[I’m sure the folks at Left Coast will take issue with Prospec’s claim that this unit is the “smallest marine stereo ever”. That title is still held by the Left Coast Simple Stereo.

Even so, many boaters will appreciate this unfamiliar but sensible form-factor for a boat stereo head-unit. Prospec seems to be doing a great job of designing products that bend or break the conventional “car stereo” rules a bit, at very affordable prices.

Balancing out innovative design and affordable pricing, however, may be a slightly less demanding manufacturing standards. I can’t say this with any authority, but I do I have a Prospec Milennia stereo mounted in my boat currently. It does everything it claims to, and it has even tolerated a bit of electrical mistreatment that occurred during installation (I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to blow a fuse grounding out your 12V power source using the unit’s chassis as the conductor!). Despite the fact that it WORKS fine, though, my overall feeling is that it’s not really as robust as I would like. I miss the quality of my old Pioneer car stereo.

On with the press release! —Tim]

Boat owners don’t have much space on their dash to fit in extra accessories.  But, Prospec Electronics‘ Milennia MIL-PRV15 Stereo easily slides into current gauge openings or cup holders, giving boaters everything they want in a cost-effective package.

The smallest marine stereo ever is portable media ready and features AM/FM radio, USB and Aux-in for connecting portable media devices.  The MIL-PRV15 doesn’t require any cut-outs and is great for retrofit or OEM applications.  For those without a free gauge or cup holder, they can use a hole-saw to create a cut-out.

It operates at 4 x 40 watts.  A solid aluminum chassis, as well as IP-66 and ASTM 117 salt fog ratings make it durable.  The MIL-PRV15 has an installation depth of 1-5/8" not including wires and an outside dimension of 3-1/2".

Ideal for smaller fishing boats, cuddy cabins, flats boats and PWCs, the Milennia is also perfect for ATVs, motorcycles, golf carts and RVs.  Prospec’s Milennia MIL-PRV15 has a retail price of $99.95.

I’ve been thinking about adding a feature on nautical film and literature here. It’s just a bit off topic for Navagear, but perhaps not altogether unwelcome to my readers? We’ll see.

In the meantime, Dennis Drabelle has this review/appreciation of one of the earliest modern “spy novels” (and a personal favorite of mine) in the Washington Post:

THE RIDDLE OF THE SANDS
A Record of Secret Service
By Erskine Childers
Penguin Classics. 299 pp. Paperback, $15

Like the novel of sensation, the spy novel came in with a glorious bang. Just as Wilkie Collins’s "The Woman in White" (1860) is not only the progenitor of all mystery novels but still one of the best ever written, so Erskine Childers’s "The Riddle of the Sands" (1903) is a pioneering spy novel – and still near the top of the heap.

Childers’s story of Britons trying to foil German spies takes place partly on the Baltic Sea, with which he was familiar as a yachtsman. His day job was clerking for the House of Commons, but at night he toiled away at this novel, adding a romantic subplot at the suggestion of his sister Dulcibella, whose mellifluous first name he gave to the yacht in his book. Among other virtues, Childers was superb at depicting action, as in this scene in which the narrator, Carruthers, senses that he is not alone on deck: "I started up involuntarily, bumped against the table, and set the stove jingling. A long step and a grab at the ladder, but just too late! I grasped something damp and greasy, there was tugging and hard breathing, and I was left clasping a big sea-boot, whose owner I heard jump on to the sand and run."

Read more

And while I love my techy gadgets and audio-visual entertainment, sometimes settling in for the evening with the sounds of a boat swinging at her anchor and reading a book like Riddle of the Sands is far more compelling.

[HDTV for smaller boats, eh? How small? I’m thinking one of these might look a little silly on my 22-foot C-Dory!

Still, I’ve been following the progress of this technology recently, because I’ve learned that TV reception is a priority for many pleasure boaters; a tool that helps skippers convince reluctant spouses and kids to go cruising.

On with the press release! —Tim]

MIDDLETOWN, RI – Small, high-definition flat screen TVs are becoming increasingly affordable, and owners of boats as small as 20′ are taking advantage of the savings to upgrade their onboard entertainment options. Now, even the smallest satellite TV systems like the TracVision® M1DX and M3DX from  KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq: KVHI) bring HDTV programming to these HD-ready screens. KVH is making the onboard HDTV experience more affordable for smaller boats with a new promotion that offers a free DISH Network® 211k HDTV receiver to customers who purchase an in-motion TracVision M1DX or M3DX marine satellite TV antenna through March 31, 2011, making it more affordable than ever for boaters to enjoy the same crystal-clear HDTV on the water that they’re used to at home.

“We’re answering our customers’ call for HDTV on the water, regardless of boat size,” says Jim George, KVH’s director of sales for satellite products. “The TracVision M1DX and M3DX are perfect for smaller boats, and they offer the same outstanding performance and rock-solid reliability as the rest of our award-winning TracVision products. Now that this promotion makes a free DISH Network HDTV receiver part of the deal, there’s no reason for any boater to spend another summer without the absolute best satellite TV entertainment onboard. Plus, there’s plenty of time to get a system installed and enjoy every single 2011 major league baseball game in HD!”

KVH’s NMEA award-winning TracVision antenna family brings reliable, high-quality satellite communications and entertainment to boaters around the globe. The 12.5" TracVision M1 and 14.5" M3 antennas are part of the complete line of TracVision satellite TV systems, which offers compact, high-performance, and global solutions to meet the needs of any boater, on any vessel, anywhere in the world. For boaters who want to add DIRECTV® HD programming to their larger boats, KVH also offers the groundbreaking TracVision HD7, which tracks up to three Ka- or Ku-band satellites simultaneously via a single 24" antenna.

It’s a press release, naturally, but I was intrigued by the product, so I’m passing it along. I imagine these coming along with kayakers and other “micro-mariners”. Thoughts?

San Diego, Calif. – (May 25, 2010) – Grace Digital Inc, a leading brand of wireless indoor & outdoor audio solutions, is pleased to announce the Eco Extreme. Whether you’re climbing to the highest mountain peak, kicking back on the beach, or just backyard grilling, the Eco Extreme provides quality sound and rugged protection for your iPod, iPhone, most cell phones and MP3 players. Affordably priced at $49.99 and available now at GraceDigitalAudio.com, the Eco Extreme is a must have for all your summer fun.

As summer approaches and weekend activities move to the outdoors, Eco Extreme’s water, sand, and shock proof outer casing offers protection from all the outdoor elements. The Eco’s built-in 3” full range front firing speaker provides Grace Digital Audio’s signature high quality sound. Designed with a rubberized protective shell, Eco’s high impact shock proof exterior withstands drops, falls, and mishaps. Lightweight and portable, the Eco Extreme comes equipped with a 2” detachable carabiner, making it ideal to clip to a beach bag or backpack for easy transportation. “With the Eco Extreme you no longer have to sacrifice audio quality for portability and versatility,” says Grace Digital Audio’s Chief Marketing Officer, Greg Fadul. “While ideal for outdoor use, the Eco Extreme provides a surprising volume and bass for a device of its size, making it great for less adventurous indoor use as well.”

The Eco Extreme’s sand resistant and waterproof interior includes a mesh pocket that securely holds an MP3 player, cell phone, wallet, cash, keys, and/or small digital camera. The universal 3.5mm audio jack easily connects the speaker to iPhones, most cell phones, iPods and MP3 players. IPX7 approved (international weatherproofing standard), the Eco Extreme will safeguard personal items and small electronics during all your outdoor adventures.

Eco Extreme features include:
•    Waterproof and dirt resistant design protects your MP3 player from the outdoor elements
•    High impact shock proof casing withstands drops, falls and spills
•    Internal storage compartment holds keys, MP3 Player, credit cards, drivers license and cash, keeping it safe from sand, sun, and water
•    3.5mm audio jack works with any MP3 player, 3” full range forward firing speaker
•    Includes a 2” detachable carabiner clip, making it ideal for backpacking, biking, beach trips, and camping.
•    IPX7 Approved (International Weatherproofing Standard) will protect your valuables even if you submerse it in water, powered by 3 AA batteries which provide 30 hours of playing time at average volume levels
•    Available in 3 colors (jet black, cobalt blue, and orange peel)

To go to Grace’s Eco Extreme web site click here.

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.