A Well-equipped Loudspeaker Van
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AN extensive tour of England has just been completed by a Garner 3-ton six-wheeler, equipped as a mobile loudspeaker outfit, and it is now possible to form conclusions as to the suitability and general arrangement of its electrical appliances and bodywork.
The vehicle has accompanied eight dancers, known as the " Daily Mirror
Eight," who have been making a tour of coastal and other resorts. The vehicle not only carried the equipment necessary for the dancing, but also provided the music and announcement amplifier.
The Garner TW6-0 six-wheeler, having a wheelbase to the bogie centre of 13 ft. 9 ins., was chosen for the task. This chassis has a 56.5 b.h.p. sixcylindered engine and a four-speed gearbox, and it was equipped with 34-in. by 7-in, single tyres. Because it has forward control, this chassis has proved particularly suitable for the work, since it permits a length from behind the cab of no less than 17 ft. 5 ins., providing ample accommodation for the equipment.
The bodywork, built by Garner Motors, Ltd., Tyseley, Birmingham, is particularly interesting, the main body being divided into three compartments. The foremost compartment, which is 6 ft. 10 ins, long, and has a full-length roller shutter on the near side, houses a double turntable electric gramophone aml three amplifiers, also a good deal of incidental luggage. For the purposes of the tour the amplifiers were connected to four Tannoy loudspeakers, one being built into each side of the second compartment, whilst two were located in a compartment above the driver's cab, being fixed to a common baffle board, which was protected behind a hinged door.
In addition to the two large loudspeakers, the second compartment, which is 7 ft. 6 ins, long, houses a Lister single-cylindered stationary petrol motor, this being bolted down to the body floor and coupled direct to a 1-kilowatt dynamo, which supplies the current at 110 volts to the Exide lowtension batteries. The motor is coupled also, by means of a belt, to a hightension dynamo, which supplies at 1,0(K) volts a separate set of Exide batteries.
The battery capacity has been designed on the generous side in order to provide sufficient current to operate the gramophone and loudspeakers for
12 hours, without need for using the Lister plant. The reason for this is, that, although the petrol motor is reasonably silent, there have been OCCaslims when the vehicle has had to operate in confined space where even a slight noise would be objectionable. In fact; the general practice during the tour has been to have the Lister motor running while the vehicle is travelling from one town to another.
The motor is water-cooled and has a fan, sufficient ventilation in the second compartment being obtained by two roof trap-doors and removable floorboards, -as well as by the large doorway leading from the forward compartment.
The rearmost compartment, which is 3 ft. long and is reached only by a roller shutter occupying the full width of the rear bulkhead, accommodates the dancers' dresses and other equipment, the heaviest item being a canvas dancing floor, 25 ft. square, which weighs 5 cwt. From the accompanying illustration, it will be seen that the compartment over the driver's cab is of considerable dimensions. The loudspeaker occupies but a small space and leaves ample accommodation for a sleeping berth for one of the crew of two. In view of the value of the equipment carried, it was best that one man should be on the vehicle, even at night time, when it was necessary to park it in the open.
The vehicle commenced its tour at Torquay on July 18th, visiting resorts on the south and east coast so far north as Yarmouth, crossing the country to Llandudno, and covering the Welsh coast and the West Country down to Newquay, finishing up with a display in Hyde Park on Saturday last. It has covered about 3,000 miles. The practice has been to drive the vehicle as close up to the dancing floor as possible, using one separate loudspeaker at the end of a cable, to which were attached cables for a signalling bell and a microphone. Announcements could thus be made from the dance floor as well as from the vehicle, which might be more con venient.