CD Player Install, no previous radio

[armsteadj1]

My friend and I are planning on purchasing a boat, and it seems like we are looking at some fairly old boats but are in good condition and most don't have a radio. We were wondering how hard it would be to buy a radio set possibly:

http://www.overtons.com/modperl/pro...e-Stereo-Packages&aID=17C&merchID=1009&r=view

Neither of us have ever owned a boat, so really have no idea about how things run or how comparable they are to a car. I have read a couple other threads hear and its seems like hooking the radio power up to the Fusebox with an accessory switch seems like the way to go. Is it as simple as taking the power wire and pluggin it straight into a switch thats already wired to the block? Should we be weary that it will drain the battery or does the block have nothing todo with the battery if the switches are off? Also is there something we should look out for (fuse voltages? or something)

Thanks!
James

 

[xxxflhrci]

Re: CD Player Install, no previous radio

I went the low buck route. I got a used, although name brand (Kenwood) CD deck and installed it in the boat's glove box. I ran the power directly to the battery with a in-line fuse holder at the batteries positive connection. I used 2-way universal surface mount speakers. I used 2 for years, but scored a new set at a yardsale for 5 bucks last year and now have 4 speakers. I mounted them on the kick panel under the dash. For an antenna, I got a universal rubber shorty from the autoparts store. I didn't mount it on the boat. I just dropped the antenna behind the passenger side kick panel. Reception is still very good. Altogether, I doubt if I have 100 bucks in the whole set up.

The memory on the CD player will run the battery down if the boat sits idle for more than a couple of weeks. You can either not hook up the memory wire or simply take the fuse out of the system when you aren't going to use the boat for a while. I guess if you wanted to get fancy, you could even put a switch in the line to cut the power off.

 

[compcrasher86]

Re: CD Player Install, no previous radio

I just finished my own install. Things you should take into account: you should mount your stereo either in your dashboard, in your console, or in a gimbal mount enclosure. Your package shows a splash cover so you can easily put it out on the console as long as the splashguard is secured over it.

Your stereo will have a couple different wires... one of them will be a 12v power wire, connected to the battery/fuse block and receiving power all the time. By receiving power full time it will store your presets, settings, clock, whatever. Be aware, it takes a small amount of energy to store that so over time your battery may drain so you may want to consider putting a switch in the line or just disconnecting it when you leave for an extended period of time. Ive left mine for weeks at a time plugged in and its been fine.

Another wire you'll see is an accessory wire. When this wire receives 12v, then it will power on the stereo. So, you can go three ways. You can hook it up straight to the "12v when key is on" on your ignition so the stereo is only on when the key is turned to on (like a car). You can also just have it connected directly to fuse block/battery with a switch. This is my favorite cause you can listen to music when the boat is off and one flick of a switch shuts it down. The last and my least reccommended is to hook it up directly to 12v without a switch. Some stereos have an auto-off option so only do this if you set an auto off timer on it, otherwise you'll drain your battery.

Things to keep in mind: Take your time, use templates and rulers etc when marking holes for drilling/cutting, make sure all electrical connections are moisture-proofed (use crimp connectors with heat shrink or wrapped in electric tape if your like me), and last but not least, play some good music on the water