Portable Bluetooth Speaker
Portable Bluetooth speakers are popular for good reason, so when I found myself in possession of an extra pair of speakers and some other parts, I decided to put one together. Custom Bluetooth speakers include a significant amount of cool factor, but I wanted this one to be sufficiently loud, yet still maintain a level of sound quality which would exceed what was necessary for its planned recreational use. I’ve come across some very clever designs personally, including cigar boxes and garbage bins. After some thought I decided to pay homage to another one of my areas of competence: automotive and motorcycle work. So I ended up converting a toolbox into the speaker.
The building blocks of this project are straight forward and everything I used is available off the shelf (parts list below). The device is powered using a 12V power-sports battery. The extra weight helps keep it stable whether on the beach or on a sailboat. The battery life is also a plus; I have not charged it for over a year and it is as loud as ever. As an added bonus, I added a panel voltage meter to keep track of the battery level as well as some USB ports for charging cell-phones, a crowd favorite.
Parts List
- Pair of 5.25″ coaxial speakers
- XS3868 Bluetooth audio receiver module
- 12V to 3.3V DC to DC regulator module
- TPA3116 power amplifier module
- Ground loop noise isolator
- 12V / 10AH sealed lead acid battery
Competencies
- Mechanical fabrication and assembly
- Crimping and wire harness assembly
- Soldering wire-to-board and wire-to-wire