Article by Capt. Steve Katz
Time for Entertainment
Memorial Day and the summer boating season is a great time for entertainment. Whether at the dock or 100 miles from the inlet, we all like to be entertained by sights and sounds.
If you are a fishing person who only listens to the nautical environment, then this article may not be for you. If you have a fishing boat where the captain likes one kind of music and the crew likes another, and guests another, then there are lots of options and we will review a few here.
Music – wow, we have so many choices today and all are available on board your boat. Though Clarion and Maryland based, Poly-Planar have been players in the market for years, the most comprehensive marine stereo systems available are from the New Zealand brand Fusion, founded by a former marine electronics executive. This is not an advertisement, though they are the most popular brand with my customers. I am personally intrigued by the extensive capabilities of these systems and how each boat or user decides to customize and use the system.
The Fusion products and the company must be doing something right, so much so that Garmin announced last week they have entered into an agreement to buy Fusion! Fusion’s masterpiece is the 700i. This stereo can receive AM, FM, Marine VHF and marine weather broadcasts, and play this through your stereo speakers. Optionally, a Sirius Satellite radio tuner is available that can allow you to listen to the subscription based satellite radio offshore, covering North America and extending outward hundreds of miles from our boarders. If you prefer to play your own tunes, the 700 series will connect to most phones and tablets, both Apple and Android, USB memory drives and even play CD/DVD. If you prefer to connect wirelessly, a Bluetooth module is available to allow you to wireless stream your music to the Fusion stereo.
Fusion stereos were originally known for their internal dock for iPods and iPhones, but after new Apple devices with the lightning connector were introduced, many users have settled for an external USB connection to their Apple device. You can plug your lightning cable, or 30 pin cable USB connector, directly into the Fusion and control the songs and playlist from the Fusion display, while keeping your Apple device tucked safely away. Android devices can also be connected directly by USB.
This Fusion 700i can output music in 4 independently volume controlled zones, allowing you to get just the right volume in each listening area. This is usually accomplished with independent amplifiers adjusted by the creative zoned volume control knob on the stereo. All you have to do is push in the knob to select the zones you want to adjust.
This Fusion stereo in a different “wrapper” is also known as the Simrad SonicHub and the Garmin Meteor. These systems are a “black box” style stereo system, mounted out of the way, with no display, integrating with the manufacturer’s multifunction display for hands on control.
The Fusion 700 series also is NMEA2000 certified and can communicate in both directions with popular multifunction displays and other NEMA 2000 hardware. Along with the proper hardware and software, your multifunction GPS plotter from Garmin, Lowrance, Simrad and Furuno (via Ethernet) can remotely control the stereo from your existing helm display. For those who want their phone to do everything, the free Fusion-Link Wi-Fi App will allow your iPhone or Android device to act as a remote control of the Fusion 700 series.
Back to the NMEA 2000 network, the Fusion 700 wired remotes are capable of displaying existing NMEA 2000 data from the backbone, such as position, speed, temperatures, etc. I am not sure how helpful this can be while displayed on a small stereo remote screen, but it is certainly interesting and demonstrates the ease of which certified NMEA 2000 devices communicate and share data.
Based here in Maryland, Poly-Planar has been in the marine audio market since the 80’s and now manufactures so much more than the ever-present Poly-Planar speakers you might be familiar with, such as subwoofers, amplifiers, stereos and numerous accessories. They even offer a simple, compact Bluetooth amplifier speaker system, for those who only need to listen to the audio sources on their phone or tablet, without the necessity of a complex stereo system; this is great as a second or third unit to add independent music to a specific area, such as a stateroom or bridge.
I should also mention the Clarion brand, a long time innovator in the marine stereo market. They have come a long way to get to the newest stereo, the CMD8, capable of connectivity with CD’s, USB, MP3, WMA, Sirius Satellite radio and Pandora. You can also connect it to your iPod and iPhone. Clarion also has a full line of amplifiers and speakers for the marine environment.
These companies all design and build systems specifically for the marine market, offering units with large and easy to read buttons, faces that are water and UV resistant and capabilities that allow the flexibility marine customer requires.
Captain Steve Katz is the owner of Steve's Marine Service and holds NMEA MEI, AMEI, NMEA2000 certificates, ABYC Master Technician certification and factory training from many manufacturers.
