[VoodooChile]

I am considering adding a tune-box to our arsenal, mostly because it's down to me and another guy, we got some big projects to tackle yet this year, have run out of things to say to each other, and both think some music would be motivational.

Anybody out there bring music to the jobsite? What are the hassles/drawbacks? What machine are you using?

I have seen a Milwaukee and a Dewalt radio, and a Bosch radio/cd player at Cheapo. Anyone own/use one of these? My guy says buy a Sony, but I have already given them many bills for cd players that bomb in maximum a couple months.

I'm partial to the cd player, since commercial radio is really hard to take, frequently inappropriate for the job site, and we get plenty of that crap riding in the truck.

Bosch claims their PB10-CD can be dropped from 10 feet. The reviews I've read say the sound is so-so, battery life about eight hours with the $130 24volt Platinum pack, and the box real tough.

As an alternative, I'm under the impression that Sirius and X-FM make boomboxes, but I'm clueless beyond that...

And just for the record, we would mostly be digging the live sounds of trade-friendly bands that permit the posting and trading of their shows at the Live Music Archive . Pennies per disc, and easy to replace when a clump of clay lands on track 3.

Thanks for the input

[justgardens]

Voodoo... You really take to heart all aspects of the jobsite. You would be a cool boss! We used to have an old beat up radio but the guy who brought the radio is not with me anymore so its been pretty quiet on the job as far as music. As a crew we talk a lot about everything from politics ( no one comes to blows) to the latest movie we watched. The other designer and I are always talking ( thinking out loud)about what should go where when the drawing just doesn't translate well into the location. So far we haven't missed the radio.

[jwholden]

I had an old Radio Shak radio we kept in the truck until the abuse took its toll. I went to the store to find a replacement and walked out of Radio Shak with the Sirius system boom box. You could try to bring it to a job site, but it is very sensitive and the 30' line of sight antennae would get cumbersome quick.

The radios from Dewalt and Bosch are both BIG. I don't have that much room to spare in my truck for those behemoths. I want something that fits under the seat or takes up minimal space in the under body boxes.

The solution:

First, get the Sirius and keep it for the office. Since it is used for the office it is 100% deductible. Your productivity will soar with 80's music playing 24/7/365 and no commercials. I'm told Sirius has other stations as well...

Second, go to Walmart or Kmart and pick up a cheapie disposable radio. This way you won't be upset when something breaks. I gave up looking for a radio after my trip to Radio Shak and pawned the responsibility off on the guys. They found a nice no name brand radio with CD for $20.00.

I'm not sure I could make it through too many days without a radio, especially with only one helper. "'sup dude" gets old quick!

[scl]

Went through a couple of decent boom boxes,dust got em real bad, and the antennas got broke. Then my wife bought me the Milwaukee box. Little big but tough as nails.
Pros: Tough, good looking (ar, ar, ar) great sound, DIGITAL TUNING, presets, flexible antenna
Cons: Limited battery life( about 12-15 hrs on a 18 volt) no built in charger (extra $) heavy (ar,ar,ar), limited AM range (tough to hear all of Rush Limbaugh sometimes)

Overall, I like it, and the price was right as it was on sale for under $100. Battery and charger brought it to about $170.

Scott

[ianc]

The main problem we had with Jobsite Radio's was agreeing on a station to play - 70's - rock - country.
once we all agreed on one station to listen to it works out great

The worst situation was the tools lying on the ground while someone changes the station

~ian

[Bill Schwab]

We don't allow radios or personal communication devices on any job sites. Aside from deteracting from the saftey issues at hand, we once had a former foreman play Metalica at the highest level in a tract starting at 7:00 AM. It did not go over too big and left a bad company image in neighbors minds.

Imagine someone dancing to the beat and at the same time, slicing thier fingers off with a cut off saw...

Not a good idea.

[Dale Wiley]

I have to agree with Bill here. I am very particular about how our company image is PERCIEVED by the client, neighbors (potential clients) and others that may encounter our job site.

This is my PERSONAL OPINION , but if your tracking on the music that much, your mind is not on the job. Our employees are working under a production bonus program, and as such, they tend to focus very closely on the job and how they are working at it. Don't like it, go work somewhere else.

I just got back from a job site, and that maintenace crew is on their way to at least a $ 50 bonus each this week, since they are ahead of budget on all hours this week by at least 5 hours.

For the same image reason, we are a non tobacco using company. No smoking, chewing or even spitting for any reason on our job sites. Won't get hired if you do and will get fired if you start while working.

[Pelican]

I'm very discreet about the use of the radio at job sites. I'll only play it if the customer is not at home to be disturbed. I either listen to the truck radio or plug in a $10 portable I carry.

I also won't play the radio if the houses are close together. Most of my area is rural with several hundred feet or so between homes. Some neighborhoods are denser though and I wouldn't consider radios in them.

I had an incident once that embarrassed me. I had gone out for materials at one job and when I returned I could hear heavy metal blaring from the street. My employee had cranked up the radio in his Jeep full volume and all the windows on the house that were previously open were now closed. I lit in to him pretty good over that, he only lasted a few more weeks.

[justgardens]

All my guys smoke but only during their break time. They have to pocket their cigarette butts. That's a tough no smoking policy Dale. It seems like every guy I've hired smokes, almost like its an industry thing here. I did have to fire a guy for spitting on a brick patio next to a clients pool. No brains, no class and didn't deserve a job if I had to tell him that.

[VoodooChile]

Company image is critical, but my situation is different than Bill or Dale's. I am on every job site, and leave but rarely and then only for an hour max, so I can't foresee things getting out of control, cause if I trust my guys to run the show while I'm gone, I trust them enough to keep the headbanging appropriate.

Of course, lots of situations won't allow for tunes: mow-days, brief maintenance visits, client or neighbors at home and hanging around.

Then again, if I'm auguring in a couple 1000 plugs or building cropping steps with 800# rock, a little Metallica would go a long way.

And hey Bill, do I remember correctly that you once made good use of Metallica on a jobsite?

[dan deutekom]

I am with Bill on this one. Radios do not belong on the job site. It takes your attention away from the job and your tastes arn't the clients or neighbors. Too me it is unprofessional.

[Dale Wiley]

Originally posted by justgardens
That's a tough no smoking policy Dale.

I don't think so. It's my business and I make the rules. All potential employees know this at application or before, and I drug test also. It does not affect who or how we have to hire. I pay for their health insurance. If I have to hire someone who smokes just because I need a body, then my whole system is not working.

I hire attitude and personal demeanor before skill. I knew of a company where the construction manager with 3 crews working, was the biggest offender. He would fire up standing there talking to a client. He threw the butts on the shop floor. He threw them on the ground in the yard, he generally was pretty unkempt.

Kind of hard to set a standard / example when the supervisor is a sloth. It seems that more people smoke in the Midwest / east Coast areas than out west here, and that may have a lot to do with it. I noticed that on my trips to Delaware , Maryland, Chicago, Detroit and to the Mid and deep south.

It is only a matter of time before you see health insurance companies with different rate structures for smokers, and for people with above normal / average BMI's.

I was no angel in my younger days
( 25 plus years ago), I smoked cigs and weed, I drank a lot, stayed up late, but at some point responsibility takes over.

With todays litageous (sp??) society, operating a business is risky. I am in the process of splitting my business up into about 3 different corporations to protect personal and company assets.

If you do not drug test and you have an employee / vehicle / workmens comp accident, and they test positive, YOU ARE SCREWED.




I want to portray the best image of my business possible. I will control all aspects of the PUBLIC PERCEPTION that I possibly can. It just is not in our business model to have tobacco or drug users in our employ.

End of rant.

[PSUscaper]

If I were a large company, I most likely wouldn't have a radio.

But, basically its me and two spanish workers who really have no preference in music, so I turn the radio on when possible.

For hardscaping, I find it somewhat limited.......50% of the time either a saw is running, a machine is running, or your working all over the property, so its not worth it.

I also cheat a little........I've had elvex's radio ear protection for the last 5 years now......so basically, I'm always tuned in, and can be, as I'm either running a machine, running a cut-off, or working on another part of a project while my guys are making cuts with the tub saw.

Plus, too be honest, being my guys don't talk much as it is (both too their lack of english and quite frankly, their quiet anyway), and being that they know what their doing, I can kind of tune out a 'little bit' while on the job.

I did buy a dewalt boom box/radio charger the beginning of the year and will say this........not so much for the radio, but for the charger, I love it.

I'm always using a drill or sawzall, and quite frankly, nothing gets you more aggrevated than gong to make one cut or drill in one screw and not have a charge battery. I kind of get in the habit of plugging the radio in every job now, because that way I know I have a battery ready to go when needed. It seems to be happening far less often to not have a battery charged with the radio than it did without........

[VoodooChile]

Man you guys on the West Coast are uptight! I just wanted to know the best radio to buy...HA!

Smokers don't last with me, so we try not to hire them.

As for drug testing, NO WAY!. What people do in their living rooms on their own time isn't my business or the government's, as long as they are hurting no one but themselves.

If I gotta to hire a corporate cop to tell me my guys are showing up stoned, then I have lost control of quality in a myriad other ways. After all, who out there doesn't know what pot, booze, or self-abuse smells like?

And oh yeah, I'm going with John's suggestion and buying the beater; the job with the 12 cropping steps, and thousands of plugs came in this morning, and me and the crew will be seeing plenty of each other.

[Dale Wiley]

Originally posted by VoodooChile


As for drug testing, NO WAY!. What people do in their living rooms on their own time isn't my business or the government's, as long as they are hurting no one but themselves.

As long as you can guarantee that the only person they will hurt is themselves if they drive your vehicles, operate your equipment and cause an accident. If the employee is found to have been impaired in any way in the previous 24 hours, you can be held liable.

Your liability is totally open if they are found to have used the night/ day before, or as with weed, being fat souble it can show up in a drug test up to 45 days after the last bomber is smoked.

I don't really have a choice... my workemen's comp carrier requires it pre employment and post accident as does my commercial insurance carrier for vehicle operations. That is fairly common out here in the west and very common in the construction trades.