Nothing Special's '71 Bronco

[Gary Lewis]

.... Of course now you'll be able to hear some new troubling sound. (I suggest you turn up the radio)

We all tend to collect more tools as we go. Unfortunately a radio isn't one of the tools I have available in Pluto. Maybe I need to address that???

Cory - You may not be serious, but if I were driving a truck by myself mostly I'd be tempted to use Airpods. Our son got me some recently and I'm finding them quite useful. The bass from them is amazing, they are comfortable, and you'd have music, hands-free, and navigation all in one.

But you probably don't drive Pluto by yourself all that much, save for when you are wheeling, and then you'd want to concentrate on the task at hand rather than music. And you need to be able to hear the spotters. So they'd probably not work out well for you.

[BigBrother-84]

[..] I'd be tempted to use Airpods. Our son got me some recently and I'm finding them quite useful. The bass from them is amazing, they are comfortable, and you'd have music, hands-free, and navigation all in one.

Gary, if someday you come to drive in Quebec, just remember that it is strictly prohibited to drive while wearing headphones or earphones in both ears.

Same fo bicycles.

 

[ArdWrknTrk]

[..] I'd be tempted to use Airpods. Our son got me some recently and I'm finding them quite useful. The bass from them is amazing, they are comfortable, and you'd have music, hands-free, and navigation all in one.

Gary, if someday you come to drive in Quebec, just remember that it is strictly prohibited to drive while wearing headphones or earphones in both ears.

Same fo bicycles.

This is pretty common (at least here across the northeast)

[Gary Lewis]

This is pretty common (at least here across the northeast)

Pretty common to do or pretty common to be illegal, Jim?

Jeff - It is probably illegal here but is not enforced at all.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Pretty common to do or pretty common to be illegal, Jim?

Jeff - It is probably illegal here but is not enforced at all.

Against the law to wear anything over or in the ear (except hearing aids)

[BigBrother-84]

Pretty common to do or pretty common to be illegal, Jim?

Jeff - It is probably illegal here but is not enforced at all.

There is at least one policeman watching this here.

A friend of mine got a 100$ about that.

[Nothing Special]

There is at least one policeman watching this here.

A friend of mine got a 100$ about that.

A quick Google search says "You are not permitted to wear headsets in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington." By implication, in the other 35 states it's not illegal.

And in Minnesota Google says the law is "No person, while operating a motor vehicle, shall wear headphones or earphones that are used in both ears simultaneously for purposes of receiving or listening to broadcasts or reproductions from radios, tape decks, or other sound-producing or transmitting devices." California seems to be similar according to Google.

Take that for what it's worth. Neither I nor Google are an attorney!

As far as applying it to Pluto, I currently have no blue teeth in my life and I certainly don't see old-school Pluto being my first application! Pluto does actually have a stereo, but the seal at the bottom of his fold-down windshield leaks and water eventually renders the stereo inoperable. That's happened to him twice now, and I haven't got around to replacing it this time. I drove him down to Missouri in 2020 (600 miles each way), and have taken him on a number of hunting trips (a couple hours each way) since losing the stereo. So obviously I'm not one of the "gotta have my tunes" sort of guy. And while I do now have a cell phone , it rarely leaves the dining room table, so obviously the hands-free phone use isn't a factor. And I hate listening to a nav system. So I'm good with what I currently (don't) have!

[Gary Lewis]

A quick Google search says "You are not permitted to wear headsets in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington." By implication, in the other 35 states it's not illegal.

And in Minnesota Google says the law is "No person, while operating a motor vehicle, shall wear headphones or earphones that are used in both ears simultaneously for purposes of receiving or listening to broadcasts or reproductions from radios, tape decks, or other sound-producing or transmitting devices." California seems to be similar according to Google.

Take that for what it's worth. Neither I nor Google are an attorney!

As far as applying it to Pluto, I currently have no blue teeth in my life and I certainly don't see old-school Pluto being my first application! Pluto does actually have a stereo, but the seal at the bottom of his fold-down windshield leaks and water eventually renders the stereo inoperable. That's happened to him twice now, and I haven't got around to replacing it this time. I drove him down to Missouri in 2020 (600 miles each way), and have taken him on a number of hunting trips (a couple hours each way) since losing the stereo. So obviously I'm not one of the "gotta have my tunes" sort of guy. And while I do now have a cell phone , it rarely leaves the dining room table, so obviously the hands-free phone use isn't a factor. And I hate listening to a nav system. So I'm good with what I currently (don't) have!

I guess I'm just used to seeing them frequently here so had forgotten that they might be illegal in other places.

But I now remember reading an article about the flawed theory behind those laws. The idea was to ensure that drivers hear sirens, but none of the laws prevent either the auto manufacturers nor owners from "sound proofing" the vehicles. Manufacturers have gone a long way towards making the high-end vehicles as "quiet as a tomb", and some have applied active noise cancellation.

Which brings me back to the Airpods, which do have noise cancellation. It isn't so effective that I couldn't hear a siren, but I do understand that it could be a problem if I drove with my Airpods in and my 3M Workmate headphones over them, which I do when I'm mowing. That combo makes my JD commercial zero-turn so quiet I can hardly hear it, and would probably render a siren so quiet it would never be heard.

So I do understand the reason behind the laws and withdraw my suggestion.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I guess I'm just used to seeing them frequently here so had forgotten that they might be illegal in other places.

But I now remember reading an article about the flawed theory behind those laws. The idea was to ensure that drivers hear sirens, but none of the laws prevent either the auto manufacturers nor owners from "sound proofing" the vehicles. Manufacturers have gone a long way towards making the high-end vehicles as "quiet as a tomb", and some have applied active noise cancellation.

Which brings me back to the Airpods, which do have noise cancellation. It isn't so effective that I couldn't hear a siren, but I do understand that it could be a problem if I drove with my Airpods in and my 3M Workmate headphones over them, which I do when I'm mowing. That combo makes my JD commercial zero-turn so quiet I can hardly hear it, and would probably render a siren so quiet it would never be heard.

So I do understand the reason behind the laws and withdraw my suggestion.

Even these ricers with stereos so loud that the body and trim rattles.

That's a big reason that all police and fire apparatus around here have whooping bass speakers along with their sirens.

Not sure why CT isn't on that list. My little brother is pretty knowledgeable about regulations, having 27 years on the PD.

SO.... how much soundproofing do you have in your truck, Gary?

[Gary Lewis]

Even these ricers with stereos so loud that the body and trim rattles.

That's a big reason that all police and fire apparatus around here have whooping bass speakers along with their sirens.

Not sure why CT isn't on that list. My little brother is pretty knowledgeable about regulations, having 27 years on the PD.

SO.... how much soundproofing do you have in your truck, Gary?

Not THAT much. There's one lay of sound deadening and a layer of foam, but that doesn't kill the road noise of the tires nor the nice sounds that emerge from the headers & Magnaflows. So even with that, listening to the "radio" gets old pretty quickly as you have to crank it up.

When I'm by myself on drives I often do crank it up, but when someone else is in with me I don't bother as they either don't appreciate the combined loudness or want to talk - or both.

And then there was the issue with the Garmin Montana insisting on hogging the Bluetooth and the Sony couldn't connect to my iPhone. I finally figured out how to turn BT off on the Garmin so now I can use the Sony.