# Ice chest radio



## GUNSNREELS (Aug 17, 2010)

Has anybody built a ice chest radio?What size,what are your components?


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## WestEndAngler (Jan 30, 2007)

Yes I have built 10 or so for my friends & other members. 6x9's or 5 or 6" round speakers. Head unit or no head unit. I usually run a 400W amp (4 channel) speakers & an mp3 cord that runs into the amp.


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## hooked-up (Feb 16, 2010)

try looking at www.motorboatyourself.com it is a site dedicated to cooler radios.


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## GUNSNREELS (Aug 17, 2010)

I am makingone also,do you use a gell cell battery?


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## WestEndAngler (Jan 30, 2007)

GUNSNREELS said:


> I am makingone also,do you use a gell cell battery?


No, very small battery like a lawn mower or jet ski style. I personally prefer the narrow battery from AutoZone / O'Reilys etc.

Mount the battery in the middle 4 speakers on each side, amp is on the side of the cooler (inside)

Run the 4 wires from amp to each speaker. I run a single RED/WHITE audio cable that goes to my MP3 player. Nothing else needed... There are some tricks with the amp to make it turn on properly but send me a PM for that.

I have one setup that has 2 8" subs & 4 6x9's it thumps :cheers:


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## Zeitgeist (Nov 10, 2011)

I have made 2. When I get home I will post some pics of the most recent one. I am in agreement with WestEndAngler on the battery and the mp3 player and amp size. I built mine primarly for floating the river. I bought the waterproof 6" Polk Audio speakers from Frys and have an Alpine amp.

My experience has been you need a halway decent amp or it will overheat when the lid is closed and you are on the river.


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## jaycf7 (May 30, 2009)

This sounds awesome! I think i like it better than turning on the radio on the boat while anchored up on a booze cruse. Burn that batery down rather than the ones on the boat!

i cant wait to get ideas on this, it will give me something to do once baseball season is over!


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## fangard (Apr 18, 2008)

If you are making a large one, make sure you have a dedicated/dry place for your components to allow you to still use the ice chest for cold beer.

I have looked at a couple and the ice chests couldn't be utilized. Pointless in my opinion.


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## Zeitgeist (Nov 10, 2011)

Ok, I found a pic and will send more later. This does not do it justice, need to see the inside.


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## Zeitgeist (Nov 10, 2011)

fangard said:


> If you are making a large one, make sure you have a dedicated/dry place for your components to allow you to still use the ice chest for cold beer.
> 
> I have looked at a couple and the ice chests couldn't be utilized. Pointless in my opinion.


My buddy has made several with larger ice chests and the battery and components are elevated and the ice is at the bottem. I like the smaller more compact versions because they are easier to move around and can fit in a tube with an ice chest of the same size. One for the beer, one for the music all in one tube.


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## UTfishrman (Apr 28, 2011)

fangard said:


> If you are making a large one, make sure you have a dedicated/dry place for your components to allow you to still use the ice chest for cold beer.
> 
> I have looked at a couple and the ice chests couldn't be utilized. Pointless in my opinion.


I built mine with a riding lawnmower battery and marine speakers/amp to keep it somewhat water proof. I also threw in a float charger so you can plug it into the wall to recharge, all self contained which is nice. As for sealing off the two compartments, I cut a groove down the middle and seated a piece of plexi-glass along with more caulk than you would imagine in order to seal it up tight. Works like a charm.


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## That Robbie Guy (Aug 11, 2009)

Perfect for someone with a jon boat wanting a portable/removable setup.


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## POC Troutman (Jul 13, 2009)

i kinda like the idea of being able to put ice in the bottom. not for beer/beverages, but it keeps the compartment cooler and isn't as hard on your battery/amp/head deck. i need to do that on my next build.


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## Hotrod (Oct 11, 2006)

Id call these guys, we have rode with them before. Very nice!

http://www.partyinmycooler.com/


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## Zeitgeist (Nov 10, 2011)

Pics


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## Hotrod (Oct 11, 2006)

Hotrod said:


> Id call these guys, we have rode with them before. Very nice!
> 
> http://www.partyinmycooler.com/


These coolers are still functional


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## GUNSNREELS (Aug 17, 2010)

Great feed back,thanks.


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## MATT WAYNE (Jul 20, 2011)

Here's one i threw together last year for the river and other festivities. It's nothing fancy but blasts as loud as you want and lasts all day. I decided to go with the amp/mp3 combo over a conventional head unit. These pictures don't show it but i bought a wireless ipod remote and velcrowed it to the outside of the cooler, it works great for changing songs/adjusting volume and keeps you from having to open the cooler ever time you want to do so. I went with the cheapest 5x7 speakers i could find at Wal-Mart and love them, they have a plastic cone so a little water won't hurt them one bit, these have been splashed a number of times going down the river and never missed a beat. I also threw in a on-board charger that you just have to plug in at the end of the day and by the next morning you're fully charged ready to go again.


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## Zeitgeist (Nov 10, 2011)

Nice, do the speakers rest high enough above the tube? How much did the remote cost?


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## That Robbie Guy (Aug 11, 2009)

This is going on the 'To Do' list. hahaha.


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## MATT WAYNE (Jul 20, 2011)

Zeitgeist said:


> Nice, do the speakers rest high enough above the tube? How much did the remote cost?


When in a tube i'd say about 1" of the bottom of the speakers are covered by the tube, not nearly enough to block any of the sound. This is the remote i bought: http://www.google.com/products/cata...a=X&ei=EIKNT9yRIqaM2gXk0PD1Cw&ved=0CFsQ8wIwAA# You can find cheaper ones but i liked the way this one is water resistant. You can also be 30+ feet away from it, cooler closed, and it still works great.


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## Zeitgeist (Nov 10, 2011)

MATT WAYNE said:


> When in a tube i'd say about 1" of the bottom of the speakers are covered by the tube, not nearly enough to block any of the sound. This is the remote i bought: http://www.google.com/products/cata...a=X&ei=EIKNT9yRIqaM2gXk0PD1Cw&ved=0CFsQ8wIwAA# You can find cheaper ones but i liked the way this one is water resistant. You can also be 30+ feet away from it, cooler closed, and it still works great.


I will be getting one of those. You can drop it in a ziplock bag with no worries.


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## Zeitgeist (Nov 10, 2011)

I have to share a funny story. I previously mentioned I have built 2 ice chest radios. Let me tell you what happened to the first one. 

In the Summer of 2010 we were floating the Guadalupe. We were out there all day and one of the gals with us hurt her foot on one of the rapids. We turned the radio off so we could tend to her foot. About the same time it was getting dark. We never did turn the radio back on because or focus was getting to the pick up point ASAP. At one point me and my buddy even were swimming and dragging the tubes along.

As we were floating along, I noticed that the tube with radio was gone. Apparently it came untied as we were floating along and nobody noticed since the sound was off and it was dark.

So, somewhere out ther somebody has a bad *** icechest radio with Polk Speakers, an Alpine amp, a 160 gig classic Ipod full of music and a brand new Nano.

My phone number is engraved on the classic if you want to kindly return it, LOL!


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## patwilson (Jan 13, 2006)

ouch!!!!!!!!sad3sm



Zeitgeist said:


> I have to share a funny story. I previously mentioned I have built 2 ice chest radios. Let me tell you what happened to the first one.
> 
> In the Summer of 2010 we were floating the Guadalupe. We were out there all day and one of the gals with us hurt her foot on one of the rapids. We turned the radio off so we could tend to her foot. About the same time it was getting dark. We never did turn the radio back on because or focus was getting to the pick up point ASAP. At one point me and my buddy even were swimming and dragging the tubes along.
> 
> ...


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## HuntinforTail (Mar 29, 2011)

This is the only pic I have now, but I'll work on getting more. 
I built mine out of a large igloo cooler. I built it with all waterproof components and sealed everything so that I can play it even if it's raining. I didn't like the acoustics when I put it all together so I built 3/4" plywood boxes around the sub and speakers on the inside. I added a solar panel that takes up the whole lid of the stereo to keep it charged all day. The head unit has an mp3 and cd player and a USB hookup. It also has a remote control. I added a marine antenna so it can pic up radio stations too.

Here is a list of components. I'm not sure of he exact models or brands on everything. 
1, 10" boss waterproof subwoofer
2, 6" boss waterproof speakers
1, 1000 watt boss 4 channel bridgeable amp
1 marine antenna
1 solar panel
1 jvc head unit with waterproof housing

I have the sub bridged on 2 channels and 1 channel each for the other 2 speakers.


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## Zeitgeist (Nov 10, 2011)

It's funny that this thread is here today. My buddy just sent me a pic of the new waterproof radio he bought. Brand is EcoTerra. Completely waterproof, you can actually submerge it in the pool etc. the attached pic shows how the iPhone sets in it.


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## pelochas (Jun 15, 2005)

Zeitgeist said:


> It's funny that this thread is here today. My buddy just sent me a pic of the new waterproof radio he bought. Brand is EcoTerra. Completely waterproof, you can actually submerge it in the pool etc. the attached pic shows how the iPhone sets in it.
> 
> View attachment 478252
> 
> ...


now thats cool. small but enough wattage to be usable in almost all locations.

big coolers and big speakers, serious wattage on those. are yall planning to some serious block parties....lol


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## Zeitgeist (Nov 10, 2011)

pelochas said:


> now thats cool. small but enough wattage to be usable in almost all locations.
> 
> big coolers and big speakers, serious wattage on those. are yall planning to some serious block parties....lol


No joke, my buddy just got this today. Not quite the thump on a custom but it only cost $150


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## Flat's Hunter (Oct 18, 2007)

If you really want a cool radio be sure to do like a guy at work. He has a retractable car antenna that goes up when turned on! That just makes it
Over the top. I'll see if I can get the video


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Zeitgeist (Nov 10, 2011)

Flat's Hunter said:


> If you really want a cool radio be sure to do like a guy at work. He has a retractable car antenna that goes up when turned on! That just makes it
> Over the top. I'll see if I can get the video
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Why you hatin the IceChest Radio players?


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## GUNSNREELS (Aug 17, 2010)

Does the I Pod charge up when you are charging your battery?


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## Longshot270 (Aug 5, 2011)

I might build me a small one this year. I've got everything except the ice chest.


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