car radio for boat

Bosun Higgs

Bosun Higgs

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can anyone recommend a car radio to install in the boat?

All the ones I can see on the net have ridiculously high power outputs - for example 4 x 50 w. Even allowing for the bullsh*t factor, that has to mean something like 15 amps consumption which is totally unnecessary

Just want FM radio, CD player and ability to couple up my phone / MP3 player
 
Bosun Higgs said:
can anyone recommend a car radio to install in the boat?

All the ones I can see on the net have ridiculously high power outputs - for example 4 x 50 w. Even allowing for the bullsh*t factor, that has to mean something like 15 amps consumption which is totally unnecessary

Just want FM radio, CD player and ability to couple up my phone / MP3 player
Click to expand...

i have an Awia micro system, its now 10 yrs old still good.
i used the existing speakers from the previous car type radio that was installed
 
Bosun Higgs said:
can anyone recommend a car radio to install in the boat?

All the ones I can see on the net have ridiculously high power outputs - for example 4 x 50 w. Even allowing for the bullsh*t factor, that has to mean something like 15 amps consumption which is totally unnecessary

Just want FM radio, CD player and ability to couple up my phone / MP3 player
Click to expand...

Had car cd/radios in all our boats, consumption on radio nearer to 1 amp at background level and not much more when fairly loud.
 
Don't worry about this rating - it will be hugely overstated and in any case is irrelevant. YOU control the current consumption with the volume knob. A system rated at 4x 50 watt will use (pretty much) the same as a 4 x 10 watt when you have the level set at your preferred volume. There is the question of 'background' consumption, that is current used when the unit is set to no volume, but this won't be that different between manufacturers.

Your only consideration (apart from personal pref) would be to have adequate output power. Listen in the shop!
 
To reduce the consumption as others have said ignore the output power, but there are some things that make some difference.
Mechanical drives use a fair bit of power consider an MP 3 car player (preferably without a CD drive)
The display uses a lot of power go for something less elaborate
Use efficient speakers

Finally consider how its wired
Dim the display
On some units the memory functions consume a bit of power use a separate switch if the CB is used for other things as well.

The consumption should be under an 1 amp if you take these steps even at reasonably high volumes.
 
We have had no problems with the two Aldi readios we have. Good radio and CD performance with an input for MP3 players. The remote control is great in the aft cabin.
 
Bosun Higgs said:
can anyone recommend a car radio to install in the boat?

All the ones I can see on the net have ridiculously high power outputs - for example 4 x 50 w. Even allowing for the bullsh*t factor, that has to mean something like 15 amps consumption which is totally unnecessary

Just want FM radio, CD player and ability to couple up my phone / MP3 player
Click to expand...

the 50W quoted isn't really 50 proper Watts - as in 50 x 4 = 200, divided by 12 = 16.6' amps current draw. It's a fudged factor called music power; to my mind it can mean pretty well anything that the seller wants it to - but then I'm a dinosaur from the days of thermionic valves when a watt meant volts x amps.

A someone else has said, a car radio only takes about an amp for normal (sensible) listening.

Your last requirement had me stumped for a while -?? Bluetooth, but then many mobiles have an USB connector / connectivity, which many car radios have as standard.

If you want to do the job at low cost, then Aldi sell (from time to time) a Tevion (house brand) radio that "does" CD, MP3, USB, WMA, remote control, RDS, Subwoofer output, SD card slot, FM, LW MW and some more besides.

All for around 50 squids.

I've got one in the bed area of my boat, and it works fine - rear speakers for us in bed, front for the Archers when Memsahb is working the locks.

Could spend more but why bother....

(bother; beaten to it)
 
Bosun Higgs said:
can anyone recommend a car radio to install in the boat?

All the ones I can see on the net have ridiculously high power outputs - for example 4 x 50 w. Even allowing for the bullsh*t factor, that has to mean something like 15 amps consumption which is totally unnecessary

Just want FM radio, CD player and ability to couple up my phone / MP3 player
Click to expand...

I fitted one of these .. http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...&langId=-1&storeId=10001&ddkey=ClickInfo#dtab

at xmas, cheaper in the sales, 4 x 50w. Just had a look and it draws 0.8a even when turned up. I find the remote is very handy onboard.
 
I found that a normal car audio was only designed to fill the relatively small volume of a car, but sounded rather tinny in the larger internal volume of the saloon.
and not to mention that it wasnt standing up to the salty air very well

so I fitted a thing like this: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BOSS-MARINE-4...tEquipment_Accessories_SM&hash=item519828006a

from these people: http://www.bossaudio.com/main/445

I also fitted much bigger (and thereby more efficient - more sound from less watts) speakers in the saloon, the same 6" diameter as those replaced, but much thicker and with bigger magnets, I used shallow plastic flower pots with the bottoms cut out as spacers.

and the 'rear' output going to a pair of their waterproof speakers in the cockpit.

I don't use the CD much, I have an input cable running from my MP3 player

Now full home stereo quality sound below and not bad sound in the cockpit, controlled by a wired cockpit remote control (also waterproof) and all in for about £220 I think

But if you only want to listen to the Archers you dont need all that at all.
 
In a similar vein to the response above, I fitted a Sony CDX-M10 in my last boat... It is basically a car radio but with 'marine' in the name. Seemed to think there was a special coating on the parts that might make it last longer - both a circuit board coating and anti-rust on other components. I never got the chance to find out.

You will find them on the internet from about £120.

PS - there is also a similar CDX-M30.
 
I fitted a Goodmans car cd/radio from ebay, new for about £40 and a pair of speakers I had in my shed. Works well for us. The only snag is that to keep the programmed radio stations you have to have a live feed from the battery - which I don't like when I'm not on the boat. Not a problem in my view.
 
As someone has mentioned the standby function of a car radio can cost you as much as 250 ma.

If you don't want to make big holes in bulkheads for speakers look for a set of 'bookshelf' speakers from somewhere like Richer Sounds. I bought a set that will get quite a part going!
 
PetiteFleur said:
... The only snag is that to keep the programmed radio stations you have to have a live feed from the battery - which I don't like when I'm not on the boat. Not a problem in my view.
Click to expand...

I have fitted 3 or 4 different car CD/radios and each one has the same feature that it looses the station tuning when the powere is off. Like most people, Iturn of the battery master switch when I leave the boat.

I would be interested to know if so-called 'marine' domestic radios suffer the same way. I suspect that they do.

Ian
 
isandell said:
I have fitted 3 or 4 different car CD/radios and each one has the same feature that it looses the station tuning when the powere is off. Like most people, Iturn of the battery master switch when I leave the boat.

I would be interested to know if so-called 'marine' domestic radios suffer the same way. I suspect that they do.

Ian
Click to expand...
One of the main reasons for switching off the master switch is to avoid flattening the battery from the small power drain from things like the memory function in the stereo.
If you want to avoid the loss of memory you can connect the stereo directly to the battery (or the memory function only if you want), but check the drain first. It varies a lot between stereos and can be enough to make an impact on the batteries if you are away a long time and have no charging.
The marine units behave the same. Most are simply car units with slightly better seals and a sprayed circuit board. Fusion is about the only exception. None I know of have a non volatile memory that doesn’t require power.
 
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Don't want to teach you to suck eggs but take care where you put the speakers, a previous owner of our boat had cut two massive holes in the main strength bulkhead (deck stepped mast) for the speakers and two more holes for light fittings, the bulkhead colapsed/buckled around the holes. Last seasons sailing was completed with the bulkhead re-inforced with 4"x2" timbers glued and screwed to stop the buckling and this winter the bulkhead has had to be replaced which meant removing most of the interior. All because of some badly placed speaker holes.

Ross
 
great things you find browsing these threads

I was wondering this morning why one of my batteries sems to be losing power compared to the other one, and yes, the previous owner had run a (hard to notice) wire I traced back to the radio. (JVC 4x50) Why NV memory is not used beats me. Even on a car infrequently used, it must pose a bit of a problem. I'd disconnect if I had a tuning dial, but the faff of 'scanning' every time to find R4 would be a nuisance. I wonder if any DC wizards can come up with a solution. I'd happily replace a dry cell battery once a season if that'd do the trick.:(
 
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