BajaNomad

Satellite radio in a solar powered casa

oladulce - 5-3-2013 at 01:28 AM

I'm shopping for a home theater set up for our solar casa and every watt counts. I was shocked to learn the receivers I liked use a huge amount of electricity- Denons use 670 watts and an Onkyo is a whopping 878 watts!

Back to the computer chair for many more hours, and I found a full-featured Yamaha 7 channel receiver that only uses 270 watts which will be great for evening dvd viewing.

But 270 watts/hr is quite a bit if the receiver is on for several hours of satellite radio listening and I'm trying to figure out if there's a better way to get the Sirius radio without connecting it thru the stereo receiver.

Anyone every put a Kill-o-watt meter on a Sirius "boombox" speaker/dock? Anybody have one of these, or heard how they sound? Siruis XSABB2
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_220SXABB2/SiriusXM-Portable-Spe...

Any suggestions how to get decent sounding home sat radio without using a ton of power? A separate, lower power use receiver and speakers just for the sat radio? The boombox/dock thing?

The Energy Star website was hacked is currently out of order so unfortunately so i can't easily research what the lowest watt requiring stereo receivers are and I don't know if any go below 200watts anyway.

I'm all ears if you have any ideas.

[Edited on 12-2-2013 by oladulce]

Hook - 5-3-2013 at 05:03 AM

I have an integrated Onkyo amp that I use in one of my audio setups, so I know you must be into good, clean sounding audio. But I am on the grid. I'd love to find an old Onkyo tuner to go with this. Just havent looked around much.

Two options you might consider.

What about a set of Bose "computer speakers"? I havent heard this set but I have an older MediaMate set that sound just great and they draw 1.2a @ 12V AC, not DC. Maybe these new versions draw even less.

Now, while I have my sat radio going into my Onkyo, I also have the ability to send it to an FM transmitter that I got off elecsky.com. Here is a similar product. Takes a mic or line level input, has an input volume control for each and re-transmits the audio signal for about a half mile. You then tune in your audio source with any FM receiver/radio you have. This is obviously lower audio quality but it is very versatile for me as I like to move around my 1/4 acre lot, listening to, well, MLB baseball, of course; THOUGH LISTENING TO THE ANGELS IS GETTING MADDENING! Maybe a simple, cheap boom box will be all you need. ANY radio in the house can get the audio.

The transmitter actually runs on 12vDC, so I even take it on my extended road trips to re-transmit audio from my truck camper. Just bring a basic FM radio outside and I'm set.

I actually considered getting one that broadcast at 2 watts (mine is 0.5 watts TRANSMITTING power) and would pretty much cover all of the town I live in. I could drive around and listen to baseball anywhere I went. Really pretty safe in Mexico where there are lots of available frequencies on the FM band to re-transmit a signal. Probably illegal, too, of course. But I doubt there are roving crews of technicians looking for pirate radio stations in Mexico.

KaceyJ - 5-3-2013 at 06:41 AM

We have the speaker dock. For news /speech it's sound is adequate but has more or less no audio quality at all. I measured a 6 watt/.11 amps draw on it .

What we do is hook it up to an older Yamaha receiver with a couple of good size bookshelf speakers and it sounds pretty good. It then uses 30 watts /.35amps at a comfortable listening volume.

In the RV, it gets hooked to a 7.1 surround sound system and sounds awsome, but I don't know the power usage on that which should be considerably more with the thumper etc.

Hope this helps

oladulce - 5-3-2013 at 06:54 AM

Thanks Hook. The computer speaker option is something to think about if we set up a separate audio system for sat radio.

I have an old model Delphi Roady XM car radio and we've been using and even older portable boombox radio to pick up and play the FM signal. But we just moved in to the new house and noticed that when the ceiling recessed lights are on (which have dimmers and LED bulbs), the boombox has so much static noise you can't hear the radio. We don't know if it's the dimmers, or the bulbs, or what is actually causing causing the interference with the FM signal, but it only seems to happen when these certain lights are on. Unfortunately, these lights are in the main living area where the radio equipment will be located.

I don't know enough about this stuff to troubleshoot, but we definitely don't want to change out the lights, bulbs, or dimmer switches so I was trying to find a way to directly plug in the sat radio equipment to each other rather than transmitting the signal over FM in case that's the problem.

oladulce - 5-3-2013 at 07:11 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by KaceyJ
We have the speaker dock. For news /speech it's sound is adequate but has more or less no audio quality at all. I measured a 6 watt/.11 amps draw on it .

What we do is hook it up to an older Yamaha receiver with a couple of good size bookshelf speakers and it sounds pretty good. It then uses 30 watts /.35amps at a comfortable listening volume.

In the RV, it gets hooked to a 7.1 surround sound system and sounds awsome, but I don't know the power usage on that which should be considerably more with the thumper etc.

Hope this helps


Great info and it definitely helps. I'll avoid the sirius boombox- we're not audiophiles but listen to sat radio exclusively for the music and would like it to sound decent.

Also good to know your 1st hand stereo receiver power info. I'll delve further in to simple stereo receiver's power consumption. 30 watts is definitely do-able vs using the power guzzler home theater receiver.Having a separate receiver for sat radio might be the best way to go.

monoloco - 5-3-2013 at 07:39 AM

We have a set of these:
http://audioengineusa.com/Store/Audioengine-A5
They sound great and require no other components.

rts551 - 5-3-2013 at 07:52 AM

I am no electronics expert, but I think the wattage is at max volume. using a Killowatt measuring device, my Onkyo only measure 1.5 amps at moderate sound levels.

Bruce R Leech - 5-3-2013 at 08:07 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by rts551
I am no electronics expert, but I think the wattage is at max volume. using a Killowatt measuring device, my Onkyo only measure 1.5 amps at moderate sound levels.


that is right keep it at low volume and it wont use much juice, also turn off your sub and you will save more.

Bob and Susan - 5-3-2013 at 10:11 AM

oladulce...are you sure you are talking about 120v wattage use or 12v or 19v 24v

its hard to think you need 870 watts of POWER to run a stereo

or is the wattage the form of measurement they use to rate speakers
not really electricity usage

I would measure a "real" unit with your meter to actually see what it uses

my coffee pot uses 700watts and it BOILS water

[Edited on 5-3-2013 by Bob and Susan]

oladulce - 5-3-2013 at 11:16 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bob and Susan
oladulce...are you sure you are talking about 120v wattage use or 12v or 19v 24v

its hard to think you need 870 watts of POWER to run a stereo

or is the wattage the form of measurement they use to rate speakers
not really electricity usage

I would measure a "real" unit with your meter to actually see what it uses

my coffee pot uses 700watts and it BOILS water


That's why we were so surprised Bob, it's the actual power consumption of the receivers that runs 600-800 watts on some models. The info came from a Crutchfield advisor and the Onkyo info was on an audiophile product review website that listed power consumption as one of their review criteria. I'm sure you know that it's nearly impossible to get the energy consumption info from any manufactures- for some reason they rarely include it in there product specs.

The power hungry receivers were 7 channel/"100 watt's per channel" models, but I eventually found the Yamaha ( which uses only 270 watts of power) and it's also 7 channels/"85 watts per channel" and there are some similar Sony's that only require 240 watts to run the units??? Alot of the same bells and whistles so I wonder if some are just less efficient or something.

I'm going to get the Yamaha and I'll check it with the meter and see what it draws.

oladulce - 5-3-2013 at 11:17 AM

We'll go with the Audioengine5's and a Sirius "dock and play with a home kit"- thanks Monoloco! They'll work great for sat radio and ipod music and we'll use the Yamaha receiver for DVD viewing only. I didn't realize that the volume can impact power consumption and even tho some of us don't hear as well as we used to, we're never up full blast and we're not using a subwoofer so thanks for that info too.

[Edited on 5-3-2013 by oladulce]

LancairDriver - 5-3-2013 at 12:35 PM

Here's a handy, simple to use device that will tell you everything you need to know about the power usage of your appliances.

http://p3international.com/products/special/P4400/P4400-CE.h...

rts551 - 5-3-2013 at 12:38 PM

If you don't already have one. Get one. They are essential for living OFF GRID.

http://www.p3international.com/products/special/p4400/p4400-...

comitan - 5-3-2013 at 12:56 PM

oladulce

Im in La Paz very seldom use mine, use could borrow it next time in La Paz.

oladulce - 5-3-2013 at 01:30 PM

The Kill-o-watt meter gets alot of use around here. I'm ordering stuff online from Baja Sur that we pick up on our next trip nob, I often haven't had access to the power draw info of many electronics and appliance as I've outfitted the casa. Most manufacturers don't have the info when you call them. I usually go to the Energy Star website first to narrow down the models to the most energy efficient of whatever I'm shopping for. But the energy Star site is down after they had a cyber attack so I'm relying on "nomad stars".

Thanks for the offer Comitan.

monoloco - 5-3-2013 at 03:44 PM

I just measured the Audio Engines with my Kill o Watt meter, it's drawing 12 watts at the volume that I normally listen, going to 20 watts at window rattling volume.

Bob and Susan - 5-3-2013 at 04:23 PM

that's a HUGE difference from 878 watts

monoloco - 5-3-2013 at 04:35 PM

Just for reference, the audio engine speakers are rated at 50 watts RMS per channel, that equates to only 25 watts of electrical draw at ear splitting levels, so it looks to me like you can figure that the maximum power draw of an audio amplifier is somewhere around 25% of the rated RMS power of an amplifier. Often audio equipment is rated at peak power which is quite a bit higher than RMS power output, so just because an amplifier is rated at 600-800 watts, the actual power output or RMS power could be considerably less. Depending on how the power is rated, that 600 watt amplifier could actually draw 100 watts or less at full power.

Bob and Susan - 5-3-2013 at 04:43 PM

there is the REAL answer

willardguy - 5-3-2013 at 04:59 PM

just the fact that you would suggest this ridiculous term "rms watt" is used to describe the power output of an amplifier tells me you studied at the university of radio shack!:lol:

walters886 - 5-3-2013 at 05:31 PM

Ahem... Can't help with your home theater set up but I'll put in a positive testimonial for the SiriusXM SXABB1 boom box. It's a solid piece of electronics and offers a great compromise between cost, performance and overall quality. If you're expecting this little 30 watt amplifier to transport you back to the 70's to play window rattling Led Zep's “Stairway…” this is NOT the machine for you. Put down your play-along Les Paul gold top with the dual humbuckers and unplug your Marshall half stack. Full tilt boogie is not the SXABB1’s strong suit and metal heads should steer clear. However, if you’re listening sound levels are along the intensity spectrum of 40’s Big Band, Brubeck's "Time Out", Joni Mitchell and Steely Dan, the SXABB1 is a great choice.

I originally bought the mini boom box for the fetching Mrs. Nina who listens to sat radio all the time. There was no point leaving the sat receiver in the car so the portable docking station seemed like a good solution. Unplug the receiver from the car, plug it into the docking station and voila! You have home sat radio or rather anywhere sat radio as long as there’s a signal.

For us, sat radio is a must have for those long Baja road trips. When we arrive in Mulege for vacation, the docking station is the first thing that gets plugged into the travel trailer. Its portability, remote control operation, aux input and ear phone output have proven to be very handy features. For example, tomorrow I’m heading out of Monetrey, CA to do some salmon fishing and the first thing in my gig bag is the docking station. Yep, runs on batteries, too.

You may want to check out the Amazon user reviews for additional performance specifications and opinions. You’ll find some very positive reviews as well as user surprises such as no EQ or tone controls. Ok, since you asked: Better than Bose? Er, no, but still a very good mini boom box.

Lastly, I flinched when I saw the cost of the little docking station priced north of $120. Shop around, I’m sure you can do better. One more thing some else has mentioned. A solar charger with 8 C-size batteries is great for boon docking.

Here's the link to Amazon reviewers.

http://www.amazon.com/SiriusXM-SXABB1-Portable-Speaker-Dock/...

wessongroup - 5-3-2013 at 06:08 PM

RMS is a useful "tool" at times ..... just saying

Bajaboy - 5-3-2013 at 06:15 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by walters886
Ahem... Can't help with your home theater set up but I'll put in a positive testimonial for the SiriusXM SXABB1 boom box. It's a solid piece of electronics and offers a great compromise between cost, performance and overall quality. If you're expecting this little 30 watt amplifier to transport you back to the 70's to play window rattling Led Zep's “Stairway…” this is NOT the machine for you. Put down your play-along Les Paul gold top with the dual humbuckers and unplug your Marshall half stack. Full tilt boogie is not the SXABB1’s strong suit and metal heads should steer clear. However, if you’re listening sound levels are along the intensity spectrum of 40’s Big Band, Brubeck's "Time Out", Joni Mitchell and Steely Dan, the SXABB1 is a great choice.

I originally bought the mini boom box for the fetching Mrs. Nina who listens to sat radio all the time. There was no point leaving the sat receiver in the car so the portable docking station seemed like a good solution. Unplug the receiver from the car, plug it into the docking station and voila! You have home sat radio or rather anywhere sat radio as long as there’s a signal.

For us, sat radio is a must have for those long Baja road trips. When we arrive in Mulege for vacation, the docking station is the first thing that gets plugged into the travel trailer. Its portability, remote control operation, aux input and ear phone output have proven to be very handy features. For example, tomorrow I’m heading out of Monetrey, CA to do some salmon fishing and the first thing in my gig bag is the docking station. Yep, runs on batteries, too.

You may want to check out the Amazon user reviews for additional performance specifications and opinions. You’ll find some very positive reviews as well as user surprises such as no EQ or tone controls. Ok, since you asked: Better than Bose? Er, no, but still a very good mini boom box.

Lastly, I flinched when I saw the cost of the little docking station priced north of $120. Shop around, I’m sure you can do better. One more thing some else has mentioned. A solar charger with 8 C-size batteries is great for boon docking.

Here's the link to Amazon reviewers.

http://www.amazon.com/SiriusXM-SXABB1-Portable-Speaker-Dock/...


I agree...we love our boom box here in the States. Also use a docking station at our casita with a small Sony sound system.

rts551 - 5-3-2013 at 07:20 PM

We have used XM in our car when traveling and in the house in a docking station while we are there for years. Just renewed for another two years and the price has jumped again (of course).

Follow up: Home theater receiver power for off-grid living

oladulce - 12-1-2013 at 09:57 AM

It's been a while since I posted my question, but here's what I discovered:
We got the Yamaha RX-V575

7.2 channel A-V receiver with lots of features (many we can't use with satellite internet/bandwidth restrictions). The only info that could be found regarding it's "power" said 270watts. We unwrapped it and hooked it up to the Kill-o-watt meter and it uses a whooping 29 watts/hr of power. Sheeze, lots of fretting about adding to the solar system for nothing! Got some Polk audio surround speakers to go with the receiver.

We also got the speakers suggested by Monoloco- Audioengine5's and have those hooked up to the XM radio and can plug in an Ipod so the receiver doesn't have to be on to listen to satellite radio or ipod. Great speakers, thanks Monoloco. Bookshelf style, but way better than any bookshelf speakers I've ever heard. We haven't tested the Audioengines with the Kill-o-watt but Monoloco posted earlier that his speakers registered only 12 watts.

Thanks again to everyone for your input.

woody with a view - 12-1-2013 at 10:08 AM

good job closing the thread for future searches on the topic!

12 to 110 to 18

captkw - 12-1-2013 at 10:42 AM

I write this as I listen my Pioneer SX 1250 (Ya baby)and London Audio Towers (Audiophile candy) and speakers in any system are not to be cheaped about !! but if off the grid (solar) it would be easy to get a good car stereo and stay with 12 volts (13.8) system...when your on solar AND CONVERT IT TO 110 with a inverter and plug in a home receiver that reconverts its back to DC your wasting a lot of pwr...RMS is what we have been using forever and still applies...dc to ac & back to dc ??? ........ PS..car satellite radio with AM/FM have been around for a while and work Great. no need for "docking" and a lot of other junk to break !! "Bing a bang a Boom and your done !!!! Less bucks and better system all around !!! Try It...Your like it !!!

[Edited on 12-1-2013 by captkw]

monoloco - 12-1-2013 at 11:20 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by captkw
I write this as I listen my Pioneer SX 1250 (Ya baby)and London Audio Towers (Audiophile candy) and speakers in any system are not to be cheaped about !! but if off the grid (solar) it would be easy to get a good car stereo and stay with 12 volts (13.8) system...when your on solar AND CONVERT IT TO 110 with a inverter and plug in a home receiver that reconverts its back to DC your wasting a lot of pwr...RMS is what we have been using forever and still applies...dc to ac & back to dc ??? ........ PS..car satellite radio with AM/FM have been around for a while and work Great. no need for "docking" and a lot of other junk to break !! "Bing a bang a Boom and your done !!!! Less bucks and better system all around !!! Try It...Your like it !!!

[Edited on 12-1-2013 by captkw]
Most whole house solar systems are either 24 or 48 volts. 12 volts makes no sense on a larger system.

been there,,done that !!

captkw - 12-1-2013 at 11:33 AM

A Good car stereo with a step down transformer is really a good way to go and is not much money...plus you have a CD player & FM/AM Plus satellite radio all in one package !!!!! To Me..........Is a no brainer !!...But ,,that's my take on it !!! converting solar DC to AC ad then its coverted in the home unit to DC again is.............??? And a car unit is small and little watts consumption !!!

And

captkw - 12-1-2013 at 11:53 AM

With a little forethought..you could order two More of the units "cage"/receivers things the radio slids in to and install in your boat and RV....!! Now,,Thats a winner!!,,:tumble:

And

captkw - 12-1-2013 at 11:56 AM

With a little forethought..you could order two More of the units "cage"/receivers things the radio slids in to and install in your boat and RV....!! Now,,Thats a winner!!,,:tumble:

And

captkw - 12-1-2013 at 11:58 AM

With a little forethought..you could order two More of the units "cage"/receivers things the radio slids in to and install in your boat and RV....!! Now,,Thats a winner!!,,:tumble:

msteve1014 - 12-1-2013 at 09:48 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by captkw
A Good car stereo with a step down transformer is really a good way to go and is not much money...plus you have a CD player & FM/AM Plus satellite radio all in one package !!!!! To Me..........Is a no brainer !!...But ,,that's my take on it !!! converting solar DC to AC ad then its coverted in the home unit to DC again is.............??? And a car unit is small and little watts consumption !!!


What kind of transformer do you use to step down DC???