Archive for April, 2011
You can meet all kinds of nice folks on a CB when traveling!
Your CB radio doesn’t have to be used only for your annual fishing trip like some folks use them for! This year I suspect a lot of folks will (because of the high gas prices) stay close to home and take some shorter trips to discover their “own back yard” so to speak. The good part about that is that you won’t use so much gas and you stand a chance of running into friends and acquaintances while on your trip. A CB Radio comes in real handy when traveling locally OR half way across the country. You can keep abreast of changing road conditions by monitoring truckers who may be ahead of you and you can certainly find great restaurants that way! Sometimes it’s just fun to send out a general invitation for someone to talk to. My mother used to say that a stranger is just a friend she hadn’t met yet – and while she was alive, she really did live by that theory. It sure worked for her – she had more friends than I could believe. A hand held CB Radio would be a great addition to your vacation vehicle as it doesn’t have to be “installed” per say and you can use it on the boat or wherever you need to. Enjoy!! Happy Boater.
Quality speakers can make an old system sound better…
Are you one that’s struggling to understand what is said every time someone transmits something to you over your speaker system on board your boat? I know what that’s like because I used to be there myself! I hated to continually say, “would you please repeat that?” I’m sure it got old for the person talking too, but what choice did I have. I’ll tell you what choice is a great one…..invest a few dollars into replacing your old worn out speakers with today’s technology which is available in any number of marine speakers. These speakers are not subject to inclement weather or weather conditions and are as clear as a bell. No more wondering what was said and you will be able to enjoy your favorite tunes as played over your marine radio while out on the water. Make sure you take your time picking out your speakers, though, so you don’t waste your money getting speakers that are so much better quality that the ohm output of your radio that you find yourself in an “over-kill” situation with your dynamite speakers. Your speakers will only put out what quality that is sent to them from your radio receiver, so take a peek – match up numbers – and get ready for a great summer filled with great tunes! Happy Boater.
Father’s day gift hint!
Are you one of those that simply think that guys are the hardest people on earth to buy a gift for? Well, I’m going to make things a bit simpler for you right now. I have rarely met a guy that didn’t like something that has an “enjoyment factor” attached to it. Things that may fall into that category are a new tool that maybe would make a particular job easier to do, fishing pole (or reel), something that has buttons on it, or a marine radio for the boat or pontoon (hey – that’s a great idea since EVERYONE would get to enjoy that one!). What about planning toward getting that special guy a new VHF marine radio this year for his boat. This would be a great year to have that on the list since on the 24th of March this year, all VHF marine radios sold must have the DSC capability. What does that mean? I means clearer digital sound and you get it for a very small increase in price – if any!! Manufacturers must have this built into every VHF radio sold to dealers from that date on so why not choose this year to be the leader of the pack in your circle of friends and enjoy the best that communication technology has to offer! Happy Boater.
Still keeping an eye out for the day the ice begins to turn black…
Call it wishful thinking – as far as that goes, you can call it just about anything you want – but, when the calendar says it is spring, my mind wants everything that goes with it…i.e.boating, swimming, fishing, warm weather, picnics, etc. Well, this scenario might hold true in some of the southern states, but up north we have to learn to be patient a bit longer. You see, we still have solid ice on our inland lakes in northern Minnesota which hasn’t even started to turn black for us (this would be an indication the ice was on it’s last legs and was about to sink and go away). I guess that means that we that live in the north have much more patient than those of you that enjoy a VERY early spring. That also means that we have a bit longer to get our boats ready for the summer boating season and I guess there’s nothing wrong with that! While on your boat getting it cleaned up for the season you can be listening to your favorite quality tunes played through your marine radio receiver. Pretty nice that now you can simply plug your I-pod or your mp3 player into your marine radio and enjoy that digital sound quality through your marine speakers. Life doesn’t get too much better than that – right?? Happy Boater.
Blue Water sure looks warmer than gray water…
Living on the shore of a large body of water, one tends to observe the very different “looks” and “feels” of the water when you wake up in the morning. After a sunrise, the lake sure takes on different personalities which range from a very ugly and cold looking gray to a very inviting blue. Always, the sky will contrast with the lake – that is to say when the sky is a very light blue, the lake will appear a very deep blue. When the sky is dark blue, the water will appear to be a very light blue. Check it out for yourselves! Whatever the sky looks like on the morning you plan to be out on the water, always remember that communication will (and always will be) be your most important connection for the safety of you and those you have on board with you. A VHF marine radio will bridge the gap for you as you enjoy your day. Those skies can change to an ugly gray rather quickly and without a marine radio on board capable of receiving NOAA weather updates, you may stand a very real chance of being caught in a “not so nice” situation out there. Always be safe and you will be able to naturally embrace that “peace of mind” feeling that comes with knowing that you did it right. Happy Boater.
Has your taste in music changed??
I find that over the years, my taste in music has definitely changed! In general, I still like the “basics”, but as I think over the last 30 years, I realize that my taste in music has drastically changed! I’ve gone from rock-n-roll, to country, to gospel, to classical, and lately to a mix of all of the above. Now – if your a person like me with a lot of different tastes in music, AND you don’t want to be carrying around a lot of cassette tapes or CD’s when you go out on the boat for a day, then I have a solution for you. Why not invest in a marine radio – one that has a receptacle on the face of the radio to receive your MP3 player memory disc or I-Pod memory plug-in. How does that help? Well, with those little memory sticks having the capacity that they do today, one can record all of their favorite music on 1 stick and be able to mix it up so you can have the best music of all of your various choices of music. And that way, you won’t have to tote all those CD’s or cassettes around – or worry about picking them off the floor when they get knocked over (and I KNOW that happens…’cause I’ve done it). Have fun this summer with your favorite tunes! Happy Boater.
Have year ’round fun with your CB Radio…
Things are a bit different in today’s world than they were for Bo and Luke Duke and their car the General Lee in the old TV series in the 60′s (I think) – “The Dukes of Hazard”. But, we can still have a lot of fun with our CB Radios. They can be used to gain constant communication between 2 parties traveling down the highway without having to worry about “connect fees” for calling on your cell phone in an area which is not your base area. Those charges can drive a guy to the poor house! Coordinate pit stops for eating, camping, or just sight seeing! Maybe you can avoid a traffic jam several miles in front of you by monitoring the truckers comments and save yourself a real headache – or locate a gas station with some cheaper gas!! (I know – fat chance, but a guy can dream, can’t he?) A CB radio is making a comeback after a slump in the late 70′s so why not join in on the fun and get your CB installed today. It’s even fun to think of a “handle” that fits you to a “T”!! Happy Boater.
What did they say??…
Have you ever heard someone say, “What did they say”? I guess I have to plead guilty to that one because I’ve said that on a number of occasions. Granted, I have a bit of trouble with hearing, but I know I’m not alone. As I walk down the street, I notice how many folks are sporting a hearing aid in 1 or both ears to help them hear. Now – simply hearing isn’t all of the problem. The problem is hearing CLEARLY! If your speaker on board your boat are older, you may be causing yourself a lot of unnecessary problems when receiving radio transmissions. Why does this happen?? Because the technology has changed a lot in recent years and speakers (marine speakers in particular) are not made the way they used to be made. No longer will you find that old paper cone that will get soggy and break if it gets wet – but a waterproof cone that weather will not affect. Imagine – you get the best of both worlds – clear, concise sound for your radio transmissions as well as weatherproof speakers that will not let you down if you get caught in a rain storm and you speakers get wet. Invest in “peace of mind”. Happy Boater.
A Hand Held VHF Marine Radio would be a Great Gift…
You know – we may be looking at a few remaining snowdrifts in our yard, but June isn’t that far away. Of course you know what happens in June, don’t you! Right!! Fathers’ Day!! Now is the perfect time to start dropping hints for a great gift – a hand held VHF marine radio! I’ll just bet that it would just fit perfectly into that vest pocket that up until now doesn’t hold anything useful! A little rain won’t hurt it at all since they are waterproof and will actually float if you drop into the “drink”. What a deal is that! As a side deal, all of those on board will have the advantage of the latest weather information available and will always have an open channel (channel 16) with which to communicate with the USCG if an emergency arises. We never plan to have an emergency, but we should always plan to be prepared if an emergency should arise. Always be prepared for the unknown – and enjoy you new VHF radio! Happy Boater.
Old Man Winter isn’t done with us yet…
I woke up this morning to a blanket of white snow! It’s supposed to be spring – what’s wrong with this picture? Each day I look at the condition of the ice still on the inland lakes and awaiting the day when the ice will begin turning black and shortly thereafter will simply disappear. This kind of weather is severely cutting into my springtime preparation time for getting my boat ready for the summer! I know that in the northland, usually the ice can be expected to be out somewhere between the 15th of April and the 25th of April. It seems to be like that every year that I’ve been keeping track of it, anyway. This year, you may want to think about upgrading your VHF Marine Radio to the new style – all of which have the DSC technology built into it. If you find a VHF marine radio somewhere in the marketplace or an online auction for a really cheap price, look to verify if it has the DSC rating. If it doesn’t, I’d steer clear of it (unless you REALLY get it for a great price). Any VHF radio sold after the 24th of March, 2011 must have the DSC technology built into the radio. Be aware of what you are purchasing. Happy Boater.