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unclemerle

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Need a radio for my shop. Have all Dewalt 18volt tools but have not had much luck with the radios. With that said, what work site radio brand works you and why? Don't need to pull in a far away station just want clear consistent quality reception/sound. TIA Merle
 
You say for the shop, not a mobile job site?
In my shop I stream radio stations over the internet to a laptop.
The same laptop I use to view manuals on CD or do research
on the internet or order parts for what I'm working on at the time.
It doesn't have to be much of a computer, no need for a new one.
I use an old Dell but upgraded it to Windows 7. It works for me.
 
I have a Walmart 'boombox' in my shop.Have it plugged into a light socket so you dont have to mess with it.Good sound.Why mess with a battery operated radio in the shop?
 
Oh yeah, forgot to mention that no regular radio seems to work
in my shop. Steel walls tend to kill any radio signal that an antenna
would try to pick up. In the summer if I leave the doors open a
regular radio will work, but not in the winter when its all closed up.
 
I use an old dial radio that is 40+ years old. If I get tired of the stations I tune in the satellite radio receiver from the chore tractor. It's usually parked right outside. That's close enough to dial it in. I listen to satellite radio about 6 hours a day between the pickup, tractors, and house.
 
If you have an extra 12 volt battery and trickle charger use a surplus car radio. Mount a universal antenna such as they use in the old jeeps on the wall or roof.
 
I don't have a radio in my shop. Never have had, never will. Too distracting while I'm trying to concentrate on work.
 
I will not listen to radio anymore, repititve music and commercials non stop, I bought a remote speaker for my iPhone, I can listen to what ever I want trew iTunes or pandora, and louder than the iPhone can play it. I also have a CD player in my truck, so I don't listen to radio at all. I wonder if radio will ever become a thing of the past? Just a thought......
 
I never listen to the radio anymore other than the local talk/news show when I am in my work truck.

With that said I do have a old phone with music downloaded on it that I use as a mp3 player and a ridgid mini radio I use as the speakers.
The radio works off the same 18v batteries my tools work off of and I can take it anywhere in the yard I happen to be doing work.


radio.jpg
 
got old tube-type radio thats plugged into the light curcuit, so it turnes on with lights, then dont have to indivudally turn radio on, and its allways on when im in there. newer style radios have to be turned on each time, thats why ive got this system, plus i like the old desk type radios with wood cabnets. only listen to talk radio, might learn something
 
I use the AM-FM radio out of an old HIFI set and use the large speakers out of the set mounted on end wall of shop.
 
Old fender mount tractor radio hooked to a 110 to 12 volt converter,never change station hopefully it will last another
30 or so years
 
Dewalt radios have a built in charger and it can also run off the 18v dewalt radio. I have 2 radios, one at each shop. I think sears and lowes sells them. Many different models since I got mine.
dewalt radio
 
Digital radio works better than a dial radio for me. Must be my location, because the stations fade in & out.
 
Can't blame my cell phone for not working inside a metal building. Is it possible your radio is inside a metal building or you are in a fringe area getting a weak signal?
 
I like to think that I'm enough of a multi-tasker where I have the ability to listen to the radio or a ball game and still be able to work at the same time. I guess some people don't have that ability. That being said, I have an old radio that the second-hand shop threw out. I'm not going to spend too much money on a shop sound system.
 
Have an old radio a friend gave me. It stays on 97.1 The River in Atlanta. Classic rock from my younger years in the 60's and 70's. Also like to listen to the traffic reports in the evenings for Atlanta. Makes me VERY HAPPY that I am 100 miles from there and can't even see a road from my place.
Just bought my wife a new radio and CD player for her sewing room on the back of my shop.
We spend every evening doing something in the shop and sewing room and enjoying a nice fire in the big wood heater. Also enjoy each others company and conversation.
I guess are a strange married couple. Will be 43 years in 2 weeks.
Richard in NW SC
 
I have a Dewalt compact. I bought it cause I have the batteries and the Milwaukee batteries I have are too big to be lugging around on a radio. Figured that out with the floodlight. My son has a Ridgid. His takes a beating and still works fine. He also keeps pointing out to me the Lifetime Warranty on his.
 
You're right I'm in a metal building. Perhaps an outside antenna would make a difference? The good radio stations I like to listen to are in Chicago, that's about 60-80 miles away across Lake Michigan to the west.
 
I have a Car radio (Chrysler) mounted in a wood box. I use old discarded boom-box speakers and mounted the antenna to a outside wall. 120V/12V power converters are cheap but I just happen to have a good'N. I listen to the local swap shop on AM from 8 to 12. Its abundant as can be and infested with the local dumpster divers peddling there finds, the station is good about broadcasting local news that can be read in the local morning newspaper. I have brought several tractors and lots of farm equipment listening to that station so I bare there abundant opinions.

When the white trash renters that live on the edge of my property get the need to turn up there rap I can counter :) I have to be out in the yard myself its so loud in the shop. The good thing is they are out in the yard also cleaning up there trash...
 
I like old radios too - but if you haven't yet, make sure the wires are good!

Insulation wasn't what it is today, and some brands are worse than others. Some flake off, crack off, peel off, and some just disintegrate. Either way a short can easily cause a fire, and those old dried out wooden cases make great kindling.
 
I have old cassette/am single speaker radios in both shops and garage, leave them on 24/7 just to deter coons from chewing thru the roof or side walls. Seems to help, haven't had a coon problem in the five years they have been in there. Previous to that I had coons chew a washtub size hole in one roof and into attic, through insulation and sheetrock. Made a heck of a mess.
 
This is the puppy in my kitchen. Used to repair car radios part time a looooong time ago and have always liked to mess with them. Installed in school buses too. Anyhow, This is a Buick Regal AM FM cassette and CD mounted in a 5/8 thick piece of Walnut. Has a little wood box on the back to mount it into the wall. Those indicators are for the power charge. Have two Optimas in the basement with a charger maintainer hooked to them. When the power goes out the batteries will run the radio non stop for almost three days straight before the radio will poop out. Just use it like when you are there and I have no idea how long it will run but it is quite long. The best part is the speakers. Two Atlas 883 eight inch hi compliance studio speakers mounted in the celling. The Kitchen really ROCKS. They cost about $80.oo each unless you can pick them up on fleabay but you will need to buy like five or six at a time. The reason I use car radios is the superior recievers and they put out about 5 watts a channel. It is plenty loud just believe it. Use a regular antenna or you can use just a 38 inch piece of wire hooked to a cut off antenna lead from an old car. The BEST set up is to have a 3x3 foot piece of sheet steel like from a heat duct and ground it to the earth. Mount a standard car antenna in the middle of it. This will give you a standing wave antenna and it works even better. That is what your car is. Really not that hard to hook up but they take some time to install. Worth every penny and second.
a212525.jpg
 
(quoted from post at 07:05:38 01/24/16) I like to think that I'm enough of a multi-tasker where I have the ability to listen to the radio or a ball game and still be able to work at the same time..
Click to expand...
Same here. I have a radio in every shed and most rooms of the house. I could and almost do listen to CBC 540 am radio 24/7. Very informative and intellectual conversations as well as news. No annoying commercials. Guess what, I am listening to it right now. :)
 
I use a cheap laptop computer in my shop. It will get radio stations from all over the world, and no static. Got some kind of a wireless thing on the porch at back of the house and the computer is wireless and picks up off that thing.
 
I can't get a radio to play in my metal building either. But if I use the one in the old 81 F350 it works in the building. So I guess even a car antenna will make one work in there.
 
(quoted from post at 10:59:57 01/24/16) This is the puppy in my kitchen. Used to repair car radios part time a looooong time ago and have always liked to mess with them. Installed in school buses too. Anyhow, This is a Buick Regal AM FM cassette and CD mounted in a 5/8 thick piece of Walnut. Has a little wood box on the back to mount it into the wall. Those indicators are for the power charge. Have two Optimas in the basement with a charger maintainer hooked to them. When the power goes out the batteries will run the radio non stop for almost three days straight before the radio will poop out. Just use it like when you are there and I have no idea how long it will run but it is quite long. The best part is the speakers. Two Atlas 883 eight inch hi compliance studio speakers mounted in the celling. The Kitchen really ROCKS. They cost about $80.oo each unless you can pick them up on fleabay but you will need to buy like five or six at a time. The reason I use car radios is the superior recievers and they put out about 5 watts a channel. It is plenty loud just believe it. Use a regular antenna or you can use just a 38 inch piece of wire hooked to a cut off antenna lead from an old car. The BEST set up is to have a 3x3 foot piece of sheet steel like from a heat duct and ground it to the earth. Mount a standard car antenna in the middle of it. This will give you a standing wave antenna and it works even better. That is what your car is. Really not that hard to hook up but they take some time to install. Worth every penny and second.
a212525.jpg
Click to expand...
Great idea. I need to get a car radio, they should be cheap. If a 3x3 founded square is OK, I guess the side of my building would be OK too?

I leave the radio on all the time like another poster. Deters all kinds of coons, they don't know nobody is home.
 
Back in the 60's I lived in northern Indiana. I listened to WLS out of Chicago, Larry Cojack or something like that?
 
(quoted from post at 15:01:02 01/24/16) Back in the 60's I lived in northern Indiana. I listened to WLS out of Chicago, Larry Cojack or something like that?
Click to expand...
Back in the sixties I listened to WLS at night, when I lived in Oklahoma City. Strong and clear, they were pumping it out. AM of course.
 
Andy, as a kid in the 50's, we listened to WLS also at night. Had little transistor battery radios. AM of course.
The first time I ever heard Monster Mash was on WLS. It came out in 62 I believe.
Richard in NW SC
 
been there done that. We broke down and got Sirius xm radio .yes than I pay 10$ a month.the time spent in there is well worth the $. Should have done that 10 years ago.
 
RCA Super Radio really pulls them in and has hookups for an external antenna. It can be run on batteries, four D cells. This radio does seem to be voltage sensitive if plugged in and will not tolerate a welder in the same building. In my shops I use the cheapest stereo setup I can buy at Wally or some other cheap quality store but they do need hookups for external antenna because of the steel clad shop. One thin wire run outside the shop a few feet seems to handle the FM reception OK. I like to listen to complicated high quality full bodied music so being able to run CDs is a plus but it is not optional. Downfall to running CDs is they need a clean environment. In the wood shop I have the unit inside a dust tight cabinet I made for it. The one in the tractor shop sits in the open so I might not be playing CDs in it for long.
 
Larry Lujack and John Recordings Landecker. Remember "Charming and delightful Ole Uncle Larry and Little Snot Nosed Tommy? (Animal Story's)
 
I ran an antenna cable through the wall to pickup FM in my steel barn. Summers I can pickup wifi from the house and rock Pandora, IHeart, and Tunin Radio.

Got tired of not being able to hear my tunes when I moved around so I built this mobile unit to take to my worksite.
32266.jpg
. :)
 
I solved the multiple-location issue with a pocket radio, digitally tuned, can use on the open station tractors with earbuds. Using a Sangean DT400 with weather radio, but suffering from failed volume control too often, Searching for another...

My ideal radio day is Mike/Mike (Espn) followed by Dan Patrick show, an early afternoon Cubs game ending just before a Tigers game, followed by the White Sox late night from the West Coast. Can get a lot done with that!
 
(quoted from post at 19:49:25 01/24/16) Larry Lujack and John [b:85705ecbf2][i:85705ecbf2]Records[/i:85705ecbf2][/b:85705ecbf2] Landecker. Remember "Charming and delightful Ole Uncle Larry and Little Snot Nosed Tommy? (Animal Story's)
Click to expand...

Fixed it for you.

WLS was a favorite down in central Indiana.

If we were good girls and boys our bus driver would tune in WLS in the morning.
 

I have a twenty-two year old ghetto blaster with a coat hanger antenna on 24-7 in my shop. It is just background but every few days I hear something I like, LOL.
 
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