Running a tube amp and speakers in a vehicle.

[popinfresh]

Hey TB!

Yep. So I am currently in the middle of moving out into a vehicle (again) and am trying to be as resourceful as possible, whilst also fitting it out how I would like.
I had an idea the other night to run a Trace Elliot V8 in my Landcruiser Troopy (vehicle) to power some speakers for both instrumental and recorded music.
The idea is to have the bottom of the rear carriage space set up with my living gear/food and recording gear in respective places, whilst using a camper pop top to sleep in. Space is not so much an issue as I will also be making use of an awning/annex and drawer kitchen outside the vehicle.

Now my first thought, as I will be traveling long distances and 4WD'ing is that I won't want to use it to power speakers whilst moving obviously, however that I could store it sufficiently so that it is easily accessible and safe from bumps and vibrations.

So then came the brainstorm over whether it would be possible to run speakers/subs in the rear that would be interchangeable with the head unit/amp up front and the Trace V8 in the rear.
Example; before I am driving, I would switch a plug, lead or.. switch, and use the speakers in the rear for music on the road from an iPod/MP3/CD/External HDD, and when parked, I could switch the power source of the speakers in the rear to the V8 and either play music through it, or record music through a loop station/multifx setup and Macbook.
Ultimately I would also like to be able to unhook the V8 from it's place, and use one or more of the speakers in the rear, as well as the secondary car battery, to power a somewhat portable rig for busking in streets to make income whilst traveling.

Is this possible? And if so, how? What do I need?

Secondly. What sort of speakers should I be looking to use? Automotive subwoofers? My gut says keyboard speakers?

Thirdly, and to cycle back to one of the initial thoughts, if I were to use keyboard speakers, for example, would I be able to power them using an automotive amp and head unit?

Any help is much appreciated. A bit out of the norm, however I know there's some incredibly intelligent members on TB which I greatly respect.

Peace!

[perogato02]

You'll need a power inverter/converter form 12 to 110 volt.

To mount it, I would suggest building a cupboard in the back where u can fit the V8 in a shockmounr rack case ...

[Bassmec]

Originally Posted by perogato02

You'll need a power inverter/converter form 12 to 110 volt.

To mount it, I would suggest building a cupboard in the back where u can fit the V8 in a shockmounr rack case ...

12 amps of 110 volts minimum from the inverter for a Trace V8!?.
If he uses an old school car battery with exposed cell straps he can just tap 6 volts out of that for the heaters and then he will only need 58 other 12 volt batteries in series for the ht supply.
Simples!.

[martyman5000]

Would you want heated tubes in a moving vehicle? I'm thinking about the possibility of damage doing that?

[popinfresh]

Originally Posted by perogato02

You'll need a power inverter/converter form 12 to 110 volt.

To mount it, I would suggest building a cupboard in the back where u can fit the V8 in a shockmounr rack case ...

Yep, figured I would need an inverter in there somewhere. However 240 volt, as I'm back in Australia (need to update that!).
Thanks!

[popinfresh]

Originally Posted by Bassmec

12 amps of 110 volts minimum from the inverter for a Trace V8!?.
If he uses an old school car battery with exposed cell straps he can just tap 6 volts out of that for the heaters and then he will only need 58 other 12 volt batteries in series for the ht supply.
Simples!.

I obviously need to brush up on my electronics..

Originally Posted by martyman5000

Would you want heated tubes in a moving vehicle? I'm thinking about the possibility of damage doing that?

Hence only using the tube amp whilst stationary

[billfitzmaurice]

Tubes are not an issue, car radios used them for 30 years before the advent of the transistor. But the power supply is, as is the fact that a bass amp is not voiced to sound good on anything other than electric bass. With the size, weight and price of autosound gear being what it is the proposal is all downside with no upside.

[mikeddd]

Agree w/Bill. I was big into mobile audio for a long time. Had a baby (well, the WIFE had the baby...) and needed my trunk back for the stroller. Anyway, his point of cheap, hi-watt car gear is well made. You can get a decent quality amp that puts out real-world good wattage for dirt these days. Plus, a 400w+ amp is about the size of a hardcover book and weighs nothing. Stuff it under a seat or screw it to the side of the sub box and be done with it. Years ago I did just that and used several different sizes of quick disconnect plugs (molex PC type plugs for speakers and signal, larger welding disconnects for power/ground) and had the whole subwoofer/amp assembly removable in about 30 seconds. Used a racheting strap to hold the thing down. Worked great.

[popinfresh]

Well aware of the cost of auto-audio gear, and would be running a mono amp or two to power the subs or keyboard speakers whilst driving, however the main idea for running the Trace is for electric bass (and acoustic/electric guitar) playing and recording.
Cheers.

[popinfresh]

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

Tubes are not an issue, car radios used them for 30 years before the advent of the transistor. But the power supply is, as is the fact that a bass amp is not voiced to sound good on anything other than electric bass. With the size, weight and price of autosound gear being what it is the proposal is all downside with no upside.

So, what is the issue with the power supply and how can I get around it?

I was thinking how tubes were run in vehicles previously, however sound quality wise I'll stick to an amp and head unit for the tunes anyway. I'm sorry you see no upside, I however, see many!

[perogato02]

How about installing a 240 volt AC-generator?

[popinfresh]

Have definitely thought about it, and may well end up carrying one in the vehicle, however I prefer the idea of battery/solar power for the rig for the sole reason of quiet use. I won't want to be cranking a generator in campsites and national parks too often in case of disturbing neighbours, and also for the sake of playing and recording. The idea of being surrounded by no noise other than nature and my instruments is what is most appealing

[perogato02]

Solar power won't cut it, I think. Solar power kits for campers only deliver something like a 100 watts (and then you are going for a topnotch model).

Or a wind turbine? Although the ones I checked, only were 12 or 24 volts ...

[Hawaii Islander]

I used to run an 8-track player though a Fender Basaman 50 tube head and 1x15 cab and played everything from Black Sabbath to Heart and it all sounded great. The head didn't have an Aux in, so my brother's friend (engineering student) made an impedance matching circuit to let me send audio directly into the 1/4 instrument jack. It was one of the best stereos that I ever had.

Good luck! Let us know how the setup turns out.

[TheSuzie]

I just spent three years dry camping in a station wagon. Unless you have access to AC power or a gas generator, forget about all this high powered gear. I used only lightweight, low power gear that I could run on AA and AAA NIMH batteries. I charged batteries from chargers that I plugged into the 12 volt system when I was driving to get provisions to to change campsites.

For personal listening I used a walkman type radio with small set of Phillips passive external speakers. It sounds pretty good, especially with the speakers up on the dashboard. It sounds even better with headphones but I am one of those people who can't use headphones. I am listening to the local jazz station on that setup as I type this. It will run all day, 6 to 10 hours on a single AAA battery.

Years ago, I used to have a little Peavey amp that would run very well off the car battery. I would use it to practice outdoors during lunch hour. Roland also makes some cool battery powered gear.

Set up a dual battery system using a relay, not a diode, so that your accessory battery charges fully and you don't drain your starting battery. I wish I had room under my hood for that. I sat for five days in a remote area with a dead battery and a failed jumper pack before someone was available to come out and get me started. That actually happened to me twice many months apart. Both times I was camped in the same location. Luckily I carried lots of water, ice and provisions.

BTW if you are running off of batteries only, avoid inverters like the plague. They are inefficient power wasters. Just look at the heat sinks and fans on those devices, all your power just being converted into heat.

Also when living in a vehicle, quality LED flashlights are your friend. I also kept a couple of cheapy DealExtreme solar LED flashlights for backup. They are shining on the engine compartment of my car at this very moment to keep the rats out of there. They last close to all night long on the charge from a single sunny day.

$7.75 - Solar Powered 6-LED Flashlight - Solar Powered Gadgets

Not super bright and a bit fragile but they are surprisingly useful lights, especially for the price.

Enjoy,
S

[reverendrally]

Hey popinfresh, I'm in Oz too.
Honestly mate, I think you're barking up the wrong tree. Like others have said, a good car audio setup and a nice tube preamp for the bass would be the go. You could set up the audio system with a switch to turn the tweeters off. Heck, with the right headunit you could have an EQ preset for the bass preamp. You also wouldn't suck the car's electrical system dry just by turning it on.

[mongo2]

Originally Posted by Hawaii Islander

I used to run an 8-track player though a Fender Basaman 50 tube head and 1x15 cab and played everything from Black Sabbath to Heart and it all sounded great. The head didn't have an Aux in, so my brother's friend (engineering student) made an impedance matching circuit to let me send audio directly into the 1/4 instrument jack. It was one of the best stereos that I ever had.

Except you'd need two Bassmans for stereo.

[popinfresh]

TheSuzie - Thanks for the tips, have also spent a couple years living in a van This is my second take in the Landcruiser.

Had a bit of trouble with the cruiser coming home so it is a change of plans, V8 and an MM Sterling are now up for sale.

Thanks though guys!