Can you recommend a generator-free PA suitable for outdoor events?

May 17, 2023 8:48 AM

I feel like there should be good options in 2023 for something that runs off a rechargeable battery/pack, and is loud enough to cover a gathering of about 100-150 people in a small outdoor park. Do you have direct experience with a unit you'd recommend?

This would be for talking only, not music; assume events will be for fairly attentive groups and we won't have to shout over other music, people doing their own thing, etc.

No fixed budget; quality > price but I'd likely start getting sharp looks if it got past the $500 range. Does not need to include microphones/cables/etc. Web 2.0 is so polluted that I don't really trust any reviews any more, and direct experience (thumbs up or thumbs down) would be much appreciated.

posted by Shepherd to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (6 answers total)

How long of an event to you anticipate having? I don't have direct experience with the specific question but I have extensive experience with both PAs and battery power and can tell you that the duration will be a very important question.
posted by Candleman at 9:05 AM on May 17, 2023 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks, Candleman -- great question. An hour or two feels about right -- not all of that would be active talking time, but understanding how much life we'd get out of a setup will be very helpful in figuring this out.
posted by Shepherd at 9:10 AM on May 17, 2023

My recommendation (JBL EON One Pro) is around $1000, so I won't focus on that, but you can't go wrong starting with Sweetwater's Batter-Powered PA system page.
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 9:21 AM on May 17, 2023 [2 favorites]

If anybody in the group has a Prius, you can use an inverter to plug in a sound system. It will draw from the hybrid storage battery, and the gas engine will run occasionally to recharge the battery. Speakers are more effective when elevated, so you'll want stands. Check out rentals if this is a once-in-a-while use.
posted by theora55 at 9:25 AM on May 17, 2023 [2 favorites]

I've used a Fender Passport PA (which I got used, not sure which model/year) for outdoor music at a local park, and can vouch for the sound and quality to reach a couple hundred people. At one time Fender also made a portable deep cycle battery to power them. No longer, but you can find them around. Here's one, for example. I don't know what generation Passport they work with, but it's possible you could find a total set out there somewhere. And given that it's described in multiple places as a deep cycle marine battery, it sounds like you could use one of those, and they run less than $200.

Poking around on the web, I also see people are using lithium ion motorcycle batteries for busking set-ups, so that might be another lighter, friendlier option. IANAE (I am not an electrician.)
posted by cocoagirl at 9:26 AM on May 17, 2023

On the low end (sub $500) range, we use the Samson XP106 series that is listed on the Sweetwater page linked to above by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug for a bunch of ~200->500 person races. The battery will easily cover the pre race stuff and the during race announcements for a half marathon (~3 hours) If the crowd is larger than that and we bring in a sound guy with a much larger system.

It is okay for the cost. Some factors to keep in mind is how close everybody is and how loud the environment is. You can chain the main one to a second for more reach if needed.
posted by SegFaultCoreDump at 9:30 AM on May 17, 2023