Shower Radio Construction

• Shower radios have one primary requirement: They must be water-resistant. Some radios are marketed specifically for showers, while others are simply called "water resistant" or "splash resistant." Either way, they have the same radio components that all radios do, including a receiver antenna and a tuner that can pick up stations. Like other radios, a shower radio may have either a digital or analog tuner and may include scanning features and programmable buttons for saving stations. A volume control is always included, too.
  
  The difference in a shower radio lies in its peculiar construction. Splashes of water can get inside and short the circuits of a normal radio, disrupting electrical currents and ruining various circuits. The first step in protecting shower radios is to remove all accessible ports. It is unlikely that a shower radio will have a headphone jack, for instance, because water can get in and cause damage. Antennas can be used, but they must be tightly sealed so that no water can seep inside.
  
  

Sealing From the Water

• The covering itself is made in one smooth shell that water cannot penetrate. Battery cases are usually set deep into the radio, with a heavy plastic plate that is held in place by screws. When this plate is attached tightly, it keeps the water from entering the battery case. The plastic itself is waterproof, and the buttons are tightly sealed so that water cannot enter into them when they are pressed (or at least, cannot enter vulnerable electronic areas of the radio). So in the end, it is good construction that make shower radios work--carefully made plastic shells and watertight seals that are simply of higher quality than radios not made to withstand water. There are also ways to waterproof a radio yourself, but this requires complex techniques such as electronic shellacking.
  
  

Helping the Radio Stay Put

• Of course, the protection is one part of the process, but the radio also needs to stay put in the shower. A bathtub is an enclosed space, and its shelves tend to be occupied already or buffeted by sprays of water. To combat these forces, shower radios are designed in one of two different formats. The first kind of shower radio uses a hook or circle that allows the radio to be hooked over a bar or knob available in the shower. The second kind of radio uses suction cups that are designed to stick to the tiles of the bathroom or the slick surface of the bathtub, creating enough traction to stay in place.