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Music in the Bays?

We just use a big old fm stereo receiver with a speaker in the attic above each bay. It's tuned into an upbeat station that plays far more music than commercials. Been doing it for about 7-8 years now. We used to run it on a timer so it shut off at night. It now runs 24/7. I think it says "someone is here" to the bad guys at 3am;)
 
I have a couple of speakers (outdoor) in the changer area tied to an Old FM reciever. I play a classic rock station and it's on a timer. Houses are a couple hundred feet away.
 
Our washes are 50's themed so I use an ipod nano at each site that's set up to repeat a shuffled playlist of 50's rock & rockabilly, 24/7. I use a line-out from the Nano to a Denon amp and a power adapter powers the Nano through the dock connection.

The Denon amp is connected to an analog 24hr timer so it shuts off late at night but the Nano's continue to play all the time! That way, when the amp activates by the timer in the am, the source music is already playing. I don't touch a thing except for changing to an xmas playlist during the holidays.
No skipping CD's, no commercials and about 250 randomized songs for variety.

I tried a few of the apple docks but I had problems with the ipod's stopping play-back after a few days.

I find that the tunes put a smile on washers faces and lightens the mood dramatically. I use standard 8 inch in-ceiling flush speakers.
 
I just started doing this at our exterior tunnel. I have the speakers out at the self service vacuum area. I got 4 exterior Dayton speakers and a new Denon reciever. The reciever has network capability so I can use pandora, Internet radio, and lots of other options other than just radio. Should have done it years ago. Makes for a nice atmosphere.
 
I have been doing for some time now. I bought 3 sets of cheap outdoor speakers from Best Buy for ($28 a pair) and they are holding up unbelievably well. I bout a 20 watt amp from Radio Shack for $150. All is holding up great. Mounted one speaker in each SS bay and at each vac island. The biggest problem is getting the speaker wire out to the bays and islands. Place seems dead when the music is off. I think customer's sense the same thing. How many restaurants do you go to that do not have background music? They know it creates a certain ambiance.
 
Buzzie8 said:
I have been doing for some time now. I bought 3 sets of cheap outdoor speakers from Best Buy for ($28 a pair) and they are holding up unbelievably well. I bout a 20 watt amp from Radio Shack for $150. All is holding up great. Mounted one speaker in each SS bay and at each vac island. The biggest problem is getting the speaker wire out to the bays and islands. Place seems dead when the music is off. I think customer's sense the same thing. How many restaurants do you go to that do not have background music? They know it creates a certain ambiance.
Click to expand...

Thanks Buzz, does the radio shack amp have jacks for three sets of speakers? I thought all receivers only have a A & B ?
 
I forgot, I bought a little speaker junction box at Radio Shack too. I play all the music in mono, so it works just fine wiring the box to the "A" speakers to the box then out to the bays.
 
For the speakers in the bays, what is preferred? Flush mount or bracket mount. I would like to add music to our SS bays and think this is a good idea. Just wondering about vandalism and theft. Obviously flush mount speakers would deter theft, but then you have to cut big holes in the ceiling...
 
The cheap outdoor speakers I bought at Best Buy were not flush mount and still look good. I never had any vandalism other than someone taking out the speaker wires in the speakers located in the vac canopies. I guess they didn't like my music. Even if they are stolen or tampered with they only cost $28 a pair so it never worried me.
 
Hoser06 said:
Our washes are 50's themed so I use an ipod nano at each site that's set up to repeat a shuffled playlist of 50's rock & rockabilly, 24/7. I use a line-out from the Nano to a Denon amp and a power adapter powers the Nano through the dock connection.

The Denon amp is connected to an analog 24hr timer so it shuts off late at night but the Nano's continue to play all the time! That way, when the amp activates by the timer in the am, the source music is already playing. I don't touch a thing except for changing to an xmas playlist during the holidays.
No skipping CD's, no commercials and about 250 randomized songs for variety.

I tried a few of the apple docks but I had problems with the ipod's stopping play-back after a few days.

I find that the tunes put a smile on washers faces and lightens the mood dramatically. I use standard 8 inch in-ceiling flush speakers.
Click to expand...

Thanks, how does the Nano keep charged? What input on the receiver do you connect the Nano to?
 
You would have to keep the Nano attached to a charger.

You would use "LINE-IN" on a receiver like hooking up a tape deck.
 
I just use a tuner and outdoor speakers; 1 in each bay.

I have a local station play; adult contemporary format. I have neighbors so I turn it off at night.
 
Can you use google to see the link below...its the receiver I have hooked up, there is a picture of the back, can you see where I would connect a Ipod.


VSX-516-K|S - 7.1 A/V receiver with Sound Retriever | Pioneer ...
 
Well I got all set up and for some reason I cant turn the volume up very high? I have a powerful receiver with the switching relay from radio shack and the 3 set of speakers from Best Buy and not much sound!

What am I missing?
 
There might be an A/B switch on the receiver to control the speaker output. Take one speaker and connect it to the receiver without the radio shack switcher to rule that out. This should be a simple fix.
 
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