I know a little about generators but almost nothing about the rechargeable power packs/stations/whatever they're called that can produce power sufficient for things far beyond charging your phones. Heck, I didn't even know those things (the big ones) existed until a couple of years ago -- maybe 6 months before the snowmegeddon thing in 2021. Or, perhaps I did but just didn't pay much attention to them. Anyway, I'm now thinking of getting one but not for what most people would. However, I'd like to cover as many bases as possible.

What I need, if possible, is the following:

Needs to run a small sound system, including a plugged in (but not powered -- i.e. no amp) mixer, 2 powered speakers (assume ~300 watts each), and a wireless mic setup for 2 hours. I could probably ditch the wireless mic and go corded if that would lower the power requirements or get a longer run time. Also, assume we're not talking a Van Halen concert here. Think more like a 5K race at a park where there is absolutely no power anywhere.

OR, (i.e. not simultaneously)

Powered electronic music setup consisting of the above mentioned mixer, a synth-type keyboard, a Roland SPD-SX pad, a keyboard amp and maybe an iPad. Assume running time to be the same 2 hours. I'm not sure the wattage on these instruments.

Obviously, if I had one of these devices, I'd like to use it if the power went out. Not so much for my fridge or wiring it into my electrical panel but more for a TV and internet connection, if possible (which, due to logistics, it may not be).

So, what device would work for something like this? Or, is this too much to put on one of these things? Do I have to go generator?

If this is a math calculation, let me know and I'll try to find the power needs of all the stuff I mentioned. I'd like to go with the power station for the (lack of) noise benefits.

TIA!

I think you need to add up the mAh your devices use per hour and then you can back into a battery system that may be large enough. I have a fairly large solar "generator" and it won't even last the night while camping with just a phone charging and a 12v fan on high. If you're using those speakers intermittently you may be able to squeak by. If you have a budget to add a decent sized solar panel, you'd probably be in good shape.

I'd just get a regular generator unless you have noise/smell considerations. You can get a 2000w inverter generator for ~$300 which would be quite a bit less than a battery setup to do what you need

txyaloo said:

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I think you need to add up the mAh your devices use per hour and then you can back into a battery system that may be large enough. I have a fairly large solar "generator" and it won't even last the night while camping with just a phone charging and a 12v fan on high. If you're using those speakers intermittently you may be able to squeak by. If you have a budget to add a decent sized solar panel, you'd probably be in good shape.

I'd just get a regular generator unless you have noise/smell considerations. You can get a 2000w inverter generator for ~$300 which would be quite a bit less than a battery setup to do what you need

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I think the generator would be the far better idea for the outdoor application but it wouldn't work for any indoor, obviously. Given your info here, I don't think the sound system is going to work on anything but a $2k or higher battery system. It still might be very short term and that's way more than I want to invest. Plus, indoor, I should have power.

Like txyaloo stated, you would need to add up all the power needs of the devices you will be running. Most of the info the "solar generators" list is in watts and watt hours so I would figure it that way.
Ecoflow, Bluetti, and Jackery are the leading brands but Pecron is an up and comer.
I purchased a Pecron E2000LFP (lithium iron phosphate) main device that has a capacity of 1920 Wh and can power up to around 2000 watts of usage at once. It will run my large chest freezer for over 2 days without recharging and takes up to 1200 watts per hour of solar input at the same time.
Your electrical devices should all list the wattage used somewhere on them. Add them up and divide them into the watt-hour capacity of the power station you are interested in to see how long you can power them.

I have done something similar in the past. I made an A/V flypack in a 19 inch rack case for someone. It was a little trickier to keep the size / weight down.

If you are in the BCS area, I can let you borrow my "Kill A Watt" meter. I can show you some setup examples too. http://www.p3international.com/products/p4400.html

Its just a box that you would plug in between the power strip and the outlet. You can set it to monitor a few different parameters such as peak power draw and total power consumption. If you can plug it into the wall and simulate your conditions for 5 10 minutes you could scale it to see what the power consumption is.

This will give you an accurate account of what you need. Once you get your number add 20% - 30% or more to account for going a little long, batteries aging, operating in different temps, etc.

You can also add up the wattage. If you get stuck list the model #'s of what you have and I am sure we can help out.

Look at all of the power adapters for your items like wireless mic and sampling pad. Multiply the volts * amperage rating of the power supply to get watts. For example, 12volts and 500mA (mili-amps) is 12 * 0.5 = 6 watts

If the item plugs directly into AC power, go to the manufacturers site and see if AC power usage is listed in the manual or spec sheet.

For your powered speakers, 600 watts (300 each from your description) is a lot. I am guessing that is not RMS power Even if it is I would imagine you do not have it cranked all the way up. Turning the gain/volume know to 50% doesn't necessarily mean 50% power consumption either.



*** So here is where things get tricky. The fly-pack I built had a peak power consumption at ~500 watts. Its average power consumption was about 350 watts. That means a 12v battery source would have to continuously discharge ~29 amps and discharge ~42 amps peak.

I used 4 LiFePO 4 batteries in series to make a 48v source versus 12v. It also reduced my current flow to the inverter by 1/4 to ~7amps continuous and ~10 amps peak.

I also had to purchase a bit more expensive inverter that had a 48v input versus 12v. A lot of solar used 48v great for availability but bad for trying to find something in a compact size.

Make sure you get a good pure sine wave inverter from a reputable vendor who will let you return it. It's a little more critical doing audio versus powering appliances and household stuff. Some of the cheaper inverters switch at 12.5 kHz right in the audible zone.

LiFePO 4 batteries (lithium iron phosphate) as mentioned above are good. They will not go nuclear like a Lithium-Ion battery if you accidently short it out for a second.