Props 10$ Voice Amps Anyone?

[Roodkill]

Ok, first off, this isin't my auction. I'm in no way selling these or related to him/her.
But I am interested in buying a few of these. I didn't know where to post this
because I'm not selling it but it's related to armor. So mods, feel free to move if need be, please.
The ST2 S.E.A Voice Amplifier sells usually at $80 to $160.
Puts out at an amplification of 50 mm (1.97"), Mylar cone, 8 Ohm, 2 W

The amp is used for search and rescue, firemen, Gasmasks, teaching, and of course Stormtrooper
armor. (In this case Halo).

His auction boasts the following about the mic, (found right off the S.E.A website.)

<ul>[*]Communicate freely without removing your respirator [*]Clear voice communication through a light-weight, unobstructive loudspeaker [*]Long-lasting standard 9V battery. Widely available, easy to change [*]Pocket-sized amplifier/loudspeaker [*]Rugged construction, designed to withstand temperature, vibration, impact, dust and spray [*]Thin, flexible cable — can be worn inside clothing [*]The microphone is mounted in the protective cap at the speech diaphragm of the respirator, which means that it can be attached and removed without any permanent modification or intrusive alteration of the respirator [*]The loudspeaker unit can be clipped onto a breast pocket, waist belt or shoulder strap[/list]

Here's one of the best parts....


it runs of one 9volt battery. Found out it lasts up to 8 weeks on a single cell.
*I'm Sold*
More than that, it's $9.95 with free shipping found on ebay Here

Oh and he has many of them to offer.

Have fun kiddies,
Roodkill-

 

[DogWizard]

Great Find! I paid more than that for mine and this one looks far superior. His pricing on the masks themselves looks great as well and you can't beat free shipping...

 

[Yodajammies]

Great find!


I wonder if it has any kind of distortion function to mimic the MC voice. I'd probably guess no since it is a professional tool and not a toy.

 

[Enrisan]

so this is like a hands-free intercom thing?
I can install in my helmet and talk so it it plays through the speaker like on my chest piece or something?
sounds like a good deal, I've been thinking about getting something like this.

 

[Jax Archillies]

2 watts is not nearly loud enough. the small white radio shack amp which is 3 watts is horrible.

the original RS amp which used to cost 12 bucks, than dissapeared was 6 watts.

6 is perfect in a con setting. anythign less is a waste of money.

2 watts is just not loud enough. 6 watts is almost 100 times louder than 2 watts

 

[Yodajammies]

well damn, wish I had saved my 10$ now. blah.

 

[DogWizard]

well damn, wish I had saved my 10$ now. blah.

You should still be fine - wattage isn't everything. This is not a PA system - this is designed to let you speak and be understood from within your helmet to a small group of people around you. Now if you were looking for a PA system then you are in trouble..

I'm pretty sure that the Chief didn't blast everything he said to everyone on the field...

 

[Jax Archillies]

agree, but the radio shack amp all the troopers are forced to buy at this point, is totally fine in a small group in a small non congested area, but once you are outside or hit a con floor with several hundred to several hundred thousand people walking around, it is no longer good.

its is prolly fine in a small hallway con type of setting.

actually it IS a PA, by definition. it is a portable amplifier. and wattage is everything. you can most likely depending on the size of the speaker rewire the board and add in a transistor i think to up the wattage. but any speaker smaller than lets say 2" cant handle the extra load well.

 

[Enrisan]

so then where can I find a decent one that is louder, that isn't too expensive?

 

[andrew wukusick]

Sweet! I'll have to buy some, but first I'll have to explain to my parents why I'm wasting my money on ebay again!

 

[DogWizard]

actually it IS a PA, by definition. it is a portable amplifier. and wattage is everything. you can most likely depending on the size of the speaker rewire the board and add in a transistor i think to up the wattage. but any speaker smaller than lets say 2" cant handle the extra load well.

Perhaps I should have been more specific - it's not what most people (and certainly no-one in the industry) would consider a "PA System". PA System actually stands for "Public Address System" not "Portable Amplification System". I would be very surprised if the makers of this product describe or market it as a "Public Address System".

And I'm sorry - despite what the blue-shirt patrol at the local BestBuy may say - wattage is NOT everything. I design extremely high-end theater and audio systems for a living and Wattage is only one part on the equation. Driver Size, Efficiency, and Frequency Response are all at least as important if not more so. There are speakers out there that are driven by 2-3 watt SET (single ended triode) amplifiers that can drive you out of the room based on volume alone.

I don't have one, it's not my auction, and I'm not interested in debating about the merits of this particular system. Are there better options available - yes. Are there better options available for $10 shipped - probably not. I do think that since it is a designed and marketed specifically to allow someone to speak and be understood while wearing a full face-mask/shield it will probably do the job. If you want to be heard over 100,000 people then you need something else (and some trucks)...

 

[Roodkill]

S.E.A

I'll be getting mine later on in the week, but from the reviews
that I've seen, and "heard" they function very well. If they work underwater
I think they'll work for a con. I included a pic and a link for more
information. Going back earlier to how it "clips on" from what I can tell,
it does just that.
Clips on.
Perfect for my ODST helmet. I'll post a pic when it gets here.

Roodkill-

 

[Gooberz]

I'd really like to see a video of this in action. Is that at all possible?

 

[Enrisan]

I think I will buy this if someone tells me it will work properly in my helmet.
All I need to get this to work is batteries right? I install the mic thing in my helmet, and the speaker in my chestpiece?

 

[Roodkill]

I've never done a youtube video before, but when these show up I'll give them a try
and post it here for us. I ordered x4 of them. Plenty of time left guys and
gals, don't worry. I'll have a critic of the amp before auction end. Guy's got 100%
positive and he sells real deal stuff. Only problem I've seen about this product
from one guy is that there was a short in the mic. Guy responded to the
feedback saying he replaced the amp free minus shipping. I'm happy someone
out there on ebay won't mess with us.

 

[Loess]

Received my amp yesterday (ordered Wednesday, here on Saturday), it seems like it should work well. The amp has plenty of power for conversation. The mic is a little touchy about picking up sound, I had to cup it in my hand for it to work reliably. I'm not terribly worried about it, since the mic was supposed to be enclosed in the mask, and will be in my helmet. There's a little bit of distortion in the amp (just the right amount, in my opinion).

The only problem that I had was a loose speaker connection, which was probably my fault, since I opened the case and the speaker fell out and yanked hard on the lead. That was an easy fix, it took longer for the soldering iron to heat up than it did to fix the amp.

Thanks for the heads up about these Rood, they came along at exactly the right time, (going to a con in 2 weeks). This amp is going to be a really nice addition to my armor.

 

[Enrisan]

so is the mic loud enough?
where would the best place to put the speaker be so people hear you better. Wouldn't it pick up some feedback if you put in the helmet as well.

 

[Yodajammies]

It actually works better when it is enclosed and isolated from the speaker. This really cuts down feedback.


I got mine in the mail the other day. I'm not very impressed with it, but for 10$ *shrug*

 

[Kaya Tetsu]

It actually works better when it is enclosed and isolated from the speaker. This really cuts down feedback.
I got mine in the mail the other day. I'm not very impressed with it, but for 10$ *shrug*

for ten bucks you can crack it open and fiddle with it without regrets.

 

[Loess]

for ten bucks you can crack it open and fiddle with it without regrets.

Exactly!

I'm going to eventually try to replace the microphone with one that has better sensitivity. It seems like the mic on this amp is designed to pick up and filter voice from inside a gas mask, and doesn't pic up ambient sound very well.