Running multiple scanners to one speaker

[JeremyKX]

Hey all,

I am currently trying to combine the audio of four devices and run it to one speaker. The devices are 3 BCD996s and a Kenwood radio(forgot number). I read on another topic here about the combiner made by fleet radio(command comm) but they are $200+ and would rather spend less. I bought a cheap nady 4/8 mixer off amazon but it was nowhere near as loud as I needed it to be and it had a lot of static. Therefore, does anyone have some suggestions on what will work? This is all mounted in my car so it needs to be loud since it's hard to hear while driving sometimes.

Thanks and apologies if this is in the wrong forum.

 

[Ed_Seedhouse]

I am currently trying to combine the audio of four devices and run it to one speaker. The devices are 3 BCD996s and a Kenwood radio(forgot number). I read on another topic here about the combiner made by fleet radio(command comm) but they are $200+ and would rather spend less. I bought a cheap nady 4/8 mixer off amazon but it was nowhere near as loud as I needed it to be and it had a lot of static. Therefore, does anyone have some suggestions on what will work? This is all mounted in my car so it needs to be loud since it's hard to hear while driving sometimes.

Mixers are generally low output devices and won't power a speaker to any volume. They are meant to produce output sufficient for the auxiliary input of an amplifier. You'll have to take the output from the mixer and run it into a proper power amplifier.

 

[bama9999]

Probably the easiest way to implement what Ed was talking about is to just get you a powered speaker and plug it into the mixer output. Also, if your car stereo has an auxiliary input on it, you could use that, of course you wouldn't be able to listen to the radio/CD at the same time.

 

[KF5YBZ]

Does your car stereo have an audio input? If so just plug the Nady output into the car audio input. I do it all the time with scanners, handheld hams, phones, CB etc...

 

[Ed_Seedhouse]

Does your car stereo have an audio input? If so just plug the Nady output into the car audio input. I do it all the time with scanners, handheld hams, phones, CB etc...

That would probably work if the car stereo has auxiliary inputs. I come from the era when the car radio was self contained and sat under the dash out of site and mind, and you pushed buttons to mechanically tune it. So that never occurred to me.

 

[ofd8001]

Uniden and Radio Shack sell external speakers that have built-in amplifiers. They are powered by the vehicle's electrical system. I've used both brands over the years and found them to be quite effective.

Uniden 4" Amplified External Speaker (BC23A)

I don't know whethert you could feed all the audio from several radios into one of these speakers without causing damage. Personally I'm a "one radio - one speaker" guy. What I've done when I have several radios in one vehicle is mount speakers in different locations to help tell which radio I'm hearing. For example, if the sound is on the left, I know it's my scanner and if it's coming from the right, I know it's my amateur radio.

 

[nanZor]

If only having two radios active to one speaker will suffice, then take a look at the Nov 2013 issue of QST, P68.

"A Double Duty Communications Speaker"

Just 4 resistors keeps both radio outputs balanced and feeding 4 - 32 ohms.

 

[JeremyKX]

Hey all,

sorry I disappeared. Had to run out of town for some months but I'm back stateside and looking to get this resolved. I called RDL and all of their mixers are unfortunately 24 volts so that seems it would be a bit more of a hassle than what I want to deal with.

I'm thinking of just getting a powered speaker and running a normal 12 volt mixer. Does anyone have any good mixer suggestions that would work? I'm looking for good audio clarity at high volume.