I’m trying to come up with an inexpensive, compact mount for a stereo head unit. There are plenty of commercial products on the market, but they tend to be bulky, in my opinion. On my small boat, I want the entertainment electronics to occupy as little physical and visual volume as necessary.

So this weekend I cobbled together this mock-up using some scrap lumber, my miniature Micro-Mark table saw, and an 18-gauge air nailer.

The little nook on the right is for an iPod or cell phone, since this unit can charge either via USB. I’ve gone to a bit of extra work to recess the stereo about 1/2”. I’m using 1/2” material for the two primary verticals, and 1/4” material everywhere else.

The plan is to take this over to Paul at BrighterWorks (who I met at the boat show) and have him fabricate the final version out of Seaboard HDPE lumber, which is available in 1/2” and 1/4” (as well as 3/4” and 1”) thicknesses, and three colors.

So if any of my Navagear friends have suggestions, NOW is the time to let me know! I think the nook needs to be wider, to accept the largest Blackberry/iPhone/iPod products on the market. Otherwise, what else should I take into consideration? Thanks!

Majestic 12-volt entertainment systems offers some cool products for the marine and RV markets, and they’re on display at the Seattle Boat Show up in “Electronics Alley”, as I call it; C-2115 is the booth number.

These are not AC-powered units re-engineered to run off 12 volts; they have been designed from the ground up for 12 volts, and they have some spectacular (and super-secret) voltage-management hardware built in.

For instance, I just observed this 19-inch monitor (with built-in DVD player) operate successfully at voltages ranging from under 8 volts to over 29 volts. Local rep John Wedeberg had a multimeter hooked up to a variable DC power source for this demonstration. I was impressed.

Combine robust performance (back by a 3-year marine warranty) with a line of versatile products you can use as chartplotter repeaters and laptop monitors as well as entertainment displays, and Majestic appears to be well on its way.

If you haven’t heard of Majestic before, it’s probably because the company is Australian, and its North American presence is still expanding.

Oh, they also offer an versatile array of mounting hardware:

Thanks to Bob at BoatBits for the link.

I’ve written a lot recently about stereo alternatives for iPods and other media players. It appears this is definitely a growth segment in the mobile stereo industry, and we can add this new entry to the list. Here’s the press release:

As more marine stereos are compatible with portable media devices, boaters need a way to keep these electronics secure while underway. The Milennia MIL-idock from Prospec Electronics employs a slide-drawer system to provide a safe, weatherproof docking location.

Flush-mounted, the convenient Milennia MIL-idock supplies dry storage and easy connection for today’s popular media devices, including iPods, mp3 players, cell phones, flash memory cards and other small, USB accessories. An optional power cable can also be run though the docking area to charge electronics. Simple to install, it measures 5-3/4" W x 1-5/8" H x 6-3/4" D.

The versatile Milennia MIL-idock-MC model can be used in conjunction with Prospec’s JBL-MC19 Commander/Remote. It coverts the control unit into a hinged panel that swings down to reveal the hidden drawer. Existing JBL-MC19 systems are easy to retrofit.

The sleek Milennia MIL-idock from Prospec Electronics has a suggested retail price of just $39, while the MIL-idock-MC costs $69.

If you haven’t seen it yet, take a look at The Cruising Game. It’s a great way to lose an hour or two. Here’s me having barely avoided a collision:

Silly, but fun!

I’ve written a lot recently about stereo systems. Mostly, I had been focusing on minimalist and bare-bones systems that could be used simply to amplify a line-level signal from an MP3 player.

But then one thing leads to another, and before long you’ve got something that will read SD cards and USB thumb drives, too.

And heck, lots of us still have CDs—both the conventional audio kind and those we burned with MP3 and WMA files. And sometimes you just want to see what’s on the local radio stations.

So face it: Some of us just want it ALL! Read onward…

With so many music format options available today, boaters, golfers and other outdoor enthusiasts should not be limited with outdated technology. Compatible with MP3 and WMA audio files, the advanced Millenia MR380 Receiver from Prospec Electronics is a state-of-the-art AM/FM/CD stereo with USB, SD and AUX inputs conveniently located on the unit’s front.

Designed specifically for use with portable media, the innovative MR380 also provides a versatile PLL tuner with 18 FM and 12 AM station presets. Operating at 4 x 40 watts, it features an ergonomic, rotary-style volume knob, detachable control panel with a sleek, digital display and a line-out for an additional amp.

Built to withstand harsh conditions, the resilient receiver offers electronic shock protection. For further defense against the elements, an optional cover is also available. Simple to mount, the streamlined unit has an installation size of just 7-1/8" W x 2-1/8" H x 6-3/4" D.

The suggested retail price of the modern Millenia MR380 from Prospec Electronics has a suggested retail price of $149.

Remember my recent survey of bare-bones stereo systems? It featured several interesting alternatives to conventional “car-stereo”-style head units.

If I had known about the Milennia MR50 from Prospec Electronics, I certainly would have included it. Although it LOOKS fairly conventional, and will easily fit into dashboards configured for traditional head units, it actually has more in common with the bare-bones amplifiers I discussed in that earlier article.

For one thing, it doesn’t include a CD player at all. It’s strictly an AM/FM receiver with an auxiliary input; a standard 3.5mm “1/8th-inch” stereo headphone jack.

But hold on! It also features an SD-card slot and a USB port on the front face, allowing you to play audio files on data cards and “thumb drives”. The USB port also allows you to recharge iPods and cell phones that sport USB plugs.

All that for less than $80? Count me in!

The fact that it is actually very compact is a plus, especially on smaller boats with limited dash and instrument space. Although it occupies about the same amount of “dashboard real estate” as a conventional stereo, it’s only four inches deep, since they left off the CD player. So clever installers will find room for this unit where full-on CD-player receivers just could not fit.

I contacted Todd Allen of Prospec Electronics, asking for some photos showing the shallow depth of the Milennia MR50, and he was kind enough to snap some for me and send them along. I’ve got to say, this looks like it might be the right unit for Two Lucky Fish, my C-Dory 22.

(more…)

Oh dear. My daughter has gotten me addicted to a new game…

Youda Marina is a wonderful simulation and time management game all rolled into one. It offers you sun and fun each time you play! Be creative with your exotic harbor and have fun managing it is everyday problems- just the way you want to!

You will be the harbor master, responsible for keeping all your Marina visitors happy. And happy visitors mean lots of income as they pay their harbor fees and visit your bars and restaurants. The more income you earn, the more facilities you can build. Make it possible for your visitors to stay longer by letting them stay in your hotels or holiday resorts. You can even and let them enjoy a day in one of your amusement parks, or join amazing tours. You can even start your own diving school or game fishing excursions!

Be careful! More visitors and facilities means more time and attention is needed. You will have to stay in control of what happens in and around your harbor, and in case of an emergency, your rescue teams are there to take care of the situation! You really do not want your visitors to be sick or your bars and resorts to be burnt down, do you?

Your goal is to either focus on creating an efficient working harbor or produce the most beautiful marina in the world! Small goals need to be achieved in order to reach your major final goal. Are you in control or do you want to do whatever you like and be creative? It’s up to you!

Anybody else addicted to this dang thing?

[It's another MadMariner feature from a few weeks back. —Tim]

I’m old enough to remember the Walkman Revolution. It seemed like all of a sudden you could jog around the neighborhood listening to whatever you wanted, all courtesy a cassette deck and a pair of small headphones. Actually, the current iPod Revolution looks, well, pretty much the same.

Except that the iPod holds several hundred (or is it thousand?) cassettes-worth of music, and it’s a lot smaller, and it runs a lot longer before it needs a recharge. Still, the same problem emerges: What if you want to share your music?

In the old Walkman days, of course, you would eject the cassette and shove it into a car stereo or a cassette deck at home. The media moved from player to player. In that sense, the iPod is a different animal: the media and the player are one and the same.

Yet most car (and boat) stereo units look essentially the same as they did 25 years ago. Oh, the new ones include an auxiliary input for your iPod’s 3.5mm stereo headphone, and they play CDs instead of cassettes. But they require the same amount of space for the head unit, which has to be mounted where you can reach it, since that’s where the controls are located. It is as if the designers, or perhaps consumers, haven’t really figured out that you don’t need a head unit at all.

DITCH THE PLAYER

You don’t need your installed stereo to be a “player” anymore. The iPod is the player, remember? Playback controls, including volume, are all onboard. All you really need installed in your boat (or car) is a set of speakers and a behind-the-scenes amp capable of taking low-power “line level” output from your iPod and amplifying it to the point where it can drive a pair of speakers.

On some boats, particularly those with limited room and battery power, such as PWCs, tenders and voyaging sailboats of all sizes, a strong argument can be made for minimizing the size and maximizing the electrical efficiency of any stereo installation.

So perhaps it’s no surprise that some of the major marine stereo manufacturers, along with at least one “cottage industry” producer, have brought simple, bare-bones amplifier units to market. Let’s look at a few of the offerings:

AMPS ONLY

First, let’s look at the Left Coast Simple Stereo. Personally, I like the company’s story. Left Coast is not some huge electronics manufacturing conglomerate. Instead, it is, literally, a mom and pop operation located in Anacortes, Wash., where owner Jim Lee had wanted to try his hand at boatbuilding.

“Suddenly, one morning, out of the blue, everything came together with a resounding ‘clunk’. So, what ho! Left Coast was created to be the corporate holder for the boat-building project,” says Lee.

The Left Coast Simple Stereo is a spinoff of the boat project. While reviewing sailboat plans with his children, Lee asked them: “What would you like in your sailboat?”

The kids said they wanted to play their iPods and be able to recharge them.

That’s what you get with the Left Coast Simple Stereo. The idea is that you install the plug-in plate—which includes the 3.5-mm headphone-style audio jack and a USB plug for charging, and mount the Simple Stereo module behind the scenes. Connect it to12V power and the speakers of your choice, and you’re done. It retails for $186 plus shipping from www.leftcoast.biz.

There is no power switch, since it automatically shuts itself down when no audio signal is present, drawing only a tiny trickle of power in standby mode. It has no volume control, since iPods and other portable media players already have them. Its “user interface” is practically nonexistent, but Lee considers that to be one of the unit’s best features.

“Most people seem to feel that the more features they get per dollar, the better,” says Lee. “I’m totally the opposite. I just want my iPod to come out on the speakers. Nothing to learn, easy to install. And, I don’t want to worry about its battery.”

Poly-Planar has approached the problem of simple, no-frills iPod amplification directly. Their MP3-Kit-A includes the amplifier, speakers, headphone-style input jack, and a volume control. Heck, it’s got everything but the iPod. Well, almost everything; it doesn’t have a USB charging jack. It retails for about $180.

Another option is the Full Wave Audio’s Waterproof Stereo Amplifier, designed specifically for applications where battery capacity is limited. This durable amplifier allows users to easily enjoy music for long periods of time while on their boats, PWCs, kayaks, canoes or ATVs. This is seriously waterproof, with an “ingress protection” rating of IP-68. The unit’s controls, which can be mounted in a convenient location, are also waterproof, and Full Wave offers a line of waterproof speakers. This is the most expensive model in this survey, at about $300, but for installations where water exposure is expected and unavoidable, the expense could be worthwhile.

Finally, you could consider Fusion’s MS-AM702 Marine Zone Amplifier. This unit is designed to support Fusion’s multi-zone technology, allowing you to add audio in other areas of larger boats. Fusion hasn’t really targeted the minimalist market, but the fact is that the Zone Amplifier is small and relatively simple, making it a viable option for simple iPod amplification.

It would require a bit more effort, since you would need to provide speakers and wire a 3.5mm stereo headphone jack to the unit’s audio input. It doesn’t offer any facility for charging an iPod, since it wasn’t really intended to be used this way.

It has a few controls on the amplifier unit, intended to help calibrate the unit with the main stereo head unit in a multi-zone installation. As with all the units featured in this article, it draws very little power in standby mode, so it could be left connected to 12V power all the time without having any noticeable effect on your vessel’s batteries.

WHAT? NO RADIO?

Perhaps you’re happy to leave all your CDs at home, using your iPod or other portable media player to bring your own music aboard. But what about the radio?

With the advent of portable satellite radio receivers, you may not even notice the lack of AM/FM radio reception. It really depends on your usage, of course, but on my boat, we hardly ever listen to AM or FM radio, opting instead for our own playlists created at the computer.

So instead of trying to find a spot for a conventional marine stereo head unit receiver, maybe it’s time to consider a simpler solution.

This is an old-timey piece of industrial gear that is also used—very occasionally, and much less often nowadays—by boaters in the Pacific Northwest. It might be used elsewhere as well, but I know for a fact that it’s used in the vast cruising grounds of coastal British Columbia.

What is it? Add your guess in the comments.