Outdoor radios

[Sum1]

So my wife and I have been working our asses off fixing up our backyard for a party we are hosting. We've done some landscaping, installed a paver patio, putting in new sod this weekend, and just doing general cleaning up. Anyway, I have an old gingerbread style house (very common in South St.Louis) and have virtually ZERO outdoor power receptacles and no easy way of running speaker wire outside since the house is brick and the foundation stone.

So, in order to get any music or ballgames going outside I'm leaning toward a battery powered jobsite radio...something like this.

I'm leaning toward the Ridgid simply because I have other tools from this brand and numerous batteries.

Does anyone have an experience with these? Or any other alternatives for my little problem?

Thanks!

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

CC Radio plus is the best for AM reception if that is what you need for sports. I can pick up Yankee games broadcast from NY City, and I am in Central PA. However they are not stereo, so won't work for party time.

My experience with the job site radios like that one pictured is they are not a high quality radio. The money is all in the exterior. The speakers go bad and the knobs come off. They are all show. But they look cool.

Whenever I purchase things that I am uncertain about I do google searches, like 'Best sounding radio/CD player' or 'Top Outdoor sound system'

My brother got a Sony system that he sits his IPod on. Works great but he has a roof over his deck and had no trouble running wires.

Kudos on the landscaping. I have a B.S. in Landscape Architecture. I have been landscaping most of my life. I like to see people making an effort to improve their landscaping so they can get better use of it. We all pay for our yards along with our house but so few of us actually make use of the yard....which is a waste, since we paid for it. Do it right and you will find yourself outside more than indoors.

 

[RhodyRams]

look into the Sonos cube with a wireless speaker system. My buddy has on in his house. Can stream different music in as many different rooms as you want.

If it was me I would have run a electrical conduit underground while doing the yard over. A good hammer drill will get thru the foundation and a licensed electrician could run a dedicated circuit for the outdoor receptical

 

[grease]

Rigid is a cheap brand for power tools so wouldn't expect much of their radio. Internet wireless is an option if within range. Kindles and earlier iPads are $200 or less and versatile. If listening to Cardinals baseball then a radio is necessary and they can be had new or used far better than Rigid. C. Crane Co. has a lot of choices for radios and gave great service when I last dealt with them. Good luck.

 

[Selassie I]

I've got one of the Bose speaker box things that charges itself and can play music from an Ipod, Ipad, or phone for about 4 hours on a single charge. That little fucker has great sound too,,, surprisingly great sound.

Can't you just run a long ass extension cord (or 2) out there from a outlet in the house? Do you have time to call an electrician out and have an outside outlet installed?

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Rigid is a cheap brand for power tools so wouldn't expect much of their radio. Internet wireless is an option if within range. Kindles and earlier iPads are $200 or less and versatile. If listening to Cardinals baseball then a radio is necessary and they can be had new or used far better than Rigid. C. Crane Co. has a lot of choices for radios and gave great service when I last dealt with them. Good luck.

Another plug for the CC Radio. I am pleased with mine.

A word on wireless speakers- I have a set and the worked great at first but they get staticy now and when the music stops for a bit they get a very bad white noise sound. I would read customer reviews on any system you buy, but pay close attention to wireless speaker reviews to be sure they don't have the same problem mine do.

 

[Sum1]

Budget is an obstacle right now as well.

I do have a ceiling fan on the deck I forgot about...I may tap into the power there and add a receptacle..I can do that myself.

Ridgid is a cheap...and so am I.

 

[Dieter the Brock]

I've got one of the Bose speaker box things that charges itself and can play music from an Ipod, Ipad, or phone for about 4 hours on a single charge. That little freaker has great sound too,,, surprisingly great sound.

Can't you just run a long ass extension cord (or 2) out there from a outlet in the house? Do you have time to call an electrician out and have an outside outlet installed?

do you have a link to that? and it has that bluetooth thing? sorry i'm on the same search

 

[Selassie I]

do you have a link to that? and it has that bluetooth thing? sorry i'm on the same search

It's called a Bose° SoundDock portable music system.

 

[Sum1]

I've got one of the Bose speaker box things that charges itself and can play music from an Ipod, Ipad, or phone for about 4 hours on a single charge. That little freaker has great sound too,,, surprisingly great sound.

Can't you just run a long ass extension cord (or 2) out there from a outlet in the house? Do you have time to call an electrician out and have an outside outlet installed?

I could run an extension cord out, but that's what I'm trying to avoid.

 

[-X-]

This might be a dumb question, but does your system inside your house have bluetooth speaker capability?

 

[Selassie I]

I could run an extension cord out, but that's what I'm trying to avoid.

I only bring it up because it always seems to happen during the best jam of the party... everyone is dancing, and the charge/battery dies.

 

[Sum1]

I only bring it up because it always seems to happen during the best jam of the party... everyone is dancing, and the charge/battery dies.

Haha...well, the "party" coming up is a surprise party for my father-in-law. He's turning 60. Not exactly that kind of party, just gonna be the ball game on the radio this time around.

If and when I have a more rowdy party I've got some self-powered speaker-on-stick systems that I can bring from my shop.

 

[Selassie I]

Haha...well, the "party" coming up is a surprise party for my father-in-law. He's turning 60. Not exactly that kind of party, just gonna be the ball game on the radio this time around.

If and when I have a more rowdy party I've got some self-powered speaker-on-stick systems that I can bring from my shop.

LOL

It may start out melo...

 

[grease]

Ridgid is a cheap...and so am I.

You're married and thats not cheap.

 

[Sum1]

You're married and thats not cheap.

...and now you see my dilemma.

 

[grease]

...and now you see my dilemma.

This might seem stupid but can you park your car in the alley and blast the speakers toward your house?

 

[Sum1]

This might seem stupid but can you park your car in the alley and blast the speakers toward your house?

Lol...yes I suppose I could.

Ok, I guess I should have clarified more. At some point I will come up with a totally permanent outdoor speaker system, just when I have more time and can fit it into my budget. Until then I want something that works but isn't a one-time quick fix.

But, after further thought I think I will just add a power receptacle and buy a cheap receiver off of Craigslist and a couple crappy KLH speakers from Best Buy or something. I can build a small shelf in the rafters of my deck and that should work for now.

 

[RhodyRams]

I only bring it up because it always seems to happen during the best jam of the party... everyone is dancing, and the charge/battery dies.

or some drunk trying to moon walk trips over the extension cord, knocking the radio off the shelf that is nailed to the tree, and right down on top of the elaborate birthday cake !!!

 

[Dagonet]

or some drunk trying to moon walk trips over the extension cord, knocking the radio off the shelf that is nailed to the tree, and right down on top of the elaborate birthday cake !!!

You seem to have experience in this Rhody? Thanks for the tips in this thread folks. I'm also looking for something to use outside while bbqing and in the garden. I have an outlet on the porch and can run an extension cord, but am also cheap.