When it comes to cheerleading, the ThunderPower Megaphone has been a visible tool on the sidelines of hundreds of sporting events for decades. Whether it’s a cheering for a football team, basketball team, or even roller derby, ThunderPower Bullhorns are the number one choice for majorettes across the country.
The megaphone is a portable handheld, cone-shaped device used to amplify the human voice in any direction and is most often used at events involving large audiences. There are two kinds of megaphones, acoustic and powered. The acoustic kind is shaped like a funnel where the voice can be projected from the wide end or “bell”. These days, most people use battery powered electric megaphone like the ThunderPower 250 because it is so much easier to use when wanting to project your voice for sporting events, rallies, or cheerleading events.
ThunderPower Megaphone Works Great for All Sporting and Cheerleading Events
The ThunderPower Megaphone is considered one of the most powerful and well-made bullhorns anywhere and is especially popular for cheerleading squads. Because ThunderPower bullhorns come in a variety of sizes and power options, they can be used at every playing field configuration, pool or waterway, and hardwood or concrete court. But what really makes ThunderPower megaphones so popular is that they are all constructed from industrial grade materials and designed for maximum comfort and ergonomic appeal. The hardware, attached parts, and the lightweight chassis allows the ThunderPower megaphone to pack plenty of power in a lightweight, easy-to-handle design. Most ThunderPower megaphones come with a combination of standard talk speaker mode and a built-in siren and whistle component for maximum attention getting ability.
The specific models of ThunderPower megaphones available include:
- ThunderPower 120 – 15 Watts, and a 700 Yard Range for $49.00
- ThunderPower 150 (Ultra compact) – 15 Watts and a 600 Yard Range for $59.00
- ThunderPower 250 – 25 Watts and a 800 Yard Range for $79.00
- ThunderPower 450 (Palm Mic) – 35 Watts and a 1200 Yard Range for $109.00
- ThunderPower 1200 – 45 Watts and a 2000 Yard Range for $189.00
The History of the Megaphone and Cheerleading
The origin of the megaphone can be traced back to seventeenth century England when a religious scholar began exploring ways to amplify his voice. He found that by forming a funnel shaped cone, his voice could be both directed and amplified dramatically. Throughout the centuries, the megaphone continued to be leveraged by athletes, actors, and activists. However, it was in the 1880’s when the megaphone started playing a big part of cheerleading teams. Although women currently dominate the world of cheerleading, the original cheering concept was started by men. In 1884 Princeton University got the idea that crowd chanting at football games would boost school spirit so they came up with a catchy cheer. The University of Minnesota heard about the novel idea for arousing spirit, and so in 1898 the university cheer club created their own catchy cheer:
“Rah, Rah, Rah! Ski-U-Mah! Hoo-Rah! Varsity! Varsity! Varsity! Minn-E-So-Tah!”
Inventor Henry C. Dalrymple developed and patented the first electric voice amplifier using a microphone.
Modern Electronics Magazine
That same year, the University of Minnesota organized the first official cheerleading fraternity, and before long other colleges caught on making organized cheers yelled through a megaphone a common addition to many sporting events. By the 1920s women joined the sport of cheerleading, but the men’s voices were the ones that were projected through the megaphone.
Obviously, the earlier, funnel-shaped megaphones were totally acoustic, absent of any electricity. However, by the nineteenth century Thomas Edison had invented the phonograph, and recognizing the potential, inventor Henry C. Dalrymple developed and patented the first electric voice amplifier using a microphone.
Today, the modern megaphone like ThunderPower bullhorns are used for the modern era of cheerleading, where it is less about eliciting audience participation, and more about entertaining spectators with flashy moves and dance routines. But regardless of how cheerleading advances and evolves, the ThunderPower Megaphone will always be home on the sidelines.
To find out more about ThunderPower megaphones, call one of our friendly and knowledgeable sales representatives at 866-927-7955.