From car racing to car stereos, I've written a lot of words about cars. Different words, even.
I spent years writing about cars and motorsports for some magazines you might've heard of (emphasis on "might've") despite having only the most basic understanding of what a carburetor does. It was that experience writing about cars that drew Crutchfield's attention. I began as a freelance contributor, using their vehicle research to write articles explaining how to install audio gear in specific vehicles.
Things went so well that they brought me in as a full-time writer and eventually made me an editor. Now I continue to write those vehicle profiles, other web features, product descriptions, and Crutchfield catalog articles. Let's just say I know some pretty cool stuff that'll help you install your car or marine audio system. Hopefully you'll have some fun along the way.
Before I joined the Crutchfield team, I honestly thought that good audio was anything loud enough to annoy pets and/or the neighbors. I was completely and amazingly wrong. The house sounds awesome these days and the latest car is next. And yes, we'll probably write an article about that, so stay tuned!
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You can find ATVs and UTVs just about anywhere these days.
Farmers use them to survey the back forty, hunters use them to reach remote duck blinds, auto racers use them to pull (drag racing) or push (sprint car racing) their cars at the track, etc., etc..
Now that these versatile vehicles are bigger, more powerful, and more popular than ever, many owners are looking for ways to add fun and functionality to their vehicles. If you're thinking about improving your ATV or UTV, there's no shortage of cool accessories out there – especially if you're into audio.
This pair of Clarion speakers fits a wide variety of tower and cage tube sizes
ATV and UTV audio ranges from mild to wild. You can add a marine-rated receiver and a couple of speakers, or go all out with a multi-speaker system that also sports amps and a subwoofer. You can build your own system or, if you have one of the more popular models from Polaris or Yamaha, install a system that's custom-designed to fit right in with minimal hassle.
You can also add sound bar speakers, LED lighting, and combo units that give you both light and sound.
It all depends on how you use your off-roader and how you want to hear your music. In this article, we'll take a look at all the ways you can bring awesome audio to your outdoor adventures.
This MTX receiver/speaker combo includes the receiver, two speakers, an amp, and a powered sub, plus a dash kit and speaker wire
The hottest new concept in ATV/UTV stereo is the custom-designed stereo system kit. The first cool thing about these systems is that they're designed specifically for popular side-by-sides from Can-Am, Polaris, and Yamaha. The second cool thing is that they're available in stages, so whether you want the all-out system with everything, or something a little less extreme, there's a kit for you.
These systems start with a basic "receiver and speakers" package and go all the way up to amazingly powerful systems with multiple speakers, amps, and a subwoofer. And if you want to start with something basic and work your way up to something deluxe, you can do that, too.
Almost all of the components are available separately, so you can build a system at your own pace.
ATV/UTV soundbars, like this one from JBL, are easy to install and tough enough for life in the outdoors
If you like to travel light, but you still enjoy heavy-duty sound, consider a soundbar for your ATV or UTV. Whether you mount yours on your handlebars or rollbars, you'll get outstanding performance and rugged reliability. These speaker systems are made for outdoor use, and most of them have built-in Bluetooth® connectivity, so you can tuck your phone or device safely into your pocket and crank some tunes while you carve up a trail.
A compact, powerful amp will really bring out the best in your ATV audio system
If you want to build your system your way, or if you want simply to upgrade the audio gear that's in your ATV or UTV now, that's totally do-able, too. We carry an extensive line of outdoor-ready stereos, speakers, amplifiers, and subwoofers, plus dash kits, speaker pods, and wiring harnesses.
Check out all of our ATV and UTV audio components.
Two-way radios really come in handy when you're deep in the woods
How far out there are you going to go? If the answer is "Very," you'll need some additional gear. That's where off-road GPS and 2-way radios come into play.
If your UTV gets used for actual work, for example, a powerful, reliable walkie-talkie system is essential when you need to keep in touch with basecamp. They're also handy for hunting and fishing expeditions where "I'll text you!" probably isn't the best communications strategy.
When you're way out in the wilderness, it's good to know where you're going. A rugged outdoor navigator is made for this kind of adventure, with built-in maps and both 3D and topographic displays that will help you blaze the trail ahead more accurately. These weather-resistant GPS units are built for the outdoors, so they can take a pounding and still get you where you need to be.
To see the custom-fit gear that's available for your off-roader, use our vehicle selector to tell us what you have.
We'll show you a list of everything that'll fit. And if you have any questions or just want a little help choosing the right gear, contact our advisors.
Please share your thoughts below.
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When most people think of Ham Radio, they think of large antennas, big radios and people talking around the world. That is one aspect of Ham Radio but there are many other options such as Amateur TV (transmitting TV pictures over the air), Packet Radio (sending digital information over the air), Echolink (using the Internet to talk to other hams around the world) and using small handheld or mobile radios to communicate with others in a local area.
The last is the one that works great with ATVs. There are mountain top repeaters that will rebroadcast a signal to other radios in the local area. The repeaters are located in places that cover most of the state and can be linked together to increase the range.
This is great for someone on an ATV in a remote location to be able to reach other hams for assistance. Many repeaters even have the ability to make phone calls. A mountain top repeater can cover an area up to several hundred miles. The radios can also be used to talk from one radio to another, not using repeaters (simplex) and with a mobile antenna can cover a few miles up to 10 or 15 miles depending on terrain. This is the part I enjoy most, while out riding with others. It makes your ride much more enjoyable to be able to visit while wandering down a trail and discuss which trail you might want to explore next or make plans for the next rest stop. If a rider in the rear has a problem, they can let the rest of the group know right away and save backtracking.
Riders can also talk back to a Ham in base camp, to check in and give up dated status. The radios can also be used when in route to the ride.
The ATV can be equipped with an antenna that can be connected to a small radio. There are headsets with microphones that can be easily mounted in a helmet (full face or open face) and a button on the handlebars that will operate the transmitter on the radio. Many handheld radios can also receive a wide range of frequencies which will allow you to listen to NOAA Weather, Police, Fire, BLM, Search and Rescue, Fish and Game, etc. You can also use the radio to scan frequencies of your choice so it operates like a police scanner. This is also very handy if you ever help with search and rescue missions. You can even listen to your friends if you are unable to go on a ride.
A lot of people think it is very difficult to get your ham license and that you must learn Morse code. The ham test is actually given by local hams from a fixed pool of questions and Morse code is no longer required.
There are study guides available on the Internet and with very little studying, a person can get their license in less than a month. I have some friends that only studied the night before the exam and were able to pass the test.
So what does it cost? A headset for your helmet will cost about $45. You can pick up a handheld radio with the features I list above for about $125 and an antenna will cost around $25. The hams charge $15 to administer the exam so for a little over $200 you can have a great setup. You can also save some money by getting a less expensive radio and using the small antenna that comes on the radio.
Keep in mind that you can use the radio while not on the ATV. Ham radio is a lot of fun and a great way to meet new people. You could even have a weekly net on the radio where everyone with an interest in ATV could meet to discuss things like upcoming rides, share tech tips and whatever else may be a common interest. There are a lot of good resources for more information on Ham Radio.
There is a web site for a local Ham club that has a lot of good information. Check out www.voiceofidaho.org for more information. Also, feel free to contact me [email protected] if I can help in any way. My wife and I have both been Hams for over 25 years and enjoy it as much now as we did when we started.
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Hello to all DIYers, moto, auto and quad lovers. In this article, we will talk about how I made columns on a quadric. on the quadric there is a Chinese radio tape recorder (it seems to be waterproof) and with it small speakers that are not audible during trips, and even one barely worked. Decided to change the column and podzaparil this topic in earnest.
I bought pioneer speakers with a diameter of 13 cm. And I began to think about what to embed them in and how to install them. As a case, children's sand buckets came up.
I specially went to a children's store and bought 4 buckets :) 2 for a quadric and one daughter each, so that everyone would be equally divided). Empirically, I measured the diameter so that the bucket fits snugly and accurately into the groove on the speaker grid. Marked and drank with a hacksaw. I started to try with a grinder, but I almost ruined it - the plastic melts and flies. nine0003
Here is a Chinese MP3 radio (AUX, CD card, USB and radio). As stated by the manufacturer, 10W is issued for 2 speakers
Such speakers stood and the left one almost did not work.
I removed the speakers and in their place I will make brackets for new large ones. It can be seen in the photo that the speakers are not fabric or paper, but plastic-rubberized (if you can call it that, I don’t know how to correctly :-))
The child is mastering the technique
To ensure the rigidity of the buckets, we take a sheet of aluminum and make inserts from it
We roll a little on the rollers
Then we cut out such plates from it, mark and drill holes for mounting the speaker.
We drill holes slightly smaller than the diameter of the self-tapping screw.
We immediately cut the thread with self-tapping screws
Trying on the speaker with these plates, how it all goes into the bucket
Marking, drilling holes and riveting the plates
I also took a piece of rubber noise and pasted it over the inside of the bucket so that it would not rattle from the sound.
It turned out like this. Pretty weighty speakers
Next, I made the bracket for mounting the speakers on the quadric. Aluminum bracket 2 mm. Bent it as needed and tapped on the pipe so that it fits completely to the column
From the inside, I put a bent plate and riveted it. nine0003
On the same holes that we fasten the column, we pass the wire through one
At the bottom of the column near the grid, I made a hole in case water gets in to drain. Dynamics, by the way, are not paper and if water gets in, I hope nothing will happen to them.
They are rubberized and the membrane is some kind of plastic.
When the loudspeakers are running at full capacity, you can feel the air coming out through these holes. There are two holes.
Speakers turned out solid, weighty. It's nice to look at them. The sound is also good. I'll post a video later so you can hear it too. Now at the moment I connect the phone via AUX to bring out the music, and if I start shooting a video, then the music is immediately cut off.
I will definitely take it off and post it
When traveling, the speakers themselves vibrate a little, you will need to come up with another bracket and firmly fix it to the metal frame.
I have a question for music lovers:
From the radio is issued to the speakers 10W (I think that 10 for each - I'm out). I set the speakers to such a value of 35W, maximum 230W. They don't sound bad at all.
Actually the question is: Is it worth it to take a steam bath and install an amplifier for them or not, what do you think?
Here is a video with sound.
Of course, the sound is slightly distorted through the phone, but still...0001
On the 17th of August, the members of the technical club "MOTOKAM" went on a trip on quad bikes in Kamchatka.
On Monday, quadro-tourists: Aleksey Zheltyakov, the head of the MOTOKAM club, and Pavel Shestakov, an activist of the movement, flew from Kazan to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, where they were waiting for the final work on preparing equipment for the trip, as well as eight more participants in the trip. On the route, which will take place far from civilization, 8 ATVs and an escort vehicle, an army ZIL, are involved. nine0003
Recall that last year the technical club "MOTOKAM" was among the winners of international competitions in sports tourism in Mongolia for passing the route of the 5th category of complexity on ATVs. In Tatarstan, the club is promoting the ATV movement. This year, with the support of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Republic of Tatarstan, for the first time, a route for ATVs from Kazan to Bolgar was laid.
Before leaving, the travelers were guests of the Morning Show No. 1: Life is good on BIM radio and talked about ATV trips. nine0003
Participants of the interview:
Midkhat Garifullin – club activist, participant of the 2014 trip to Mongolia.
Pavel Shestakov, Motokamov member, participant of last year's trip to Lake Baikal.
Aleksey Zheltyakov - head of the technical club "MOTOKAM".
Audio clip
The audio tag is not supported by your browser. Download.
Text: BIM radio | Morning Show #1: Life Is Good
Subject: Quad biking. nine0003
BIM-radio: How did the idea of moving around Russia, across the distant environs, on ATVs come about and how does it happen?
A.Zh.: A group of comrades is gathering who are united by common interests: travel and extreme sports. Everything happens with the support of a certain dealer, who represents this or that brand or a number of brands in this region, and that's it, let's go.
BIM radio: Here, in the studio, sit Midhat and Pavel - two people who conquered Baikal and Mongolia. How did you get there, how did you arrive and how did everything happen? nine0136
M.G.: Now it's easy to get anywhere in the world, it's not difficult at all. The ATVs were loaded onto trailers and sent almost to the Mongolian border, there is a settlement called "Kurai", where we later took them. They themselves traveled by plane. They flew to the city of Barnaul, crossed to the village of Kurai and took the ATVs. We drove not only through Mongolia, but also through the Altai Mountains. Unforgettable impressions, the most beautiful place in Russia, this is Gorny Altai.
BIM radio: Were there any interesting cases in connection with such a mystical area? Still, Gorny Altai is a very interesting place.
MG: There was no mysticism as such, but it was quite interesting. We climbed the mountains, went to places where climbers go.
BIM radio: Pavel, tell us where you have been and how you traveled?
P.Sh.: That year we were on Lake Baikal. ATVs were also delivered from Yekaterinburg by trailer to the city of Irkutsk, and they themselves arrived by plane. We started from the city of Irkutsk, reached Cape Rytoy, and then we were not allowed to go further. On the way back, through the ferry crossing, we stopped at Olkhon Island and crossed it. nine0003
BIM radio: Is there a special feature of the ATV when you travel on it? Once I talked with such adult uncles who say: "I found the dirt and dig in it, knead it as you like, squeeze anything out of your quadric." Is this some kind of philosophy, to go through something that cannot be passed? How does it really happen?
A.Zh.: I can tell from my own feelings. Firstly, these are still those people who, in their youth, probably did not skate enough. Secondly, we didn’t skate well, then we achieved something, we looked at a lot of things, and again, everything returns to communication, the human factor, people of the same interests gather. ATVs are a wonderful thing that allows you to spend your holidays in a diverse and diverse way: tourism, swamps, mushrooms, forests, berries, hunting all this without problems. The ATV goes where the eyes look, it all depends on your courage. nine0003
BIM radio: Where do you usually leave the ATV, where do you sleep, where do you stay?
A.Zh.: Diverse trips, with tents and a fire on the lake, in hotels. Now there are a lot of suburban bases.
BIM radio: You have local trips from Kazan and Chelny every week. Where are you leaving?
A.Zh.: Everything depends on moods and preferences, as well as on the season. In spring, the water level rises, swamps come to life, high water in small streams, in connection with this, we plan appropriate trips. In summer, hikes are faster and more touristy, in which fields and forests, because. rivers dry up. The trips are very interesting and varied.
nine0003
BIM radio: How many members does the club “MOTOKAM” have?
A.Zh.: At the moment, officially registered:
Active participants:
BIM-radio: Alexey, is it really troublesome to own an ATV? nine0136
A.Zh.: Depending on your attitude, i.e. brushing your teeth can be recognized as a troublesome business. Each person comes to the conclusion that any action can be enjoyed. Sometimes I am more pleased and emotionally surprised by the preparation for a hike, when you are sitting, laying out a route, then picking up special gloves for this route, etc. I think that the pleasure in the process of achieving the goal is the most important factor.
BIM radio: How do you deal with fuel? Do you carry extra petrol with you?
A.
Zh.: In Mongolia, we were escorted in popular UAZ vehicles that brought us gasoline to the point. The gas station is very interesting, for the first time in my life I saw such a thing, you turn it by hand and gasoline comes from somewhere out of the ground. Moreover, it is the 80th, and the ATV rode calmly on it, although the requirements require the 92nd and higher.
BIM-radio: Any grandiose plans for the nearest future? Are you going somewhere? nine0136
A.Zh.: Yes, we have been negotiating with the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Tatarstan.
BIM radio: Willingly support travel arrangements?
A.Zh.: Yes, no problem.
BIM radio: P With the support of the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Tatarstan, you organized a trip to the Great Bolgar. Are they willing to cooperate? Do you take on any obligations, do something at the same time? nine0136
A. Zh.: No, we come and tell our idea, and they already say how they can support us. Tatarstan has taken a high bar for itself: the World Championship, the Universiade, etc. We also take such a bar for ourselves and want to make Tatarstan the “Mecca of quadro-tourism”. We are currently working on two projects that are being prepared for implementation. One will be implemented within two years. We are also developing quad tourism. In Tatarstan there is a tourist route "Pearl Necklace of Tatarstan", you can travel by car, along a paved and asphalted route that passes through cities such as Yelabuga, Chistopol, Bolgar, etc. We are making the same track, only for quad biking. nine0003
BIM radio: Ground cover?
A.Zh.: Forests, fields. We are almost finishing making the track, when it is ready, we will present it.
BIM radio: Do you mean that you are laying a route? How do you develop it? How do you draw for yourself?
A.
Zh.: Yes, any ATV owner will be able to contact us, download a route for themselves and drive along it with their family, it will be free and available. There is nothing complicated. Our nature, in beauty, is not inferior to Mongolia and the Altai Mountains. Therefore, it will be possible to travel with the family, as is customary all over the world. nine0003
BIM radio: Are you planning mass, global races in the near future? Can those who have purchased an ATV, but not a member of the club, join you? My classmate bought an ATV, but he is not a member of the club. He rides on his own, sometimes he only goes out into the forest.
A.Zh.: If he found how and where to buy an ATV, then if he wants to travel, he will find how to join us. Our phone number is not a secret, we also have a website, you can always call us, we will tell you everything and invite you. We train beginners. It's not like "look right and let's go with us, we'll scare you" - no. We have the opposite: we teach, show, tell. In our club, all the guys once started and before my eyes, they achieved good results. For example, Midkhat Mansurovich received the title of "candidate for master of sports" in motorcycle tourism. nine0003
BIM radio: I just have information that you have received the title of Candidate Master of Sports in motorcycle tourism. Did you go through any stages after that?
M.G.: Yes, we passed the route of the 5th category in terms of difficulty.
BIM radio: Was this a task?
MG: Yes, we had several assignments.
BIM radio: Who recorded the result?
M.G.: We had an instructor with us who rode across the plain, he did not go into the mountains and did not complete tasks, but only gave instructions. Then we reported with photographs, and also noted the completion of tasks with the help of a special device.
Carrying out one very interesting task, we found "Petroglyphs" in Mongolia - these are rock paintings. We had to drive 40 km and find exactly this rock with "Petroglyphs". Unforgettable, absolutely.
BIM radio: Was there such a peculiar quest? nine0136
M.G.: Yes. Then they climbed into the mountains. Two points that I really remember and like are the height of 3600 and 4020 m.
BIM radio:
M.G.: The most amazing thing is that it is more difficult for a person than for an ATV. In Mongolia, the air is discharged, 23% of oxygen is missing, and even more so in the mountains. Therefore, it seemed to me that the ATV would not pass, since it would not have enough oxygen. To my surprise, the ATVs behaved as if we were driving through the plains of Tatarstan. nine0003
BIM-radio: Apparently this type of transport is sharpened exactly under extreme conditions?
M.
