"Ralph Mowery" wrote in message
m...

"Sal" salmonella@food poisoning.org wrote in message
...

Discussion of audio amplifier power in home systems always prompts me to
relate this: I worked for a guy who was formerly a projectionist at
Radio City Music Hall in New York. He told me the sound system used
amplifiers rated at 70 watts per channel. That's a 6,000-seat theater.

He worked there a long time ago, so this not a claim of what they use
today. Use for perspective only, please.

I wonder if that was 'real watts' instead of inflated watts. I have seen
some wall wart computer speakers rated at 50 watts or so. Open them up
and inside the speaker may have 3 watts on the lable.

Same as with the listed gain of antennas for hams and especially the CB.
One antenna of modern times had a gain listed of several times more than
it should. Claimed to be the gain from one of the computer programs. It
may have been,but they were adding in a lot of ground gain and certain
take off angles.

Not sure where they were getting the gain numbers from,but he old CC 11
element 2 meter beams had a number that was way too high if you compaired
it on the air with another antenna.

Hard to know, Ralph. Some years ago, I was the repairman for my son's high
school music group, a show choir that traveled with a serious suite of
electronics. One evening, I changed a bad tweeter in a big roll-around
speaker system and tested it before I put it in my van. I clipped leads on
the speaker terminals and plugged into the headphone jack on a small
boombox -- powered by four D-cells. When I began to crank it up on the
patio, my lovely wife came roaring out and demanded that I turn it down.
"Do you know what time it is?"

Well, yes, I did know, but that wasn't exactly her point. Clearly, four
D-cells provide more than enough sound power to upset a whole neighborhood
and she felt the need to heighten my concern. ;-)

"Sal"