Association Forum - marine vs standard

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

marine vs standard

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Dan86
Navigator

Member Avatar

130 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/02/2003 : 08:50:00

Am looking a installing a CD / radio on board to replace the radio / casette player currently on board

, Is there enough difference in the "marine" unit to justify their significant increase in cost. And, do the marine units draw a small charge to maintain selected channels as the standard ones do? Pretty simple question, but any help is appreciated.

Dan 86 FK/TR

Edited by - on

Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1916 Posts

Response Posted - 11/02/2003 : 10:30:03

I recently bought a Kenwood "marine" unit. The circuit board was dipped in some kind of plastic to some kind of Military specs. It had a remote control too. I bought it from Lafayette, somewhere's in florida. It cost about 220 or so. Whether or not this makes it better, I don't know. I also mounted it into a plastic cover from Boater's world which was about 20 bucks.
Yes, it will draw some power to keep your stations. You could not hook up that wire, or just flip the circuit breaker like I do. I just flip the radio on, and then hit the search button three times and I get my favorite rock and roll station.
The remote is great. It makes it a "manly" CD player. I mounted the player on the cabin roof next to the port bulkhead. That way, I can use the remote, which is line of site, from the cockpit. When commercials come on, I can flip on the CD, and then no babbling.
Frank

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

3072 Posts

Response Posted - 11/02/2003 : 10:48:06

IMHO follows...

If you see terms like 'gasketed', 'sealed', 'splashproof', 'plated contacts', 'coated circuit board' in the specifications, there is probably a difference in the constructon. Otherwise, it may simply be the word 'Marine' stenciled on the unit. Translation: 'It depends'.

Also, where are you going to mount the unit?

The 'upper areas' of a C25 cabin is (or should be) a relatively protected/dry space... probably as good as the inside of a car sitting in the Marina parking lot.

I currently use a fairly compact CD 'Boombox' which is pretty darn versatile... I move it to the cockpit or cabintop on a nice day, otherwise it lives inside.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 11/02/2003 : 10:50:40

I am spending so much money thta I don't have on my new boat that I bought a cheap stereo. http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?stk_code=pylplcd15mr
I am a sucker for nice equipment and assumed I would spend close to $500. I found this "marine" unit for $119. and I believe I remember this brand from early stereo days, they made power amps. Anyway, it will show up Monday or Tuesday and I will install it. It has a wired remote so it does not need to be line of sight. It is the only marine unit the company sells. i hope they did someting special to it. I also hope marine means it can take the pounding of a planing power boat or a sailboat banging into chop!

Edited by - on

Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 11/02/2003 : 10:59:37

I agree with the statement that the inside of the boat is about the same climate as a car sitting in the parking lot. I got an $80.-Kenwood car unit (Circuit City)with remote and (important) a 1/8" aux input on the face of the unit. I built it in the galley cabinet, and shut off all power to it when not in use.

I have a 20-Gig MP3 player with 300 cd's on it that clips onto the galley fiddle and plugs into the aux input. 8 days worth of sailing music (no commercials, no news, no talk, no BS, just my favorite music)it all works like a charm.

Oscar, in Phoenix for a nap.

Edited by - on

RichardG
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 11/02/2003 : 11:30:23

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">no news<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

About half-way to Catalina Island, I sometimes momentarily switch from listening to cd's (Sony Sport boombox plugged into cig. lighter) to the local all-news channel. Within 5 minutes I get to hear the traffic report which usually goes something like "gridlock on the 405 near LAX; vegetable truck rollover blocking lanes on the I-5...". After a quick grin knowingly appears upon my face (assuming no injuries were involved), I switch back to cd's and continue on

Edited by - on

Dkn420
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
298 Posts

Response Posted - 11/02/2003 : 11:55:38

I decided to go the way that Oscar went and bought an MP3 Player and some travel speakers made by Creative (Best Buy $70) they all operate on AA or AAA batteries and if you buy the rechargeable batteries and charger you can also get a solar charger that works well and have plenty of music and no on board battery drain. My speakers and MP3 player sit on the sill above the sink and don't move around and can be heard very well....Dan #727

Edited by - on

eric.werkowitz
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
283 Posts

Response Posted - 11/02/2003 : 12:00:05

Dan,

I put a used Ford cassette/radio in my boat mounted by the electrical panel through that piece of teak ply.

That was three years ago and it still works great. Marine construction standards may be more important in a power boat with a cockpit installation and lots of spray falling on/around the unit.

I'd say, "Save your money, sonny!"

Eric Werkowitz
C25 #4969

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 11/02/2003 : 15:44:08

Dan,

For what it's worth, I agree with ClamBeach about what differences should really be behind the "marine" label (gasketed and sealed case, external heatsinking, splashproof media slot, plated connector contacts, conformal coated circuit boards, O-ringed shafts, etc.). I also suspect that the majority of the less expensive "marine" stereos are distinguisted mostly by having faceplates molded from white plastic instead of black. Having helped design and build some electronic gadgets, I'd like to reassure you that there's probably not much in there that, having been intended for automotive use, is likely to suffer a drastically shortened service life inside the cabin of a cruising sailboat.

When I was shopping for a boat sound system, I found one (AquaTronics?) at a close out price around $200 which included AM/FM/marine weather/cassette/remote CD input, vehicle wiring harness including shielded preamp outputs, weather resistant external housing with gasketed front cover, wired remote, "marine" speakers (i.e. white grills), and bonus separate rechargable flashlight w/12V charger. I've been using it for a couple of years so far, and it seems to be working fine. For an antenna, I got one of the short flexible "rubber ducky" ones around $10, and stuffed it up inside the hollow corner of the cabin trunk wall just in front of the coaming.

The power required to maintain your station presets is so small as to represent an insignificant fraction of the normal rate of self discharge of any battery big enough to be used to power a boat's electrical system. In other words, wire that lead directly to your battery with the smallest fuse you can, and don't worry about it.

-- Leon Sisson

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 11/02/2003 : 20:53:54

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">
I'd say, "Save your money, sonny!"
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Besides, in a few years (which may turn out to be the life expetency of the non-marine unit), you'll want a satellite radio that also plays digital gum-sticks that can be downloaded to on your PDLM (Personal Digital Life Manager).

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.