Cockpit Extension Speaker for VHF

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LinTeal

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Can anyone please recommend a free standing cockpit speaker to enable me to hear my VHF radio whilst on passage.
I purchased one for £20 but the maximum volume was inadequate and being able to easily hear is my priority !
 
Have you considered a remote radio head? It took a lot of stress out of my sailing as I could hear things and speak to port control at Dover.
 
LinTeal said:
Can anyone please recommend a free standing cockpit speaker to enable me to hear my VHF radio whilst on passage.
I purchased one for £20 but the maximum volume was inadequate and being able to easily hear is my priority !
Click to expand...
Can't tell if this one will be loud enough for you but I fitted it about 12 years ago and have not had a problem with volume https://cpc.farnell.com/visaton/2128/speaker-3-3-25w-full-range/dp/LS02088?st=Waterproof speaker

A thought: if you have a bluetooth ear piece/bud you could fit a bluetooth transmitter to the external speaker socket on your vhf like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Geva-Trans...cphy=1006621&hvtargid=pla-1406231897664&psc=1

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
 
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Graham376 said:
NASA do a cheap one - Nasa Waterproof VHF Speaker | Force 4 Chandlery or Vtronix expensive which we have - Vtronix Deckwatch VHF Speaker | Force 4 Chandlery
Click to expand...

Here are some more options:
>External Speakers | Cactus Navigation & Communication
(other suppliers are available)

Maybe you should look at mounting one of Raymarine's Ray90 (they do passive or active versions) on a custom bracket? On a previous boat I just had a Navico speaker (similar to the Raymarine) that was on a trailing lead and just placed in the cockpit.

Also, is this for a yacht or a powerboat?
 
LinTeal said:
Can anyone please recommend a free standing cockpit speaker to enable me to hear my VHF radio whilst on passage.
I purchased one for £20 but the maximum volume was inadequate and being able to easily hear is my priority !
Click to expand...
Why not move the radio to the cockpit where it is of more use? Put a speaker inside if you must.
 
A few tens of seconds googling for Raymarine VHF (It would be useful to have told us the model) show that they feed, directly, not via an amplifier, 5W into an 8 Ohm speaker. 5W is damnably loud, so no amplifier is required.

8 Ohm cockpit speakers are widely available, for instance this one.

PS: The NASA ones are 4 Ohms, of rotten quality, and will not be suitable.
 
[QUOTE="jdc, post: 7865502, member: 29028"

PS: The NASA ones are 4 Ohms, of rotten quality, and will not be suitable.
[/QUOTE]
Not that 4 Ohms makes any noticeable difference when 8 is specified, but agree the Nasa speaker is crap - mine arrived last week and is going right back. Dreadful sound quality.
 
The amplifier has only a certain current capacity in its output electronics, so doubling the current for a particular output Voltage can lead to increased distortion and current drain.

Certainly when trying 4 Ohm speakers in the 'Cox Box' systems of rowing boats ('cos I could obtain 4 Ohm speakers) in place of the 8 Ohm speakers the amplifier expected we got lower volume and much reduced battery life, so I had to switch back.
 
jdc said:
The amplifier has only a certain current capacity in its output electronics, so doubling the current for a particular output Voltage can lead to increased distortion and current drain.

Certainly when trying 4 Ohm speakers in the 'Cox Box' systems of rowing boats ('cos I could obtain 4 Ohm speakers) in place of the 8 Ohm speakers the amplifier expected we got lower volume and much reduced battery life, so I had to switch back.
Click to expand...
When I were a lad, Cox's had to have loud voices! And to this day I can make myself heard at quite a distance. Voice projection comes in handy for public speaking, too.
 
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