After seeing the Rockford Fosgate Sound Lab van at Tunes-N-Tint in Lakeland, the event staff at Max 98.3 wanted their own Ford Transit van audio system. Eric and Mike from the Big Max Morning Show were on site for our grand re-opening back in January 2018 and fell in love with the idea of having a mobile studio in the event truck. We met with the guys and management at Hall Communications of Polk County and designed a sound system that would be perfect for live events and parades.
Ford Transit Van Audio System Speakers
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- The custom door panels were fabricated by our team of experts.
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- The doors featured custom speaker pods for Rockford Fosgate speakers.
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- The new audio system could be heard from blocks away.
The system in the van would need to get loud and sound great. We turned to Rockford Fosgate for the speakers, amplifiers and subwoofers for the build. Our fabrication team created a set of custom door panels for the side doors of the Transit. Each panel houses a single Rockford PM2652 6.5-inch and PM282H 8-inch coaxial speaker. We mounted the speakers on a brushed stainless-steel trim panel that accents the silver finish on the grille. The mounting panel is a few inches thick and is made of birch plywood to ensure it will last for years. We wrapped it in black vinyl for a classy look.
To make sure listeners can feel the music, we installed a pair of Rockford P1-Series 12-inch subwoofers in an enclosure inside the van. We powered the subs with a P300X1 amp mounted inside the van on a custom panel.
Compact System Amplifiers and Source Unit
Rockford Fosgate amplifiers power the door speakers.
To power a system that sounds great even at high volume levels, we installed a Rockford T400X4ad amplifier in each door and wired it in a bridged configuration to provide an impressive 200 watts to each speaker. The Power series amplifiers may be small, but they sound great and are easy to install.
At the heart of the sound system is a Kenwood KDC-BT358U receiver. We mounted the receiver in the door panel to make it easily accessible when the truck is on display. Whoever is working a live event can pair a phone using Bluetooth to stream audio, play a CD or pop in a USB stick with music that the crowd will enjoy.
When the van is parked, the crew can plug the 70-amp Stinger power supply we installed into an outlet to keep the system playing without the need to have the van idling and using up fuel.
Mobile Music Studio
A PA system was added to extend the range of audio communication.
In order to make the van suitable for live events, we added a pair of wireless microphones and a compact mixer to allow the DJs to use the van as a PA system. We also added an 80-watt PA horn to be used during parades. The horn doubles as a secondary PA system so the guys can say hello to their fans when cruising events like the Lakeland Christmas parade or the Lake Wales Mardi Gras parade.
Hall Communications operates Max 98.3, WPCV 97.5, WONN on 107.1 FM and 1230 AM and WLKF on 96.7 FM and 1430 AM. Though the van’s graphics wrap targets MAX 98.3, the vehicle is more than suitable for events from any of its sister stations in Winter Haven, Frostproof, Davenport, Polk City, Kathleen or Wauchula.
Custom Lighting
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- Red lighting in the doors.
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- Blue lighting in the doors.
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- Green lighting is also an option along with hundreds of color combinations.
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- RGB lighting was used all over the van.
The finishing touch on the van was LED lighting around the speakers and amplifiers, as well as under the van and in the wheel wells. We used a Racesport RSWWKIT ColorADAPT wheel well kit and a four-piece RSUKIT for under the van. The kits include a wireless credit card-sized controller that allows the operator to choose a single color or a pulsing, random color pattern.
Hall Communications Special Event Vehicle Project
Mike from Big Max Morning Show loved the upgraded van audio!
It took us about four days to build and install the Ford Transit van audio and lighting system. Eric and Mike hosted a Facebook Live event to debut the vehicle and give their listeners a tour of the installation. The guys love it and are excited about using the van at events all over Polk County. Drop by Tunes-N-Tint in Lakeland and speak to a member of our team if your company could benefit from a similar mobile PA system. We’d be happy to design and install something that meets your needs. For more information, give us a call or send an e-mail using our contact page.
If you are in the Lakeland area and are looking for the 
As with all of the Stage 1 systems Rockford offers for powersport applications, the kit includes one of their PMX-2 element-ready digital media receivers and a custom mounting bezel that bolts to the factory-installed storage pocket in the dash. The PMX-2 includes an AM/FM/WB tuner, a UBS port for an iPhone or USB stick and Bluetooth audio streaming capabilities. A crystal-clear 2.7-inch color display lets you know what is playing
The Stage 2 kit is the starting point for most of our clients. Stage 2 adds a set of Prime Series RM1652B 6.5-inch marine-grade speakers and RFYXZ-FSE front lower speaker enclosures to the Stage 1 system. The speaker enclosures are constructed from a dense fiberglass-reinforced polymer plastic and feature a UV resistant finish. The pods mount in the footwells but are up off the floor to help keep them clean and still provide lots of space for your feet.
When it’s time to enjoy your music, adding a subwoofer not only improves bass response but eases the load on your midrange speakers. The Stage 3 kit adds a four-channel TM400X4ad amplifier, an RFYXZ-FEW subwoofer enclosure and a Prime 10-inch marine-grade subwoofer to the Stage 2 kit.
Stage 4 turns up the volume a little more with the addition of a set of the Rockford Fosgate RM1652W-MB Mini Wakeboard Tower Speaker enclosures. The enclosures house a second set of RM1652B 6.5-inch coaxial speakers in a durable, high-density polyethylene enclosure. The speaker enclosures mount to the roll bar and place the speakers behind the driver’s and passenger’s heads. The four-channel amp in the Stage 3 and Stage 4 kit has no problem powering all four speakers and the subwoofer.
The Stage 5 kit is very similar to Stage 4, but replaces the rear speaker pods with a set of upper front speaker pods. The pods mount on either side of the dash and include a second set of Prime RM1652B coaxial speakers. Everything else in the system is the same as Stage 4.
