Archive for the ‘Speakers’ Category
To me, music is all about the crisp, clear bass notes.
Now, some of you may not agree with my stand on this, but I tend to really enjoy a crisp, clear bass sound as it rumbles out of the speakers and you can actually feel them note by note in your stomach. Maybe some of you like the high notes – good for you! It takes all kinds to make the world go ’round. The point is, if you don’t have good marine speakers on your boat with which to play your music, you won’t be happy. You don’t want to “choke” out your music as it plays. How is it that that old song puts it??? ….”music makes the world go ’round”! If you have a poor day of fishing, you can at least say that you really enjoyed the music! (music is really hard to fry in the fry pan, though) Don’t cut yourself short on music quality. I’m really quite sure that anyone can tell the difference between “ok” sound and “great” sound when played through 2 different sets of speakers. Why not go first class when it costs so very little more. Life is good. Happy Boater.
Speakers can make it or break it…
When you install a great marine radio into your boat and you decide to save a couple of dollars and use your old marine speakers, you’ve only cheated yourself out of a great listening experience. I dare say, that your opinion of the new radio you just installed (as good as it may be) may not be a good as it should be. Why?? …because you may be trying to send high quality digital sound through a speaker that is not capable of handling it. In may ways, it is just like trying to drive to work on a rutted logging road when you have a freeway available to you. Don’t get stuck in one of those ruts. Make sure your speakers are capable of handling the watts of output your radio is sending to them. If they are not matched, you will never achieve the quality (wow factor) that you had hoped for when you purchased the radio. And it gets better…(yeah, I know it sounds like an info-mercial from TV) …the new speakers are weather proof so if it rains on them, your speakers won’t get hurt at all!! Many hours of enjoyment are straight ahead for you and your guests. Happy Boater.
CB’s help pass the time when stuck in a construction zone…
Summertime in Minnesota (and I’m sure a lot of your locations as well) is a time widely focused on road construction. We often say in Minnesota that we have 2 seasons – Winter and Road Construction. Those of you that live here know what I mean. Sometime you get stuck in a traffic jam due to construction for 15 – 20 minutes at a time. During those times I have found that it’s really quite entertaining to talk to others on the CB. It helps pass the time of day and let’s face it – if the other person is also stuck in the traffic – misery loves company!! Sometime you are able to talk to someone ahead of you and can be advised to take a certain exit to save a lot of time and other times you may be the one in front “breaking trail” for the others listening in and you can become the hero for the day. Nothing wrong with that!! Good speakers are a must or it takes the fun out of talking to someone else because they would be too hard to understand – especially if they speak with a bit of an accent. Enjoy your summer – turn on your CB Radio and make the most out of your inconvenient times stuck in traffic. Have fun. Happy Boater.
Make sure the speakers you add to your outdoor toys are outdoor speakers!
There’s no faster way to ruin a speaker than to install a speaker that is not capable of withstanding the elements on an outdoor “toy” and expect it do the job for you. The speaker cone will become soggy, then moldy and will quickly become useless as a speaker. Your outdoor toys could include your boat, ATV, pontoon, or simply just a backyard patio with speaker boxes strategically placed to enhance any party you may be having. Marine speakers are the way to go. These little speakers pack a dynamite sound and are virtually unaffected by the elements. Any rain that would come down will ruin your party LONG before it will even think about affecting your speakers. I’ve had marine speakers on my pontoon boat now for 11 years and they sound as good today as the day they were installed and have been out in hundreds of rainstorms. Of course, the speakers available today are much superior to the ones I have as they have digital capabilities for sound reproduction and reached a new level of quality. I’ll eventually have to upgrade my own speakers to these, but in the meantime mine continue to give great sound. Enjoy! Happy Boater.
Now you can listen to your MP3 on the boat!
Now you don’t even have to give up your music that is continually plugged into your ear when you head out on the water in the boat! If you have a marine radio receiver, you can enjoy countless hours of fine listening while dangling a fishing line in the water or simply enjoying the sun! These little players have an MP3 plug built right into them which allows direct transfer of tunes through the digital speaker system provided by the marine speakers on board the boat or pontoon. This all points to a very fun time. Besides being able to listen to your favorite tunes, you will be able to receive any critical weather updates via NOAA through your marine radio receiver. What more could a person want for an incredible day! Let’s see…I think if you invite me on board, I’d like to hear some 50′s/60′s tunes, or maybe a bit of country! The good news is that you’re in charge of the music as it will be all your favorite recorded tunes. When purchasing a marine radio, make sure you have the “plug in” option for your MP3 or I-Pods as some of the radios don’t have that feature. You may as well get the radio that fits your lifestyle right at the get go!! Happy Boater.
Time for a summertime party?
With the summer season upon us, out thoughts naturally sway toward the “fun” side of life. It’s hard to beat the magical combination of friends, food, and fun – after all, that’s what makes up a party (the “magical ingredients”!) A “summer fun party” is greatly enhanced by music – YOUR favorite music. …but what if that requires you to have speakers placed around the hot tub – or out on the patio? Is moisture a problem for you? It is going to ruin your evening when your speakers get soaked with water and just quit working? They won’t quit working if you’re using marine speakers. These little speakers deliver high quality sound with extreme durability! They’re water proof so weather won’t interfere with your party! If they get splashed on while sitting in the hot tub – no worries! Your music will keep playing throughout the evening with digital quality. Good speakers truly are the key to good listening! One caution, though – make sure that the friends you invite to your party share your taste in music! Play it safe and be considerate as to what everyone else may like to hear also. Happy Boater.
Speaker boxes aren’t rocket science…
This year you may have the desire to add some speakers to your boat or maybe on the patio or deck behind your house! If the location you want speakers is out of doors and subject to the elements that weather can dish out, you’re in luck. Marine speakers are available in many locations at very reasonable prices. Why marine speakers??…because marine speakers are waterproof and whatever weather dishes out, they can take. The speaker box you make to mount the speaker will actually be more subject to the weather than the speaker itself will. Making the actual box for a speaker is as simple as 1 – 2 – 3. Make a box out of plywood or just pine boards. Place your speaker upside down on one side of the speaker box and trace around the perimeter of the speaker. Allow approximately 3/8 to 1/2 inch space inside of the marked circle (depending on the width of the mounting rim on the speaker) and proceed to cut out the hole. Note: if you cut on your original line, the speaker will drop right through the hole and you don’t want that to happen!! I’m sure there are a lot of folks out there that can identify with having done something like that if we’re honest with ourselves…of course we don’t admit to those things, do we!! If you have 2 speakers located in different locations, it’s always a good idea to have the same length of speaker wire to each speaker. (i.e. If the distance from the receiver to one speaker is 10′, and the distance to the second speaker is 30′, you should have 30′ of wire to each speaker and just coil up the unused length behind (or inside) the other speaker.) Happy Boater.
Home theater vs marine speakers…
I know this comparison isn’t really realistic, but let’s think about this for a minute… I know there are hundreds, if not thousands of guys out there that sink a lot of money into a home theater sound system. Why do they do this? I’m not sure but some of the answers I suspect would be “Because I wanted to”, “Because I wanted to hear the words better”, Because I wanted to impress my friends”, and several other obvious excuses. The simple truth is, when you can’t hear the words or the music clearly that you are spending you time to hear, it fails to impress you. This is the very line I think should be crossed on every boat with a built in music system as played through a marine radio receiver. For really very little, you can install marine speakers into your watercraft and have the capability of reproducing your prerecorded music (direct from your MP3 player or I-Pod) and hear it in digital quality. It’s extremely easy to do, and the results make it well worth the effort. Self satisfaction with being able to do it yourself is a reward within itself. Being able to share your tunes with your friends through clear and crisp speakers will impress your friends. I think this is the summer to step out and enter the next level of music appreciation! Happy Boater.
Friday again – big plans for the weekend?
Time to sit up and take notice – school’s about over, warmer weather is on the horizon, and summer is about to kick off in full swing – ready or not!! It’s time to get the tarp off the boat, pack the wheel bearings, and make ready for summer fun! This year you may decide you want to enjoy your own pre-recorded music on board played through your marine radio receiver. Yes – you can do that in today’s world. With digital quality you can listen to all your favorite hits from the past (50′s and 60′s would be my choice). Music and make a party successful. Why not tap into the technology that’s available today and enjoy your own marine radio receiver this year. Besides providing a plug-in for your favorite music, you can gain access to the NOAA weather updates that will keep you and your guests safe while enjoying a day on the water. While you’re at it – you may want to check out those speakers – are they crackly or hard to understand? Marine speakers today are very inexpensive and deliver great sound quality. They are waterproof besides so you don’t have to worry about the weather. This is a great time to get ready for summer fun! …besides – Father’s day is not too far away – what a great gift!! Happy Boater.
“Crackly” is not a good word to describe your radio reception…
Yep, there’s no doubt about it – crackly is definitely not a good way to have to describe your radio reception – ESPECIALLY if it is critical that you understand what the person on the other end is saying to you! If your radio is sending you signals like this, it may be time to consider updating those old speakers. If you are using speakers on your boat or pontoon, it may interest you to know that the new style marine speakers feature some very nice updates! How about weather proof (i.e. water proof) – rain will no longer be a concern for you! Also, since most of the marine radio receivers out there now have the capability of sending out a digital signal to those speakers of yours, thus allowing you and your friends on board to enjoy quality listening time with their favorite tunes! Sometimes life just doesn’t get any better!! The words clear, precise, and crisp should be the kind of words that come to mind when describing your reception now…. Happy Boater.