When you are working long shifts on a construction site, it could be quite a grueling time if you didn’t have anything to keep you preoccupied and entertained with on the job. That is why it is a good idea to invest in a job site radio.
However, if you were to run a search on a job site and construction site suitable radios, you’ll soon discover just how many of these kinds of devices there are out there.
So, how do you pick out the best for your own work environments? There are several things you need to know and understand that go beyond choosing what would be the loudest job site radio you can buy. Sound quality and level are just one aspect. In the following post, we are going to focus on the various other things you need to think about.
DAB Radio
Given that DAB is now something of a standard for radios all over the country and throughout the world, you really should be looking at investing in a job site radio that is DAB-ready. What do you get in return? 100+ digital radio stations, including digitized versions of those you’d normally find on FM and AM frequencies.
As well as the massive variety of different channels you have to choose from with DAB, you also get the benefit of a much better signal and reception, so there is less hissing, crackling, and interference that you would normally associate with traditional analog radio.
Bluetooth Enabled
Although having more than 100 different radio stations is enough for many people, you may, at times, want to listen to your own playlists and music collection, rather than being at the mercy of the DJs and station bosses.
That’s when having a job site radio that is fully Bluetooth compatible can be handy. With it, you can then connect just about any device to it wirelessly. So, if you have a lot of good music or even audiobooks stored on your computer, tablet, or even smartphone, you can sync the device up to the radio and use it as a speaker.
Even if you don’t have a saved collection of MP3s, you may have a Spotify, Google Music, Apple, Amazon Music, or even Deezer account that you want to listen to rather than the radio. These can all be accessed using Bluetooth and your preferred device through the job site radio.
Access to Analogue Radio
Of course, if you are a bit old school, you may still enjoy some analog radio. Many job site radios offer the choice between DAB and analog, but you may also be able to save a bit of money on the overall cost by just sticking to one that is FM/AM only.
Charger
One of the great things about radios made specifically for job sites and for the construction and building trade is that they can often be used as a charger for power tools. If you invest in radio from what is known as the same “family” of tools that you use, you can hook their batteries up to the radio and charge while you enjoy some entertainment at the same time.
Waterproof, Dustproof and Other Protections
As noted at the outset, when buying a radio for a construction site, you need to think beyond just finding one that will blast your preferred entertainment loud enough for you to hear it. You need to invest in one that is robust enough and protected enough to handle use in the harsh environment you are working. Look out for radios that are waterproof, dustproof and will even survive various knocks and accidental drops.
The last thing you want is to invest in a device that only survives one day because it was not fit for the environment you were going to use it in.