@tysontomko I guarantee you it has dried out by now. But on a serious note, refurbishment means any defects have been corrected… and that would include drying off the speaker before packaging.
I miss the Libratone speakers you guys pushed on us for years! You got me hooked, and now you try to substitute with this. I mean, I will still buy one; I need my speaker fix, but please send me a Libratone. I know you still have one in a break room or something somewhere. Thanks!
@Num1Zero My first one I purchased here is still going strong, although it looks like it’s been thrown off a mountain (which it sort of has).
After receiving my initial speaker, I was so pleased with the sound I bought a back up-- it’s still in the shipping box awaiting the sad day when the first one takes its last tumble.
I still hold out hope Meh will discover a pallet of them tucked away so I can get one more to keep at the family cabin since the speaker is just big enough to be a pain when packing gear for a trip.
@LaVikinga@Num1Zero
Due to the nature of the lithium ion batteries in those I would suggest that you need to charge it at least every 6 months or so to keep the battery healthy.
@chienfou Yes, even cells that nominally have protection circuitry may be subject to death-dealing self-discharge, and the lesson that a full discharge means an unrecoverable battery is one that can be expensive to learn. OTOH, taking them to a full charge incessantly isn’t a good idea either, yet the number of chargers designed to keep such cells at a safe maintenance level is microscopic.
@LaVikinga
I’ve actually had remarkably good luck with stuff that I did that with. Just know that if it totally discharges you’re going to be dead in the water…
I try to make a sweep through all my seldom used lithium ion products with batteries that don’t get used much. Things like the auto tire inflator and jump starters in the car, SUP battery packs for inflators etc etc. Once every 6 months or a year seems to make the process tolerable and goes a long way towards extending the expected life of your products.
@chienfou That’s a good tip! Getting on a set re-charge schedule for EVERYTHING which requires battery charging makes sense since we’re already doing something similar when we prep for hurricane season, or when we replace the batteries in a smoke detector every time we adjust the clocks for DST.
@Num1Zero Ah yes, May 19 2021 at 12:53 PM EST, I remember it well. Out of two, the first one died in July 23’ of natural causes (battery). The other is still rocking. Thanks, Meh website people!
Truly 10 batteries inside? It’s not an unreasonable number, given the claim of 10W output for 30 hours. {Edit: That was a typo that got fixed really fast, it appears. just one battery.}
Also, I will note that “Lithium Ion” is a nonspecific term applicable to any type of battery that employs a lithium-based chemistry. Its usage here merely means that they are not being specific about exactly which chemistry is used inside these units.
Why are some of the models shown with a set of car keys? Unless I’m missing something, I don’t get the sense there is any interaction with your vehicles locking/security system.
@stolicat@werehatrack I get that there is an official scale banana and pie in that picture, but what my eyes are instantly drawn to is the state of that grout *shudder .
@DLPanther I did (they blamed me but it was my room-mate that fumbled the hand-off) drop their boat keys into SF bay at Pier 39. I was surprised that (1) he didn’t grab it even though he claimed I dropped it in the water and (2) it didn’t have one of those floaty keychain buoys people with boats usually used. So the keys are probably still there in the bay mud.
I think he had to have his dad drive up another set of keys and I reluctantly agreed to pay $50 for new keys. But sailing on the bay was worth it.
@jeffreywsnyder More important, the unstated “up to” also means “We managed to kinda get it to work at this distance under conditions that you’ll never be able to duplicate, so figure that half of this is really the best you’ll get, and a lot less than that when the microwave is running.”
Or maybe that’s the range it achieved when flung by their trebuchet, in which case they were doing it wrong.
@MrJazz@spavlis I have a lot of products (stored indoors at room temp) that are disgustingly-sticky with that rubbery feel coating. Funniest was an older Microsoft wireless mouse (does Microsoft still make mice? I hope not. Leave it to Logitech) the mouse might work fine but disgusting to use unless you coat it with tape or a plastic bag. It’s in my e-recycle pile now.
@MrJazz@pmarin@spavlis I’ve been able to remove that sticky surface crud with isopropyl alcohol when it’s on hard plastic, but if the sticky is on the surface of that loathesome “soft grip” shit that encrusts the handles of way too many screwdrivers and hammers now, there’s no solution that doesn’t involve stripping the entire putrid mass and then building it back up with epoxy and/or wrapping it with leather. That’s even more annoying than the butyrate screwdriver handles that start to stink of acetic acid and then crumble, or the polyurethane-coated dead blow hammers that look like they’re growing a fungus before they disintegrate into dust.
(Ima looking at you, Snap-on!)
@MrJazz I have a Lifejacket speaker (probably a 2 unless the 3 model has been out for 5-10 years) and it has not gotten the icky sticky. So, for whatever that’s worth.
@pixelated I always wonder about the battery in refurbished products. Was a new battery installed as part of the refurbishment? Or, what all was wrong with the product that ended up in the return bin for refurb and resale?
@mediocrebot@werehatrack So ants are OK now? I was thinking the bot server was at one time attacked by ants. And if it’s in Texas, probably those biting red ants.
What else is it afraid of?
Uncles
Brain worms
Killer bees
Murder hornets
Rabid raccoons
Rabid politicians
My first thought when I saw this was “oh cool a life jacket with Bluetooth speakers”!
That would allow me to water ski while listening to music out on the lake wirelessly from the towboat. Yeah… that’s going to happen
@blaineg Just wait till the 1970s for Quadraphonic!
Of course the multi-channel is widely used now for movies and some other things in the digital realm. But doing it in a purely-analog world was a challenge and ultimately not a commercial success.
The moment I saw this deal, I thought “This speaks to me.” I bought two, one for the left channel and one for the right channel. Oh… that’s not how they work?
I use the basic lifejacket one as a shower speaker. It’s small enough to fit on the little “ledge” made up by the shower. Works great for it! Easy pairing and lasts a while. Had it for quite a few years without any issues.
@ferretferret
How’s the sound quality? I want one so I don’t have to put my earbuds in while cleaning but often go from room to room. Will it be loud enough with out crappy distortion?
So, for the record, if you want a proper Zaireeka listening party, you’d need 200 minis, with 50 each paired to four separate devices playing the different discs.
Specs
Product: Altec Lansing LifeJacket Waterproof Bluetooth Speakers (Refurbished)
Model: RBIMW449-BLK-STK-20, RBIMW449-MTG-STK-20, RBIMW478-BLK-STK-20, RBIMW478-RED-STK-20, RBIMW478-RYB-STK-20, RBIMW479L-BLK-STK-20, RBIMW479L-RYB-STK-20, RBIMW578-MTG-STK-12, RBIMW578-RYB-STK-12
Condition: Refurbished
Altec Lansing Jacket H2O Bluetooth Speaker
Altec Lansing Mini Life Jacket 3 Bluetooth Speaker
Altec Lansing Mini Lifejacket Jolt With Lights Bluetooth Speaker
Altec Lansing Lifejacket 3 Bluetooth Speaker
What’s Included?
OR
OR
OR
Price Comparison
$49.99-$79.99 at Amazon
H20 4
Mini LifeJacket 3
Mini LifeJacket Jolt
LifeJacket 3
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Nov 25 - Tuesday, Nov 26
Water proof or water resistant?
@yakkoTDI IP67, so waterproof. IP65 & IP66 are considered water resistant.
I’ll buy a refurb phone, receiver or even a non-priority huge referb hard drive but I just can’t buy a refurb possibly wet bluetooth speaker
@tysontomko I guarantee you it has dried out by now. But on a serious note, refurbishment means any defects have been corrected… and that would include drying off the speaker before packaging.
Ehhh, those are awfully small speakers, Doc.
@werehatrack maybe they are just big giant cartoon car keys. Maybe they fit The Homer.
Looks like a 2010s era Accord key/fob which I don’t think is ~6" long but it is kind of a big honking key so maybe.
@werehatrack I see what you did there!
Meh getting back to it’s roots. BT speakers, pool ready, at the start of winter. I expect a knife tomorrow…
@ergomeh So far back to its roots that we’re getting a micro-usb charging port. Partying like it’s 2012!
@ergomeh @simtel20 I’d like to request an optimization of the timeline so that I can party like it’s the end of 2010.
I miss the Libratone speakers you guys pushed on us for years! You got me hooked, and now you try to substitute with this. I mean, I will still buy one; I need my speaker fix, but please send me a Libratone. I know you still have one in a break room or something somewhere. Thanks!
@Num1Zero man, those libratones are really good speakers! But these are also speakers, so we must also get them, right?
@Num1Zero My first one I purchased here is still going strong, although it looks like it’s been thrown off a mountain (which it sort of has).
After receiving my initial speaker, I was so pleased with the sound I bought a back up-- it’s still in the shipping box awaiting the sad day when the first one takes its last tumble.
I still hold out hope Meh will discover a pallet of them tucked away so I can get one more to keep at the family cabin since the speaker is just big enough to be a pain when packing gear for a trip.
@Num1Zero I can’t believe I don’t remember what they look like. I’ve bought a lot of speakers from meh.
@LaVikinga @Num1Zero
Due to the nature of the lithium ion batteries in those I would suggest that you need to charge it at least every 6 months or so to keep the battery healthy.
@chienfou Yes, even cells that nominally have protection circuitry may be subject to death-dealing self-discharge, and the lesson that a full discharge means an unrecoverable battery is one that can be expensive to learn. OTOH, taking them to a full charge incessantly isn’t a good idea either, yet the number of chargers designed to keep such cells at a safe maintenance level is microscopic.
@chienfou Oh, dear. Guess I’m going to be forced to pop the seal, plug it in, and hope for the best.
@LaVikinga
I’ve actually had remarkably good luck with stuff that I did that with. Just know that if it totally discharges you’re going to be dead in the water…
I try to make a sweep through all my seldom used lithium ion products with batteries that don’t get used much. Things like the auto tire inflator and jump starters in the car, SUP battery packs for inflators etc etc. Once every 6 months or a year seems to make the process tolerable and goes a long way towards extending the expected life of your products.
@chienfou That’s a good tip! Getting on a set re-charge schedule for EVERYTHING which requires battery charging makes sense since we’re already doing something similar when we prep for hurricane season, or when we replace the batteries in a smoke detector every time we adjust the clocks for DST.
@Num1Zero Ah yes, May 19 2021 at 12:53 PM EST, I remember it well. Out of two, the first one died in July 23’ of natural causes (battery). The other is still rocking. Thanks, Meh website people!
Truly 10 batteries inside? It’s not an unreasonable number, given the claim of 10W output for 30 hours. {Edit: That was a typo that got fixed really fast, it appears. just one battery.}
Also, I will note that “Lithium Ion” is a nonspecific term applicable to any type of battery that employs a lithium-based chemistry. Its usage here merely means that they are not being specific about exactly which chemistry is used inside these units.
@werehatrack does “lithium-based chemistry” include the possibility that these are powered by a tiny schizophrenic on lithium?
@warpedrotors No, because that would be trafficking.
@warpedrotors @werehatrack
Schizo-trafficking?
Why are some of the models shown with a set of car keys? Unless I’m missing something, I don’t get the sense there is any interaction with your vehicles locking/security system.
edit: vehicle’s.
@stolicat Just to show how mini they are, I think.
@stolicat Keys for scale, because they didn’t have an official banana for scale.
@stolicat Or vehicles’, depending on the size of your fleet.
@stolicat @werehatrack THE banana for scale.
@rpstrong @stolicat
I resemble that remark, embarrassingly.
@stolicat @werehatrack I get that there is an official scale banana and pie in that picture, but what my eyes are instantly drawn to is the state of that grout *shudder
.
@die13lda @stolicat @werehatrack brutal about the grout comment! But don’t take any pics from my kitchen please.
Dimensions of Jolt model “7.6"D x 8.3"W x 3.4"H” looks wrong, can someone check?
Yeah the Libratones were nice.
@phr Dims have been corrected - basically same size as the Mini Life Jacket 3
@phr Those are big ass keys.
Don’t take anything on a boat you’re not willing to lose.
@DLPanther So, inlaws are OK?
@DLPanther @macromeh If inlaws, use a disposable boat.
@DLPanther I did (they blamed me but it was my room-mate that fumbled the hand-off) drop their boat keys into SF bay at Pier 39. I was surprised that (1) he didn’t grab it even though he claimed I dropped it in the water and (2) it didn’t have one of those floaty keychain buoys people with boats usually used. So the keys are probably still there in the bay mud.
I think he had to have his dad drive up another set of keys and I reluctantly agreed to pay $50 for new keys. But sailing on the bay was worth it.
“RANGE” likely means hearing distance, NOT BlueTooth range.
@jeffreywsnyder where would you get an idea like that?
@jeffreywsnyder More important, the unstated “up to” also means “We managed to kinda get it to work at this distance under conditions that you’ll never be able to duplicate, so figure that half of this is really the best you’ll get, and a lot less than that when the microwave is running.”
Or maybe that’s the range it achieved when flung by their trebuchet, in which case they were doing it wrong.
@jeffreywsnyder @werehatrack
Bluetooth isnt really quite that bad is it ?
I always figured the real max range under great conditions was usually at least 50.0000001% of the advertised value.
*If it was a decent brand name…
@jeffreywsnyder @werehatrack
PS
Flinging Bluetooth speaker speakers by trebuchet is never “doing it wrong”
/giphy trebuchet launch
Giphy \pitiful-nonsensical-grass
/giphy pitiful-nonsensical-grass
Hooray. I did it.
Those car keys for scale are really no help, are they.
@Stumpy91 I hope they’re not like the keys to my Matchbox Porsche…
@ItalianScallion @Stumpy91 That’s why they need an Official Banana For Scale. (Illustrated elsewhere.)
Sadly, they’re sprayed with that “rubberized” coating everybody thought we wanted. Which seems cool until a year later when it turns to fly paper…
@MrJazz only if you get it wet and leave it in the sun.
Oh…
@MrJazz @spavlis I have a lot of products (stored indoors at room temp) that are disgustingly-sticky with that rubbery feel coating. Funniest was an older Microsoft wireless mouse (does Microsoft still make mice? I hope not. Leave it to Logitech) the mouse might work fine but disgusting to use unless you coat it with tape or a plastic bag. It’s in my e-recycle pile now.
@MrJazz So, dual purpose? Sweet!
@MrJazz @pmarin @spavlis I’ve been able to remove that sticky surface crud with isopropyl alcohol when it’s on hard plastic, but if the sticky is on the surface of that loathesome “soft grip” shit that encrusts the handles of way too many screwdrivers and hammers now, there’s no solution that doesn’t involve stripping the entire putrid mass and then building it back up with epoxy and/or wrapping it with leather. That’s even more annoying than the butyrate screwdriver handles that start to stink of acetic acid and then crumble, or the polyurethane-coated dead blow hammers that look like they’re growing a fungus before they disintegrate into dust.
(Ima looking at you, Snap-on!)
OBTW, I fucking HATE “soft grip” tools.
@MrJazz @pmarin @spavlis @werehatrack
When rebuilding your screwdriver handles, try using
Sugru- it’s pretty handy:
https://www.amazon.com/Sugru-Tesa-Household-Everything-Personalizing/dp/B089WHGQDP
or its clone/sorta copycat: Fixits:
https://www.amazon.com/FixIts-Pack-Sticks-
Mouldable-Protecting/dp/B07KW7F57L?th=1
Or make your own analog:
https://www.instructables.com/How-To-Make-Your-Own-Sugru-Substitute/
The second 2 were news to me, as was the sale of Sugru to Tesa:
https://annemiltenburg.medium.com/fix-that-brand-d6aaee471796#:~:text=As a tiny investor and,cup or protect a smartphone.
@MrJazz I have a Lifejacket speaker (probably a 2 unless the 3 model has been out for 5-10 years) and it has not gotten the icky sticky. So, for whatever that’s worth.
@MrJazz @PhysAssist @pmarin @spavlis @werehatrack
I think that for serious tennis players at tennis racket handles get re-wrapped periodically
That stuff that they use might be worth trying on tools
Obviously with both activities you need a really good grip
@f00l @MrJazz @PhysAssist @pmarin @spavlis @werehatrack get the tape they sell for hockey sticks, used on both the grip and the blade. Holds up really well and gives a good grip.
But you can pair up to 50 speakers!
@tru335 But can you BUY 50 speakers?
@blaineg @tru335
Ssssssshhhhhh
Multiple accounts. Multiple shipping addresses. Don’t say it out loud.
/giphy whisper
It doesn’t say who refurbished these.
It could be Altec Lansing, or your neighbor Hector.
@pixelated I always wonder about the battery in refurbished products. Was a new battery installed as part of the refurbishment? Or, what all was wrong with the product that ended up in the return bin for refurb and resale?
@pixelated Hey now. Hector did a great job refurbishing my pacemak-
you’re an all-star
@mediocrebot that’s from bot? Have we discovered a new trigger word for bot?
Hey Now, it would be awesome if bot was learning new ways to torment us!
you’re an all-star
@mediocrebot @pmarin That reaction from m-bot has been around for ages. At least it doesn’t respond to mentions of ants anymore.
@mediocrebot @pmarin @werehatrack
Hey @mediocrebot, you’re awesome!
EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!
@mediocrebot @werehatrack So ants are OK now? I was thinking the bot server was at one time attacked by ants. And if it’s in Texas, probably those biting red ants.
What else is it afraid of?
Uncles
Brain worms
Killer bees
Murder hornets
Rabid raccoons
Rabid politicians
My first thought when I saw this was “oh cool a life jacket with Bluetooth speakers”!
That would allow me to water ski while listening to music out on the lake wirelessly from the towboat. Yeah… that’s going to happen
I have enough bluetooth speakers now, but I could use some good earbuds again since I swam with my better ones in my pocket this summer.
@IAMIS I have enough bluetooth speakers now too. You’d think that would keep me from buying more, but noooo.
Stereo? What is this witchcraft?
@blaineg Just wait till the 1970s for Quadraphonic!
Of course the multi-channel is widely used now for movies and some other things in the digital realm. But doing it in a purely-analog world was a challenge and ultimately not a commercial success.
/giphy vile-square-fighter
The moment I saw this deal, I thought “This speaks to me.” I bought two, one for the left channel and one for the right channel. Oh… that’s not how they work?
@ItalianScallion That is how they work! That’s what True Wireless Stereo (TWS) means
@troy Oh god, I hope I didn’t buy two left-channel ones. Whole Lotta Love just won’t sound right.
I use the basic lifejacket one as a shower speaker. It’s small enough to fit on the little “ledge” made up by the shower. Works great for it! Easy pairing and lasts a while. Had it for quite a few years without any issues.
@ferretferret
How’s the sound quality? I want one so I don’t have to put my earbuds in while cleaning but often go from room to room. Will it be loud enough with out crappy distortion?
Is the mini LJ3 the only one with aux? Or do the other models have aux too?
@bigfluffypillow Looks like mini LJ3 has Jack in the back. And Jolt has Jack on the side. Can’t see from photos about the others.
So, for the record, if you want a proper Zaireeka listening party, you’d need 200 minis, with 50 each paired to four separate devices playing the different discs.
I’ve been looking for a more direct shower speaker. This sounds good.
lengthy-paramount-shadow
I just wanted to say that I understood the Zaireeka reference (i worked at a cd store in the 90s and had friends with car cd players).