What I see out my back door just past the pool
- By kimkats
- The Coffee Bar
- 14 Replies
I live in Heaven! We get visited quite often by them.
Can you see the kitty watching the deer? She often goes out to sniff noses with them! She knows NO fear!
Kim
Can you see the kitty watching the deer? She often goes out to sniff noses with them! She knows NO fear!
Kim
How the pool world can help the real World
- By kimkats
- The Coffee Bar
- 13 Replies
Light it up-safely. Grill out. Stay home. Save money. Love what’s important.
Times like these will clearly alter our daily lives and up coming Summer vacations. Many of you will likely forgo your trip out of town and instead choose to stay home. Many also will likely find the desire to clamp down on spending as the uncertainty grows. We'd like to share some tips on how to turn your pool into a low cost stay home resort. We'd also like to hear of some project's from our users how they're altering their backyard into a high class resort.
Want to spruce up your screened in porch or pergola? How about some inexpensive sheer curtains to dress it up. Use some leftover PVC, steel conduit pipes or plumbing fixtures to use as the curtain rods along with some inexpensive indoor curtains then add these lights: Amazon.com: Twinkle Star 300 LED Window Curtain String Light Wedding Party Home Garden Bedroom Outdoor Indoor Wall Decorations, Warm White: Home & Kitchen or plastic encased rope LED lights along the top to cast a soft glow on the while area.
Plants-You want gardens to look somewhat like nature may have grown these plants together. Potted plants should be in groupings, and if in the ground intersperse compatible plants together. Remember the rule of thumb for potted plants- you want a “Thriller, Filler and Spiller”. One particularly amazing plant such a tall plant, and then fill in the pot with another lower plant, and finally something that will spill over the side of the pot.
You can also make some thing like this:
Here is a link to the thread about how do make this: Skippy's New Fountain
Now tell us YOUR ideas!
A special THANK YOU to @poolnoobgrandma for the "beach" picture and @YippeeSkippy for the picture and how to thread.
Kitchen, Pool, Pavilion after 5 years of planning
- By goody222
- The Coffee Bar
- 15 Replies
After many years of planning, we went from an empty backyard to this. This coming summer will be our 3rd with this setup. Had a lot of fun planning this. The night lighting is one of my favorite parts, as well as the Sonos speakers near the ceiling. Creates a great atmosphere at night!
What else is your pool good for?
- By oneatxpool
- The Coffee Bar
- 31 Replies
Pool noodles are boring. And swimming gets old. 
Shade Sail Project
- By tclayton10
- The Coffee Bar
- 15 Replies
My pool is in direct sunlight 100% of the time during daylight hours, so I've been wanting to add some shade over the pool as my pool temp from July through September can reach as high as 95 degrees. Screen enclosures are much too expensive in SE Texas, so I decided to install shade sails to try to help provide some solar relief. After finally getting approval for the project from my HOA board of directors at the end of July, I was able to start the project this past Friday and complete it in two days.
I installed two 24-ft equilateral triangle sails supported by 6x6x14' pressure treated pine posts, a strategically placed 6" eye lag bolt into my 2nd floor joists, and varying lengths of 2000# WLL chain. Here are some photos of the project.
This first photo shows the tow-behind auger I used to dig the three post holes. I wanted to go 48" deep, but I just couldn't get there with this auger and stopped at 42". I would have had to rent a skid steer with auger attachment to go deeper. Pro tip: If you have hard soil, use a smaller auger to get to the desired hole depth, then a larger auger to get to the desired hole width. I started with a 6" auger and finished with a 10" auger. And I also found out that a powered auger drills a hole 2" larger than the auger. So my 10" auger provided a 12" wide hole - exactly what I wanted.
The next two photos show the posts in the holes before being leveled and set using Secure Set instead of concrete. The posts were delivered as 6x6x16', but since my connection points were only 9' above ground, I cut off 2 1/2' while the poles were still on the ground, making the poles much easier to muscle into the hole. I also mounted the eyebolt (3/8"x6" stainless steel) while the poles were on the ground too. This made the overall above ground pole height 10' after accounting for the 3 1/2' in the ground.
As I mentioned above, I did not use concrete to set the posts; instead I used a product I found online called Secure Set (www.secureset.net). This is a foam product that ships in two liquid parts and is mixed like epoxy, then quickly poured as a soupy liquid into the post hole. The mix begins to rise as foam in less than a minute, and the hole was completely filled in about 2 minutes. The cool part about this stuff is that the pole braces can come off in 5-10 minutes, and the foam is TOTALLY cured and ready for tension in one hour. My project took 3 gallons (1 1/2 gallons of each part). So instead of moving over a ton of concrete mix (Quikrete website indicated EIGHT HUNDRED POUNDS PER HOLE!), I only had to move a few ounces of mix at a time. Since it expands and compresses against the soil (think of a blood pressure cuff) until it can't expand anymore, it is ideal for highly compressed soil like the hard clay we have in SE Texas. After applying full tension to the sails (approaching 1000 pounds), the posts are still perfectly plumb. The cost once you get to this volume is cheaper than concrete. Highly recommended. The photo below shows the foam in its final risen state; I have not gone back and trimmed the foam or backfilled the dirt up to the post.
At the house, I used a 1/2"x6" eye lag bolt as the final attchment point. I was able to determine where my 2nd floor plywood subfloor began, so I predrilled through the Hardiplank, sheathing, floor joists and into the subfloor plywood the full 6 inch depth. I think the side of the house would fall down before the eyebolt would come out!
After the posts were set, it was just a matter of attaching each sail to the posts and to the house using 2000# WLL chain and turnbuckles, getting the chain as tight as possible by hand while leaving the turnbuckles totally extended. This is the first sail before being tensioned.
I then used a ratchet strap to put tension on each leg of the sail (and moving the chain links up while doing so), until the strap was as tight as I could get it. I then used the turnbuckle to finish the tensioning. This photo is of both sails almost fully tensioned.
Although the temp has not yet dropped from the 90 degree mark it was at when I started the project Friday morning, the comfort level just moving from the sun to under the sails makes the water much more tolerable. We are expecting rain here the next couple of days, so that will hopefully lower the water temp a bit and I can really see if it's going to make the difference I believe it will.
I have a video of the finished project, but it is too large to upload, so I'll try to edit it down some and post it later.
I would estimate that I spent about $650 on this project, including the auger rental. The only thing I would do differently would be to rent the skid steer auger.
Let me know what you think!
I installed two 24-ft equilateral triangle sails supported by 6x6x14' pressure treated pine posts, a strategically placed 6" eye lag bolt into my 2nd floor joists, and varying lengths of 2000# WLL chain. Here are some photos of the project.
This first photo shows the tow-behind auger I used to dig the three post holes. I wanted to go 48" deep, but I just couldn't get there with this auger and stopped at 42". I would have had to rent a skid steer with auger attachment to go deeper. Pro tip: If you have hard soil, use a smaller auger to get to the desired hole depth, then a larger auger to get to the desired hole width. I started with a 6" auger and finished with a 10" auger. And I also found out that a powered auger drills a hole 2" larger than the auger. So my 10" auger provided a 12" wide hole - exactly what I wanted.
The next two photos show the posts in the holes before being leveled and set using Secure Set instead of concrete. The posts were delivered as 6x6x16', but since my connection points were only 9' above ground, I cut off 2 1/2' while the poles were still on the ground, making the poles much easier to muscle into the hole. I also mounted the eyebolt (3/8"x6" stainless steel) while the poles were on the ground too. This made the overall above ground pole height 10' after accounting for the 3 1/2' in the ground.
As I mentioned above, I did not use concrete to set the posts; instead I used a product I found online called Secure Set (www.secureset.net). This is a foam product that ships in two liquid parts and is mixed like epoxy, then quickly poured as a soupy liquid into the post hole. The mix begins to rise as foam in less than a minute, and the hole was completely filled in about 2 minutes. The cool part about this stuff is that the pole braces can come off in 5-10 minutes, and the foam is TOTALLY cured and ready for tension in one hour. My project took 3 gallons (1 1/2 gallons of each part). So instead of moving over a ton of concrete mix (Quikrete website indicated EIGHT HUNDRED POUNDS PER HOLE!), I only had to move a few ounces of mix at a time. Since it expands and compresses against the soil (think of a blood pressure cuff) until it can't expand anymore, it is ideal for highly compressed soil like the hard clay we have in SE Texas. After applying full tension to the sails (approaching 1000 pounds), the posts are still perfectly plumb. The cost once you get to this volume is cheaper than concrete. Highly recommended. The photo below shows the foam in its final risen state; I have not gone back and trimmed the foam or backfilled the dirt up to the post.
At the house, I used a 1/2"x6" eye lag bolt as the final attchment point. I was able to determine where my 2nd floor plywood subfloor began, so I predrilled through the Hardiplank, sheathing, floor joists and into the subfloor plywood the full 6 inch depth. I think the side of the house would fall down before the eyebolt would come out!
After the posts were set, it was just a matter of attaching each sail to the posts and to the house using 2000# WLL chain and turnbuckles, getting the chain as tight as possible by hand while leaving the turnbuckles totally extended. This is the first sail before being tensioned.
I then used a ratchet strap to put tension on each leg of the sail (and moving the chain links up while doing so), until the strap was as tight as I could get it. I then used the turnbuckle to finish the tensioning. This photo is of both sails almost fully tensioned.
Although the temp has not yet dropped from the 90 degree mark it was at when I started the project Friday morning, the comfort level just moving from the sun to under the sails makes the water much more tolerable. We are expecting rain here the next couple of days, so that will hopefully lower the water temp a bit and I can really see if it's going to make the difference I believe it will.
I have a video of the finished project, but it is too large to upload, so I'll try to edit it down some and post it later.
I would estimate that I spent about $650 on this project, including the auger rental. The only thing I would do differently would be to rent the skid steer auger.
Let me know what you think!
Night pools
- By Wobblerlorri
- The Coffee Bar
- 36 Replies
Let's start a thread showing our night lighting of our pools! Just to brag or to provide ideas for folks in how their pool will look at night with certain types of lighting.
Here's mine -- 14' diameter AGP strung with 50 ft of IP67 waterproof fairy lights, solar powered.
I have to admit, I'm astounded at how much light these little guys put out.
Here's mine -- 14' diameter AGP strung with 50 ft of IP67 waterproof fairy lights, solar powered.
I have to admit, I'm astounded at how much light these little guys put out.
Splitting plants is a good thing
- By jimim
- The Coffee Bar
- 50 Replies
p
I posted pics last year of my plan to do around my pool. The idea was to be a mono color look you would see in an English garden with very easy care.
I split 9 daylilies that were 5 yrs or so old into over 42 plants.
It is not even 1 year later and check out the progress. Each new plant was a single stalk pretty much.
In the back are little limes. Daylilies are a white with slight yellow throat.
I posted pics last year of my plan to do around my pool. The idea was to be a mono color look you would see in an English garden with very easy care.
I split 9 daylilies that were 5 yrs or so old into over 42 plants.
It is not even 1 year later and check out the progress. Each new plant was a single stalk pretty much.
In the back are little limes. Daylilies are a white with slight yellow throat.
Better than a sharp stick in the eye
- By RMcGirr83
- The Coffee Bar
- 10 Replies
Water could be just a bit warmer but we'll take it ?
Outdoor kitchen build
- By FnC80
- The Coffee Bar
- 19 Replies
After spending enough time poolside, wife and I decided we needed an outdoor kitchen to facilitate spending even more time outdoors. All I originally wanted was a place for my BGE and some storage. My dad convinced me I needed a sink too, but he’s the type you either go all out or go home. I wanted it against the house next to the pool, and seemed simple enough. Just one long bank of cabinets with my BGE, storage, and... a sink.
I started doing research last fall and was going down the path of building the cabinets out of king starboard and having a custom stainless top made. After costing it out, I found a cheaper option with premade stainless cabinets that were 100% all stainless... and I kind of fell in love with the look. So I called the company, got some dimensions and did some planning and placed my order.
I also knew I wanted to run water from the closest hose bib, sink would drain through the clean out in the wall already there and I’d run my electrical from an unused outlet on that side of the deck. Below is what it looked like before starting anything.
So with the cabinets coming premade I decided to just build out a 4” deep “back splash” to route my water lines and electrical.
Here you can see my treated lumber and cement board backer for my tile, my pex water line for sink and another hose bib on side nearest fence too. I added three electrical outlets and three lights on a waterproof switch next to the sink. All the lights and electrical outlets plug in to a gfci outlet I installed in the sink cabinet so was no need to have any permitting done. The cabinet layout has a space for an outdoor fridge, but I put an outlet in the space, tiled it, and use it to house my electric smoker.
After the backsplash was built out, it was time to tile. I didn’t have much tile to buy so I went expensive and bought some travertine stacked stone to match the pool coping. My pool builder also gave me his account info so I could go to his coping supplier and buy matching travertine coping to use as the cap on my backsplash.
I didn’t take as many build out pics as I thought, as I did must of the tiling over the winter when it was cooler. The above is the finished part before I realized I wanted an awning over it. I added black marine starboard skirting around the bottom to hide the legs and keep debris from blowing under the cabinets. I also forgot to mention the fun job of trying to level cabinets on the edge of the pool deck that slopes a lot to facilitate drainage.
I found a dealer who makes prefab aluminum and steel awnings and ordered a custom one in silver to match the kitchen area.
That’s my mounting the awning above the kitchen. You also get a good feel for the nice silver color of the steel standing seam panels. All in all it went together pretty quick.
I kept it shorter on the grill side so smoke wouldn’t collect underneath it.
All in all it turned out quite nice and we pretty much cook everything outdoors now. For non grilled things we use a plug in portable induction burner which we keep stored in the cabinet when not in use.
The cabinets have more storage then I thought when I ordered them. The space under the sink is large and I keep my cleaners, some chemicals, and pool testing kit there. The cabinet next to it has pull out trash bins, and ice bins and wine racks for entertaining pool side. The three drawer cabinet keeps all my grilling stuff, and bottom drawer holds a bin for charcoal.
It turned out quite nice, and probably last for many years to come. It nicely extends pool days into nice pool evenings. And just for fun here’s a pic of my TFP method pool that’s been crystal clear since start up in 2017 looking at it from the outdoor kitchen area.
I started doing research last fall and was going down the path of building the cabinets out of king starboard and having a custom stainless top made. After costing it out, I found a cheaper option with premade stainless cabinets that were 100% all stainless... and I kind of fell in love with the look. So I called the company, got some dimensions and did some planning and placed my order.
I also knew I wanted to run water from the closest hose bib, sink would drain through the clean out in the wall already there and I’d run my electrical from an unused outlet on that side of the deck. Below is what it looked like before starting anything.
So with the cabinets coming premade I decided to just build out a 4” deep “back splash” to route my water lines and electrical.
Here you can see my treated lumber and cement board backer for my tile, my pex water line for sink and another hose bib on side nearest fence too. I added three electrical outlets and three lights on a waterproof switch next to the sink. All the lights and electrical outlets plug in to a gfci outlet I installed in the sink cabinet so was no need to have any permitting done. The cabinet layout has a space for an outdoor fridge, but I put an outlet in the space, tiled it, and use it to house my electric smoker.
After the backsplash was built out, it was time to tile. I didn’t have much tile to buy so I went expensive and bought some travertine stacked stone to match the pool coping. My pool builder also gave me his account info so I could go to his coping supplier and buy matching travertine coping to use as the cap on my backsplash.
I didn’t take as many build out pics as I thought, as I did must of the tiling over the winter when it was cooler. The above is the finished part before I realized I wanted an awning over it. I added black marine starboard skirting around the bottom to hide the legs and keep debris from blowing under the cabinets. I also forgot to mention the fun job of trying to level cabinets on the edge of the pool deck that slopes a lot to facilitate drainage.
I found a dealer who makes prefab aluminum and steel awnings and ordered a custom one in silver to match the kitchen area.
That’s my mounting the awning above the kitchen. You also get a good feel for the nice silver color of the steel standing seam panels. All in all it went together pretty quick.
I kept it shorter on the grill side so smoke wouldn’t collect underneath it.
All in all it turned out quite nice and we pretty much cook everything outdoors now. For non grilled things we use a plug in portable induction burner which we keep stored in the cabinet when not in use.
The cabinets have more storage then I thought when I ordered them. The space under the sink is large and I keep my cleaners, some chemicals, and pool testing kit there. The cabinet next to it has pull out trash bins, and ice bins and wine racks for entertaining pool side. The three drawer cabinet keeps all my grilling stuff, and bottom drawer holds a bin for charcoal.
It turned out quite nice, and probably last for many years to come. It nicely extends pool days into nice pool evenings. And just for fun here’s a pic of my TFP method pool that’s been crystal clear since start up in 2017 looking at it from the outdoor kitchen area.
2019 Pitcher cocktails for parties
- By EmilyOTR
- The Coffee Bar
- 14 Replies
This was a great thread last year.
www.troublefreepool.com
What large batch cocktails do you like to serve at pool parties?
Pitcher Cocktails for parties!
I'm trying to step up my pool party game this year - does anyone have any great cocktails that can be made in larger quantities for a party? We don't have big drinking families but having a cocktail available would be nice without having to make individual drinks.
www.troublefreepool.com
What large batch cocktails do you like to serve at pool parties?
Night volleyball photo
- By randys
- The Coffee Bar
- 10 Replies
Just got a volleyball net, but still too cold to jump in. This will be our first season with the pool and we're waiting impatiently.
If only I had $200 to blow...
- The Coffee Bar
- 10 Replies
This would be a load of fun until it broke!
Amazon.com: Poolcandy Splash Runner Motorized Inflatable Swimming Pool Lounger: Toys & Games
Amazon.com: Poolcandy Splash Runner Motorized Inflatable Swimming Pool Lounger: Toys & Games
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Locked
Official 2019 BBQ, Smoking, Grilling, Baking and Beer thread
- By Brentr
- The Coffee Bar
- 876 Replies
Happy New Year to all my TFP friends 
What does your pool paradise look like?
- By RedDawn289
- The Coffee Bar
- 651 Replies
I have been a long time member and owned a Intex inflatable ring type pool for a few years. I have since move houses and now have an inground pool. Over this spring my wife an I have done a lot to spruce it up. I have to take some photos this weekend but will post some teasers now.
What does your pool paradise look like? I would love to see tuns of photos of other members pools and pool side decorating in hopes to get some ideas for mine. I'm sure others would love to see as well.
To give some context to the photos Some are from the first opening of the pool this spring, the others are the installation of the safety fence and a few of articles around the pool currently. I will post more last this weekend.
CLICK TO SEE ALL PHOTOS Amazon Drive
What does your pool paradise look like? I would love to see tuns of photos of other members pools and pool side decorating in hopes to get some ideas for mine. I'm sure others would love to see as well.
To give some context to the photos Some are from the first opening of the pool this spring, the others are the installation of the safety fence and a few of articles around the pool currently. I will post more last this weekend.
CLICK TO SEE ALL PHOTOS Amazon Drive
Sun Shelf chairs??
- By Paigez0215
- The Coffee Bar
- 44 Replies
Ya'll... I want a ledge lounger chair SO bad, but I cannot bring myself to pay $700 for one. Anyone have a good alternative? My sun shelf will be about 6-8 inches of water.
Our backyard paradise is almost complete!
- By Acmfl
- The Coffee Bar
- 25 Replies
We have been working hard on our backyard redo since January. We added the pool and fire pit areas, painted the entire exterior of the house, added two porches - one of which is the outdoor kitchen area and bar, converted a small cabana into a pool shed, and added underwater lights in our (saltwater) canal. We still have to add outdoor sound, tv, redo some plumbing and run electric to kitchen/bar area. We have a dedicated 30 amp circuit for our toy hauler so for now we've run an extension cord off the camper when we've used the electric smoker or fryer. We also need to hang decorations. We live on the water right by the Gulf of Mexico so we spend most of our time outside. We've seen dolphins, manatee, turtles, all kinds of fish and even a sea otter in the canal. In fact we had dolphins just today! We wanted to feel like we are on vacation every time we step outside. The daytime pictures were before paint or porch additions. My favorite time is evening when all my party lights and underwater lights are on (they are on timers).
New Pool in Florida - Color is Antigua
- By StevieA
- The Coffee Bar
- 12 Replies
![FullSizeRender[1].jpg](https://www.troublefreepool.com/data/attachments/35/35478-6449c8ff822838f97dcc95f6dde10cfc.jpg "FullSizeRender[1].jpg")
![FullSizeRender[3].jpg](https://www.troublefreepool.com/data/attachments/35/35479-3241a1600656d7bc521fb7e5bb77856d.jpg "FullSizeRender[3].jpg")
When I was building my pool it was hard to find pics of my selected pool color, so I thought it was a good time to post some pics and see if this helps someone else.
My pool was completed in January 2015. The pool surface is pebble aggregate in FreeStone Marbletite, and the color is Antigua. We are really happy with the color, and the builder was terrific. There were two co-workers at my place of business that had pools built by Craft Master Pools and recommended them to me, which is the best way to find a builder, I think. The pool is approx. 36 x 18.
I'll post a few more pics and I'll be happy to answer any questions.
Simple Sound Solution For Pool Area - Big Blue Party Speaker
- By Swampwoman
- The Coffee Bar
- 1 Replies
Greetings. I am posting this simply because when I searched on the weekend in this forum for ideas for poolside sound, I did not see a reference to this relatively new product (2014) that solved my issue for a party. So I wanted to contribute an idea that didn't involve quite so much audiophile knowhow for folks looking for a plug n play approach
I was looking for a simple but adequate way to have weatherproof sound in my pool area that was evenly distributed, wirelessly controlled, etc. without having to hardware, install an amp, etc. The beefy iPod/phone player I'd been using was not weatherproof, and was too loud on the deck, not loud enough in the pool, and constantly had to be taken in for preservation.
In the case of our yard, my "solution" may be working so well because the pool is located in a terraced "bowl" that acts like an amphitheater That said, here's what I got, and I'm lovin it:
Brookstone's new "Big Blue Party" Bluetooth speaker at $299 kicks out awesome sound for what it is and so far has stood up to a torrential rain without a burble. It seriously contends with my Bose portable, though maybe not as "warm."
Here's a link http://t.brookstone.com/big-blue-party-indoor-outdoor-bluetooth-speaker
As with all Bluetooth devices, your player device (eg phone with spotify or some such) will need to be less than 30 feet away, and if you have a lot of people walking through the transmission path, you can get interference, which is resolved by simply locating the speaker and device together somewhere. Pairing is completely painless.
Caveats:
1. The rechargeable lithium ion battery is only good for about 5 hours, but in my case, this didn't matter as I had a nearby source to plug it in.
2. Because it has a lithium ion battery, you do not want to let it sit all day unsheltered in direct sunlight...again, in my case, I've located it in the terrace where there's shade. Someone without shade might be able to rig a partial protection box.
3. You cannot daisy chain two or more for true stero/surround -- in my yard, I don't need this...the sound is beautifully even and even at a party the output on this thing is more than adequate for my purposes.YMMV
4. These are now back ordered unless you can find an in-store demo unit or someone with stock...they've sold like hotcakes. Shipping again July 30th as I understand it.
5. Because if like me you want to leave it out, you might want to buy the extended warranty just to be safe.
Here's the description from the website. Hope the info helps someone like me who goes looking for this type of solution. Over time, if it doesn't stand up, I'll post back hopefully it goes without saying this is NOT a commercial post, just a sharing of a new toy with which I am very happy!:
Powerful. Wireless. Water-resistant. Introducing Big Blue Party™, the latest—and loudest—addition to the Big Blue Audio® Family.
MASSIVE SOUND IN EVERY CORNER
4 full-range speaker drivers deliver powerful 360° sound.
INDOOR-OUTDOOR, WATER-RESISTANT
Take it anywhere—poolside, decks or even the beach.
EASY BLUETOOTH® PAIRING
Connects wirelessly to Bluetooth® devices up to 33' away.
NO WIRES, NO CORDS
Rechargeable battery lasts more than 4.5 hours per charge.
SUPER PORTABLE
Easy-grip carry handle, measures 6.3"w x 6.3"d x 15.8"h.
SPECIFICATIONS:
4 speaker drivers, subwoofer and passive radiator
Power: 72 watts (18 watts per channel, 36-watt sub)
Frequency
I was looking for a simple but adequate way to have weatherproof sound in my pool area that was evenly distributed, wirelessly controlled, etc. without having to hardware, install an amp, etc. The beefy iPod/phone player I'd been using was not weatherproof, and was too loud on the deck, not loud enough in the pool, and constantly had to be taken in for preservation.
In the case of our yard, my "solution" may be working so well because the pool is located in a terraced "bowl" that acts like an amphitheater
That said, here's what I got, and I'm lovin it:Brookstone's new "Big Blue Party" Bluetooth speaker at $299 kicks out awesome sound for what it is and so far has stood up to a torrential rain without a burble. It seriously contends with my Bose portable, though maybe not as "warm."
Here's a link http://t.brookstone.com/big-blue-party-indoor-outdoor-bluetooth-speaker
As with all Bluetooth devices, your player device (eg phone with spotify or some such) will need to be less than 30 feet away, and if you have a lot of people walking through the transmission path, you can get interference, which is resolved by simply locating the speaker and device together somewhere. Pairing is completely painless.
Caveats:
1. The rechargeable lithium ion battery is only good for about 5 hours, but in my case, this didn't matter as I had a nearby source to plug it in.
2. Because it has a lithium ion battery, you do not want to let it sit all day unsheltered in direct sunlight...again, in my case, I've located it in the terrace where there's shade. Someone without shade might be able to rig a partial protection box.
3. You cannot daisy chain two or more for true stero/surround -- in my yard, I don't need this...the sound is beautifully even and even at a party the output on this thing is more than adequate for my purposes.YMMV
4. These are now back ordered unless you can find an in-store demo unit or someone with stock...they've sold like hotcakes. Shipping again July 30th as I understand it.
5. Because if like me you want to leave it out, you might want to buy the extended warranty just to be safe.
Here's the description from the website. Hope the info helps someone like me who goes looking for this type of solution. Over time, if it doesn't stand up, I'll post back
hopefully it goes without saying this is NOT a commercial post, just a sharing of a new toy with which I am very happy!:Powerful. Wireless. Water-resistant. Introducing Big Blue Party™, the latest—and loudest—addition to the Big Blue Audio® Family.
MASSIVE SOUND IN EVERY CORNER
4 full-range speaker drivers deliver powerful 360° sound.
INDOOR-OUTDOOR, WATER-RESISTANT
Take it anywhere—poolside, decks or even the beach.
EASY BLUETOOTH® PAIRING
Connects wirelessly to Bluetooth® devices up to 33' away.
NO WIRES, NO CORDS
Rechargeable battery lasts more than 4.5 hours per charge.
SUPER PORTABLE
Easy-grip carry handle, measures 6.3"w x 6.3"d x 15.8"h.
SPECIFICATIONS:
4 speaker drivers, subwoofer and passive radiator
Power: 72 watts (18 watts per channel, 36-watt sub)
Frequency
