Power source for busking

[kjangguitar]

Is there any good option for an amplifier like Henriksen Blu (120watt)?

I used to go to central park with Roland street. But I want to find an option that I don’t need to buy battery packs if it is possible.

So I found out that professional buskers using scooter battery with converter. Also I don’t want to intimidate maintain workers at park with too many stuffs ;-)

Is there any option something more simple? I need some advices!

Thank you


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[KirkP]

I’d be tempted to try this light duty power station. Four lb, 160 watt-hours, good reviews, now on sale for $110. It’s only rated for 100 watts continuous, but if you aren’t playing loud a solid state amp rated for 120 watts should draw a lot less than that. At that price, I’m tempted to try it myself. You wouldn’t want to use it for a critical gig unless you had a backup. Inverters can be noisy though, which could be a problem with magnetic pickups.
Explorer 160 Portable Power Station

– Jackery

[archtopeddy]

Not sure if this is quite what you're looking for but a good rechargeable battery-powered busking option is the Bose S1Pro. I've used them without issue for literally hundreds of strictly battery-powered gigs.

[Spook410]

Is this a Class D amp? If so, it pulls very little power in operation. Probably well under 10W/hour at normal volumes. (90% efficient and you won't be driving 120W) A lithium battery inverter with a reasonable store of amp hours will drive it for quite a few hours.

I have a couple of these and haven't encountered any noise problems but maybe that's just me. Seems to be quieter than many AC outlets since it's a battery. I've seen some comments about how sinusoidal the power output is versus the needs of some circuits but nothing beyond rumor. Don't know that it's any less reliable a component than the amp itself. I've been using them for years with no problems. They're a lot more convenient than extension cords even when power is available.

Finally, when you can get a separate inverter, you can use any Class D amp you want. I often use a 2000W Yamaha PA speaker which runs longer than the worst case math might indicate because real world efficiency is pretty good. Need to measure it one of these days. And I do like not being tied to a proprietary battery.

Lots of choices on Amazon.

[kjangguitar]

Is this a Class D amp? If so, it pulls very little power in operation. Probably well under 10W/hour at normal volumes. (90% efficient and you won't be driving 120W) A lithium battery inverter with a reasonable store of amp hours will drive it for quite a few hours.

I have a couple of these and haven't encountered any noise problems but maybe that's just me. Seems to be quieter than many AC outlets since it's a battery. I've seen some comments about how sinusoidal the power output is versus the needs of some circuits but nothing beyond rumor. Don't know that it's any less reliable a component than the amp itself. I've been using them for years with no problems. They're a lot more convenient than extension cords even when power is available.

Finally, when you can get a separate inverter, you can use any Class D amp you want. I often use a 2000W Yamaha PA speaker which runs longer than the worst case math might indicate because real world efficiency is pretty good. Need to measure it one of these days. And I do like not being tied to a proprietary battery.

Lots of choices on Amazon.

Thanks for great help. But is there any way I can figure out if my Henriksen amp is ‘D amp’? I’ve just googled what does that mean but it was hard to understand because there were many terms that I don’t really know


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[gitman]

I’d be tempted to try this light duty power station. Four lb, 160 watt-hours, good reviews, now on sale for $110. It’s only rated for 100 watts continuous, but if you aren’t playing loud a solid state amp rated for 120 watts should draw a lot less than that. At that price, I’m tempted to try it myself. You wouldn’t want to use it for a critical gig unless you had a backup. Inverters can be noisy though, which could be a problem with magnetic pickups.
Explorer 160 Portable Power Station

– Jackery

How can I measure this power-consumption without going to an electronics- expert with fancy equipment ? Is there a mathematical formula maybe ? Thanks !

[Ukena]

I bought a GoWISE PS1001 power inverter, and a Dakota 12v 10Ah Lithium battery with a charger. Not an inexpensive solution, but affordable. I have used the combination several times with my Henriksen Bud, and it works great. The GoWISE has two grounded outlets and a USB port, so I can also plug in a pedal power source, or even two amps (I have used the Bud with a battery-powered Nady mixer, which allowed me to amplify 3 guitars and a bass, and also plug in a mic. The GoWISE is a pure sine wave inverter, so won't damage your equipment.

[KirkP]

How can I measure this power-consumption without going to an electronics- expert with fancy equipment ? Is there a mathematical formula maybe ? Thanks !

You might ask Henrikson to estimate the power draw from idle to full power. Or you could buy an electricity usage monitor for as low as $20 and measure it yourself. I might guess a 120 watt solid state amp uses under 30 watts at idle, but at full volume could draw as much as 180 watts. An inverter rated for 100 watts continuous might be fine for quiet playing but shut down when you wail on power chords. Class D amps would use less power. If your amp isn’t advertised as Class D, assume it’s not. If you buy an inverter with a built in usage monitor, you can watch the power draw as you play.

[sgosnell]

I don't own one, but everything I've read says the Blu has a Class D power amp. I have a Beaudens power supply, and it's fine. I haven't used it extensively, though. I suspect most of the rechargeable power supplies are pretty similar. The technology has become mature. You can get a lot of power in a small, light package now. The one I have has USB and 9VDC outputs in addition to 110VAC, so you can power/recharge your phone, your pedalboard, and your amp for a few hours with a device that's under 4.5lb and ~6"x6"x3". 166 watt-hours advertised output. The 120 watts is output, not input, and a Class D amp will draw far less, and should be powered for several hours by one of those. I would not consider using scooter batteries and inverters when there are far better options available.

[kjangguitar]

Thank you everyone! I’m going to visit home depot near my place to see if they have some portable power station. It seems like it will costs between 100-120$?

I really appreciate those advices from your experiences. People from here are wonderful.


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[DRS]

You might ask Henrikson to estimate the power draw from idle to full power. Or you could buy an electricity usage monitor for as low as $20 and measure it yourself. I might guess a 120 watt solid state amp uses under 30 watts at idle, but at full volume could draw as much as 180 watts. An inverter rated for 100 watts continuous might be fine for quiet playing but shut down when you wail on power chords. Class D amps would use less power. If your amp isn’t advertised as Class D, assume it’s not. If you buy an inverter with a built in usage monitor, you can watch the power draw as you play.

Manufacturers are supposed to indicate the power requirements of their products either on the amp or in the manual.
For instance, Fender posts that the Mustang GT40 requires 118watts of power at full volume. Don't confuse power consumption watts with sound volume watts. Not the same.
Most potable power supplies are rated in watt hours. So a Hausbell I found on Amazon has 155 watt hours so theoretically, it should run that Mustang for over 1 hour at full volume. Read the fine print on those power supply specs as a lot of times they have creative ways of measuring capacity.

[Gitterbug]

I have given some thought to busking lately. There may be vast cultural, even legal, differences depending on where you are. I sincerely hope that the pandemic changes the public's view of street musicians, for the better and for good.

A busker's ideal rig is compact and utterly portable. I'm not here to advertise my 4-5 lb TOOB Metro cabs but to comment on the amp requirements. Class D, yes, because of the small size, weight and power requirement. Separate power source, yes, because that can be replaced by a rechargeable battery pack. Some amp manufactures say you can't use battery power. The VOX MV50 is a case in point. It takes in 19V DC, which is difficult to produce with batteries but common with laptops. The question is, do we have to accept the mfgr's statements at face value? There may well be quite a bit of tolerance. To wit, the diminutive SviSound Overzoid amp, 50W @ 4 ohm, accepts anything from 9V to 22V provided there's enough amperes coming in. Another candidate could be the Quilter Interblock 45, which eats 24V DC. The Mooer Baby Bomb, likewise. Imagine an electric scooter with a built-in DC outlet for the amp.

[kjangguitar]

Manufacturers are supposed to indicate the power requirements of their products either on the amp or in the manual.
For instance, Fender posts that the Mustang GT40 requires 118watts of power at full volume. Don't confuse power consumption watts with sound volume watts. Not the same.
Most potable power supplies are rated in watt hours. So a Hausbell I found on Amazon has 155 watt hours so theoretically, it should run that Mustang for over 1 hour at full volume. Read the fine print on those power supply specs as a lot of times they have creative ways of measuring capacity.

So does that means less volume consumes less power? I’m trying to assume.. even when I play in any gigs, I don’t really turn the volume loud even when there’s a horn player. Maybe 40 percent of the volume knob would be my maximum. I’ve just ordered a product that says 178wh. Since my Henriksen blu says it’s a 120w but I can’t find the wattage with hour. Do you think I can expect using the battery maybe 3 hours?

By the way, I was checking my amps which are Blu and lunchbox. I was very surprised that lunchbox is a 200watt amplifier. I expected that Henriksen would have a larger number. Because it’s little bit bigger than ZT. Although I never compared how those amps can be loud.


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[Spook410]

edit: missed the post where you bought a 178W/hr battery. Should work fine. Everything you may want to know about Class D amps: Class D Audio Amplifiers: What, Why, and How | Analog Devices

There are several types of inverters. Home Depot will offer the types used for car stereos and jumping car batteries. Wouldn't be where I would shop for one of these.

Given the weight and power of the Henriksen Blu it is a Class D amplifier.

A simple rule of thumb for Class D amplifiers is that they will pull 10% of the output power. It's usually less. Sometimes a lot less. But the 10% is a conservative starting point.

So for 120 Watts (120W) you need 12W to run. Batteries are specified in Watts/Hour. So if you got a 50W/hr battery you could run 4 hours (50W divided by 12W rounds off to 4 hours).

This random choice off of Amazon is 167W/hrs. Should run a Henriksen Blu for 14 hours. Real world, probably more. Costs $110 and has very good reviews. You may prefer one with more AC outlets so you don't need to use an extra AC breakout for a pedal board but this one is light and inexpensive. If you don't like it you can pay shipping and return it.

Sorry! Something went wrong!

Even though link works on my computer in spite of being displayed incorrectly, here is text you can search on Amazon:
Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 160, 167Wh Lithium Battery Solar Generator (Solar Panel Optional) Backup Power Supply with 110V/100W(Peak 150W) AC Outlet for Outdoors Camping Fishing Emergency

[kjangguitar]

edit: missed the post where you bought a 178W/hr battery. Should work fine. Everything you may want to know about Class D amps: Class D Audio Amplifiers: What, Why, and How | Analog Devices

There are several types of inverters. Home Depot will offer the types used for car stereos and jumping car batteries. Wouldn't be where I would shop for one of these.

Given the weight and power of the Henriksen Blu it is a Class D amplifier.

A simple rule of thumb for Class D amplifiers is that they will pull 10% of the output power. It's usually less. Sometimes a lot less. But the 10% is a conservative starting point.

So for 120 Watts (120W) you need 12W to run. Batteries are specified in Watts/Hour. So if you got a 50W/hr battery you could run 4 hours (50W divided by 12W rounds off to 4 hours).

This random choice off of Amazon is 167W/hrs. Should run a Henriksen Blu for 14 hours. Real world, probably more. Costs $110 and has very good reviews. You may prefer one with more AC outlets so you don't need to use an extra AC breakout for a pedal board but this one is light and inexpensive. If you don't like it you can pay shipping and return it.

Sorry! Something went wrong!

Even though link works on my computer in spite of being displayed incorrectly, here is text you can search on Amazon:
Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 160, 167Wh Lithium Battery Solar Generator (Solar Panel Optional) Backup Power Supply with 110V/100W(Peak 150W) AC Outlet for Outdoors Camping Fishing Emergency

Thanks for this great information. If I can, I feel I should buy you at least a beer or coffee whatever. Thank you so much...!


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[kjangguitar]

I’ve just tested the power station. But I hear hum noise. If I grab the metal part of cable, I don’t hear the noise. I guess it has something to do with grounding? It’a not really crazy annoying. Is it something I should be concerned...?


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[sgosnell]

Hum with the power station connected to AC, or not? I sometimes get it, but moving the power cord to the amp sorts it out. It happens to me with both the wireless receiver and the amp connected, but it goes way when I move them just a little. I've never tried it with a cable connected to the amp, because I don't use one.

[Ukena]

A Power Station is meant for powering electric tools and things like that. It is not meant for sensitive electronics or guitar amplifiers.

Pure sine wave inverters give you the same AC you would get in your home – sometimes better. Your expensive Henriksen amp may well survive the Power Station, or other portable power device, but then again, it may not.

With the setup I described above, I have clean AC power, and have never gotten the slightest hum from my amp. I received recommendations for what works best with electronic amplifier gear from an electrical engineer... I am not one myself, and make no pretense to be.

[kjangguitar]

A Power Station is meant for powering electric tools and things like that. It is not meant for sensitive electronics or guitar amplifiers.

Pure sine wave inverters give you the same AC you would get in your home – sometimes better. Your expensive Henriksen amp may well survive the Power Station, or other portable power device, but then again, it may not.

With the setup I described above, I have clean AC power, and have never gotten the slightest hum from my amp. I received recommendations for what works best with electronic amplifier gear from an electrical engineer... I am not one myself, and make no pretense to be.

I checked the product generates pure sine wave. I guess the noise is coming from that the product is not grounded which is obvious considering that it’s a portable device.

But I’m not sure if I have to really find a way for grounding in a serous way for this 286wh power station. I don’t think it will be strong enough to harm someone critically even when there’s any malfunction in the circuit.


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[Woody Sound]

A while back I posted about the Beaudens B-1502. It runs my Quilter combo and pedalboard all night no problem. I haven't tried it with my Henriksen Bud, will do so today. I know I posted a picture of my setup in that post, but I can't seem to find it.

Sorry! Something went wrong!

Aha, found it!

Portable Power Pack

[campusfive]

I think you'll find this blog post by my friend Vic Wong insightful:
Use ANY guitar amp without a power outlet | Panique Jazz

[Spook410]

A Power Station is meant for powering electric tools a...

I believe they are designed for anything AC powered. It's just an AC Inverter based on lithium batteries. Should work just fine with a Class D amp. And while I am an electrical engineer, I was never a power guy so I just read the instructions just like everyone else. That and I've been using these batteries for many years now without issue.

[Spook410]

I checked the product generates pure sine wave. I guess the noise is coming from that the product is not grounded which is obvious considering that it’s a portable device.

But I’m not sure if I have to really find a way for grounding in a serous way for this 286wh power station. I don’t think it will be strong enough to harm someone critically even when there’s any malfunction in the circuit.


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Hum might be grounding. You could try a ground lift or use a 2 prong plug to your amp instead of the 3 prong. If it goes away when you touch the metal part of the guitar cord (you become the ground) then does it also go away when you touch the guitar strings?

[KirkP]

...
A simple rule of thumb for Class D amplifiers is that they will pull 10% of the output power. It's usually less. Sometimes a lot less. But the 10% is a conservative starting point.

This is misleading. A Class D amp might draw 10% of rated power near idle, but at maximum power it will draw more than the rated RMS power.

According to my googling they are about 90% efficient at maximum power, but less than 80% at low power. If the rated power of the amp exceeds that of the inverted, one needs to limit the playing volume to avoid overloading the inverter.

[Spook410]

Maybe we're talking about different things..

A Class D amp will draw next to nothing at idle. 10% at pretty loud and constant.

My lunchbox size inverters handle up to around 5 amps. Not going to overload them easily with a guitar rig.