Hi everyone… total newbie question here, but does anyone know if you can use speaker strobes without a panel, and furthermore, if they have a default sound/message they make? And then finally, if both of the above are true, is there any way that you can apply your own message (WAV/MP3/ETC) without a panel? Thanks to anyone who knows the answers to any of these!
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#1: Yes
#2: No: they are supplied by an external audio source, they don’t & can’t make sounds by themselves
#3: Yes, as long as you have a source of audio (i.e. laptop computer) & a cable with a male audio plug on one end & two wires on the other (the wires connect to the speaker terminals on the speaker or speaker/strobe, & the plug connects to the audio source). You can also buy an MP3 board like some enthusiasts have, which can act as a tone/message generator.
Apologies for restarting this topic, but I purchased my first speaker/strobe yesterday (a Simplex 4903-9142!) and I plan to use the 3.5mm jack to speaker wire method, but I am also curious about the MP3 board you mentioned. Can you give an example of one? Thanks!
This is the 4-channel version that most enthusiasts have bought, as it’s the one Aaron Productions demonstrates in his video on them:
4 Buttons Triggered MP3 Player Board with 10W Amplifier and Terminal Blocks | Electronics123
I however decided to purchase a 20-channel version after learning there was one (& after I had already bought the 4-channel version). The main advantage with this version is of course more channels for more messages, but I think it also pulls more amps than the 4-channel version when active (thus requiring a beefier power supply to power it with):
20 Channel MP3 Sound Board with 2x15W Amplifier | Electronics123
There’s also smaller versions of the 20-channel model, one in a nice neat enclosure, though I haven’t tested these versions:
20 Channel MP3 Sound Board with 2x15W Amplifier | Electronics123
20 Trigger Inputs Miniature MP3 Sound Playback Board with 2 x 25 Watts Amplifier | Electronics123
For all of these you will need an SD card to supply the board with the messages you want it to play (though for the 4-channel version you’ll need a micro SD card specifically, along with an adapter so you can plug the latter into a computer).