Article by Pat Schrawder
THE SOUND OF MUSIC (ON YOUR BOAT)
I remember years ago when a customer asked me what they needed in the way of electronics for their boat. “A good radio.” I replied to which they said “Well, we won’t listen to music much when we’re out on the boat.” Ever since then, I’ve been clear to point out what kind of “radio” I am talking about.
That having been said, I want to talk a little today about radios as stereo equipment for your boat. The fact is that many people like to enjoy a little music while they are fishing or cruising around. Today there are many choices in that department and lately manufacturers have been making their equipment Sirius/XM ready since all too often, regular AM or FM reception is very spotty especially the further offshore you go. Today’s units give you the option of standard radio plus CD, Sirius/XM satellite radio and MP3/WMA ports –even iPod and iPhone. Hardly anyone is offering new equipment with a tape player.
So, how do you decide which is best for you and what is involved?
The first thing to consider is the construction of the unit. Unless it is designed for marine use and has been made of materials that resist the saltwater environment, your stereo will have a very short life. This applies to your speakers as well, perhaps even more so.
Conventional speaker cones are made of a material that simply will not hold up in marine conditions. Those with polypropylene or similar waterproof cones and marine rated exterior surfaces are essential. Polyplanar, for one, makes an excellent line of waterproof speakers.
The next thing to consider is how you will mount your stereo unit. Will it be gimbal mounted or flush mounted? If you intend to flush mount the set, make certain it is designed to do so and find out if you need to purchase anything else to make that happen.
So, you have your main unit and your speakers but you will need some kind of antenna if you plan to have radio reception. For standard radio reception you can purchase a small AM/FM antenna or one of the “splitters” on the market that allows the use of your VHF antenna for both the VHF and stereo. There are also some antenna coils that work in some instances. They are designed to stick onto glass such as your windshield but can often be stashed in the console and still work fairly well. For satellite radio, you will need a Sirius/XM antenna that has a small “mushroom” style shape.
Right now, the market is not offering a stereo that has satellite reception built in to it. They are only “satellite ready”, which means you need to purchase a Sirius/XM satellite receiver along with a control head or tuner that provides you some way to select the satellite station you desire. The receiver is made by Sirius/XM but is marketed under their brand or another manufacturer’s. Of course, you also need to sign up to some service plan with Sirius/XM. The two companies merged in July 2008 and now offer either service to the end user. You can find more information on their rates and packages at: www.siriusxm.com
More and more combinations of available hardware options are being developed. Polyplanar and JBL seem to be at the forefront of this technology and you can expect others to join the growing field of non-home use stereo systems. I cannot emphasize enough, however, that you make certain any unit you are looking at for your boat is advertised for marine use. Beyond that, look for the unit(s) that has exactly what you desire. You can listen to the radio, bring your favorite CD’s to play or record your favorite songs on a “thumb” drive to place into the USB slot. You can plug in your iPod or your IPhone but, personally, I would be a little worried about dropping my “I” unit overboard or getting it wet. Look for more and more features to be added to these stereo units as time goes on.
Sirius/XM also offers marine weather satellite and we will take a look at that next week.
Pat and her husband, Larry are owners of L&L Marine Electronics on Golf Course Road in West Ocean City, MD.
