Freedom of choice, choice of freedom.
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biotec View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote biotec Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 August 2016 at 5:35pm
great work Phil. You were properly out in the boonies too!

How are the batteries doing? My rolls set are sulphated to buggery and on their last legs. They hold their voltage fine but capacity is well down on where it should be, they consume a lot of water, and and I can see a build up of loose stuff between the plates. I can't really believe that none of the cells have shorted yet. Over £2k for a replacement set, so I'm putting it off as long as possible. Planning to do a drive up to arctic circle in Sweden in a couple years so will need a new pack before I leave on that trip.
me so horny, me love you long throw.
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Phil B View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Phil B Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 August 2016 at 2:53am
Hey Nick, hope your well buddy.

Batteries seem to be coping fine, they are getting on a bit and we conservatively set our amh down a bit when setting up the system. So realistically  900amh 2 volt cells instead of the rated 1100 amh . Having the midnite solar run an equalise over voltage every week seems to keep the sulphates at bay and a drive down dirt roads gave `em a good shake up !

As for kwh from the new panel system the most I saw on one day was 7.2 kwh which was when we were running the sound flat out all day. So a LOT of sun power !

.p.
Mostly harmless.... except if catering is shut.

Solar Sound System Shennanigans..http://diyhifi.biz/
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Phil B View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Phil B Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 January 2017 at 11:48am
As promised over on the other thread some photos of recent stuff..


So we have expanded a bit ! New subs.... before Keystone panel is fitted. B&C 18SW115-4 ready for action.



And everything else got a nice new re-coat of clear lacquer as we were spraying stuff anyway..... 



And out for its first show on NYD 2017..... Another amazing stage build by Mr Richie incorporating the Production managers old bus. Live bands interspersed with dj's through out the day. As explained in the other thread we had to resort to mains power during the day after an inverter trip but ran solar lighting and other bits.



The Keystones blended in really well with the SS15's and everything was ticking along just fine, seems the peeps enjoyed it as well...



A couple of speakerplanners also came and said hello...nice to know we're spread out round the globe !

Thanks for popping by fellas.

.p.
Mostly harmless.... except if catering is shut.

Solar Sound System Shennanigans..http://diyhifi.biz/
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