2022 our 25th year online!

Welcome to the Piano World Piano Forums
Over 3 million posts about pianos, digital pianos, and all types of keyboard instruments.
Over 100,000 members from around the world.
Join the World's Largest Community of Piano Lovers (it's free)
It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!

SEARCH
Piano Forums & Piano World
(ad)
Who's Online Now
35 members (brdwyguy, busa, benkeys, Burkhard, fullerphoto, Erinmarriott, David Boyce, 20/20 Vision, Animisha, beeboss, 4 invisible), 1,228 guests, and 291 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Hop To
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 19
P
Junior Member
OP Offline
Junior Member
P
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 19
Is there any such thing as a portable power supply, battery outlet or something to make my digital piano more portable? Like if I wanted to bring mine down to the basement to practice where there is no AC outlet. I would imagine they would have something like that for concert. But just not sure where to find that or what it's called...

Mine is a Kawai ES100.

Joined: May 2006
Posts: 7,559
7000 Post Club Member
Offline
7000 Post Club Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 7,559
You could use a 12v car battery and a power inverter, though you'd have to lug the battery back upstairs and charge it periodically.


Pianist, teacher, occasional technician, internet addict.
Piano Review Editor - Acoustic and Digital Piano Buyer
Please visit my YouTube Channel
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 19
P
Junior Member
OP Offline
Junior Member
P
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 19
Yeah, I thought about something like that, but I haven't learnt to drive yet LOL and don't have a car. Will I be able to charge it with AC at home? How long do you think the battery will last? and how long does it have to charge?

Sorry for stupid question... Besides, I don't even know how to use a car battery...

Last edited by piccione; 08/21/14 12:53 AM.
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,272
J
Unobtanium Subscriber
6000 Post Club Member
Offline
Unobtanium Subscriber
6000 Post Club Member
J
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,272
A car battery would be way more than you need to schlep for a digital piano. Look at the existing power supply for the piano, or its instructions, and see what it needs for power. If it's something like 9 Volts DC or 12 Volts DC, you can power it directly from a battery. The sealed batteries that are used in computer UPS's are perfect. Choose the size of battery based on the ten hour rate rule. For instance, if your piano needs 800 mA, which is 0.8 Amp, the smallest battery to use would be 8 Amp-Hours. (Car batteries are typically in the hundreds of Amp-Hours, and not designed for slow continuous discharge. They're mainly for cranking the engine.)

You'll need a connector for your piano. Most use the standard DC connectors, Yamaha has their own. And you'll need a way to charge it. If it's 6 or 12 Volts, a car battery charger will work fine. You can probably get all the stuff online if you don't have an electronics shop in your area. If I had to do it, I'd go to All Electronics in Van Nuys.



-- J.S.

[Linked Image] [Linked Image]

Knabe Grand # 10927
Yamaha CP33
Kawai FS690
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,825
K
1000 Post Club Member
Offline
1000 Post Club Member
K
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,825
It doesn't have to be a full size car battery. You can get an hour or two out of a motorcycle battery but you should look for a "deep cycle" gel battery. Deeply discharging a battery designed for starting shortens their life dramatically because the deep discharge causes lead to shed off the plates.

Inverters can be found at Radio Shack and Fry's Electronics if you have them wherever you live. Using the electrical information found on the back of your keyboard, you can determine how much current you need and at what voltage. That's how you "size" the inverter. The amount of weight (in the battery) you want to carry up and down the stairs determines how long you'll play before needing to recharge the battery. Not all electronics "get's along well" with the simulated sine wave that comes off of the inverter. That's one of the big differences between cheap and expensive inverters, how close to a true sine wave the inverter produces.

Tutorials on sizing inverters and where to get batteries can be found on the internet at sites catering to street musicians and buskers.

All Electronics. We sell surplus to them sometimes. The westside doesn't have any place like that anymore since All moved to Van Nuys and Dow Electronics closed up.

Kurt


**********************************************************************************************************
Co-owner (by marriage) and part time customer service rep at an electronic musical equipment repair shop.
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 26,905
Gold Subscriber
Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
Offline
Gold Subscriber
Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 26,905
Originally Posted by piccione
Is there any such thing as a portable power supply, battery outlet or something to make my digital piano more portable? Like if I wanted to bring mine down to the basement to practice where there is no AC outlet. I would imagine they would have something like that for concert. But just not sure where to find that or what it's called...

Mine is a Kawai ES100.


Would it not be easier just to get a long power cord extension for the basement location? Performance stages will have the necessary outlet near at hand or will have all the extension cords you might need.

Regards,


BruceD
- - - - -
Estonia 190
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 347
T
Full Member
Offline
Full Member
T
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 347

Joined: May 2001
Posts: 26,905
Gold Subscriber
Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
Offline
Gold Subscriber
Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 26,905
Originally Posted by Troy 125


How would that help? He said he wants to be able to use the keyboard in the basement where there is no AC (alternating current? i.e., electrical) outlet. I presume he wasn't referring to AC = air conditioning!

On the other hand, I'm wondering what kind of basement suitable for practicing would have no electrical outlet?

Regards,


BruceD
- - - - -
Estonia 190
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 347
T
Full Member
Offline
Full Member
T
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 347
Originally Posted by BruceD
Originally Posted by Troy 125


How would that help? He said he wants to be able to use the keyboard in the basement where there is no AC (alternating current? i.e., electrical) outlet. I presume he wasn't referring to AC = air conditioning!

On the other hand, I'm wondering what kind of basement suitable for practicing would have no electrical outlet?

Regards,
He said no AC outlet, I thought he might have a light bulb in the basement.

Last edited by Troy 125; 08/21/14 04:43 PM.
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,272
J
Unobtanium Subscriber
6000 Post Club Member
Offline
Unobtanium Subscriber
6000 Post Club Member
J
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,272
Maybe another approach: If the OP gets headphones to use with the digital keyboard, maybe the family would let him out of the basement? ;-)



-- J.S.

[Linked Image] [Linked Image]

Knabe Grand # 10927
Yamaha CP33
Kawai FS690
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 19
P
Junior Member
OP Offline
Junior Member
P
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 19
Originally Posted by BruceD
... long power cord extension...... AC (alternating current? i.e., electrical) outlet. I presume he wasn't referring to AC = air conditioning!

Isn't the electric outlet call AC? I'm not an electric person :P There's nowhere to extend from. It's actually an underground storage room!

Originally Posted by Troy 125
I thought he might have a light bulb in the basement.

Yes, there is light bulb and light bulb only. Besides, what make you think I'm a "he"?

Originally Posted by JohnSprung
If the OP gets headphones to use with the digital keyboard, maybe the family would let him out of the basement? ;-)

It's actually the other way round. I think it's too noisy up at home!! LOL

Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,342
M
1000 Post Club Member
Offline
1000 Post Club Member
M
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,342
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0093...qid=1408735169&sr=8-6#ref=mp_s_a_1_6

I use this if I want to take my Korg on the go. It should meet your current requirements but may require you hacking together a connector, as I did. Best of luck!


2012 NY Steinway Model B | Kawai MP11 | Nord Stage 3 Compact | Moog Matriarch | ASM Hydrasynth 49 | Sequential Circuits Prophet 10 Rev4 | Yamaha ModX 61
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 19
P
Junior Member
OP Offline
Junior Member
P
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 19
Originally Posted by Markarian
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0093...qid=1408735169&sr=8-6#ref=mp_s_a_1_6

I use this if I want to take my Korg on the go. It should meet your current requirements but may require you hacking together a connector, as I did. Best of luck!


How many hours does it last? Do you just connect the battery with the piano by one of those connectors included? No need to use the piano's original plug?

Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 19
P
Junior Member
OP Offline
Junior Member
P
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 19
Originally Posted by Troy 125


WOW!!! That's awesome!! I never knew you can turn light bulb into outlet, and two of them! One for a lamp and one for the piano... XD!!! But imagine those cords hanging. External battery seems like a better option.

Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 807
500 Post Club Member
Offline
500 Post Club Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 807
Originally Posted by piccione
Originally Posted by Troy 125


WOW!!! That's awesome!! I never knew you can turn light bulb into outlet, and two of them! One for a lamp and one for the piano... XD!!! But imagine those cords hanging. External battery seems like a better option.


So you would rather spend over $100 for a battery, charger, and power inverter than under $10 for a socket adapter and extension cord?

Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 19
P
Junior Member
OP Offline
Junior Member
P
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 19
Originally Posted by the nosy ape
So you would rather spend over $100 for a battery, charger, and power inverter than under $10 for a socket adapter and extension cord?


Markarian's external battery is under $50 and looks neat. But guess what, it's free - I just went downstairs and noticed there's actually a socket adapter in place already! I never knew!! This is kinda hilarious LOL Though wouldn't it be kinda dangerous with the hot light bulb so close to the plug...

I'm going to try it right now! Bye guys!

Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,543
P
3000 Post Club Member
Offline
3000 Post Club Member
P
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,543
Originally Posted by terminaldegree
You could use a 12v car battery and a power inverter, though you'd have to lug the battery back upstairs and charge it periodically.

I knew someone who did that with a battery from a diesel semi-truck.


Poetry is rhythm
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 5
A
Junior Member
Offline
Junior Member
A
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 5
You may use a 12v car, a power inverter can transfer DC 12v to AC 110v to charge. Usually, we are tend to charge phone, laptop and camera with a power inverter. So I show never tried to power piano with inverter. Just bought a bestek power inverter from its official site - Bestekmall to meet charge requirement when camping outside.

Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,272
J
Unobtanium Subscriber
6000 Post Club Member
Offline
Unobtanium Subscriber
6000 Post Club Member
J
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,272
Originally Posted by piccione
Though wouldn't it be kinda dangerous with the hot light bulb so close to the plug...


Yes -- so get an LED bulb instead. They're nowhere near hot enough to be a problem.



-- J.S.

[Linked Image] [Linked Image]

Knabe Grand # 10927
Yamaha CP33
Kawai FS690

Moderated by  Gombessa, Piano World, platuser 

Link Copied to Clipboard
What's Hot!!
Piano World Has Been Sold!
--------------------
Forums RULES, Terms of Service & HELP
(updated 06/06/2022)
---------------------
Posting Pictures on the Forums
(ad)
(ad)
New Topics - Multiple Forums
Country style lessons
by Stephen_James - 04/16/24 06:04 AM
How Much to Sell For?
by TexasMom1 - 04/15/24 10:23 PM
Song lyrics have become simpler and more repetitive
by FrankCox - 04/15/24 07:42 PM
New bass strings sound tubby
by Emery Wang - 04/15/24 06:54 PM
Forum Statistics
Forums43
Topics223,385
Posts3,349,183
Members111,631
Most Online15,252
Mar 21st, 2010

Our Piano Related Classified Ads
| Dealers | Tuners | Lessons | Movers | Restorations |

Advertise on Piano World
| Piano World | PianoSupplies.com | Advertise on Piano World |
| |Contact | Privacy | Legal | About Us | Site Map


Copyright © VerticalScope Inc. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this site may be reproduced without prior written permission
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community.