This blog will take you through an example of how to set up the Event Power Box with a DJ system. You can use the same simple math to prepare for any event power need. This is how to estimate whether your power usage is going to be within the capacity of the Event Power Box. Of course you can always extend the capacity of your Event Power Box with pedal power -- that's the fun -- but it's helpful to know if you'll be within the capacity of the box if no one pedals.
In preparation for your event, Rock the Bike will ask you certain questions, and do some simple calculations, in order to establish what your power needs are. Our goal is to deliver more than enough power to sustain your event.
We start with the official rating of the box. For our DJ set we were using the medium box which is rated at 2.5 kilowatt hours. After that, we calculate your power draw, which will be shown on the sign attached to your Power Box. If you own your own box you can plug everything into it beforehand to find your power draw. If you are renting a box or wondering which size to buy, you can use a power meter and a regular wall outlet. We recommend a Kuman power meter as shown below. For our DJ set we had to take into account that our power draw was slightly greater when music was playing than when the speakers were just plugged in.
Once you get an estimate of your power draw, all you have to do is divide the total kilowatt hours by the average number of kilowatts your event will use, and you get the estimated runtime of your event. Remember to keep your units consistent! Divide the watt reading on your Event Power Box sign by 1000 to get your power draw in kilowatts. You could also multiply 2.5 kilowatt hours by 1000 to get the battery capacity in watt hours.
We found that our DJ equipment used between 150 and 300 watts, using JBL PRX 618XLF subwoofers and Mackie DRM 215 mains (tops). Most speakers sold today have this type of amp. We recommend these because they are digital speakers that don't use significantly more power when you turn up the volume. This means we could have live music for at least 8 hours no pedaling required!