Entertainment system for shared yacht

P

pcatterall

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 Aug 2004
Messages
5,507
Location
Home East Lancashire boat Spain
Visit site
Our yacht is now in multiple ownership, the only entertainment is fishing or chess!
It would be nice to have some sound at least.

I thought that we could just install a couple of speakers so that folk could just plug their own music ( from phones or other sources)
Any suggestions on this? and do we need some sort of universal connector?

Also considering a decent radio which might even pick up some news in English ( for use in Sardinia and later in Spain) I guess we could plug the speakers into this. Any ideas about which radio please?
 
pcatterall said:
I thought that we could just install a couple of speakers so that folk could just plug their own music ( from phones or other sources)
Any suggestions on this? and do we need some sort of universal connector?
Click to expand...

Car radio with built-in USB port: most good ones have them these days. They'll also charge an iPod/MP3 player as you listen.
 
macd said:
Car radio with built-in USB port: most good ones have them these days. They'll also charge an iPod/MP3 player as you listen.
Click to expand...
A good quality Bluetooth mobile speaker is your friend, we have the Bose version, which enables music to be played from my phone, and massively enhances film/video watching on iPad
 
macd said:
Car radio with built-in USB port: most good ones have them these days. They'll also charge an iPod/MP3 player as you listen.
Click to expand...

That is almost certainly the cheapest way. Even the cheapest car radios have surprisingly good sound quality, given decent speakers. In the last few days I have loaded my complete music collection onto a single, tiny USB memory stick, 5000 tracks occupying a tall cupboard on CD, 27 DVDs in compressed format. Sound quality perfectly OK for boat or car.
 
A car stereo is probably a cheap option as was suggested but you mention "....install a couple of speakers...". So do you really want to make some holes in the boat to install them? I still haven't persuated myself after 8 years of owning my boat to install cockpit speakers (I only have in the saloon) so I bought a bluetooth speaker and use my iphone to play music. Only negative (actually it's a big negative but a boat is all about compromises) is not be able to listen to radio unless I have internet.
 
If you install a car stereo & speakers, you will also need to install an aerial, unless you use a radio app on your phone - which requires an Internet connection.

Also, bear in mind it will be a drain on your battery(s).
 
Mud said:
If you install a car stereo & speakers, you will also need to install an aerial, unless you use a radio app on your phone - which requires an Internet connection.

Also, bear in mind it will be a drain on your battery(s).
Click to expand...

My aerial is about two metres of wire lying in a locker. Works perfectly well. On the other boat I have a rubber duck car aerial, which I already had, lying in the wheelhouse.

The Sony radio takes just under half an amp, whether just radio or if playing a music DVD.

cmedsailor said:
A car stereo is probably a cheap option as was suggested but you mention "....install a couple of speakers...". So do you really want to make some holes in the boat to install them? I still haven't persuated myself after 8 years of owning my boat to install cockpit speakers (I only have in the saloon) so I bought a bluetooth speaker and use my iphone to play music. Only negative (actually it's a big negative but a boat is all about compromises) is not be able to listen to radio unless I have internet.
Click to expand...

There have been several threads from owners who installed the type of speaker that requires no drilled holes at all, just devices glued inside the cockpit sides. They seem to work very well. Having said that I have had cockpit speakers for years, the only problem has been that the plastic grilles degrade in sunlight and become brittle. The ones I have now have metal grilles.
 
Last edited:
vyv_cox said:
The Sony radio takes just under half an amp, whether just radio or if playing a music DVD.
Click to expand...

I think half an amp is a bit of a low estimate. But it depends on multiple factors, including type of stereo, volume you play your music, voltage drop due to wiring resistance.

And then the stereo may be drawing power when you aren't using it to remember stations, anti-theft features, lights. Unless you and the other owners all cut the power off when the boat is going to be unused for long periods.

Worth considering if you only have a small battery, and don't have some sort of charge maintainer.
 
Mud said:
If you install a car stereo & speakers, you will also need to install an aerial, unless you use a radio app on your phone - which requires an Internet connection.
Click to expand...
My android phone can play FM radio using a set of headphones plugged into the headphone socket as an aerial. Not perfect reception and afloat underway may be worse (never tried it). I assume a partially eaten piece of fruit based phone can so the same...? You need to fiddle with the sound settings to output to bluetooth when its got a speaker wire plugged in...

Bluetooth speakers charge from USB port usually (usually with USB Mini rather than micro). Most phones can charge from a Micro USB. But you may find radio USB ports cant charge at 2.1A only 500mA which may be more than radio is drawing if its playing sound out.
 
Nothing worse than being trapped on a small boat being forced to listen to someone else's choice of music. Visitors on my boat usually complain about my choices.

If the boat is in shared ownership I suggest that you get a small sign printed to read something like "please feel free to listen to your MP3 player using your personal headphones".

For entertainment, a wine rack and corkscrew immediately come to mind. Otherwise, a selection of books, a mask, fins and snorkel and a decent quality compendium of games.

Having suggested the above, of an evening, I do like to watch a DVD in the company of a glass or two of red wine, but then our cruising grounds are North Wales, not the Med.
 
Mud said:
I think half an amp is a bit of a low estimate. But it depends on multiple factors, including type of stereo, volume you play your music, voltage drop due to wiring resistance.

And then the stereo may be drawing power when you aren't using it to remember stations, anti-theft features, lights. Unless you and the other owners all cut the power off when the boat is going to be unused for long periods.
Click to expand...

It's not an estimate, it's a measurement. I have also measured the difference in drawn current v. volume - there is no change. The current drawn when the set is turned off is very low, I forget the exact figure but something like 0.05 amp. My solar panel doesn't even notice it.
 
I've settled on a mobile blue tooth speaker. Splash proof, built in clip so I can stick it where ever I happen to be on the boat. Can also clip to belt loop on trousers if wandering around and keep the volume down to a personal level. Cost was £46 and sound quality is very good. Phone used to play the music and volume can be controlled from phone or speaker. Any guests (what are they?) can also connect and play their own selection if preferred.
Simple and cheap.
 
I bought one of these following a recommendation on here, very pleased with quality of sound. It will link via Bluetooth to your phones, ipad etc or by 3.5mm aux in if Bluetooth is too complicated for you. I expect power consumption will be less than car radio and it's portable so you can move around boat as required.

https://www.bose.co.uk/GB/en/home-a...bluetooth-speaker-II/?&mc=GB/005_PS_SL_BO_GO_

Edit, it must have taken me a while to write my post you replied since.
 
ShinyShoe said:
My android phone can play FM radio using a set of headphones plugged into the headphone socket as an aerial. Not perfect reception and afloat underway may be worse (never tried it). I assume a partially eaten piece of fruit based phone can so the same...? You need to fiddle with the sound settings to output to bluetooth when its got a speaker wire plugged in..
Click to expand...

Standard FM reception is OK afloat (i've found, and i'm an inveterate Classic FM listener) but I didn't know you could still output to blue tooth when you have a connection in the audio jack - usually I just play it through the audio jack, blue tooth would be much more flexible.. .. thanks for that heads up, must have an experiment with the phone...
 
What is the easiest way to play fm radio through a portable speaker when not connected to internet? Through an mp3 (connected with wire) probably? Anything else?
 
cmedsailor said:
What is the easiest way to play fm radio through a portable speaker when not connected to internet? Through an mp3 (connected with wire) probably? Anything else?
Click to expand...
MTIqMka.png
A facetious reply, but a couple of recent threads on entertainment systems are making me believe this forum may harbour a tendency to over-complicate matters.
 
Last edited:
Gladys said:
A good quality Bluetooth mobile speaker is your friend, we have the Bose version, which enables music to be played from my phone, and massively enhances film/video watching on iPad
Click to expand...

Definitely. Something like this
http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/audio-...x55b-wireless-speaker-black-10131819-pdt.html
No wiring and ample volume for all but the most anti-social. I sailed on '15 Bavaria this year with some complex Fusion / Apple docking sound system which everyone ignored due to its complexity. The rechargeable Bluetooth speaker bar was always 1st choice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top