A portable pa (public address) system is loosely defined as a system that does not need 110 volt AC power to operate. The system always includes one or more microphones and usually they are wireless.

The size or power of a pa system is stated in watts and there are two types of designations. One is normal operating watts and the other is peak wattage. Any amplification system can only attain peak power for short bursts but can’t sustain that level. So the normal operating power is the most important value.

As to how much power do you need for a given audience size the rule of thumb is 10 watts of power for 100 people if they are directly in front of the system squeezed together as in a church pew situation. So for example the Hisonic HS321 is rated for 35 watts and it can handle up to 350 people as long as they were not spread to far apart from side to side. It is always best to get more power than potentially necessary as the volume control can always be lowered.

The angle that the sound is delivered is very narrow from a single system so listeners off to either side would not hear the speaker as well as those in front of the speakers line of broadcast. For situations where there is a wide spread of listeners the solution is to use two systems. One system on each side of the performance area aimed toward each side of the audience. The Hisonic DUAL 120 watt HS683 AC power system is ideal for a larger audience size of up to 1,000+ listeners in an area up to 60 feet wide by 150 feet deep or more.

It is always best to raise the pa speaker system off the floor and place it on an elevated structure such as a desk to allow better sound penetration through the audience. Ideally it should be elevated at the audience’s ear level. The best solution is a tripod mount such as those available with the Hisonic 80 watt AC power HS687 and the Hisonic 120 watt AC power HS683 systems.

The following is a brief description of the most popular Hisonic portable and AC power public address systems:

HS116 – A 7 watt waistband amplifier that is operated by 8 AA batteries and is ideal for small gatherings such as a small classroom and especially for tour guides.

HS120B – A 15 watt rechargeable and AC power portable PA system that includes three different microphones (a wireless handheld microphone and wireless belt pack transmitter that can be used with either the included lapel or headset microphone) and any one can be used at a time to transmit to the single wireless channel amplified speaker. This system is ideal for audiences up to 150 in smaller classroom situations and small outdoor groups. It is ideal for teachers, magicians, trade shows and other similar environments. The top of the unit has a jack for use with a wireless handheld microphone or for connection from a portable audio device such as a CD player or cassette. It is also called the SH120B.

HS210 – A 20 watt rechargeable and AC power portable PA system that includes a wireless belt pack transmitter that can be used with either the included lapel or headset microphone and any one can be used at a time to transmit to the single wireless channel amplified speaker. This system is ideal for audiences up to 200 in classroom situations and small outdoor groups. It is ideal for teachers, magicians, trade shows and other similar environments. This system transmits on the high UHF frequencies and is adjustable for up to 32 different frequencies so it is ideal for use in schools with multiple systems in use in nearby classrooms.

HS321 – A 35 watt rechargeable and AC power portable PA system that includes three different microphones (a wireless handheld microphone and wireless belt pack transmitter that can be used with either the included lapel or headset microphone) and any one can be used at a time to transmit to the single wireless channel amplified speaker. This system is ideal for audiences up to 350 in lecture hall situations and outdoor groups. It is ideal for teachers, magicians, trade shows and other similar environments. The top of the unit has two jacks for use with a wireless handheld microphone and for connection from a portable audio device such as a CD player or cassette.

HS687 – An 80 watt AC power amplified PA speaker that is ideal for audiences up to 800 in lecture hall situations and outdoor groups. It is ideal for auctions, trade shows, homeowner association meetings and other similar environments. It is typically sold with the AC power Hisonic HS596B dual channel wireless microphones system that includes six different microphones (two wireless handheld microphones and two wireless belt pack transmitters that can be used with either the included lapel or headset microphones and any two combinations can be used at the same time to transmit to the two channel wireless receiver. The speaker has RCA jacks for connection from a portable audio device such as a CD player or cassette. A speaker tripod is highly recommended for this unit.

HS683 – A 120 watt AC power amplified PA speaker that is ideal for audiences up to 1200 in lecture hall situations and outdoor groups. It is ideal for auctions, trade shows, homeowner association meetings and other similar environments. It is typically sold with the AC power Hisonic HS596B dual channel wireless microphones system that includes six different microphones (two wireless handheld microphones and two wireless belt pack transmitters that can be used with either the included lapel or headset microphones and any two combinations can be used at the same time to transmit to the two channel wireless receiver. The speaker has jacks for use with a wireless handheld microphone and RCA jacks for connection from a portable audio device such as a CD player or cassette. A speaker tripod is highly recommended for this unit. The HS683 is also available in a dual configuration that would cover a wider area and have a better sound distribution.