After going to several Critical Mass rides in Chicago, and seeing how cool it was to tote speakers around and be able to dictate what those around you listened to, I decided I wanted in. My RCA surround system had recently experienced receiver failure so I had 6 speakers without a way to play music on them.
Version 1 debuted in October 2008 at the Chicago Critical Mass.
About 2.5 hours into the ride, the level and quality of sound started decreasing. I have not figured out why. It may be possible that the battery was no longer supplying 12 volts to the amp. However, I think the amp stops working if it doesn't get 11.5-12.5 volts. Or, a wire could have become disconnected en route.
Version 2 debuted in 2009 in my apartment, but it was never debuted publicly or outside.
Version 3 debuted on June 26, 2010, on my way to and from Tour de Fat. I anticipated using it in the 2010 Chicago Pride Parade, but the threat of rain kept me home.
Version 3's improvements over prior versions:
I imagine Version 4 to be completely different and unrelated from the previous versions.
The speakers will go inside of a mini cooler. This will keep it water and sand resistant so I can take it to the beach. This will mean that I have to remove the surround sound speakers from their boxes. It also means I need to find a new way to amplify the sound and connect the speakers to the audio source.
Any ideas for Version 4? Leave a comment!