Can Alexa be used in the garden?

[EachandEveryone]

My mum has a long garden and needs something simple but with a good sound. Im trying to look for her. Im not even sure if the wifi stretches that far. Any advice on which one to buy?

@chesirecat99 no need to be rude. A couple of years ago I worked as a cleaner and it was 50/50 among my clients over 70 as to whether they had one. Some were super tech savvy, others had one but wouldn't know how to use bluetooth, another didn't have internet at all and I completely failed at explaining what WiFi was It was a genuine question.

Im glad im not any of your neighbours

Hardly unreasonable not to want to listen to next door's Tom Jones/radio 4/neighbours shouting at Alexa in their garden

I wasn't intending to be rude, I missed where you said your Mum wouldn't be overheard. Small garden music is very antisocial but obviously that doesn't apply to her garden.

If she does have a phone with her Tom Jones etc on it, maybe a DAB radio with an AUX cable? I have this one and it can be mains or battery powered, it would be very easy to carry about. She can listen to the archers on the radio, use her phone for anything else.

www.argos.co.uk/product/3362398?istCompanyId=a74d8886-5df9-4baa-b776-166b3bf9111c&istFeedId=30f62ea9-9626-4cac-97c8-9ff3921f8558&istItemId=ixwlpwlmx&istBid=t&&cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157%7cacid:416-707-6621%7ccid:9567730954%7cagid:98490215016%7ctid:pla-984776236548%7ccrid:423217901935%7cnw:g%7crnd:8423966698306782881%7cdvc:m%7cadp:%7cmt:%7cloc:9050376&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=9567730954&utm_term=3362398&utm_content=shopping&utm_custom1=98490215016&utm_custom2=416-707-6621&gclid=CjwKCAjwm7mEBhBsEiwA_of-TOvpP_MNE44uK42HDPvF7UhfjGYhC6ah-rR1cAh96hSfAnJaWuhYGRoCG-8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

How will she plug it in?

It won’t work without WiFi boosters etc. Even with an outdoor plug ours can only go 2/3 metres from the house some might have better reach of course.
A little portable radio would get the The Archers but not Tom. MP3 player with Tom loaded on and a little portable speaker ?

My wonderful next door neighbours use they’re one frequently, loudly and without giving a damn for other people!

LOL, do you live two days away from us?

I often wonder whether I can over-rule their shouted instructions to Alexa by shouting my own instructions, like "Alexa, volume down' or "Alexa, play Absolute 80s" ...

Sorry, I didn't intend to be rude @Sparklfairy, just objective I'm sure you didn't mean to be rude either and were asking to be helpful but it is a little bit ageist to suggest that someone in their late seventies might not have a smartphone when the majority (just) do. There are plenty of posters on MN in that age group. Presumably OP's mother is pretty tech savvy if she has wifi.

@chesirecat99 I found it such a mixed bag that I could make no assumptions! Some of the clients I worked with in their 80s were more tech savvy than me in my 20s! yet a friend of my DMs who is 70 always gets the latest smartphone but wouldn't have a clue about connecting to a bluetooth speaker or anything else beyond calling and texting

It needs to be plugged in op. A cheap ipod would be better.

@chesirecat99 only 26% of over 75s have a smartphone

tech.newstatesman.com/coronavirus/only-40-per-cent-of-most-vulnerable-likely-to-use-nhsx-contact-tracing-app/amp

It doesn't really matter whether it is 1% or 100% @ItWorriesMeThisKindofThing, although other surveys have shown different percentages. I also agree it is an issue that needs to be considered, particularly in healthcare eg online GP appointment booking, hospital records, test and trace etc

It's more that the question was entirely unnecessary and making assumptions about OP's DM because of her age:

Does she have a smartphone at nearly 80?

You wouldn't ask someone of on a low income if they had a laptop because they are on benefits. You would just ask if they had a laptop.

Anyway, poor Sparklfairy was trying to be helpful, I was just challenging her because it's not great to be pigeonholed.

See, I disagree that being sensitive to someone’s needs is pigeonholing. The majority of 80 year olds won’t have a smartphone: it’s a fact not an insult.

Being disbelieving that an older person might want or need a smartphone would be where this would tip over into piegeonholing or stereotyping which would of course be uncalled for.

It all sounds a bit complicated once you're into WiFi boosters etc. If she has a smartphone then Bluetooth to a portable speaker would be best. If not then I would just get a portable cd/radio like this www.johnlewis.com/roberts-zoombox-3-dab-dab-fm-cd-radio/black/p3083970?sku=238709957&s_ppc=2dx92700055394162456&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclid=CjwKCAjwm7mEBhBsEiwA_of-TF_9A_3pXMnqnY0eduDJmCiCcvLmfoGhYmwdD1dESjz7PPI0-3MJ4xoCzBcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

The plugs arent the problem she has power in both (dont ask 🙄) her Summer houses. Its more the wifi signal

@EachandEveryone

Im not thinking about wifi boosters i reckon she will need two. Some of them are really cheap but im not sure how reliable they would be.

Try a Roberts Rambler. Battery or mains powered. You can also play your phone through it. Lovely retro design too.

Well 100% of the 76-90 year olds at my home this afternoon find the question, "Does she have a smartphone at nearly 80?" offensive and ageist. They all have complaints of similar assumptions being made eg not being offered a receipt by email in stores, people making patronising comments like "aren't you good with technology for your age" when they call tech helplines or offer to pay using PayPal/online transfer.

"Does she have a smartphone?" would have been slightly better but the question wasn't really necessary at all and adds nothing. The poster could have just offered the suggestion of using a smartphone without any need to refer to age or ask the question.

Christ @chesirecat99, I'm sorry I offended you and yours but seriously?

You could take 10 of my cleaning clients and put them in the OPs mothers position.

Some would have a smart phone.
Some would not.
Some wouldn't know what a smart phone was.
Some would have one and only know how to call and text.
Another could probably take it apart and put it back together again in full working order.
Another prefers the landline, but just likes to use the smartphone for candy crush.
Etc etc

When it comes to tech, there is such a wide spectrum of abilities and interest, especially among the older age groups. A lot of it has to do with how integrated they are with the younger generations in their family. I.e. spend a lot of time with grandchildren, get familiar with iPads, selfies, and face timing.

It's not ability due to age, its familiarity due to circumstance.

I asked the question (however affronted you may be by my phrasing) BECAUSE it's the one generation where knowledge and experience of tech is so varied, and whilst they may have a smartphone, they may not be able to/have used all the features its capable of.

https://www.robertsradio.com/en-gb/rambler-bt?gclid=CjwKCAjwm7mEBhBsEiwAof-TCadw-450LIHAOfKlDARQGr2UwV3sr6nqtEB5IRTg6CV0sPPYWYNrxoC6VIQAvDD_BwE#RAMBLERBTBLU

Here you go OP. I have one in my summer house and I love it. It gets radio signal without Wi-fi and I can play Apple Music through it via my phone.

I have another one in my room as it is also a radio alarm and has a sleep function for night.

If headphones might frighten the OP''s mother I don't think wondering if she has a smartphone phone is ageism for this particular individual.

www.argos.co.uk/product/7362325?clickSR=slp:term:radio:1:75:1

Something like this works with batteries. That would be the easiest solution to the problem.

I live next door to a couple of 80 year olds abs they mentioned video chatting with their grandchildren so I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people bought devices and learned how to do it in the past year.

@ContinuousMonotoneBeep

If headphones might frighten the OP''s mother I don't think wondering if she has a smartphone phone is ageism for this particular individual.

Wouldnt ypu be worried incase someone came up behind you? I hate the bloody things outdoors.

Good god mumsnet and garden noise posts. Most people think you have to take a vow of silence before stepping outside. The OP has explained that there's no disruption to others. The question was a tech one about Alexa. Not an opportunity for everyone to complain about others living their lives as they please.

FWIW I love my garden and spend many happy hours pottering without music or children or fire pits. But I also don't think I have the right to complain the moment someone strikes a match on a bbq.

As an alternative, how about good old-fashioned CDs played on a portable DVD player? The battery lasts for over 3 hours.

We have it in the cabin in our garden. DH used a cat 6 cable to wire everything up. I don’t know much more apart than that. The garden is about 15m in length and the cabin is at the bottom. The Alexa and virgin media work fine.

Wouldnt ypu be worried incase someone came up behind you? I hate the bloody things outdoors
Oh right!! I thought you meant the headphones would frighten her.

But no, I wouldn't be worried myself of that, though fair enough if your mum is.

Must admit I did wonder why she found Alexa fine but headphones to be some form of frightening dark magic 😄