tplife's new camping music system

[tplife]

It's a Kenwood 442U Ipod-ready 200W unit enclosed in a JBL Seagim3 marine enclosure driving 15'@ of Monster Wire to Polk Atrium 45 waterproof outdoor speakers. It was built for under $300.00 and replaced a Sony Sport boombox with Radio Shack downconverter. There's no comparison as far as sound quality. I power it with an Optima Blue-Top Group 24 Deep-Cycle Battery with a custom quick-disconnect setup with dual-triple Wegan cigarette-lighter plug outlet.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/b...mping004-2.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/b...mping012-2.jpg

[renodesertfox]

Howdy tplife,
Hopes we never camped near each other, we'd have a music war! I'm still into classic rock, blues & down-home Bluegrass w/ plenty banjer pickin', by cracky!!:eek:

[tplife]

Howdy tplife,
Hopes we never camped near each other, we'd have a music war! I'm still into classic rock, blues & down-home Bluegrass w/ plenty banjer pickin', by cracky!!:eek:

That's just crazy talk! I have over 2000 CDs and collect around a core of Woodstock artists (released and unreleased) and their song covers back to 1926 with Robert Johnson and forward to 1994 with Eric Clapton. And that's just my core stuff, not including my Blues, Motown, Classic Country, Grunge, Hip Hop, Hawaiian and Rat Pack collections. As a bass section singer directed the last four years by a former 2-time NY Met Opera National Champion, I've learned to appreciate all kinds of music. Even yours! :D

[renodesertfox]

Howdy tplife,
Okay if ya think I'm crazy but I own close to 8,000 cds converted from reel to reels(9") and transfered to CDs. My Jazz collection alone is over 2700cds, dude. I have every single song the Miles Davis ever recorded and published and some he never published becuase before the Nevada Test Site shut down the Jackass Flats Projects from the early 1970s there was a radio station that broadcasted from there, country music during the daylight hours 6 to 6 and Jazz at night 6 to 6. All of those recordings where purchased by my father who was one of the early founders and producers on UNLV(University Nevada Las Vegas) and their own radio station 91.5 FM(KNUV). Bob Dylan, every piece of music he recorded. I own every album by Dave Clark Five, Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zepelin, John Coltrane. My library fills one room of my house is huge. But I do like your deep cell battery system and did you create it yourself? Care to share details, I'll listen! Thanks for sharin! And I still love my xantrex power supply, had her 12 years and she works great every time!

Yeah, and that Met Opera National Champion sounds like a horse. One just doesn't have a national champion in operatic work.

[tplife]

VDF, soounds like you've got a barn where you store your music! I think the Dave Clark Five was my first album as a kid, given to me by my aunt! That and Chubby Checker's Let's Twist Again. BTW, Buddy Holly was a close friend of my father's, back then celebrities were still real people. Buddy's ex wife would call my grandma's almost monthly looking for Buddy and that alimony check! My son gave me MP3 files for every song recorded by Frank Sinatra, including with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey. It took 27 discs to archive it, 2 of those were Christmas music alone. I've had the Led Zeppelin boxed set for years and also the 2-disc BBC music as well as some Plant solo stuff and of course Jimmy with the Yardbirds. I also have Coltrane and Shorter as well as Miles and several other jazz artists. All good stuff, and it gets rotation at my campsite.

I purchased the Optima at Costco and the fuses/shrinkwrap/wire at various places like Home Depot, WalMart, and Radio Shack. My power system is modeled after an amateur radio power supply I found at another website, but I upgraded it with non-lead/acid AGM battery technology, a lot less messy and easier to transport. The Xantrex/Wegan type power supplies didn't have enough amper-hour capacity, wore out after little more than one year and I had to abandon them. They are designed with starting-type small motorcycle batteries inside and not meant for repetitive deep discharge. The batteries the contain inside can be bought on Ebay and replaced when needed. Optima offerred a true deep-discharge battery that ultimately is more cost effective for my power needs.

I was in error about my music director, he was first prize winner in Philadelphia and Chicago Metropolitan Opera competitions and first place at the Francisco Vinas Vocal Competition in Barcelona, Spain. He was a solo artist with the New York City Opera. Oh yeah, he was also a sideman for Mitch Miller! Remember the "bouncing ball"? He also founded the San Diego Choral Arts Ensemble and directed it since '96 and holds bachelors and masters degrees in music and a doctorate in theology. Since coming to San Diego, he has sung for the San Diego Chamber Orchestra, San Diego Master Chorale, St. James Concert Series, La Jolla Presbyterian Church Concert Series, and many other venues. He has sung in many locations in Europe as well. He's much sought after and we're extremely fortunate to have him as a director of our 50-member choir. I have heard him solo a few times, and his voice, like his musical talents, are truly a gift from God. But in rehearsal mostly he yells, points, gestures and scratches his head at my mistakes as I try to hide behind my other section members. I'm picking up more dynamics and trying to learn to count this year. Wish me luck1 :D

[renodesertfox]

I have sold everything...all of my reels have been transfered to cds and then to the computer and hence to the ipod. Everything is on the computer and in the ipod.

As far as your music goes...if you can't count you shouldn't be in music. From 1985 when I left the military I sang at Carnegie Hall in NYC for 450 weeks at $2500 per week. I wanted to sing on broadway but I never took any dancing lessons. Broadway as well as in Vegas the producer's want singers who can dance and sing...I can sing. Oh well. The NYC experience I will always cherish, but I love camping more than anything else, and now, I only sing in the shower! Haha!

[Bigdog57]

You wouldn't want to hear me singing. Imagine crossing Elvis with a bullfrog and a screeching cat........ tone deaf when singing. :D

But I appreciate listening to good tunes. These days, I listen to music far more than watching telly. I envy y'alls collections of music - I have maybe fifty CD's and a couple dozen cassettes. :rolleyes:
After many dry years, we finally have a couple decent Golden Oldies Rock stations in town. Had one a few years back, til they switch to cRap.......
I refuse to listen to THAT nonsense.

[renodesertfox]

Hey Big Dawg...If you want to get your hands on some music for your new computer just get a pair of in-expensive speakers that will plug into your processor and then go to http://www.amazon.com and buy some music on-line (mp3). It's like $0.89 to $0.99 per song. That is what I'm doing now. There is a lot of great music out in web-land and you should investigate it if you have the time. And then perhaps investigate in the iPod and speaker-dock similar to the one we take camping, use around the house, and in the 350Z. The computer is in your words "da bomb" now-a-days. Big fancy stereo systems that I use to use have all been sold and the money I made there off of my huge system has gone into buying great camping supplies like our Kodiak Canvas tent and Big Gas Grill. Just my $0.02!

[2E151]

IPOD for Jazz? Blah! I have all of my big band on vinyl.