Fixed VHF & an external speaker

[sabresailor]

I'm fitting a new VHF and will plug in an external speaker (so can hear whats going on when in the cockpit with the engine running, etc). Should I wire this speaker through a switch - or do folks have the ext. speaker 'always on'?
Cheers

 

[MoodySabre]

Some external speakers like this just plug into a jack socket on the radio.

I think it's a good idea to be able to switch it off so that you use the radio (contact with friends, weather forecast etc) down below without annoying the whole marina or those moored nearby. So unplug or have it on a switch.

 

[tillergirl]

Re: Fixed VHF & an external speaker

Have a look at the recent threads on DSC sets with Command Mikes. You don;t need a cockpit speaker and you get very convenient operability

 

[colvic987]

some vhf's main speaker will be turned off when you plug the external speaker in...
which means that if you are at the area with the vhf, you will have to unplug the external speaker to hear the vhf...having a switch to turn it off still might not work, it will just turn the external speaker off so you cannot hear anything at all...

 

[narooma]

It can be very annoying when parked next to someone who likes to monitor vhf 24/7 and has ext.speaker permanently on.

 

[mobeydick]

Just don't get one of those speakers with a standard square 'instrument shape' (like the log, depth etc) and mount it neatly with the other instruments - and near the compass. Speakers have magnets in them! Who'd a thought it.

 

[ditchcrawler]

My current boat has a cockpit speaker permanently on,but my previous boat had a switch to the speaker which enabled me to switch it off.This can be useful in that some VHF DSC radios enable you to set the output to the external speaker or the radio speaker or both.If you have alot of alarms going off(some French stations I gather were using the DSC alarm system for standard nav warnings although I gather this was only being received on the south coast/channel) you could select the external speaker option on your radio & swith it off(the speaker that is).You could select ext speaker only on your radio to avoid any alarms waking crew on a night passage.

 

[johnalison]

Re: Fixed VHF & an external speaker

Depending on your sailing you may want to have the option of cockpit speaker on-inside speaker off as this gives the off-duty crew a chance to sleep in peace at night.

Also, you need to turn the cockpit speaker off if, as I often do, use a hand-held VHF when approaching a harbour or marina, otherwise you can get feedback if they are on the same channel.