Leaving radio on in the shop?

[CARMandP]

I was talking a few months ago to an old-timer who has been building race engines for 50 plus years and he mentioned something about never turning his radio off in the shop. I am wondering if anyone has ever heard the significance or reason behind this? You could bearly hear the radio was on but thought it was interesting.

[Gonzo]

I guess I fall under the category of "Old Timer" now... My shop radio has never been shut off since I opened my shop some 28 years ago. Several years ago the one channel went out so I wired all the speakers to the same channel. But, it's on all the time in the background.

 

Why? I don't know, it's just is...........

 

 

 

I was talking a few months ago to an old-timer who has been building race engines for 50 plus years and he mentioned something about never turning his radio off in the shop. I am wondering if anyone has ever heard the significance or reason behind this? You could bearly hear the radio was on but thought it was interesting.

[DUFRESNES]

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[DUFRESNES]

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[GeeZ]

I don't know if it is right or not. Our Techs have their radios going all the time. They don't talk to customers, usually. If we have to take a customer back to see something on their car, the techs are really good about turning down or off their radios. If it makes them happy and work better, I don't care. The cell phones, texting, craigs list, facebook etc do drive me crazy. We try to control it, but I don't see how you can control it 100%.

 

As long as they are not playing rap or worse "gansta" rap, it is ok with me.

[CARMandP]

We have country on the radio here (which I don't really care for but don't mind) It could be worse like was mentioned.

[Gonzo]

Mine is on a mix station, that way nobody complains.... but, after a while I gotta change the station... they keep playing the same songs over and over and over..... LOL

 

We have country on the radio here (which I don't really care for but don't mind) It could be worse like was mentioned.

[Joe Marconi]

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[TheTrustedMechanic]

I was talking a few months ago to an old-timer who has been building race engines for 50 plus years and he mentioned something about never turning his radio off in the shop. I am wondering if anyone has ever heard the significance or reason behind this? You could bearly hear the radio was on but thought it was interesting.

 

I'm a one man shop right now and usually have the radio on. On occasion I'll turn it off just for the peace and quiet, or so I can inspect for a noise or something similar. When I worked at other shops some had NO RADIO policies, others had, "It's OK if nobody complains," policies. The no radio shops were strictly because the foreman didn't like that, "Junk you kids listen too." I guess since it wasn't a wax cylinder Victrola it was too new-fangled. One shop was no radio in the new shop, a fire destroyed the first building and everything in it including a '73 Jensen Intercerptor), although the owner's kid could have his radio. This guy was a joke, I called him "master mechanic" because he could do only brakes and then only on cars for a used car lot because he had no certifications. Enough of the rant though, I've only ever heard one good excuse for no radios, and that's when the techs in the shop get into "radio wars" where each one tries to outdo each other with volume. Then it's a destructive environment.

[tireandautotoronto]

We used to blare the music at our shop, but now we don't have it so loud. I think everyone can think straighter with the music quieter. 

[JimO]

I allow the radio to be on but it has to be a music station. Music, when played at a respectable volume does not hinder productivity as far as I can tell. Talk radio on the other hand reduces productivity since a tech or worse yet multiple techs will pause and limit noisy activity to be able to hear the discussion on the talk show. Additional time is then wasted when the techs render their opinion on the subject at hand, all work stops for a verbal review, not good. Another problem is that some talk radio station topics or hosts can be rather questionable and often step over the line considering anyone could be listening. On nice days with all of the doors open this questionable content can be a problem since customers, in particular women and young children, are within ear shot. Everyone in the shop is similar in age so the music station selected is never an issue. My one tech started changing the station to classical music after all the jobs are done and the shop is shut down and quiet. I have never liked classical music but when played in the background at the end of a busy day it seems to have a subtle calming effect. I never thought I would say that.

[HPINAZ]

An "old timer" told me he leaves it on to scare away potential break ins when the shop is closed. The thought process is the would be thief would here the radio and think someone is still inside. 

[Martin]

On 3/4/2011 at 6:56 AM, CARMandP said:

I was talking a few months ago to an old-timer who has been building race engines for 50 plus years and he mentioned something about never turning his radio off in the shop. I am wondering if anyone has ever heard the significance or reason behind this? You could bearly hear the radio was on but thought it was interesting.

Way back then the believe was that the radio internals get hot, when switched off it will form condensation and eventually blew the caps & resistors leaving the radio useless.

My radio in the shop has been on for the past 24 years non stop.