Advice for Head Unit & Remote w/Display - New 24V!

I have the Sony with two marine remotes (dash & transom) and I like them but you can not see what disk or song you are on.

Does anyone know the best head unit out there that has a waterproof remote that displays disk & song info? If you can run two remotes that would be a huge plus.

Got our new 24V coming next month and have to redo everything I've been building for the last year on our 22V, but definately a labor of love.

I wish the boat manufacturers would realize that the the head units should be placed in sight within reach of the driver. The new Nautique has the radio in the glove box behind the passenger and my boat didn't even come with a remote, the driver can't even control the dumb thing. So it looks like I am stuck with the XMD3 if I want a remote with a display. arrrgh

Pioneer has a wired remote out this year with display and water proof. Should be shipping soon

Billy,

Access technologies makes (or used to) a remote for sony with a display built in. They are very nice. You should check them out.

JLembas
Fluid Concepts
www.fluidconcepts.net

The one at http://www.access-tech.net/productsRemoteCom.htm that they have now does not have a display any longer :-(

I wish the boat companies would leave room for the head unit on the dash then just one remote would be needed for the transom. The head unit in the glove is great for security but then you have to watch what you put in the glove.

The perfect setup would be a head unit that plays MP3's & has L, R and Sub Preamp outs like the Sony I have then the option of two remotes with disk/track display. I've been searching hard with no luck.

Kenwood is coming out with a sweet unit with display that should play everything as well. I saw the prototype last month, but it wasn't working at the time. I could try and get you more info if you would like.

Sony does make one with a display.

This is an issue we all have come across when contemplating our stereo installs. And as Lee stated above and shows the pic, sony makes a great remote with a display. Best one I've ever seen. And you can have two on the network. But it's only two.

When I installed my system I wanted to go with Sony, but Skiers Choice is in bed wih Kenwood so my choice was decided for me. Not totally though. In the dash the XLV comes with a pre-molded place for a Kenwood wired remote. The deck is in the glove box. Something I liked, but didn't want to go with Kenwood till I found out about something....

You all want the deck with the driver. WHY???? The driver already has alot to do to make the experience for the rider and the guests on the boat enjoyable. Do you really want to give him the music responsibility too?? I, as a driver, can see the deck face from the driver seat. Granted it's not totally convenient, but I don't always need to see the stereo either.

I don't like the Kenwood for the reason of not having a dedicated Sub out channel like the Sony does. IMO Sony makes the best head units. Plus their remotes have all the info displayed on them.

But what I did like about the Kenwood was the amount of remotes you can wire to them. UNLIMITED!!!! All the remotes need a dedicated power source. Easy! Then they all just link together. They don't receive info from the deck, only send it. In my XLV I have one for the driver, one on the transome where anyone on the sun deck, on the swim platform or in the water can reach it and control the stereo, and one in the playpen in the front of the boat. This one is strategically placed so that if the boat is beached you can reach the remote and control the tunes from the beach and also thought out to be easily reached when you are cuddled up in front with someone of the opposite sex. Then there is also a infrared remote, like most decks come with, that can control the deck from anywhere in the main wrap around area.

So, you can control the stereo from EVERY seat in the boat, on the beach or in the water! Many many hours of contemplating the layout. Along with the entire system.

Why not just remote wire the faceplate for the deck??

people do this all the time in cars, ever see the faceplate mounted above the windshield?

All you have to do is solder the connecetions to some wires and then to the faceplate.

Thats what I would do, if I needed it.

Here is a pic of the Pioneer remote. It doesn't have a display, but it is nice to see something different. I have the Sony remote at the transom and I think it is about as good as we are going to get for a while.

The driver is usually me, and I don't want somebody that does not understand my system fussing with the controls. Nothing worse then somebody cranking the volume trying to get the music going not realizing that the mp3 player has timed out. Next thing they do is hit play on the mp3 and bam full volume, not good. From a safety standpoint I want to be near the boat controls when I am fussing with the radio in case I need to move the boat quickly. Yes, I have control issues...

Does the Sony display the CD Text and/or ID3 tag info? Or just track numbers?

Just disk and track numbers. The only problem I ran into with the Sony transom remote is people tend to bump into or lean on it while putting on their boards. If someone is on the volume up button it runs the volume all the way up and you can't override it at the deck without turning it off. I have had to throw one person into the water because he couldn't hear that I was yelling at him to get away from the remote that he was leaning on. I went back and found a way to install a switch to turn the transom remote control on/off, but keep the display active. It also keeps smart a$$ friends from screwing around with your tunes when you have control issues.

Here, I found the link for the remote faceplate.

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=22819&highlight=remote+faceplate

It has pics on page 3 of where people have mounted the face plates. Makes it easier when you dont have the space behind the dash for the head unit.

Guess the stereo thing was big thing after all. When I was looking to buy a new boat - the one thing about all of them except Malibu & Supra's is the deck was in the glove box. Malibu's deck was under your right arm pit - might as well have been in the glove box. Supra's are in the dash - for the driver. I too don't like guests playing with the stereo or throwing their keys and what ever in front of and on my deck. I like my Kenwood deck also.
Don't come back and say I bought a boat because of the stereo location - it was just the final nail.
~S~

I likely have control issues in excess of Mikeski's!

With MP3 decks it's huge to have 5-7 CD's on an MP3 CD-RW or a hundred or so of your fave songs in organized folders on the disk. It seem nobody makes a remote where you get the disk or folder & song info that is on the head unit display?

I love kraigs setup with controls everywhere!

I'm researching wiring the faceplate and mounting it on the dash with one remote on the transom.