Archive for the ‘Marine’ Category
You can’t get quality sound of less than quality speakers…
If you’re trying to impress your guests on board your boat with some of your favorite tunes you pre-recorded and plugged into your marine radio, and you have some of those “old generation” speakers the sound is trying to play through, you have a problem. There’s no way you can force that quality sound through those speakers and expect to have a quality outcome. It’s like going from a freeway to a logging trail with the same volume of traffic – it just doesn’t work. If you want quality sound, the speakers have to be able to handle the output of your radio. Always match them to be sure when installation takes place. Most of the old radios didn’t have very high watts of output power, therefore you could get by with the “low grade” speakers that just about everyone had. They weren’t waterproof (like they are today) and they just didn’t have the ability to support the sound (especially the bass notes) when you played a song through them. You know the sound – kind of a vibrating sound – UGH! Simply upgrading your speakers to a pair of marine speakers goes a long way to solving this problem for you and your friends. Happy Boater.
Marine radios provide multiple uses…
Just because the word “marine” appears in the description of these neat radios, doesn’t mean that they can only be used on board a boat, pontoon, or some other watercraft. Nope – many folks have purchased one of these marine radios and mounted it somewhere in their back yard so they could plug in their MP3 memory card and instantly have their favorite tunes playing through waterproof marine speakers for the listening pleasure of both themselves and their guests. I can’t imagine a place where you couldn’t enjoy one of these radios – just about anywhere where you have power to plug it in. These radios produce digital sound enhancement and many of them can be controlled remotely also so you could have your player inside and just carry the remote around with you. I know it’s a bit cold in the northern part of the United States this time of year, but I have a sneaking hunch that there’s still a lot of folks out enjoying their patios and back yards in the southern part of the U.S. and will continue to do so all winter! Happy Boater.
Hunting season’s here – got your CB or VHF Radio yet?
We all hope we never have to call for help sometime – even if it’s not for ourselves, but for someone else. Fact is, every year during hunting season someone needs help and wouldn’t you feel bad if you came upon someone in need and you needed to contact someone fast in an area where there is no cell service and you couldn’t help? If even for your own peace of mind and comfort (that warm fuzzy feeling), every hunter should either have a hand held CB Radio or a hand held VHF marine radio in his pocket. That is really not far fetched – these little radios (the VHF radios) will send signal up to 5 nautical miles. Ideally, someone else in your hunting party should be carrying a radio so you could relay for help and assistance if needed. These little radios (the VHF radios) are even weather proof – that is, even if they were to drop into a river or lake, they will float and they will remain waterproof for up to a meter under the water for about a half hour. So, if you’re planning to be out in the woods hunting, don’t forget to cover the basic bases of safety before you leave. Happy Boater.
Can’t think of a gift idea???
Sometimes we all get stumped as to what we should be getting that special someone for a gift – be it a birthday, Christmas, or whatever! What better gift could you give than one that can improve safety when on the water as well as provide entertainment! I’d like to suggest that it’s real easy to wrap up a hand held VHF marine radio and you’ll surely see a great big smile when it is opened up! It comes packaged in a box and what could be easier to wrap? If not a hand held VHF Radio, how about a set of marine speakers or a hand held CB Radio? All of these are sure to get a smile from that special person! Start thinking today of gifts for those on your list that are just plain hard to buy for. I can assure you, that any of these items will always be received with a smile!! Enjoy. Happy Boater.
How about a marine radio that you can control with a remote!
Yes, it’s true, you can actually control your fixed mount marine radio with a remote control now. Now, is that the peak of laziness or the ultimate in greatness! You can be reeling in a fish and control the music volume at the same time! These marine radio receivers – besides offering a remote control, can provide boaters with the latest in weather information via the NOAA frequency, which can be received over these radios. Another really nice feature of these radios is the ease with which one can access the plug-ins for MP3 players and IPods. Imagine – all your favorite tunes (50′s – 60′s music for me, thank you) right at your fingertips. Life is good. When installing one of these radios, however, make sure that your old speakers have the ability to make use of the output from these receivers. If you overpower your old speakers with your new receiver, they may give you a distorted sound and you don’t want that! Make sure that the impedance levels match for output limits and you’ll be fine! Happy Boater.
How about a fall party around a campfire in the back yard?
Sure, things get colder in the fall of the year. Why does that have to dampen your spirits and make you think that you can’t have a good time sitting around a campfire enjoying the crackling of the fire? It doesn’t. Better yet, if you had speakers installed outside in your yard, you could also be enjoying your favorite tunes while sitting around the campfire keeping warm. This is possible with the use of a pair of marine speakers. These little speakers can be placed on your deck, built in outside, or just mounted anywhere around the perimeter of your yard without having to worry about the weather hurting them. They are weather proof so you can enjoy them anytime of the year. Don’t let the calendar get in the way of planning a fall get-together. Get out there and gather some kindling wood to make your fire, buy some wieners and buns and maybe some components to make ‘smores. Tunes always make for a good party so get yours going so you can enjoy them yet this fall. Happy Boater.
November is already here, but no snow yet….
November is the month that that anything can happen with the weather. I’ve seen snowstorms as early as the end of October and I’ve seen very strong killer gales on the big lake (Lake Superior). But, I’ve also seen 70 degrees and bright blue skies in mid November. I know because I got married in November and it was just that kind of weather in 1970 – in Minnesota yet!! So, anything can happen. Fishing isn’t done by a long shot and there are really a lot of boats out there yet enjoying the water, but this summer has been lighter on the boating as our local marina has been closed all summer for updating. When finished, it will be “state of the art” for a boat launch. It was supposed to be finished this October, but now they say it won’t be totally finished until early next spring. My point is, that we can’t count on the weather, therefore we owe it to ourselves to include a hand held VHF marine radio in our emergency kit when we head out on the big lake. You just never know when you will need it. You can receive those all important weather updates so you can avoid some of those surprises that come up rather quickly in November – those things I mentioned earlier in this blog. Don’t always count on others – be prepared. Happy Boater.
It seems like spring just got here and now fall and winter are closing in…
Boating season is just too short in the northland! Why, it seems like you just get your boat into the water and its time to pay storage fees to someone to store the boat for the winter! I guess we just have to “suck it in, take a deep breath” and get on with winter sports, hey? Does the change of seasons mean that your communication needs are all over until next summer? Not on your life! I guess I mean that literally, because hunting season is coming up as well as snowmobiling. Both sports have an element of “unknown” in them where it would be a great “comfort, warm fuzzy feeling” to be able to communicate with someone in your group to get assistance if you needed it. Hunters sometimes get “turned around” in the woods while hunting and can’t remember their way out – and it doesn’t always happen to “the other guy”. Slipping a little CB Radio or a hand held VHF marine radio into your pocket would surely be a great comfort if needed. Maybe you will just stumble upon another hunter who needs medical assistance. Wouldn’t you feel good if you were able to help him/her? Nothing wrong with being prepared. Happy Boater.
No need to put of with squawky-squeaky speakers…
In today’s world, there are incredible options to give you great sound when listening to a radio. And what a better place to get that great sound than when you’re on the water for the day with your favorite friends. Why listen to that horrible sound emitting from those old speakers when you can have speakers that are capable of handling digital sound and are weather proof besides! That’s right – weather won’t affect them so even it rains on your party, those marine speakers will be as clear as a bell and if you have the need to call another boat or radio for help, you will be able to understand the person on the other end because these marine speakers don’t distort like those old ones did. You know what I’m talking about – squeaky, sqauwky, vibrating sound – ugh! Happy Boater.
It’s not winter everywhere…
For some of us, summer is just about over. All the boats have just about all been stored away on shore or in a pole building about to wait out the long winter months with anticipation of the coming spring. For others who live in the southern climate, you have all winter to enjoy your boats! You have a lot more time during the year to enjoy your boats and pontoons than we do in the north, but on the same note, the more time you spend on the water, the more critical it is to have the proper communication equipment . Your chances of getting caught in a storm are just that much greater. Don’t be caught without the proper communication equipment. Outfit your boat with at least a hand held VHF marine radio if not a fixed unit VHF Radio because these little units have gone on record saving many a boater from near certain disaster. For such a little bit of money, you can buy yourself a real “comfort feeling” on the water. Be a smart boater. Happy Boater.