Radio on the ice question

what do you guys use for a radio on the ice? ive used my cell phone in the past but I don’t like to drain the battery so I want to find an alternative this year. I would consider a big radio like those used on construction sites but they take up so much space. Im considering just going with an old school takes up 6 DD batteries type radio but I was wondering if there was anything I am missing that you guys are using on the ice. There are probably some alternative power sources out there too that would help idk. This would be for fishing out of a portable not a perm shack.

I have a old school portable radio that takes to double a’s, works fine for what I need.

I have a Sony ICF-38 that I have used for years, and it’s been great. 4 AAs run it forever, and it has an AC cord, too, if you use it where there is power.

I see they have an ICF-P26 that is even smaller, if you want less bulk. I have no experience with that one.

thanks guys. that is exactly what I am thinking of going to. I just want it for listening to the radio while fishing. I wasn’t sure how long batteries would last in them its been ages since I used one. I kinda figured they would go through batteries so often it wouldn’t be worth it.

I use my USB charger on a dewalt 20v battery.I can run phone for days and charge others phones. Hate buying batteries, and for 35$ if you have cordless drill batteries most brands offer a USB charger. Also this charges faster than any 120v wall charger. 2 1/2 hours dead to full charge.

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I have a radio that takes 4C batteries and lasts about 3 weekends in my hard house. That’s from noon Friday till about noon on Sunday. It only gets shut off the 2-4 hours when we are sleeping. I’m not even sure on the brand. I’ll check this weekend when I head up to the pond to finish getting the house ready.

Otherwise, I also bought a Bluetooth speaker from amazon for like $30 and that seems to be the bees knees! Would work great in a portable. Water proof, shock proof, internal power bank (charge phones or tablets or anything USB related). I haven’t used it on the ice yet as I just bought it this spring. 8 hrs in the boat and still haven’t drained the battery on it or my phone. I think my phone lasts twice as long or longer without using the phones speaker. Just my 2 Cents.

https://www.amazon.com/GBB-Wireless-Bluetooth-Silicone-Microphone/dp/B01F3ANDJG/ref=sr_1_147?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1480428155&sr=1-147&keywords=BlueTooth%2BSpeaker&refinements=p_36%3A1253504011&th=1

I have a Sangean radio. The radio on this thing pulls in distant stations well, in fact maybe even better than most car stereos. We bought it to take camping and have never failed to find distant stations when in remote areas.

wow lots of interesting options here! I would love to get into a portable power supply for my phone as I use my navionics a lot on the ice too. great suggestions guys!

I also use a Dewalt charging adapter to charge my phone and bluetooth speaker. I use an ECOXGEAR EcoStone bluetooth speaker that I pair to my phone and stream Pandora or listen to my own music. The speaker floats and is completely waterproof. It drains the battery more than I would like, but I cannot stand a single station on the radio today. If BobFM got decent signal without having to stand on top of my wheelhouse doing a handstand, I would use my small little radio that uses 4 AA batteries.

I’ve been using a rechargable bluetooth speaker with FM radio built in that I got on clearance at Menards. Reception is fine for local stations, but doesn’t pick up much for distance stations. It’s nice that I can connect to phones via bluetooth or mp3 player with aux cord. Battery life could be a little better, but then again, it was on clearance for about $7.

Your fishing. Why do you need noise.

bee wrote:

Your fishing. Why do you need noise.

To keep the voices in my head quiet…
DT

I just use one of the external battery packs from the Walmart. The one I have was around $20 and recharges my phone 3 times.
DT

I like radio as well, so +1 on the Sangean radios. Fantastic reception in a compact package. Even in far northern Ontario I can pull in multiple stations on most days.

I have 2 of this Sangean model. It comes with an AC adaptor that both runs the radio and if you install rechargeable batteries, the AC charges the batteries so that the radio is always ready to go. I’ve used it for several days on a set of batteries.

I’ve done various versions of the extra power source, but having the cords running all over and trying to find a place to put everything is just such a hassle when all I want is to listen to a radio.

Grouse

I would recommend a digital read out rather than a roller tuner if possible, sometimes it get tough to tune in to a specific channel in some areas.

I agree with the digital tuner suggestion. I have used the dial type and they seem to drift, particularly when batteries are low. The digital keeps the station tuned.

I like using a radio because 80% of the time I’m alone on the ice and it just keeps me company …

Makita makes a great durable radio with a small foot print. Great for wet cold conditions. Some of those old Sony radios are fragile and I don’t mean Italian.

Sorry, wrong topic.

E Ashwell wrote:

Some of those old Sony radios are fragile

Mine’s been through the ringer. No problems. For $25, I am happy.

Since I fish mostly LOTW where available radio signals is YeHaw country station from Warroad or Canadian Talk-eh from Winnipeg, I added a portable Sirius radio to my boat. A few Xmas’s ago, my wife gave me a boom box that is compatible with my Sirius module, I connect this to a flasher battery and we listen to Classic Vinyl in the fish house all day long. Love it.

I just use my am/ fm ear muffs that I use when mowing. I usually fish by myself and so I don’t have to carry anything else. It also keeps my ears warm . I hole hop a lot so I seldom use a portable. I have my cell on vibrate to alert me to calls

get a usb power block to keep your phone topped off ($10 on amazon) then get a cheap bluetooth speaker cube ($20 or cheaper on amazon)

Both don’t take up much space or add weight and will sound the best…

these have all been great suggestions. thank you! I think im going to look at getting a separate radio rather than opt to get a power charger for the phone. reason being is, ive already lost one phone down the hole and I figure the less time it spends out of my pocket changing radio stations and songs etc. the better chance ill have walking home with it

I use a crank up radio, eton scorpion11, they are sold at walmart and run about 50$,compact size, solar, rechargeable, and crankup, no more batteries!!Not a gimmick, if you read reviews they are very well recieved.

The radio listed below works for me but your dealing with recharging a battery after each trip. Fairly compact too.

Milwaukee
M12 Job-Site Radio
3.9 out of 5
(81) Write a Review
Questions & Answers (16)
Delivers high reception and signal clarity
Protected by shock-absorbing ABS polymer and steel construction
Part of the M12 System, featuring over 70 tools
$99.00 /each