Archive for April, 2011
Add speakers as a part of this year’s spring cleanup!!
Did you ever consider putting speakers out on y0ur backyard deck? It really wasn’t a very good idea until just recent years because it is during that same time period that the speakers have become available that are water proof. …and that means weather proof! No more of that paper cone on your speakers which was VERY sensitive to water and it really didn’t take much to ruin a pair of those type of speakers. …besides – they didn’t sound all they great – distorting at every low bass note and vibrating almost out of their holder bracket. I know I’m not the only one that has experienced this if you’re honest with yourself – we’re not all that young, I have to say… Anyway, with the products that are available in today’s marketplaces, there’s no reason that you can’t enjoy your favorite music right out on your own deck in your own back yard. Marine speakers are waterproof and can be mounted right out in the open (usually I’d recommend building a simple box out of pine and maybe covering it with some kind of material or outdoor carpeting that won’t be hurt with moisture). Now the only thing missing is your guests!! Get on the phone and invite them over!! Happy Boater.
For relatively close distances, CB’s are great!
I’m building a kart using a frame, transmission, and suspension from a golf cart. As of yet, it doesn’t look like too much, but I’m having fun building it. Part of my plan is to add a spot on the dash board of my “2 seater” kart to allow for a CB Radio to be installed (kinda nice to be able to call for help if you ever needed it!). I ran across another kart way back in the woods on a trail last summer and found the two 12-year old boys who were the occupants cold and wet walking out of the woods, quite a ways from where they started from. We helped them get back on the road and then let their parents know that they were safe and would be a bit later coming home that they thought they would be as they had to wait for more fuel that was being shuttled in for them. I know I’m probably a bit too old to be building one of these, but who cares? I always wanted to do that and it falls into what some call “my bucket list” (like the movie)! After all, fun is fun – no matter how old you are!! Happy Boater.
When on the water, did you know…???
I’m sure a lot of us have experienced that transition between our teen years and our mid twenties. Somehow, it seems that with every generation, something happens to our parents in just those few years that greatly enhances their wisdom and knowledge. Right??? One day you wake up and you think, “when did they get so smart”? …it seems to happen overnight. Then, one fine day, your parents receive a phone call asking them for advice and then is when a great feeling of accomplishment comes over your parents and when they hang up the phone, a broad smile appears on their faces. I know – I’ve been on both ends of this scenario! …and I wouldn’t give up either end for anything! Well – when you’re on the water, it isn’t the proper time OR place to not be accepting the wisdom of your elders – whether those elders are parents or not. Chances are, they’ve seen how bad the seas can get in a short period of time and have grown to have a healthy respect for the lake. Always prepare for the worst – and include on board a VHF marine radio (or even a hand held VHF marine radio) so you can receive (on channel 16) all the latest advisories from the United States Coast Guard. Nobody like surprises when out a few miles on the lake! Allow yourself time by heeding the alerts on your marine radio! Happy Boater.
We can’t control the weather, so why not just prepare for it!
As we grow older, it becomes apparent that there are a few things in life that we just can’t control. One of those things is the weather. Even if you set out on a fine, fine morning in your boat for a day on the water, nobody is promised a fine, fine finish to the day from a weather standpoint. That is why we can’t let the weather control our emotions – it is what it is. The only thing we can do is to prepare for it. Now, what are those types of things we can do to prepare…? Well, how about having rain ponchos or jackets on board for you and your guests; maybe a snack to brighten the spirits; and above all, a VHF marine radio through which you can pick up on the latest weather advisories 24/7 so you know if you need to head in or not. Also, those all important weather advisories are fed through marine speakers – speakers that are virtually weather proof. Rain will not hurt them. Clarity of sound sent through them is incredible so all of the advisories (and warnings) are easily understood and received in ample time to allow you to react to your options. Boating is fun – always be safe! Happy Boater.
Does wisdom come with age or experience?
Yesterday I was pondering this question – don’t ask me why! It does seem that possibly both of these statements are true as I reflect upon my own life. I know that I did things when I was younger that I’d never do today – like head out on the blue waters of Lake Superior without so much as a VHF marine radio!! At least I could have had a CB Radio along so as to be able to raise another boater in the event of trouble. Then, when I was younger, I never really had the opportunity to work and play in and around those experienced in the art of boating or possibly commercial fishing. If I had, then just by default I’d have attained a level of proficiency in the art of boating by simply gleaning off those more experienced. It’s really fun to talk to these old guys (who, by the way, are looking younger every day, the older I get) down at the harbor and hear some of the hair raising tales they tell. Sure, some of them are probably exaggerated, but, the bulk of the story probably really did happen – and just the way it was spelled out by them. What’s scary is that they headed out many times in the lake to empty their nets in an 18 foot wooden skiff and outfitted in rain gear to face 6 foot or higher waves. In those days they didn’t have such a thing as hand held VHF marine radios – or hand held CB Radios as far as that goes!! They were just fearless and they got the job done. I tend to like to operate a bit more in the comfort zone – and I hope you do to. Happy Boater.
Time to do a safety check for the new boating season!
It’s time again!! Well – almost time as we still have a bit of snow on the ground and the ice hasn’t even started to turn black yet on the inland lakes. Time to review your list of required and needed safety items for this summer’s boating season. Of course, there’s always the essentials like life vests, air horn, compass, flares, life raft, and emergency rations. What isn’t included in that list that should have been is a hand held VHF marine radio. These radios need to be checked annually for good batteries, but other than that, they are really trouble free. Besides that, if they fell into the water, they’d float!! Water won’t hurt them up to about a meter below the surface so you could maintain constant contact with the emergency personnel at the USCG until your rescue is a success. The radio will help them locate you and your passengers. Don’t overlook this most important item this year. Happy Boater.
No muss, no fuss, just fun with a hand held CB Radio…
Why not cash in on fun for the summer with a set of hand held CB Radios. Nothing like having a radio with when out on the lake with more than one boat on a fishing trip so you can communicate with each other! Or, more importantly, so those on shore can communicate with you! After all, what’s more important than figuring out when the next “feeding time” is! CB Radios have become more and more popular lately and even a lot of boats that are equipped with a VHF marine radio are finding that a CB Radio comes in handy as they can leave their VHF marine radio on channel 16 for any emergency broadcasts from the US Coast Guard or weather updates while using the CB Radios for inter-boat communication. Join those who have already figured out this winning combination. Happy Boater.
Speakers are the key to “easy listening”!
Nobody enjoys a nice clear sound coming through the speakers more than I do. The reason? I’m hard of hearing in the first place and when something is spoken through a speaker and it’s all garbled up because of a poor quality speaker, then the chance of me understanding it is very slim. If it’s a song that is playing through the speakers, the enjoyment factor simply is just not there. Personally, I’d rather see the radio turned off than to listen to the “noise” (which is what it sounds like to me) coming out of those old speakers. Today there are fantastic speakers at very reasonable prices available for your boat, pontoon, or outdoor patio. They are weather proof so the rain or inclement weather won’t even affect them and they deliver sound quality that even I can enjoy – and that’s going some! Make this the year that you upgrade to a new pair of marine speakers. You won’t regret it. Happy Boater.
What!? …not everyone likes my music???
When you’re out on the boat – maybe several miles out and you plug your favorite tunes into the MP3 receptacle on the back of your marine radio receiver. Maybe you’ll receive a lot of smiles from the others on board, then again, maybe you’ll be able to tell by the look on their faces that they really don’t like the music you chose to listen to. I find that everyone (no matter how meek they are) has a definite opinion about #1 – how they like their eggs done in the morning and #2 – what kind of music they like. It doesn’t seem to matter what their age is – the opinion is there and it’s a strong, strong force. You can either ruin an otherwise wonderful day on the water with friends or bring it to a wonderful new level by you choice of music. So, let’s use care when choosing the music for the day – consider the ages of those on board so your day can be a success!! Happy Boater.
NOAA weather updates help compensate for inaccurate forecasts…
We all know how many times that weather forecast in the evening is anything but accurate and it tends to goof up our plans for the next day quite often. I guess we have to give them a little latitude around a large lake basin as that changes weather patterns quite drastically, but what if you had gone out expecting a fine day on the water and found just the opposite?? That’s when you’d be glad that you have a NOAA weather channel built into your VHF marine radio. NOAA will offer up to the minute weather forecasts and keep you advised of any fast changing weather patterns that may be moving into your area. This will allow you to get to a safe harbor before the situation turns ugly. A VHF marine radio should be the number one most important piece of equipment on board your boat. It has proven to be a major factor in saving many lives over the past few years and now they are even better as they all have digital (DSC) capabilities on any VHF marine radio sold after July 24th, 2011. What a bargain! Happy Boater.