Tag: thunderpower megaphones

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Why Is Fall a Great Time To Buy a Megaphone?

Students in blue school colors celebrate on the sidelines at a sports event.

It’s almost fall, and you know what that means. School’s back in session, and football is kicking into high gear. Here’s one thing they have in common: the need for powerful megaphones. In fact, there are a lot of seasonal events where these devices are essential for maintaining an effective communications network. Check out our full list below to learn why now is a great time to buy a megaphone.

Venues That Are Perfect for Megaphones

It only seems fair that we start with the two we already mentioned.

Football and Cheerleading. As excited and loud as crowds often get to show their team spirit on game day, it’s no surprise when we get a call from a cheerleader who wants to buy a megaphone. These devices have played a key role on the sidelines for a long time. How far back, you ask? Cheerleaders at the University of Michigan claim that their squad was the first to incorporate acoustic megaphones in 1898!

School. Public schools are still adjusting to in-person teaching since the COVID-19 pandemic. That, coupled with safety concerns and large numbers of students, means that it’s important to have the right communications equipment to stay organized and keep everyone safe. Whether it’s relaying information down a crowded hallway in between class, delivering news to a full auditorium, or walking students through safety drills, you want to buy a megaphone that will guarantee your voice is heard. Similar to football, megaphones come in handy for school-related sporting events like track and field, rowing, swimming, and more.

Did You Know? School systems can apply ESSER funds toward new communications equipment, including megaphones and two-way radios.

Outdoor Festivals and Parking. Outdoor festivals are more common in the fall as the temperatures ease and the leaves start to change. They often require coordinated parking and announcers for special attractions that may take place across festival grounds. Megaphones are ideal for organizers because of how convenient and portable they are, thanks to long-lasting batteries, or — in the case of our heftiest model, the THUN-1200 — a car adaptor cable.

Theme Parks and Carnivals. Falling somewhere between sporting events and festivals, theme parks and carnivals are also great for seasonal entertainment. While many of them rely on powerful PA systems to alert visitors to important information, megaphones are still vital for crowd control.

So You Want To Buy a Megaphone — But Which One Should You Choose?

Megaphones come in a variety of models, each developed for a specific range of activity. Here’s what you can expect from those under the ThunderPower brand.

THUN-150: 15 watts of power and effective up to 600 yards, with voice amplification up to 98 decibels (dB) and siren at 112 dB. These are recommended for teachers, parade operators, event organizers, and tour groups.

THUN-120: 15 watts of power and effective up to 800 yards, with voice amplification up to 100 dB and siren at 112 dB. These are recommended for coaching, theater productions, school pickup and dropoff lots, as well as campus crowd control.

THUN-250: 25 watts of power and effective up to 1200 yards, with voice amplification up to 102 dB and siren at 118 dB. These are recommended for law enforcement.

THUN-450: 35 watts of power and effective up to 1400 yards, with voice amplification up to 108 dB and siren at 120 dB. These are recommended for political rallies, outdoor festivals, and religious congregations.

THUN-1200: a whopping 45 watts of power and effective up to 2000 yards, with a voice amplification up to 112 dB and siren at 122 dB. These are recommended for military training, firefighters, security, and massive gatherings.

Ready To Buy a Megaphone? Tell Us Which Ones You Need!

Give us a call today to talk immediately with one of our award-winning customer support representatives. Many of our models are currently in stock and available, and those that aren’t will ship quickly upon order.

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ThunderPower Megaphone’s Ten Favorite Protest Songs

This is a picture of a woman using a megaphone during a protest.

Megaphone’s are great for protests. In fact, there is a good chance that if someone is singing a protest song, walking in a demonstration, or marching for a cause, a ThunderPower Megaphone is probably somewhere nearby. Almost daily, ThunderPower, the most powerful bullhorn in the industry, is being used by protesters demonstrating against everything from politics to petroleum.

But why are ThunderPower Megaphones so popular with people who have something to say and need to be heard? It’s probably because ThunderPower bullhorns are considered one of the best voice amplification tools on the planet, able to project the range of the human voice much further than non-battery powered megaphones. In addition, because ThunderPower Megaphones are so well made, they can take the punishment of even the most chaotic environment.

The ThunderPower Lineup of Megaphones

Since its founding more than 22 years ago, ThunderPower Megaphones has been a big supporter of free speech and public demonstrations. We believe that protests and demonstrations have been an important part of American history going all the way back to the famous Boston Tea protest in 1773.

ThunderPower Megaphones

ThunderPower Megaphone line-up includes several models of high-quality battery powered bullhorns that have a variety of unique features that can be used during any size demonstration when you want to lift your voice above the crowd.

The ThunderPower collection of battery powered bullhorns include:

  • ThunderPower 120 – 15 Watts w 700 Yard Range w $49.00
  • ThunderPower 150 (Ultra compact) – 15 Watts w 600 Yard Range w $59.00
  • ThunderPower 250 – 25 Watts w 800 Yard Range w $79.00
  • ThunderPower 450 (Palm Mic) – 35 Watts w 1200 Yard Range w $109.00
  • ThunderPower 1200 – 45 Watts w 2000 Yard Range w $189.00

ThunderPower Believes in Free Speech and Helps People be Heard

Since its founding more than 22 years ago, ThunderPower Megaphones has been a big supporter of free speech, protest songs, and public demonstrations. We believe that protests and demonstrations have been an important part of American history going all the way back to the famous Boston Tea protest in 1773.  Throughout the years, protests and demonstrations have been a powerful strategy for Americans to leverage when they need to be heard, and ThunderPower Megaphones is proud to be a favorite choice for people when they have the need to be heard.

Ten of America’s Most Famous Protest Songs

Because ThunderPower bullhorns are so popular at rallies, demonstrations, and marches, we thought it might be interesting to share some of the top protest songs in America’s history according to a recent poll by RollingStone Magazine.

Number One: “Masters of War” by Bob Dylan

While it was President Dwight D. Eisenhower that warned the country about the dangers of a “military-industrial complex”, it was Bob Dylan who wrote his protest song that funneled his anger at arms dealers who were making a fortune and spreading their money all around Washington, D.C.

Number Two: “Ohio” by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

After Neil Young saw a photo of a 14-year-old girl kneeling over the dead body of a Kent State student, he poured his rage and sadness into the song he called “Ohio”. A day after he wrote the song, he called his bandmates (Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young) into the studio to record the new song.

Number Three: “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield

While many people think that Stephen Stills wrote “For What It’s Worth” about Vietnam, it was a protest song in support of Hollywood’s Sunset Strip hippies who fought the police over a potential new curfew.

Number Four: “The Times They Are a Changin” by Bob Dylan

Written just a few weeks after John F. Kennedy’s death and just a few months before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed, Bob Dylan beautifully summed up massive cultural changes he was witnessing in a three-minute folk song.

Number Five: “Eve of Destruction” by Barry McGuire

When P.F. Sloan wrote the “Eve of Destruction” in 1965, Barry McGuire quickly took the song to reflect the early days of the Vietnam war, the Cuban Missile Crisis and widespread fear of a nuclear war that would destroy the world.

Number Six: “Killing in the Name” by Rage Against the Machine

“Killing in the Name” combines a unique fusion of rap and rock and was released in 1992. It’s a furious song about racism, police brutality and defiance, culminating in a furious cry. This song stirs a crowd like no other song in human history.

Number Seven: “Blowing in the Wind” by Bob Dylan

“Blowin’ in the Wind” is considered one of the most popular protest songs of all time. It’s been translated into at least a dozen languages, featured in many movies and played live 2,500 times by Dylan alone.

Number Eight: “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival

John Fogerty wrote “Fortunate Son” 45 years ago, but it continues to move people. Ironically, the artist actually served in the Army Reserves and wrote the song about how rich families made sure their own children never made their way to Vietnam. Like most great protest songs, it’s as relevant today as it was on the day of its release.

Number Nine: “Hurricane” by Bob Dylan

After ten years from writing his last protest song, Bob Dylan returned again to write about Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, a professional boxer in jail for a murder he claimed he didn’t commit. The tune is an impassioned eight-minute piece about Hurricane’s ordeal.

Number Ten: “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag” by Country Joe and the Fish

A straightforward and simple song, Country Joe McDonald spoke for young people all over America when he released the anti-Vietnam classic “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag.” “One, two, three, what are we fighting for?” he sang. “Don’t ask me, I don’t give a damn/Next stop is Vietnam.” The song exploded when the artist sang an impromptu rendition at Woodstock.

For more information on how you can add a ThunderPower Megaphone to your next protest, call 866-927-7955.

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Rowing Clubs Rely on ThunderPower Megaphones & RCA Two-Way Radios

Female rower with ThunderPower megaphone and RCA two-way radio.

Discount Two-Way Radio is the exclusive distributor for both RCA professional two-way radios and ThunderPower megaphones, combining two powerful communications tools under one roof. After all, the two products are almost family, with some of the common threads being they both improve safety, productivity, and efficiency through improved communications.

Recently, a California crew team, “Pacific Rowing Club”, combined the power of both RCA two-way radios and ThunderPower megaphones for its San Francisco Bay Area group of scullers. The group is a youth rowing club that teaches 6th – 12th grade students the sport of rowing. Because the sport is completely focused on obtaining perfect balance, coordinating movement, and maximizing power, the Pacific Rowing Club coaches and trainers rely on two-way radios to communicate among themselves and their young rowers while leading or following the rowers on a boat. In addition, instructions on correcting hand-height on the oars, head positions in the shell, and body centeredness on the footboards are all communicated via the powerful ThunderPower Megaphone.

“Many of our customers take advantage of the synergy between two-way radios and megaphones by purchasing them together as a kind of communication bundle. The Pacific Rowing Club is a great example of how they combined both radios and megaphones for an improved coaching scenario.

Ben Burns, Founder Discount Two-Way Radio and ThunderPower megaphones

Ben explained that because the team practices on water, the coach has to observe somewhere on the land, along with coordinating with other trainers along the raceway or back at the boatyard. Therefore the coaches decided to combine the ThunderPower 1200  megaphone and RCA2500 two-way radios as the perfect communication solution for their club needs.

About ThunderPower 1200 Megaphones

The ThunderPower 1200 is the most powerful megaphones on the market, and with 45 Watts of power it can communicate over 2,000 yards away! In addition, a cigarette plug power supply makes it possible to charge the megaphones straight from a vehicle, so you don’t have to worry about batteries.

Another quality the rowing club appreciated about the ThunderPower 1200 was its extra strong polycarbonate design, making it tough enough to use in harsh environments like on open water, beachside, or launching dock. In addition, the ThunderPower 1200 has a handheld microphone that delivers amazing clarity, and shoulder strap for easy carrying. Discount Two-Way Radio also offers complete VIP support and guarantees the megaphone with a comprehensive one-year warranty.

About RCA RDR2500 Radios

Regarding two-way radio recommendations, one of DTWR’s professional account representatives advised the rowing club that RDR2500 radios would be perfect for them because of the radio’s durability, reliability, and affordability. The team ultimately purchased a fleet of radios that included:

  • Genuine RCA RDR2500 Digital Handheld Radios
  • Genuine RCA Handheld Radio Antennas
  • Genuine RCA Handheld Lithium Batteries
  • RCA Heavy-Duty Belt Clips
  • Genuine Six Bank Rapid Charger Package
  • Genuine RCA Speaker Mics 

In addition, because the Pacific Rowing Club has been a long-time customer of DTWR, they safely stored a complete record of the club’s radio frequencies and programming information, so factory trained technicians were able custom program the radios exactly the way they needed. With the largest two-way radio selection and inventory in the industry, DTWR was also able to ship the team’s order out the same day for next day delivery.

To find out more about ThunderPower megaphones, call one of our friendly and knowledgeable sales representatives at 877-782-7073.

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Hollywood Continues to Love ThunderPower Megaphones and Bullhorns

One of Hollywood’s most vivid images is of a director sitting in a folding canvas chair holding a heavy-duty megaphone in front of his mouth and yelling, “Lights, Camera, Action!”  Believe it or not, while very few of those quintessential romantic images still occur on a Hollywood set, the ThunderPower megaphone continues to play a big part of movie sets, television talent competitions, reality TV shows, and even as stage props.

Hollywood Producer Robert Koster recalls vividly how his megaphone was critical while shooting a film on Hawaii’s North Shore.

“We were filming in a house on the North Shore, several acres of property. The AD’s (assistant directors) had to operate with bullhorns, hand signals, signal mirrors, anything that could help us communicate. I personally loved the megaphone because the crew could easily hear the command to ‘Roll it!,” said Koster in his memoir Adventures in Hollywood.

The fact is, ThunderPower megaphones are the loudest and most durable megaphones in the world, making them a popular addition to movie and television sets across the country. Not only are they perfect for a tight budget, they also are durable enough to survive even the most rugged location conditions or on-set abuse. 

“Celebrities like to be seen. But when they want to be heard, they use ThunderPower Megaphones,” said Ben Burns, CEO and Founder of Discount Two-Way Radio, the parent company of ThunderPower Megaphones.

Megaphone to the Stars

Because megaphones are incredibly popular for the entertainment industry, it’s not surprising to learn that ThunderPower is often seen on the sets and in the hands of celebrities.

Ryan Seacrest, the host of American Idol, recently used the ThunderPower 450 to generate energy among 10,000 American Idol contestants and even leveraged the bullhorn’s powerful 35 watts of power and decibel strength to garner a sing along among the crowd. This scenario also underscored how the ThunderPower megaphone works incredibly well when needing to engage in crowd control.

When Kirstie Alley was filming her reality TV show, “Kirstie Alley’s Big Life,” the actress used a ThunderPower heavy-duty megaphone to direct her family members through an emergency preparedness drill. The scene punctuated how megaphones can be excellent tools to navigate family members toward safety in case of a fire, earthquake, tornado, and many more.  

Fiery celebrity cook Gordon Ramsey also used a ThunderPower megaphone to loudly direct his cooks on “Hell’s Kitchen” while 80’s rocker Cyndi Lauper used one on her show “Cyndi Lauper: Still So Unusual.”

Our megaphones have helped other celebrities communicate on TV shows like “So You Think You Can Dance,” “Master Chef,” “Monk,” “Last Comic Standing,” and “Sharknado.”

But don’t get the impression that these lightweight and powerful megaphones are only used by movie and television stars. The ThunderPower megaphone also gets red-carpet treatment from these important stars as well:

  • U.S. Army
  • U.S. Marines
  • U.S. Navy
  • NASA
  • Churches
  • Schools

“ThunderPower is the premier megaphone supplier to Hollywood, the military and everyone from the Pop Warner coach to the school principal. ThunderPower has earned a reputation for quality and power,” said Burns.

To find out more about ThunderPower megaphones, call one of our friendly and knowledgeable sales representatives at 866-927-7955.