car stereo in boat?

(watson_134_lf) · (watson_134_lf) **Join Date: Nov 2007** 04-28-2008, 7:39 PM

i was on ebay, and there pretty much giving away stereos.... i found a real nice one with an aux out port for like 60 bucks, and im thinking about snaggin it. does anyone else have a car stereo in there boat? is there really any diffrence from marine grade stuff to car stuff?
your help is greatly appreciated

(westsidarider) · (westsidarider) **Join Date: Feb 2003** 04-28-2008, 7:44 PM

99 percent of the stereos in boats are regular audio equipment. most of the marine grade stuff doesnt look that nice and the sound quality isnt nearly as good

(lovin_the_wake)

my amps, sub, and cd player are all car audio

(dabell) · (dabell) **Join Date: Apr 2007** 04-28-2008, 8:39 PM

My amps and HU are car stereo equipment also. Just keep them dry and you should be golden. :-)

(uofamox) · (uofamox) **Join Date: Feb 2007** 04-28-2008, 8:42 PM

I was in the market for a new CD player but i ended up not getting one at all. Now I just have my ipod directly connected to my EQ. What is your budget/plans for your setup?

(stler645) · (stler645) **Join Date: Jan 2008** 04-28-2008, 8:52 PM

There is a significant difference in marine and car audio. If all you are talking about is a head unit, the differences are very specific. Many marine units have a watertight face so you can hose them off or wash them just like the rest of the boat. If you try this with a car audio unit, you will be needing another 60 bucks soon. The circuit board will also be coated and the chassis may be stainless steel. This should only be an issue if you live in an extremely humid or salty climate. Lastly, marine head units often have ports for wired remotes. Outside of pioneer, I don't believe any car audio units offer such a feature that is common place on most modern boats.

(tdiggity) · (tdiggity) **Join Date: Dec 2006** 04-29-2008, 5:14 PM

I got a 90 dollar walmart head unit with a jack for my ipod. Its been goin strong for 2 years now and even sounds good.

(mikeski) · (mikeski) **Join Date: Aug 2003** 04-29-2008, 6:39 PM

Just keep it dry and you should be fine. The car stereo in my old boat lasted 3 summers until it went swimming after a good bow dip (nephew driving).

(andy13) · (andy13) **Join Date: Apr 2007** 04-30-2008, 9:10 PM

mike where is your HU located that it got wet in a bow dip?

(pittsy) · (pittsy) **Join Date: Apr 2004** 04-30-2008, 11:51 PM

everything in my boat is car audio except for the tower speakers.

(wakemikey) · (wakemikey) **Join Date: Mar 2008** 05-01-2008, 5:21 AM

Would someone mind linking me to some more info on an EQ unit with ipod port? Very curious about these.

I want a simple, basic setup with two tower speakers (just enough for the rider to hear - how many total watts?) and one 10" sub. Nothing fancy, but will try to look for quality off-brands.

I'm not a stereo expert; don't even know ohms and proper connection techniques, but if someone had a tutorial out there I would be happy to learn. :-)

(kirk) · (kirk) **Join Date: May 2003** 05-01-2008, 6:35 AM

Anything sold as "marine" will cost you more than a comparable product for automotive. Sometimes the only thing that makes it "marine" is that it's white....