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 A few years ago, DeWalt released the DW911 Jobsite Radio/Charger. This quickly became an incredibly popular product because it combined two common jobsite "appliances" into one unit. It could run off any DeWalt battery from 7.2-18v, and if plugged into an electrical source, would charge the battery. It's durable weather-resistant construction ensured a long working life and it looked like it belonged on the job.
Prior to the DW911, boomboxes at jobsites were typically powered by multiple D-size batteries, which don't last long and are expensive. Using a high-power rechargeable battery system is a great way to reduce the constant expense and hassle of purchasing batteries. Plus, it's better for the environment.
Since the success of the DW911, a few other tool manufacturers have produced similar products for their cordless tool lines. Since DeWalt owns the patent
for a "ruggedized tradesman radio", other manufacturers have had to tiptoe around DeWalt's patents in order to produce their own radios. Fortunately, this has resulted in quite a bit of diversity between manufacturers.
In this article, we'll go over three of the most popular jobsite radios.
DeWalt DC011
 The DeWalt DC011 replaced the now-discontinued DW911. It's got several improvements over the previous model and looks a lot sleeker. The main improvement was the implementation of a digital tuner (with 8 presets & clock) that replaced the old dial tuner. Like the old model, it still has the "roll cage" design that enable it to survive shallow falls and mild abuse.
The entire radio-speakers, outside & inside-is designed to resist dust and water. It's not waterproof by any means, but if you're working in rain, snow, or sandstorm, you'll still be able to jam out.
If it's plugged into an AC outlet, it will charge DeWalt batteries from 7.6-18v. Or, you can use a DeWalt battery to power the radio for up to twelve hours. The charger, located on the rear of the unit, is environmentally sealed to protect the battery.
Of course, the most important part of any good radio is it's sound quality. The DC011 sounds great and is clear as day. Two bass ports enhance low-end sounds. A 3.5mm auxilary port makes it easy to connect a CD player or iPod.
One caveat-the DC011 will probably NOT be able to charge DeWalt's upcoming 18v Nano batteries. They use lithium-ion technology and require a special charger. We're assuming DeWalt will release a new version of this radio that is compatible with Nano batteries.
Makita BMR100
Part of Makita's Lithium Ion LXT series of tools, the BMR100 is compatible with both "pod" and "slide" style Makita batteries from 9.6-24v-but it doesn't charge them.
If you're the type of person that works into the night, the display is conveniently backlit for easy viewing. Oddly, it has alarm-clock functionality including a snooze button. We're not quite sure why one would need this feature on a job site.
Unlike the DeWalt, the Makita radio has it's 3.25" speakers mounted on the sides. This is claimed to improve the stereo effect, but on a jobsite, is having stereo sound really that important? It also lacks the "roll cage" of the DeWalt, but does have rubberized corners. There's no auxilary input jack-so forget using your iPod or CD player with it. However, for some reason it DOES have a headphone jack. We can't really see that particular aspect being utilized much on jobsites...
Like the DeWalt, every part of it is ruggedized and designed to withstand jobsite abuse or adverse weather.
Makita claims a runtime of over 16 hours when used with a lithium ion battery. That's almost two solid work days!
Bosch Power Box PB10 & PB10-CD
 The Bosch PB10 and PB10-CD is probably the coolest of the jobsite radios. Not only does it have a digital tuner (with 30 presets)-it's also got a 12v accessory "cigarette lighter" outlet (for charging cell phones or other devices) and a 4-way GFCI power outlet for powering your corded tools. 
Unique to Bosch, the PB10-CD adds a built-in anti-skip mp3 compatible CD player and remote control. We're pretty uneasy about this feature and wouldn't recomend it if you are planning on actually using this unit on the job. CD players are fairly precise devices and don't seem like they'd survive very long enduring jobsite abuse.
It'll charge most 12-24v Bosch batteries and the radio/cd player can be powered by them as well. The aluminum roll-cage is claimed to protect the unit from falls as high as ten feet (plus it looks sweet). It's also got a 3.5mm aux port for iPods and portable CD players. Additionally, an iPod dock interface is available as an accessory.
Milwaukee 49-24-0280 Jobsite Radio
 Milwaukee's take on jobsite radios strongly resembles the DeWalt in form. However, like the Makita, it will just operate off of most 12-28v Milwaukee batteries, but will not charge them (probably due to DeWalt's patents). However, it's still a pretty good radio and has some nice features. It's equipped with premium Rockford Fosgate speakers driven by a 44w amp. Three equalization settings and bass boost ensure maximum sound. A 3.5mm input jack makes it a breeze to connect your mp3 player or CD player.
Like the Bosch, the Milwaukee also features a 12v accessory socket for charging your cell phone or other device. A pass-through 120v electrical outlet allows you to connect a tool or charger directly to the radio (if the radio is connected to AC power). Unique to this model is a zipper storage compartment in the rear, useful for storing your keys, cell phone, iPod etc.
A cool feature unique to this radio is that the tuner will receive NOAA (weather) warnings. If you are work outside, this feature could prove invaluable.
Like the other radios we've mentioned, the Milwaukee is ruggedized for use on jobsites and Milwaukee claims that it can survive an 8 foot drop onto concrete.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a radio just for the sake of having music at your workplace and don't care about battery compatiability, the Bosch PB10-CD would be our first choice. Provided you can take care of it and not abuse it too badly, the MP3 compatible CD player and optional iPod dock will let you avoid annoying radio DJs and listen to whatever you want while you work. Plus, the four-way GFCI outlet looks to be truly useful on the job. The 12v accessory port is a nice touch that we can see a lot of use for. Most importantly, it's probably the best (and coolest) looking of the group.
The DeWalt and Makita are just ruggedized radios. The DeWalt will at least charge DeWalt batteries and has an auxilary audio port so you are not just limited to the radio. The Makita is really just a heavy duty clock-radio that runs on Makita batteries.
We're sure DeWalt will have a model coming out soon to support the new Nano batteries.
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