Summertime is the best time when the family gets together and do activities to enjoy their bonding time. One of the popular forms of family bonding during this time of the year is going on a drive-in movie date.
You can bring the entire family in the comfort of your vehicle or car. But, the big question remains, can your car battery sustain the length of the movie running all the accessories in your vehicle with the engine running in idle? Well, that is something that we need to know.
How to watch a drive-in movie without draining car battery? Watching a drive-in film takes a significant toll on your car battery. Well, here are some tips that you can do to save your car battery from draining during your movie time.
1. Turn off all lights, headlights, and tail lights.
2. Run the engine for a while before turning off.
3. New batteries won’t drain easily
4. Disconnect sub-woofers and amplifiers from the radio.
5. Bring your portable radio.
This simple tips will help you save your battery during your drive-in movie. Let me discuss in details how these precautions would help you keep your cells.
More Details Below
1. Turn off all lights, headlights, and tail lights. A regular movie usually lasts between 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If you are running all accessories including your headlights and tail lights, it will drain and use so much of your battery charge.
The best thing to do to save your battery is to make sure that you turn off all your lights. Running the car radio, which is where the movie sound comes out, won’t drain the battery too much.
2. Run the engine for a while before turning off. Allowing the engine to run for a little while will help the alternator charge the battery. It will give sufficient charge to the battery for a while.
The charge given off by the car alternator will help keep the car audio system running throughout the movie time.
3. New batteries won’t drain quickly. If you are planning on going for a drive-in movie, check out your batteries first. An old worn out battery which is suitable for replacement will not surely make it to the drive-in.
If your battery is already in for replacement, it will be better to replace your battery with a new one before you engage with a drive-in movie. A newly restored battery is hard to discharge.
With a new battery at hand, you can be sure that you can get out of the place without having any problem,
4. Disconnect sub-woofers and amplifiers from the radio. To avoid battery drain, you have to ensure that your audio system is not using any sub-woofer or amplifiers.
These sub-woofers and amplifiers may drain your battery so much. During a drive-in movie, disconnect these speakers and amplifiers from your vehicle.
I do hope that these simple tips will help you save your batteries from your future drive-in movie experience.
5. Bring your portable radio. The most drive-in movie uses an FM radio signal to transmit the sound of the film. You can use your car’s stereo. However, running the stereo for an hour or two will drain your battery.
To avoid this, you can bring your portable radio run by batteries. You may also bring in your own set of speakers run by rechargeable batteries. This radio can make you listen to the movie sound wherever you may be.
Will A Drive-in Movie Drain My Car Battery?
Drive-in movies can surely drain your car battery if it is due for a replacement. However, I have already mentioned some of the precautions that you can do to avoid wasting your car battery.
Anyway, you can always turn on your car’s AC or the car heater when it is in intermission time. A lot of drive-in movies used the FM radio to send the audio for the movie sound.
However, two hours of using the car stereo will drain your battery. One way to do this is to bring in your portable radio or your boombox. This way, you can listen to the movie wherever you are.
Are There Available Jumpstarters In Drive-in Movies For Cars With A Dead Engine?
A dead car engine is a usual scenario in a drive-in movie. Majority of the cars went killed after the video. Please equip yourself with your jumpstarter. However, if you do not have the jumpstarter with you, there are jumpstarters available in the drive-in place. (Or you can call Uber).
They will gladly do the jumpstarting for your car. Other nearby cars can extend their help to you by jumpstarting your car. So the next time you go for a drive-in movie, check out everything first. Load your jumpstart cable before leaving.
How Long Will A Battery Last In A Drive-in Movie?
Typically, a car battery doesn’t last more than two hours in a movie without experiencing any issues. This fact is actual for cells which are two to three years older. However, for a newly replaced battery, most experts would say that it lasts for almost 8 hours.
A good battery that could sustain an 8-hour stand by time will be sufficient if you only have your car stereo the only one running. With the headlights on, your running time will be reduced to four hours.
Imagine how much energy you can save if you will turn off your lights. Remember, this is for a new battery. Old batteries will be a lot shorter running time.
If you like to know about the longevity of car battery, then read my article on how long does a car battery last.
What Should I Do If My Car Has Daytime Running Lights That Can’t Be Turned Off?
Most of these daytime running lights will automatically turn off if the brakes for an emergency are engaged. When this thing doesn’t work, bring cardboard with you or some of the drive-in movie place offers or sells a cover for your headlights.
Do not worry. All cars have a way to keep the lights off. You may ask your car manufacturer to ask how to turn off the lights.
Will my battery die during the drive-in movie?
If it happens, what will I do?
Having your radio on should not drain your battery. Start your car at an intermittent period to make sure that it will not get dead. If in case it does die, there is a booster pack at the concessioner for the convenience of the moviegoer.
How To Set-Up Your Own Drive-In Movie
Did you know that you don’t have to line up to drive-in movie theatre to be able to watch a movie at a park? If you have your own space, you can turn it to your drive-in theatre. Never have to worry about turning your lights on or turning the volume up.
Setting up your drive-in movie is very easy. You can hook it up to your car or vehicle. You need a projector and movie material.
Here are the set-up methods:
1. Hooked up your portable movie set in your vehicle. You will need your projector for this project.
2. You will need a 6-hour battery.
3. You will need a 750-watt inverter for your power.
4. Hooked up the C. Crane FM transmitter to the DVD player’s audio output to transmit the sound of the movie to the stereo of other nearby cars.
5. For your screen, you may use any white wall. You can also use a white bedsheet for your display.
You are now ready to watch your drive-in movie, right at the comfort of your backyard. You can share this movie with family, relatives, and friends. It is an excellent way to enjoy your reunion and other family gatherings.
What Car Battery Type Is Best To Use For A Drive-in Movie?
A deep cycle battery is the best car battery type to use when you plan to go for a drive-in movie.
Deep cycle batteries are meant for a charge and discharge cycle, and it can withstand the long standing hours of a movie. This battery type has longer battery life, and they can provide and supply the power and energy we need for heavy accessories in our car.
As for drive-in movies, the audio or the stereo is the most used accessory in your car. Having it run for two to three hours require a powerful battery which can supply the needed power.
Of all battery types, a deep cycle battery is the only battery that is specifically designed to withstand the waste of energy for these accessories. It is the same reason why most RVs and marine vehicles use deep cycle batteries.
What Are The Best Deep Cycle Batteries We Can Use For Drive-in Movies?
Well, I came up with several brands where you can check out in Amazon websites. These are the top rated deep cycle batteries you can use if you plan to go for a movie drive-in.
● VmaxTanks AGM Deep Cycle Battery
● Renogy Li-ion Phosphate Battery
● Universal Deep Cycle AGM Battery
Check it out on the websites thru Amazon.com or at the nearest battery dealer near you!
Enjoying summer with the family is fun. However, you need to know how to watch a drive-in movie without draining the car battery. When you learn the basic, you can genuinely enjoy the film without having to worry about your car battery getting drained.
