Taking music camping nowadays

Subject: Taking music camping nowadays
From: GUEST,Mrrzy, at work
Date: 24 Jul 14 - 07:43 PM

OK, so the person I usually camp with, who builds houses with kitchen and living room and sleeping bedroom and romping bedroom is mad at me so I will have to camp separately, and have figured out almost everything (tent? Coffee? etc) except the issue of tunes - at this particular site there will be a local fm station, and I want access to my music which is either on the Amazon cloud or on CDs (the theme is the 60's and I have a LOT of that)... but I am finding that if I want solar energy I kind of have to get an mp3 player? Do I want one anyway, I am anti-i-tunes on principle? (And anti music-while-camping usually but this is a special kind of camping.) Also it's hard to tell from online descriptions if things that get fm only get the 5 or so emergency/weather fm stations, I need to be able to tune it to the one that is set up for that weekend.
Help? Advice? Commiseration on the loss of a 20-yar friendship?Thanks!

Subject: RE: Taking music camping nowadays
From: Jack Campin
Date: 24 Jul 14 - 08:03 PM

If it's just for a weekend, getting a weather forecast before you go will avoid the need for any way to get one while you're there.

You will get better sound quality if you take a flute and it doesn't need batteries.

Has anybody succedded in training a dog to pee on sound systems at campsites?

Subject: RE: Taking music camping nowadays
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 24 Jul 14 - 08:55 PM

Almost anyone can learn a 1,4,5 in one day, and thereby play most chorded instruments, and thousands of tunes...assuming you CAN sing.

A harmonica, only requires a pocket and a general start on the three or five hole.

Lay back...blow a few holes, strum a few chords...see who drops your "heritage campste."

Expand your life.

SINCERELY,
Gargoyle

What in The Good Lord's creation drew you to The Mudcat...and how can you be so ignorant? (Canned Heat? Water?
Potty?

Subject: RE: Taking music camping nowadays
From: Mrrzy
Date: 25 Jul 14 - 01:20 AM

Love you guys but you're missing the point - this is I guess a "tech" question.

This party is where a few thousand like-minded people get together, with a theme that this year is Woodstock and the 60's, which you can't *do* without the music of the 60's, and the music is a large part of this annual gathering even when the theme isn't Woodstock which was musical. So the make-your-own, of which there will be plenty, is not the question.

The question is, What can I do to get the radio station that the campsite itself puts out when I won't have electricity so I was thinking solar power? And secondly, can I use the same gadget to play music on either CDs or, third question, do I have to get an mp3 player? Can you do that without itunes? I could have battery backup for if it rains the whole time, which would be thematic as all getout, and possibly internet access but I would not bring my computer and my phone is only a phone. Waterproof would be good in case of rain also. Thanks again, y'all.

Subject: RE: Taking music camping nowadays
From: Newport Boy
Date: 25 Jul 14 - 03:58 AM

For all except the internet access, I have a Samsung C3350 mobile phone. It's a basic phone, not a smartphone, and it weighs a tonne, but that's because of the size of the battery. It's dustproof and almost waterproof.

It has an excellent FM radio tuner and if the autotune doesn't find the station I select the frequency manually. I don't use the music player, but I've just tried it and it works fine (I know nothing of itunes). I charge it about every 10 days, so even with heavy use it should last more than a weekend.

It's a couple of years old, but there's probably an equivalent around.

Phil

Subject: RE: Taking music camping nowadays
From: GUEST,Fred McCormick
Date: 25 Jul 14 - 05:14 AM

Jack Campin "Has anybody succedded in training a dog to pee on sound systems at campsites?"

Not that I know of, but I am trying to train mine to piss on barbecues.

Subject: RE: Taking music camping nowadays
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jul 14 - 05:43 AM

A most modern phones should do all that you want but the battery life can be crap if you use all the functions.

I would suggest ripping or downloading all you want to an mp3 player that uses standard batteries and take a pocketful of spares.

Portable FM radios are common enough, if I needed one I would just put some batteries in the one in the kitchen or, if it was just for weather forecasts, use the car radio.

Subject: RE: Taking music camping nowadays
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 25 Jul 14 - 09:29 AM

1. Build a camp fire

2. Sing

Subject: RE: Taking music camping nowadays
From: Mrrzy
Date: 25 Jul 14 - 12:58 PM

(people who don't read the thread...)

Anything solar-powered rather than battery-?

Subject: RE: Taking music camping nowadays
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jul 14 - 01:05 PM

http://www.allpar.com/stereo/Philco/index.html

Burning Man has the know how. Look It up.

Subject: RE: Taking music camping nowadays
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jul 14 - 01:57 PM

Surprised no has yet mentioned what would be the most obvious easy solution -

A windup radio

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=windup+radio&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Awindup+radio

Subject: RE: Taking music camping nowadays
From: voyager
Date: 25 Jul 14 - 02:50 PM

Campfire and radio (vintage UK photo)

Subject: RE: Taking music camping nowadays
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 25 Jul 14 - 02:55 PM

Creative Muvo Tx FM is an mp3 player with fm radio that takes AAA batteries. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_MuVo_player_models

They're quite small and cheap and you might still be able to get one on eBay.

Subject: RE: Taking music camping nowadays
From: Newport Boy
Date: 25 Jul 14 - 05:19 PM

The photo reminds me of listening to Radio Luxemburg on long wave in about 1955 on a "portable" radio - a valve set, of course. The valve heaters used a 9v lantern battery and the HT was provided by a 110v lead-acid battery, charged each day at the local garage.

I still think my Samsung phone is the most convenient solution. If the battery did need charging, solar battery chargers for phones are widely available.

Phil

Subject: RE: Taking music camping nowadays
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Jul 14 - 08:57 PM

I got a SanDisk MP3 player for about $35 at Amazon (prices vary by color). It has 4 GB of memory, and you can add a micro SD card with lots more (16 GB, I think, but maybe 32 will work). It has a pretty good FM radio, and a recorder I haven't tried.

Battery life is supposed to be 15 hours, but I haven't run it down yet. It can be recharged from a solar USB charger, or from a car.

I used to have a Sony Walkman MP3 player that I loved, but it died after about five years and replacements were $80.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Taking music camping nowadays
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 25 Jul 14 - 10:27 PM

About 1958 an "old even at that time" Zenith TransOceanic portable (it weighed about 15 kilograms) powered by large dry-cell batteries or 110/220 and functioning with tubes) appeared in our home. Tubes could be removed, checked and replaced at Savon Drug Store, Wards or Sears department stores.

We spent hours and hours dialing stations 300 miles away. When antennae was added...strange languages appeared. It led to HAM and even a "doodlebug" as our speed developed to 15wpm and advanced certification progressed beyond the initial 5wpm.

My current emergency radio is a seven band Grundig....purchased the initial night of Desert Storm. I wanted BBC for a news balance.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

The cheapest, of cheapest transistor radios from a "Salvation Army/Goodwill second hand store" are easy to modify (exceedingly easy)