Today I am thinking of emphasizing a few facts that I glossed over in my introduction post. First of all I want to look at the most obvious advantage and see if it really is as advantageous as claimed by pundits of wireless outdoor speakers i.e: portability and range. So we all know that wireless outdoor speakers work on 900Mhz frequency band used in cordless phones and GSM network.
Do they have the range as advertised?
Well theoretical range depends on many factors, including the transmit power, environment conditions, receiver sensitivity, interference level etc… Generally it is better to think of the range of 300 feet radius as a maximum for transmitters with normal power in good weather conditions. If you want to enjoy music at a range close to that then expecting these to deliver high quality is not realistic. So I would say that you apply the 2/3 rule meaning if you want all weather distance of 200feet then go for one with 300feet range, and if you want 150 feet go for one with at least225 feet. This is not a hardcore rule, but something you should look into if you do not want to be disappointed.
Do they go through walls?
Yes, this frequency does go through walls, we know that simply because cell phones and cordless phones also work inside when you are separated from base station by several walls.
Are they portable?
Hmm, it is a yes and no. The catch hear is the power supply. Yes you can go for either wall socket(need wires) or batteries. Indoor speakers working on batteries are not a big issue as power sockets are available in almost any room inside the house, but wireless outdoor speakers used outdoors may not have that luxury. o9fcourse you can go for the batteries making it truly portable but at the same time means you have to take lot of batteries if you are going on a trip.
I hear they can interfere with other wireless devices?
Yes, sadly any two devices working on the same frequency range can interfere with each other. So there is a tendency for wireless outdoor speakers to interfere with cordless phones and baby monitors, but let me assure you the effect is minimal. additionally most manufactures now offer a knob that can be used to adjust the frequency in a given range if you find any such interference.
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