Cockpit Speaker

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3reefs

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My VHF is nice and snug in the Nav area. I cannot hear it when in the cockpit.

Should I:
1. Get a cockpit speaker
2. Get a remote "station" for my desktop VHF (Icom Command Mike)
3. Go for a handheld VHF (with no wiring needed)

I look forward to learning your thoughts/experience.

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I have a marine loadspeaker designed for throwing where you want .... on a wandering lead plugged into the VHF outlet socket ..... also a handheld.

Biggest thing to watch is DON'T place the speaker near your compass ...... I used to set my wandering lead job under the port side sprayhood .... till one day ran aground !! The bulkhead compass was about a foot below and it had deflected about 90 deg.



<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I came - cos they said was FREE Guinness !
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A cockpit speaker is the best solution unless you have loadsa dough for the remote handset. The handheld may miss transmissions from any distance and is best kept for emergency backup.

If you fit the cockpit speaker, it will automatically disconnect the set speaker, this is apparently a universal rule. If you want to hear in both locations, the answer is to fit TWO extension speakers in parallel, one mounted below, the other in the cockpit. We have the 2 speaker option and bought 2 nice small waterproof speakers from one of the French chandlery chains (U Ship, Accastillage Diffusion or Big Ship) because they were just £10 each, as opposed to £30 or more here.

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That is very interesting and very sensible. I checked with our local dealer and NASA and was told it was an EEC requirement for type approval! Certainly our old set speaker cut out as does our new NASA DSC one and there have been lots of previous posts too on this.

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<<<If you fit the cockpit speaker, it will automatically disconnect the set speaker, this is apparently a universal rule>>>

Is not universal - some Icoms, at least, allow you to fit another speaker without disabling the set's own speaker. My own set, does allow that, but is not available in the EU. The non EU IC-M601 also allows it, but I could not comment on the EU model, but would assume it would be the same. Have not investigated other makes on this point, but I assume many others do also, the mentioned ones are just those I have happened across casually as it is not normally an issue with the boats I work with.

To the original poster, I went for a waterproof cockpit speaker rather than the remote - however, that decision was made easier by part of our cockpit being under cover so the speaker is out of the elements. It has the disadvantage, of course, that one cannot respond to a call without going down below to the radio, but we are not VHF "chatterers" and if I need to use the radio when it is unsafe through close quarters to go below one is always able to use a handheld.

John

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I wish it were otherwise but certainly lots of posts have highlighted the internal speaker cut off and it was from one such post that I learnt of the solution in using 2 extension speakers. Of the 5 different makes that I have owned over the years only one (The Husun 55) worked below when the outside extension was connected. The reason it worked was it that had a telephone handset and you could hear the transmissions on that - but even then the set's internal speaker was cut out. I suspect this is a piece of EU nonsense, the logic of which escapes me, but it does double the sales figures for extension speakers!

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Hi Robin

I just had a look at some of the EU Icoms - they are the same as the international sets they are derived from, they have a spare pair of speaker connections which do not disable the internal speaker. After attaching an external speaker one can enable or disable the internal speaker when one wishes ie have both the speakers working, or just the remote one (this does not appear to be the case with the little bottom end IC-M401 though even though it has a connection for a remote speaker, but did not have a close look so could be mistaken on that radio). To be able to disable the remote speaker one has to place a switch in the line to it, it cannot be switched off on the radio - or if it can, I have not found out how!

May be useful information for those looking for this feature (I have no commercial interest in Icom radios).

John

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Yes, at least they can then challenge the dealers who blame it on the EU! It's such a stupid feature to my mind, you need to hear out in the cockpit and at the set, on our boat that isn't possible without 2 working speakers. One dealer told me all I had to do was pull out the jack plug on the extension when I wanted to hear down below!

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My set probably pre-dates EU interference on such matters, but it does as you say and disconnects the inbuilt speaker.

But since the set is built into a locker, the speaker was extremely quiet and muffled anyway. I now have two extension speakers, one in the cockpit and the other on the chart table.

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<<<One dealer told me all I had to do was pull out the jack plug on the extension when I wanted to hear down below! >>>

He was a bit slow then if he did not try to sell you an Icom that does just as you want! However, we all live and learn - and in any event the Icoms seem to be a pretty expensive solution over your way.

Re your other threads, hope you get your new set up and going.

Regards

John

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With mine the cockpit speaker used to cut out the internal one but a bit of waggling around found a point where they both worked .. and they have continued to work for the last couple of years .. not a techie solution but worth a try!

<hr width=100% size=1>.. its life but not as we know it ..
 
It's only a minor point, specially as no one here seems to have had a problem. However two 4 Ohm speakers connected in parallel will present 2 Ohms to the set and might just overload the output stage, with a little burn up resulting. Either find 8 Ohm speakers or connect them in series for safety. Only slightly less volume.

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There is a reason that few people have flagged this as a problem on a boat.

The impedence presented to the set by connecting two speakers in parallel includes the impedence of the connecting cables. At audio frequencies this could be several ohms particurally as boat audio wiring as not normally done with specialist HIFI speaker cabling.

There still exists a slight danger of overloading the audio output stage of a VHF if the internal speaker is not disconnected when connecting external speakers. That is unless the output stage is designed to supply this extra current.

This of course may add a penny or two to the manufacturing costs of the set. So some manufacturers opt for the lowest cost/risk option.

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A mild plea

If you do put in a cockpit squeaker, please make it switchable, so that you don't wake up everybody else in the marina/on the moorings when you pick up the CG maritime and safety infromation broadcast at 0415 UTC.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>
 
Perfect.. It's just that many small and "car" type speakers are 4 Ohm.

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