Idea-Mill.net

12V powered auto sub-woofer

I spent a long time at Circuit City yesterday waiting for a car stereo to be installed in my fiancee's car. Part of the challenge was that the factory speakers were too small to deliver any low end, so I needed to add a subwoofer to round out the sound. I'm not talking about one of those dual-cone carpeted enclosure pimp-my-ride specials that needs to be powerered by twin 1200-watt amps. I got her a little enclosed tube by a company called Bazooka that has its own built-in amp and thumps out a gentle 50 watts.

But installation of my little thumper and the bigass Kicker is exactly the same. Both need the same wiring kit that connects them directly to the battery and a special subwoofer cable designed to handle low frequencies at high volume. The installation is designed to hold up for the big speaker, and is grossly over-engineered for the little one.

When we went around to the back of the car to see where they'd install it, I spied the 12V power outlet right next to where we were placing the speaker.

"Doesn't anyone make a power adapter kit that plugs right into the 12V outlet instead of having to run heavy cables the entire length of the car?" I asked.

"Nope. You can't get the power you need for big sub-woofers out of the 12V," the tech told me.

"But I don't need that kind of power. Couldn't this outlet power my little subwoofer?"

He wasn't sure, but thought that it probably could. Which still leaves the problem of running a speaker wire to the back, but that's a lot easier (and less costly) than the power kit.

My situation is not unique, I think. Many many cars have the combination of:

1. inadequate factory speakers
2. 12V outlet in the hatch/trunk/back
3. owners who appreciate audio but aren't quite able to be classified as 'enthusiasts,' meaning they will endure some expense and inconvenience to improve their experience, but not much

The Bazooka product that I bought is the only one aimed at this lower end of the market, but even this speaker overshoots many targets, I think. The goal is to find a balance between improved car audio quality and convenience/expense.

A powered 30-50 watt enclosed subwoofer tube (would have to be powered because cars with poor factory speakers usually have underpowered head units as well; but a little bass goes a long way towards improving the sound quality), able to be powered by the 12V outlet (saving the expense/intimidation/install time of the direct-to-battery kit overdesigned for 1200-watt systems), and requiring only a speaker connection were on the market for $100-$150 (including installation), I think it would be seen as a viable alternative to a full system upgrade AND create a whole new market of people not willing to pursue a full upgrade, but not fully satisfied with their current system.

And if auto makers were able to spot and support this trend, that would be advantageous to them. Just as many now include iPod compatibility (ranging from full integration where playlists can be viewed on the head unit and navigation is done through the steering wheel, down to a simple auxiliary jack the iPod plugs into) and Satellite-radio ready functionality, they could also offer 'Audio Upgrade Ready' packages, which would simply entail running a speaker wire to the back where the sub would go, and having a 12V adapter nearby as well, and then adding the product (whoever makes it) to their list of dealer-available upgrades.

'I park like an Asshole' bumper stickers

Self explanatory, especially when you see demonstrations of sheer, unmitigated thoughlessness like this:

Plenty more offenses at Flickr.

I don't know if this is a business opportunity or a marketing opportunity, but I do know that if I had a dozen of these stickers in my glove compartment I'd go through them in a week

The Modular Kids' Car Seat

Why is it that the smaller the person, the more space is required to transport them around? Throw a young-un in the car and you also have to find room for the stroller, diaper/toy/snack bag, and whatever other accessories you've deemed essential for your bundle of joy's joy.

And then there's the car seat, perhaps the most short-sighted invention ever to achieve raving success.

Remember when the family car actually used to be a car? Today the most popular car on the road is something like the Toyota Camry, a modest sized sedan or wagon with seating for 5 adults. It's economical to own and drive, reliable, and equipped with all the safety features responsible parents look for. Good honest transportation. You could say the same thing for dozens of other cars and wagons and SUVs - perfect family vehicles, differing largely in the quality and quantity of their accoutrements to satisfy families' different tastes.

But what they have in common is less interesting than what every single one of them lacks - enough room for 3 small children in the back seat. Put an infant or toddler seat or even a booster in the back and suddenly your back seat for 3 adults has enough room for one adult and a diaper bag. Strap 2 seats (of any variety) in and your diaper bag had better be a fanny pack. My own car is a wagon the size of a Subaru Outback, with seating for 5. I've got seats in the back for my 3- and 5-year-olds and the cup holders on the seats brush against each other. I couldn't strap a goldfish in between them without feeling remorse that I'd cramped his quarters.

I did a lot of research on this, which meant that I looked it up in Google. There are no shortage of online forums where people discuss this very idea - how do I get 3 kids in car seats into the back seat of my car? Here's one of many examples:

Best vehicle for my 3 kids under 3 years old

Invariably, the feedback comes back the same - Get a minivan a SUV with a 3rd row of seats. Either way, that means get rid of the 'family' car in exchange for a family truck. One that takes up more parking lot space, has a bigger footprint on the road, guzzles more gasoline, and in general is less respectful to society than a smaller 5-person car which should actually accommodate 5 people.

Families should not have to get a new car just because they have a 3rd child, or because one of their two children have a friend who needs a ride to pre-school once in a while.

So how about this: A modular car seat system where the seats (infant, toddler, booster) are designed expressly to fit 3 across a standard-sized car. I'm no engineer but it seems to me there must be a way to safely put a child who is 12" wide at the shoulder into a space less than 18" wide. You know how airplanes have shared arm rests? Why can't car seats have a shared should bolster? Or cupholders that don't enlarge the footprint, or at least interlock with each other, or something?

My idea would be a rail system that is secured to the back seat using the car's existing restraint systems. The seats could then snap or slide onto the rail and interlock with each other in some way, based on their design. The rails would come in varying lengths based on the car (like roof rack rails and systems, though the need for variety wouldn't be nearly as complex). One option for each however would need to be a 2-wide rail, so that two car seats could go into the back and still leave room on one side for someone to sit without a car seat.

Also using this system, it would be easier (and probably less expensive) to swap out seats for different occasions, and as children grow. Snapping or sliding them on and securing them would have to be designed to be relatively easy, especially since the straps and tethers would be to the rail system and already in place.

Want to turn this into a bigger opportunity? Design center consoles with entertainment systems or toy bins or juice box holders or whatever that will fit and use the space perfectly between two seats on either end, so that the system has appeal to families with two kids as well. Need to give a friend a lift to school? Lift out the console and snap in a 3rd booster. You're done, and on the road.

This is the one idea I wish I had the time and know-how to pursue on my own. I can't, and I'd rather see someone follow through with it than never have it materialize. If I'm giving up my inventor's profit so that families don't have to needlessly upgrade to bigger, costlier, environmentally sensitivelesser trucks and vans, well, that's worth more to me than bragging rights on an idea that never goes anywhere.

Someone have at it, please.