Marine stereo or car stereo?

[Wayne M]

I just recieved a marine stereo combo the speakers in the set are not waterproof. My question is can i return the marine stereo and purchase a car stereo with more features for the same money? I plan on buying waterproof speakers for the cockpit and regular speakers for the cabin.

 

[mike C16582]

all about water

Wayne, as far as the stereo is concerned, as long as you keep it dry (full enclosed stereo housing, or flush wall mount where it will not get wet, the stereo can be anything (I went with a very good Pioneer stereo w/ ipod attachment, wireless remote and am very happy) As far as the speakers, in the cockpit , you must have water proof marine speakers or they will be shot after 1/2 season if they get wet at all. I did however, install a pair of non-marine speakers in my cabin where I know they will not get wet unless my boat is sinking (knock on wood) as well as a pair of marine grade waterproof speakers in the cockpit.If you are going the non-marine stereo take a look at Crutchfield.com tons to choose from with every beel and whistle you would want or need ( or not) Prices are awsome.

 

[sailortonyb Allied Mis]

Ditto

Car stereos are also subject to harsh conditions....vibration, shock, and moisture. A little odf everything except salt air, unles of course you live on the water. Even then, car sterios last a very very long time.IMHOTony B

 

[Mike B]

Polk speakers

Go with Polk they're water proof and have great sound to them. I upgraded my stereo to a JVC High Def, MP3, satellite, iPod the works. Also replaced the speakers in both the cabin and cockpit with the Polks and couldn't be happier. Just check your prices as they vary from store to store. From what I've found Crutchfield is almost always the most expensive.

 

[Maine Sail]

Yes you can!!!

Marine stereos are a HUGE SCAM !!!!!! Go to Wal*Mart and buy one for a third the cost with more features and more power. The only benefit to any marine stero is a splash proof front if your using it in an open cockpit boat like a center console fishing boat. If your installing it in the cabin buy a regular car stereo!

 

[Banooma]

related stereo question

I'm considering the same upgrade - to a car stereo with indoor speakers inside and waterproof ones outside. I don't however expect to spend long hours at dock listening to it. How much does a stereo system tend to draw down the battery when sailing (if it's practical to use on the water at all)?

 

[Stillraining]

I always put

car stereos in my boats, even my fishing boats that get dashes wet sitting in the driveway. I never spend more then about 70.00 for one. If it takes a crap I through it away and buy a new one. I hate thieves and dont plan on loosing a fancy stereo to one if they decide to hit my boats. I have had cheap Schucks Auto stereos get soaked and come back to life after being dried out. One was so wet the LCD screen was flooded. After It dried out it fired right up and is still working. This was fresh water however.PS: Now I always buy a removable face plate type and dont have many problums , still 50 to 70 bucks tops. But definetly get waterproof speakers if they will get wet. Banooma: The more wattage you go for the more it will draw. I buy about a 40 watt system. Plenty of power for us older type. It will consume about the same as your factory car radio. ( This does not mean it draws forty watts! )

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

power requirement

BanoomaThe power draw of a stereo depends on what radio you choose, how loud and how long you play it and it's amp size. Most draw less than a few amps and therefore have a negligible impact if run all day; the larger ones at full volume can draw 10 or more amps. Easiest way to check is verify fuse size on power cable and divide by four to get a nominal power draw. The advertized "wattage" has almost nothing to do with power draw. Regarding the auto vs. marine debate, the one consideration not mentioned is that when replacement time comes, you might consider one which has a WX alert function or tunes NOAA radio frequencies, both of which are good backup options.

 

[Stillraining]

Don:

I have to differ with you.There are two standards manufactures use to calulate power consumption1) RMS/Voltage  and2) RMS x 2 / Voltage ( to compensate for consumption, due to inefficiencies , ie. heat loss ) It is felt RMS/voltage is adiquit and there is seldom a need to double the rated RMS wattage to achieve enough power.So my 40 watt system draws about 3.34 amp hours at full power, an 80 watt system will draw twice that much at full power.

 

[Ross]

Has anyone ever put an amp meter on one

of these systems and determined the actual power draw? A 110 piece symphony orchestra puts out 10 watts of acoustical energy when they are playing fortissimo. My boat isn't big enough for that much music.

 

[Tom Spohn]

Water and Magnetics

In addition to water consider the magnetic field of the speaker. Some good marine speakers are shielded to reduce the amount of magnetic field from the speaker. On my boat I have Bose inside where they will never get wet, but I have Polyplanars outside which are waterproof and shielded. I also agree with those above who don't think a real high-powered amp is a good idea. What does not go to the speakers as signal just gets wasted as heat in many models.

 

[Maine Sail]

Yes I have checked the amp draw..

I check the amp draw frequently because I have a Xantrex XBM installed so it's quite easy. My Pioneer, rated at 40 wpc, which in reality is about 7-8 watts RMS, draws any where from a low of about 1.2 amps to a high of about 4.4-4.9 amps but thats really cranking it. At a normal, non teenager, listening volume my deck with the iPod plugged in and charging draws about 2.6-3.2 amps..

 

[Brian]

Power Consumption

One thing I have noticed is that the "radio" uses less juice than when playing CDs or tapes! Brian

 

[Benny]

If installing radio in the cockpit get a marine

unit, if installing it in the cabin a car radio will do fine. Get a radio with an auxiliary input for an MP3 player or satellite radio. The quality of sound from the speakers is more directly related to $$$ than to amplifier power. Ross hit the nail in the head when he inferred that no more than 10 watts of power was needed to fill the cabin with sound for an average boat. I have no intention of forcing my taste for music on anyone else with my cockpit speakers. A remote control is a worthwhile feature if mounting radio in the cabin.

 

[lugeman]

Car stereo for sure

WITH A REMOTE!!!! didn't pop the extra 20 bucks 2 seasons ago and I'm hatin myself. The point on both waterproof and Magnetic sheilding are a must. Cockpit speakers are too close to compasses and need to be shielded. Don't skimp on this. Get a better reciever and enjoy. Pray for Wind, Lugeman

 

[Steve Dion]

Dual makes a decent 100 watt unit.

Wayne:Dual makes a decent Marine unit that sells at Best Buy's for $150 with 2 poly speakers for the cockpit. Then you can get a nice set of speakers for the interior. My experience with Car radios was not good. I replace 2 or 3 car stereo's and then ended up getting a West Marine brand that lasted for many years (still going as far as I know).I don't think that there is much difference between the car units and the marine units. I think that they coat the main electronics board to prevent corrosion. They also tend to have the marine weather channels available which is sometimes a nice option. I don't think that there is much difference in price either (as long as you don't purchase it from WM or one of those other over-priced marine retailer's.

 

[Ross]

This thread is kinda funny considering another thread running right along side a

t. These long headers are fun to play with.

 

[Wayne M]

Tanks to all

thanks for answering. I looked atb one of the speakers in my marine radio set and they say weatherproof. Is that any different from waterproof and would you reccomend mounting these in the cockpit.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Wayne

I don't believe there are compliance standards such as with VHF radios which apply to the definition of "waterproof". I suspect the words "weatherproof" and "waterproof" are used interchangeably in this context. Absent some compliance standard, it's questionable whether either word really means anything substantive. I'd go more by warrantee than box-top advertizing.