iPods & Boats - Yes you can...

[Rick]

Stereo installation

We are on a mooring and do not have the luxury of shore power to keep the batteries charges. Digital stereo systems require a constant draw of power which requires to me wired directly to the batteries or leave the batteries turned on both of which will draw down the battery. How does one install a digital stereo so it retains its memory and doesn't draw down the batteries? Since we have a diesel engine, we need a healthy battery to start the engine.

 

[Maine Sail]

Grateful Dad....

Make sure you get the right remote for the generation iPod you have. The 5G takes a bottom connection remote only as there is no remote port on the top like on the 3G & 4G. The 3G and 4G's can take this one, which is a top mount, for $24.99. If you own an iPod video it's a 5G and will require the bottom mount remote from ABT. http://www.theistore.com/ijet.html

 

[NYSail]

Another Plus

I will have the hard-wired remote for the radio as well as the ipod remote. From what I hear, nothing can match the remote for the ipod in terms of reception. The great thing about downloading cd's to the ipod for the boat vs using the cd's through the player is that when you are really beating it, the ipod does not skip!In this case two is better than 1, until apple makes the entire package.Greg2006 ipod

 

[Ross]

While you are out there on the briney deep

listening to Copeland, Vivaldi, or Verdi will you be able to hear the distress call on your VHF from the boat a couple of mile east of you?

 

[Kirk]

Easier

XM is easier. Pop it out of the car, pop it into the boat. No changing CD's, not ripping CD's....just music, talk, basebal...whatever!

 

[newsailor06]

XM Radio

Kirk, I am going to be adding XM radio to my boat as well. Can you tell me where you put the antennae?

 

[Mike]

XM antenna

For what it's worth I just installed the new stereo/MP3/satellite combo that Santa brought. The antenna looks like a small rounded puck. I figured I'd install it behind the radio in the wiring cabinet before drilling holes through the deck. It sync'd right up with no problems. We'll see if there are any issues with it later but for now it works and installing it couldn't have been easier.

 

[reudi ross]

memory for your stereo

For those of you that don't want to leave the memory power wire hooked up to 12 volts for fear of running down your batteries, you can hook up a 9 volt battery thru a small diode such as a 1N2002 or equivelent to the constant power wire. The diode will prevent 12 volts from being applied to the 9 volt battery and the battery will supply voltage to the memory circuits when the stereo is turned off. The battery will die of old age long before it is discharged. The diodes are available from radio shack for about $.35. Or you can just hook up the memory circuit to 12 volts. the current draw of this circuit cannot be measured with a quality DMM it is on the order of 1 microamp or so.

 

[newsailor06]

XM Antennae

Thanks Mike,I will probably try the same area. Only metal at the rear cabin bulkhead is the cabin top winch. I can always move it around in the sail locker for better reception since that is where the panel back is.

 

[John Nantz]

Subwoofer Idea

Ever since my stereo was stolen from the boat while it was being worked on at Marine Service Center boatyard on Lake Union in Seattle (for which they never reimbursed me for the loss) I've been without a "real" stereo system. Had a top-of-the-line Pioneer system with remote, 6-cd changer, equalizer, and the works and this was in 1993 - 14 years ago. Fortunately I never had a chance to install the subwoofer system I wanted.Since then it has been q-u-i-e-t. However, in reading these posts I have an idea. Suppose you're anchored in one of those crowded anchorages and you see this guy with the flying bridge slowly approaching scoping out the area around your boat - one could crank up the stereo and with a subwoofer probably disuade him in anchoring nearby. With a good remote you could even dingy away and crank it up as you're leaving. I've got a couple hundred watts of solar panels so power isn't a problem.On another note, my iPod G3 (although it could, maybe, be a G2)(40GB) is in need of a new battery but I don't want to buy it from Apple because of their prices. On the other hand, it's important to have a battery that reasonably meets their specs so the unit doesn't get ruined. Does anyone have a recommendation as to where to go to get an inexpensive but good battery that should meet specs?

 

[Kirk]

XM

I'm using an XM car antenna and to be honest it's just sitting on the shelf up behind the stereo...once in a while I might have to move it, in that case I just hang it from the handle on one of the hatches.

 

[Maine Sail]

IPod / XM

Quote:"XM is easier. Pop it out of the car, pop it into the boat. No changing CD's, not ripping CD's....just music, talk, basebal...whatever!"I also have satelite radio on the boat but until they come out with a feature that lets me skip the crappy songs and get to a good one I still prefer my iPod. The iPod also pops out of my car and into my boat very easilly just like the satelite radio receiver...Quote:"While you are out there on the briney deep listening to Copeland, Vivaldi, or Verdi will you be able to hear the distress call on your VHF from the boat a couple of mile east of you?"Yes I can hear my VHF fine because I have a RAM Mic at my helm. IF I hear chatter on 16 I pause the iPod with the remote until I figure out what it is....

 

[Sean]

FM Modulator/Transmitter

I've been using my iTrip for some time now and it's worked out great out on the water. On the Cousin Larrrrry, I have a car stereo installed and it doesn't get good reception while under way, the only signal the stereo recognizes is the FM transmitter connected to my iPod(my own personal radio tower). So in essence my iPod becomes the remote and I don't have to install anything else...the only time this has its problems are when you find yourself picking up stronger signals from broadcasters but that doesn’t happen too often out on the water unless you have a very strong antenna attached to the radio...solid sound without much hassle...I do like the idea of the weather resistant wireless remote as well...to help keep the iPod in the cabin and out of inclement conditions....can't wait for the iPhone!-Sean

 

[JeffC21331]

My clarion stuff is nice

I like the clarion marine stuff. Not because it will last any longer but because of some of the cool features. I have versions of this in my Hunter 25 and my Mastercraft X-30 wakeboard boat. They have this system called CNET that allows you to integrate the Ipod directly into the unit so that the unit displays the ipod songs and you can control the ipod from the wired remote. Now in addition, you can add as many wired remotes to the system as you like, so you can have on close to the wheel of the boat and another in the cabin by the berth. The remotes are waterproof, not water resistent. The remote on my wakeboard boat is right at the stern between the sundeck and the teak swim platform. It gets wet all the time. This allows me to keep the IPOD itself in a dry location. The CNET stuff also has the ability to integrate with a tv tuner and monitor as well. To top it off, it is all very high quality, high powered stuff. The system in the X-30 has unbelievable volume with very little distortion. In the hunter I am using a clarion marine head unit with Bose speakers, with no amps or subs like in the X-30, and it still sounds really nice.

 

[Mike]

That might backfire

John all the power boaters I know would be attracted to the music not driven away. Then again if you played chamber music that might work

 

[Ross]

John, It doesn't have to be loud just

bagpipes played at their natural volume.

 

[Mike]

Bagpipes?

Aren't bagpipes played by the Scots? And don't the Scots drink like fish? And don't boaters drink like fish? The crowd I run with would tie up, then tie one on just to see if they could play the thing. I'd stick with the chamber music, I can't think of anything more irritating except maybe some of the New Gen music out there

 

[Ross]

Mike, I guess it might depend on how you

define chamber music. John Williams has put together some pretty good stuff. Wagner would be a good choice for a stormy night. but I think that the similarities between Scotsmen and sailors ends at the top of the bottle

 

[John Nantz]

Ummmm..... I think Bagpipes are Neat! But....

Aye mates, I think those bloody comments re bagpipes are a wee bit if a low-blow!! At one time I thought it would be interesting to try to play one but I understand they are really difficult to play. Besides, and this is where the "But" comes in, I don't think I could adhere to the "dress" code. re Mike's comment, I agree that, for the purpose in mind, it might backfire. Several years ago when I was anchored in Lasqueti Island http://www.lasqueti.bc.ca/islandinfo.htm in BC in a spot where I didn't think anybody else could fit there was a ~50ft sport fisher (rare for this area) with a hailing port of Vancouver BC (but everybody spoke US-style English so they must have chartered) dropped their hook right close by and proceded to start playing their stereo really loud while working the barbecue. Could have really used some deterent ideas then.Does anyone have ideas about replacement iPod batteries? Inexpensive but not "cheap"?

 

[Ross]

John, just before dawn the next morning

A-playin o the pipes as ye quietly slipped out o the cove may have disturbed his worship just a weebit.