Stereo for a Boat

[Refueler]

Using your phone for bluetooth music has a fairly negligable effect on the phone battery (assuming a reasonable quality phone) and it's certainly lower power at the stereo end than tape, CD, USB or SD Card.

I'll tell my BB Z30 and my Samsung S8 and wifes S21 next time battery runs out ................ maybe also tell all those 'plebs' hunting deown charger points in Airports etc. for their iPhones !! The ballooning market in pocket "powerbank' chargers ....

Given that even the manuals say to disable as much as possible to retain battery life ... ie BT, WiFi, etc.

Its the price for having a Smartphone .............. short battery life. Gone are the days of long life over days ............

I agree my drop in car style radio will pull more power - but its running direct of boats domestic power bank ... so why should it be a problem ? And if I want to use my Phones music archive - it accepts Blue Tooth as well ...

So I don't see the argument in favour of the BT box ..... surely the BT box needs power as well ??? My wife has a BT box which also takes SD and USB ... needs charging for serious length of use ...

Each to their own.

 

[ghostlymoron]

I have a 12v cigar lighter and USB adapter so can power my phone from that if the battery goes flat.

 

[lustyd]

I'll tell my BB Z30 and my Samsung S8 and wifes S21 next time battery runs out ................ maybe also tell all those 'plebs' hunting deown charger points in Airports etc. for their iPhones !! The ballooning market in pocket "powerbank' chargers ....

Given that even the manuals say to disable as much as possible to retain battery life ... ie BT, WiFi, etc.

Its the price for having a Smartphone .............. short battery life. Gone are the days of long life over days ............

I agree my drop in car style radio will pull more power - but its running direct of boats domestic power bank ... so why should it be a problem ? And if I want to use my Phones music archive - it accepts Blue Tooth as well ...

So I don't see the argument in favour of the BT box ..... surely the BT box needs power as well ??? My wife has a BT box which also takes SD and USB ... needs charging for serious length of use ...

Each to their own.

The battery is used up by the screen and the LTE/Wifi radio. Those "plebs in airports" have probably been mindlessly browsing the web for hours. The use of the same phone for music over BTLE is entirely negligable in battery usage by comparison.

 

[Minerva]

I'll tell my BB Z30 and my Samsung S8 and wifes S21 next time battery runs out ................ maybe also tell all those 'plebs' hunting deown charger points in Airports etc. for their iPhones !! The ballooning market in pocket "powerbank' chargers ....

Given that even the manuals say to disable as much as possible to retain battery life ... ie BT, WiFi, etc.

Its the price for having a Smartphone .............. short battery life. Gone are the days of long life over days ............

I agree my drop in car style radio will pull more power - but its running direct of boats domestic power bank ... so why should it be a problem ? And if I want to use my Phones music archive - it accepts Blue Tooth as well ...

So I don't see the argument in favour of the BT box ..... surely the BT box needs power as well ??? My wife has a BT box which also takes SD and USB ... needs charging for serious length of use ...

Each to their own.

I have a wonder boom speaker (one of these; Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 2 - Portable Mini Bluetooth Speaker) in my office (as well as on the boat) and listen to it for a few hours a day generally. A charge will usually last about a week or ~12 hours of use. It can also be used whilst it's charging via USB.

Similarly, my iPhone battery lasts 2 days on a charge, even with a few hours a day streaming music via bluetooth.

This set up is far superior in every way to the 5yr old pioneer head unit and separate speakers we also have installed on the boat.

If I may be blunt, it feels like you're looking for a problem that's not there in reality.

 

[Stemar]

Streaming isn't an option. To go with our budget phones, we have a budget deal, with only a gig a month of data each. Plenty for our routine usage, including forecasts, but not enough left over for a lot of streaming.

I think I'm going to go with Refueller's cheapy head - though I'd want RDS for the station names, as I've been spoilt on that and a half-decent pair of speakers, looking in £50-60 range.

When shopping for ICE years ago, it was suggested that the budget should be split roughly 30% for the head and 70% for the speakers, and my experience bears that out - good speakers can give decent sound from a cheap radio, but the best radio will sound rubbish through nasty speakers.

My reason for rejecting the Bluetooth systems is that I want radio, and the radios in our phones just aren't very good.

My thanks to you all for your invaluable help - as always

 

[Refueler]

I have a wonder boom speaker (one of these; Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 2 - Portable Mini Bluetooth Speaker) in my office (as well as on the boat) and listen to it for a few hours a day generally. A charge will usually last about a week or ~12 hours of use. It can also be used whilst it's charging via USB.

Similarly, my iPhone battery lasts 2 days on a charge, even with a few hours a day streaming music via bluetooth.

This set up is far superior in every way to the 5yr old pioneer head unit and separate speakers we also have installed on the boat.

If I may be blunt, it feels like you're looking for a problem that's not there in reality.

This is where it gets silly ...

I am most certainly NOT looking for a problem. Second - it may be better to understand what my last post was directed at - the post made by 'lustyd' ......

We each have our own way and means .........

The BT box is as Stemar himself says - not what he's after.

 

[lustyd]

I think I'm going to go with Refueller's cheapy head

I’d go for a cheap car stereo too, streaming is fine but not while sailing for the same reason DAB is hopeless. Sometimes it’s nice to just put the radio on, and the head unit is the only sensible way to do that these days. I do also have a Bluetooth speaker for beach/cockpit use but wouldn’t swap out the stereo

 

[Refueler]

Streaming isn't an option. To go with our budget phones, we have a budget deal, with only a gig a month of data each. Plenty for our routine usage, including forecasts, but not enough left over for a lot of streaming.

I think I'm going to go with Refueller's cheapy head - though I'd want RDS for the station names, as I've been spoilt on that and a half-decent pair of speakers, looking in £50-60 range.

When shopping for ICE years ago, it was suggested that the budget should be split roughly 30% for the head and 70% for the speakers, and my experience bears that out - good speakers can give decent sound from a cheap radio, but the best radio will sound rubbish through nasty speakers.

My reason for rejecting the Bluetooth systems is that I want radio, and the radios in our phones just aren't very good.

My thanks to you all for your invaluable help - as always

Thank you - but my suggestion is only one in a large arena ...

I was looking as you for a CD + radio / SD etc. but it seems CD is getting harder to find in budget gear - it seems to be concentrating on the sd card / USB side ..

Another suggestion - you can buy small compact decks that are basically an amplifier with sd card / bluetooth / USB and radio ... I have one in my 'Party room' in the house. 50W per ch ... not much bigger than a car radio ... has 12 and 240v input. Remote ... and can have 2 pairs of speakers ... + microphone input ... The only bit missing - which I find strange - is Balance control. But has tone control etc.

Example :

Mini Bluetooth Audio Amplifier Portable Hi-fi Amp Sound Bass Treble Power Stereo | eBay

Just adding to the pot !! There are loads of amp / radios like this on ebay / Banggood etc.

 

[Seashoreman]

Internet radio. I use TuneIn pro. Perfect reception of R4 in my Marina in Valencia! ??

I use Radio Garden for many worldwide uninterrupted music channels.

 

[onesea]

Thanks for your thoughts. Some interesting options.

I'm a bit leery of relying on the FM radio in our phones as they use the headphone lead for the antenna, and reception isn't brilliant (Moto G7, and otherwise an excellent phone, so not about to change). Playing classic FM, in Gosport, we get that fizzy distortion that's characteristic of a weak signal, which I don't get on the car radio 100 yards away.

It's true, needing the CD does limit my options and, thinking about it, I can't remember the last time I played a CD on Jissel, so I'll can that idea. Bonus - one less bit of clutter to find a home for!

I am a soon to remove a 6.?? CD exchanger and Sony stereo fm Mw Lw, if you can await a month or so it’s yours For collection or cost of postage I am based in the New Forest.. The remote control doesn’t work and I have never tried the radio as presently it has no Ariel.
Reasons it will be leaving the boat 1, it pulls about 1.5amps in CD mode, 2, it has no Bluetooth.

I paid about 20 quid for a USB / SD card / Digital radio .. Bluetooth ... unit ... has remote and provision for two sets of speakers .. woofer etc.

Similar to this, (mine was a year ago and has been superceded) :

Bluetooth Car Radio Stereo Head Unit Player In-dash MP3/USB/SD/AUX/FM Non CD | eBay

It may be cheap ... but I have mounted speakers in cabin and roving speakers to place in cockpit or on deck .... VERY VERY pleased with it ...

The antenna is a common car telescopic job propped up behind divan cushion with antenna extended up into toerail. Even though inside cabin and low - it works a treat.

That’s what I am looking for ideally with long wave, just cause of shipping forecast & tradition..

 

[Stemar]

I am a soon to remove a 6.?? CD exchanger and Sony stereo fm Mw Lw, if you can await a month or so it’s yours For collection or cost of postage I am based in the New Forest.. The remote control doesn’t work and I have never tried the radio as presently it has no Ariel.
Reasons it will be leaving the boat 1, it pulls about 1.5amps in CD mode, 2, it has no Bluetooth.

Thank you. Not bothered about the remote.

If it's got an aux in, and I doubt there's a decent system made in the last 20 years that doesn't, I can live without Bluetooth. It's just possible I've got an iPad type thing rotting quietly in a drawer somewhere. Since I'm in Southampton and am retired, I can collect at your convenience.

 

[Gixer]

If you are going down the stereo route I still have the speakers I took out of Theodora. You’re welcome to have them.
PM me if you’re interested and I’ll check the spec, etc.

 

[Refueler]

That’s what I am looking for ideally with long wave, just cause of shipping forecast & tradition..

Not so easy to find a modern radio with LW .....