Audio radio for boat - which, or what?

[Robert Wilson]

I need to replace ancient audio radio (probably ex-car type). It has a cassette slot, but it's inoperative due to age.
I'd want to have CD playing facilities.
Cassettes will be playable/recordable on separate portable Roberts RC9907, which can timer-record for shipping forecast etc.

I'm not sure which Bands are best for listening to shipping forecast, CG bulletins etc: AM/FM, or FM/MW/LW or whatever.

Any suggestions and/or pointers please.

TIA

RW

 

[coopec]

If you had the Internet on board you can listen to radio stations around the world.
This is just one of the many links

http://www.live-radio.net/info.shtml

http://radiostationworld.com/

 

[maby]

If you had the Internet on board you can listen to radio stations around the world.
This is just one of the many links

http://www.live-radio.net/info.shtml

http://radiostationworld.com/

Only works while you are in port or marina with a reasonably priced WiFi connection - go far from shore and 3g will not work even if you can find a contract that allows you to listen to streamed music at an affordable price and satellite internet connections will bankrupt you rapidly if used for streaming.

 

[coopec]

Only works while you are in port or marina with a reasonably priced WiFi connection - go far from shore and 3g will not work even if you can find a contract that allows you to listen to streamed music at an affordable price and satellite internet connections will bankrupt you rapidly if used for streaming.

I was not sure how far Robert would be traveling from shore but of course the signal travels further over water than land. I was surprised to find they receive TV at a settlement 40km away and the fishermen use their mobile phones at sea.

The other consideration is digital or analogue but it will certainly be a while before analogue is fazed out in Australia and Africa for example.

 

[coopec]

even if you can find a contract that allows you to listen to streamed music at an affordable price and satellite internet connections will bankrupt you rapidly if used for streaming.

Are you sure that is right?

Downloading one hour of radio is about 25 mb whereas downloading a one hour movie is anywhere between 2 and 5 gb (depending on the quality). An enormous difference!!

I'm certainly no expert though. I wonder if there are any out there (maybe William-H or Norman_E?)

 

[duncan99210]

We have a normal cheapo car stero with a USB port (for MP3 players) and an aux jack socket that allows you to hook just about anything up to it. Has a CD but we rarely use that. Don't use the radio, as Greek music is not up to much.... VHF and Navtex for forecasts when we don't have internet.

 

[Robin]

We have a normal cheapo car stero with a USB port (for MP3 players) and an aux jack socket that allows you to hook just about anything up to it. Has a CD but we rarely use that. Don't use the radio, as Greek music is not up to much.... VHF and Navtex for forecasts when we don't have internet.

We put ourentire collection of Cds onto a flash stick that plugs into our pioneer stereo's USB socket on the front panel. It has a Cd slot but why bother as they are all on MP3 on the stick. we get weather via the weather channels on our Us Vhf transceiver, the WX service in terms of immediate availability is good but the forecasts are just as carp as everywhere else.

 

[testmonkey]

Blaupunkt has models which keep station memory when all power is cut off. Most other car radios don't do that.

 

[Robert Wilson]

Blaupunkt has models which keep station memory when all power is cut off. Most other car radios don't do that.

That's a big plus. Thanks.

Anyone any experience of the Roberts cassette timer/recorder jobby? In the current Force4 catalogue at £37.95.

And any advice as to which Bands for bulletins - FM/AM, LW/MW/FM?

 

[nigelmercier]

I've decided to remove my radio and just have an amplifier. I get weather via Navtex, VHF and the Internet.

 

[Richard10002]

I recently bought a Sony with Bluetooth, CD, USB and FM AM LW. Also has a remote control, which they don't all have. About £100 from Halfords. The downside is that it needs permanent power to save settings, so the Blaupunkt option would be better.

Hooked up to a couple of Kef Egg speakers, it's the dogs danglies

 

[Cardo]

Not cheap by regular car-stereo standards, but do the business...
http://www.fusionelectronics.com/marine/products/stereo-units

We have the MS-RA200, it's great. (Though I wish I had the 205, as I'd be able to control it from our chart plotter!)

 

[vyv_cox]

We have several combined radio and recorded sets, all by Sony. Over the years I have had them by other makers but very happy with Sony and it helps to have some familiarity (although not total) between sets. My CD collection, occupying a large cupboard, is recorded to about 30 DVDs in mp3 format. We also use the minijack socket to take the audio from a small DVD video player, improving quality no end.

 

[nimbusgb]

Are you sure that is right?

Downloading one hour of radio is about 25 mb whereas downloading a one hour movie is anywhere between 2 and 5 gb (depending on the quality). An enormous difference!!

I'm certainly no expert though. I wonder if there are any out there (maybe William-H or Norman_E?)

Have you checked the price of satellite data lately?

 

[coopec]

Cassettes will be playable/recordable on separate portable Roberts RC9907, which can timer-record for shipping forecast etc.

I'm not sure which Bands are best for listening to shipping forecast, CG bulletins etc: AM/FM, or FM/MW/LW or whatever.

Any suggestions and/or pointers please.

TIA

RW

I live right on the coast (6 ft above sea level) and can pick up AM broadcasts (say 500khz - 1.8mhz) from stations well over 500 km away ALL THE TIME. (Of course that is because the radio signal only travels across the ocean) FM Broadcasts are even better.
As far as my music collection is concerned I have it all on a SD card and play it using the computer.

 

[coopec]

Have you checked the price of satellite data lately?

Maybe you could have a look at this?

Cost of calls from my Thuraya satellite phone

This page explains the cost of making a call from your Thuraya phone. Please note that it doesn't matter where you purchased your SIM card or how you recharge, the cost of calls in units per minute is always the same. The price of units does vary a little between different providers. We aim to be the cheapest place to recharge, so let us know if you find cheaper.
Call costs for different sim cards

Thuraya Prepay SIM (low standard rate across all the entire Thuraya coverage area)

Calling from Thuraya to Thuraya - 1 units/min (NOTE According to my calculations that is $1.35/minute SEE BELOW)
Calling from Thuraya to almost all other networks - 1.50 units/min
Thuraya to other Satellite Networks - 8.00 units/min
Calling hard to reach destinations, such as some small pacific islands - 4.99 units/min
SMS - 0.5 units/message
Data/fax - same as calls
Free to receive calls and text
GMPRS data - 5 units per Mb, billed in 10kb increments
Calls billed in 60 second increments
No charge to receive calls & text messages
Annual Fee information: http://www.thurayarecharge.com/All-about-Thuraya-Sim-Card-Validity/

Thuraya NOVA SIM (cheaper rates in thes


https://www.thurayarecharge.com/Cost-of-calls-from-my-Thuraya-satellite-phone/


Recharge Online - ThurayaRecharge
https://www.thurayarecharge.com/online/‎
Buy Thuraya airtime units from the official ThurayaRecharge provider to instantly refill your Thuraya pre-paid sim card. Units are ... 10 units (Cost is US$13.50).

 

[srm]

If you intend going out of marine VHF range of the shore would suggest you look for a set that can recieve SSB transmissions for MF/HF marine forecasts or weatherfax via a laptop.

 

[BruceDanforth]

I recently bought a Pioneer car stereo from halfords for £50 or so. It plays cds and mp3s and you can plug walkmans into it etc. It has LW for the shipping forecast. I actually bought it for the car as I don't have the luxury of having enough power available on the boat where I just use my walkman and a small Roberts radio running from batteries.

I think it was this one:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...uctId_916727_langId_-1_categoryId_165655#tab1

 

[maby]

Maybe you could have a look at this?

Cost of calls from my Thuraya satellite phone

This page explains the cost of making a call from your Thuraya phone. Please note that it doesn't matter where you purchased your SIM card or how you recharge, the cost of calls in units per minute is always the same. The price of units does vary a little between different providers. We aim to be the cheapest place to recharge, so let us know if you find cheaper.
Call costs for different sim cards

Thuraya Prepay SIM (low standard rate across all the entire Thuraya coverage area)

Calling from Thuraya to Thuraya - 1 units/min (NOTE According to my calculations that is $1.35/minute SEE BELOW)
Calling from Thuraya to almost all other networks - 1.50 units/min
Thuraya to other Satellite Networks - 8.00 units/min
Calling hard to reach destinations, such as some small pacific islands - 4.99 units/min
SMS - 0.5 units/message
Data/fax - same as calls
Free to receive calls and text
GMPRS data - 5 units per Mb, billed in 10kb increments
Calls billed in 60 second increments
No charge to receive calls & text messages
Annual Fee information: http://www.thurayarecharge.com/All-about-Thuraya-Sim-Card-Validity/

Thuraya NOVA SIM (cheaper rates in thes


https://www.thurayarecharge.com/Cost-of-calls-from-my-Thuraya-satellite-phone/


Recharge Online - ThurayaRecharge
https://www.thurayarecharge.com/online/‎
Buy Thuraya airtime units from the official ThurayaRecharge provider to instantly refill your Thuraya pre-paid sim card. Units are ... 10 units (Cost is US$13.50).

Yes, that's the sort of figure I've seen before - about $7 per meg - painfully expensive for anything other than sending a few short emails.

 

[Robert Wilson]

I recently bought a Pioneer car stereo from halfords for £50 or so. It plays cds and mp3s and you can plug walkmans into it etc. It has LW for the shipping forecast. I actually bought it for the car as I don't have the luxury of having enough power available on the boat where I just use my walkman and a small Roberts radio running from batteries.

I think it was this one:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...uctId_916727_langId_-1_categoryId_165655#tab1

I think you have just answered all my queries in one go. Thank you.
I should have known a Geordie (or Geordie-based) would come up with the griff. :encouragement: