VHF and cockpit speaker

[Quandary]

Our current boat has a fairly basic VHF (Cobra F55) and a Vtronix speaker built in to the cockpit. The VHF performance is just about adequate but that may because it has a Hawk antenna. The cockpit speaker does not emit any sound, and for some reason my wife would like it it to speak. Personally, I am not bothered, unless you have a cockpit mic. the benefit is not great. I was tempted to bin the pair and buy a S.H. or similar with a cockpit mic. but since we only use the VHF to get coastguard weather at specific times and probably call a marina about once every two years it hardly seems necessary. I had a similar arrangement on an earlier boat and as far as I recall then both speakers spoke at the same time.
The speaker has to stay, working or not. as it would leave a nasty hole in the grp.
I am told that the problem may be that if the remote speaker is plugged in it probably cuts off the main speaker? and that simple switching is not usually practical, seems daft if that is the case. The VHF spec states output 4 Watts at 8 Ohms and the current Vtronix spec. mentions 5 watts at 4 or 8 ohms. (not sure how relevant this is).
So the question is - can I make both speakers work together or even the cockpit speaker work occasionally when the boss is at the helm or would I be better to invest in a proper Metz antenna, a new VHF and a remote MIC. (I sail mainly W. Scotland so AIS is not really much benefit.)

 

[Gwylan]

Need a picture of round the back of the radio - or a diagram from the instruction book for the wiring.

Otherwise junk it and get an SH with a command mike - we have one.

Means you can drive the radio from the helm, talk to other ships, call the HM, hear the weather forecast and have the radio on at the helm whilst the speaker down below is off and does not disturb sleeping crew.

Ours is an ICom, bought when I had more money than sense, but it does mean the captain with a trailing spouse can helm the boat and use the radio.
The ICom can also be wired to a hailer that will broadcast fog horn noise or let you bellow at twerps who get in the way - of which there are plenty.

 

[RobF]

If you buy new, you will have some assurance that it will work. As with all things, it depends on how much you want to spend in cash vs spend in time.

Would a decent handheld VHF be a good solution?

 

[johnalison]

I don't know about the OP's system but it should be possible to make an extension speaker work. I have had one on my last two boats. On the first, with a Husun radio I engaged the help of a friend and was able to switch between the set and the speaker. With my current Skanti, the speaker in the cockpit has its own switch on/off but the radio speaker stays on.

 

[alan_d]

I was tempted to bin the pair and buy a S.H. or similar with a cockpit mic. but since we only use the VHF to get coastguard weather at specific times and probably call a marina about once every two years it hardly seems necessary.

For what it's worth, I sail in the same area as you with a similar pattern of VHF use and gave into the temptation to buy a Standard Horizon with remote handset about four years ago and have not regretted it (but I'm usually single-handed).

 

[black mercury]

My current vhf (navman 7100) will operate both speakers at the same time, but vhf on last boat killed the radio speaker as soon as you pushed the jack plug in. Think you will have to try by pushing the jack plug in to the radio to see if it kills the internal speaker. On current boat with the same cockpit speaker as you have I installed a switch on the cable to switch the speaker off as you really don't want it blaring in a marina at some early hour if you forget to turn radio off, that speaker is bloody loud!!

 

[William_H]

Typical older VHF will have a small socket in the back about 3mm round into which is plugged a "phone" plug. This plug is connected to the external speaker. The socket may have label of some sort indicating external speaker. This socket usually has a contact on it to cut off the internal radio speaker when plugged in. I am generalising here but if you pull the plug out the internal speaker should work. Disable squelch to get hiss sound to check. Some VHF have a different arrangement for external speaker so check the web for instruction manual.
Now if plugging in the external speaker plug does disable the internal radio speaker but the external speaker does not work you have a failure in the speaker or wiring to it. You can double check by connecting a multimeter on ohms scale across the contacts of the plug. The tip and the sleeve. You should see about 2 ohms resistance.
Incidentally this is a different type of ohms resistance to the "ohms impedance rating of the speaker which is probably 4 or 8 ohms"
As you wish to keep the external speaker to cover the hole you may be looking for a replacement speaker. Not expensive. But they come in many sizes and shapes. Before you buy a new VHF try blasting a contact cleaner in or opening the old one up and finding the back of the external speaker socket. You may be able to clean the contacts.
If you buy a new VHF with remote mic and speaker then you will still be stuck with the hole.
I would suggest fix the external speaker then buy a hand held for those calls to close in marinas etc and as a back up radio.
Incidentally the antenna condition and quality on the old VHF will not change the actual sound out of the radio. It may give slightly better range. good luck ol'will

 

[Quandary]

Thanks all, that has been helpful, on our last boat we did have a SH vhf below with a 'command mic' in the cockpit; though the radio operator said she generally preferred to go below to make calls, out in the cockpit while I did not hear what she was saying I heard the responses. It was a good set up the only downside was the vulnerability of the command mic. positioned close to the helm.
I will take the radio out and look at the back and see if there is a connection there and if it is plugged in, I will also unscew the speaker in the cockpit and have a look at it, if it is defunct I will still screw it back inplace as it is by far the neatest way to cover the hole. I have other priorities so a new vhf with command mic etc. is not likely this year. The main downside to the existing set up is that if the radio squawks you have to go below, only to find it is two fishermen having a blether on 16 so we tend to only respond when a new forecast is due. When single handed I have to put the autopilot on to make or receive a call.
Having thought about it, I think I will only connect the existing remote speaker if it does not compromise the speaker on the radio. We do carry a handheld but have never got in to the habit of using it.

 

[awol]

Before I bought my all-singing SH box I had an Icom with a 3mm plug that gave the choice of external or inbuilt speaker but not both. My solution was an additional internal speaker wired to the 3mm plug via a switch that gave the choice of internal or external speakers or both - a miniature 1-2-both switch.

 

[doug748]

I moved the plug ole from the back of my old radio to the front so it was easy to disconnect the external speaker when I wanted to listen indoors.
This had the additional advantage of being able to connect a transistor radio to the external speaker to hear the Test Match in the cockpit.
Probably not possible with a modern set, this was an old Huson with a tin body.