🚀 go-pugleaf

I need a modest Public Address system for a nonprofit organization with
a modest budget, just something to boost the voice of a quiet president
a bit. Budget limit $300 max.

I thought a nice solution might be a boombox with a mike input, and
bought on trial a Panasonic RX-DS20 with CD player and tape and FM radio,
figuring it could also provide background music for parties etc.
This might work, though I wonder if the 5-inch speakers are up to it.
It seems loud enough but I think I sense a resonance at a few hundred
Hertz which might be annoying, and perhaps it won't be loud enough in
a room with a hundred people.  (price $199)

For a microphone, I thought the ideal would be a wireless mike which
broadcasts to the FM radio, and bought (on trial) a Radio Shack 33-1076.
The first one seemed hopelessly distorted, so I exchanged it for a
second which is better but still useless.  (price $20)

There seem to be a few problems with this approach. The RS mikes seem to
be no-fidelity. (Are there mikes of usable quality which broadcast FM?)
One part of the problem is the Panasonic receiver is digitally tuned,
and it is very very hard to tune the mike accurately. However, transmitting
to an analog-tuned radio also results in awful fidelity, so that isn't
the whole problem. Second, the FM band is pretty full here so it may be
hard to avoid interference.

Does anyone have relevant experience with PA systems for modest-size
groups? We don't want a bull-horn, and don't need rock-band volume, but
want good fidelity and enough volume to handle say 100 people inside a
community-center-type room (typically hard walls, tile floor, acoustic
tile ceiling).
Is there a convenient clip-on mike with wire connections if the FM
broadcast scheme fails?
Any suggestions for an alternate system? We could do without the
CD player and tape and radio if necessary.
-- David B. Gustavson, Computation Research Group, SLAC, POB 4349 MS 88,
     Stanford, CA 94309   tel (415)926-2863  fax (415)961-3530
-- What the world needs next is a Scalable Coherent Interface!
-- Any opinions expressed are mine and not necessarily those
   of SLAC, Stanford University or the Department of Energy.