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I used to be a commercial roofer. I've worked on many flat roofs (strip malls, schools, and restaurants, etc…) and this radio has been a life saver for them. Over the years, I’ve seen dozens of other job radios become transformed into glorified job clocks because they simply do not hold up like this one. I can’t say how long this radio will make it in the world of rough construction, but I can say I’m impressed at how well it has done so far under extreme conditions.
When I got this radio it was over $300, drifting way out of the price range of its competitors. Now you can snag it for much cheaper, which is good to know — just in case I ever break it.
Radio Features
First of all, let’s go over the radio features. It is a radio after all. For a job radio, the sound quality is pretty good. It sounds really good at low volumes, but let’s be honest, who listens to a radio at low volumes on a job site? Either way, as long as you’re within 30 feet of this radio outside, you shouldn’t have any complaints about volume. Indoors, this radio has no volume problems.
The biggest plus for this radio’s sound is the fact that it’s a box. Since it’s a box with 50 watts and 4 satellite speakers, it does send sound in every direction instead of other radios that need to be aimed at the listener. It also has a “subwoofer” – or so they call it. It’s a 5” speaker on the bottom that doesn’t produce much bass at all, but it does help with balancing the sound.
I love my iPod, and that’s all I really needed an input for – and this has that. It also has a little dock on the side that you can fit your iPod (or other mp3 player) into and stow it so it doesn’t get dirty. Here are some more inputs this radio includes:
· Powered USB Port
· Sirius Satellite Doc / PlayPort
· SD Card Slot
· AUX In Port
· AUX Out Port
Electrical Inputs
This is quite possibly my favorite part of the radio. GFCI outlets are extremely valuable when you are working with power tools. Especially with power tools that require a lot of juice. This radio has 4 of them. If they trip, you simply flip the breaker on the radio and get back to work. No more running to the end of you extension cords to your source to find the fuse box.
There is also a charger for Bosch 14.4V and 18V Li-Ion Battery packs. Apparently, this radio will even run off of those specific battery packs. I haven’t used the chargers at all because I don’t have the same battery packs. Note: My 36V Bosch batteries DO NOT fit in this charger.
Another nice feature is the 12V DC charger (AKA car charger). That’s right… you can grab your cell phone charger out of your truck and plug it directly in to this radio on site, camping or at the beach (all 3 places I have used this radio to charge my phone).
The Design
Although there are still a lot of plastic parts on this thing, it has held together pretty well. It’s kind of awkward to carry, and it weighs about 25 pounds. Other than that, the rest of the design is good. The clock display is nice, and the backlight is helpful at night. The frame is also helpful to strap the radio down (like on a pitched roof).
Oh, and before I forget, there’s a remote control included with this radio. I haven't once used it… I have enough things to carry around on a jobsite to add a remote to the mix. I'll save the remote for after work. Anyway, I imagine it could be especially helpful when using this radio while in a different situation, like a cookout, or entertaining.
At the beginning of the work day, this radio is the first thing that goes up on the roof, and at the end of the day it’s the last thing that comes down. This radio has been working for a few years in commercial roofing, rain and snow, and I expect it to last for quite a few more.
