Marine audio and equipment

Ahh, the relaxation and serenity experienced when water gently laps against your boat with the only sound for kilometres being penguins or soaring gulls.
If this is utopia for you, then don't read on! On the other hand, if you like music and news at sea, or crave entertainment audio to be heard over a large revving motor, then we have got news for you.

 Marine audio has been a boating accessory not usually on a buyer's list in the past, with Clarion the best-known supplier, making modest but steady sales of white car-audio style marinised equipment.

Now Clarion and others, especially Fusion and Sony, have developed sound systems that are most suited for trailerboats, with features like iPod connection.

That's great but why not use a car radio?

Marine audio gear is different in features and build quality. Water, salt air and sun can wreak havoc on your electrical gear; in fact an installer advised some car audio gear wouldn't last a season.

Purpose-built marine audio has protection from the elements, like splash-proof water resistance, anti-corrosion coatings on the circuit boards, chassis and connectors, plus UV resistance. Depending on the brand, marine equipment has one or more of these protective features.

SYSTEMS
A marine system starts with a 'head-unit', that's the controller 'heart' of the system with the tuner, knobs and inputs, like CD slot or iPod input socket – exactly like the radio in your car.

Medium-size units typically have four speaker outlets, with at least 25W RMS each. This is about the sound level most new cars are supplied with, but is replayed in the more open area of a boat. So for a loud sound you can hear above a big motor and/or bass you can feel, an amplifier is also needed. 

HOW LOUD?
Firstly, how do you measure the volume? Just to confuse things, the sound output is quoted in watts (W), but there are a number of variants. There's peak watts, often quoted on unknown imports, and which is a massive, very fake and misleading figure. Despite some misgivings by a few technicians, I prefer watts RMS as the power indicator. For example, a head unit quoting a seemingly impressive 100W peak may be just three to 10W RMS. If the specification doesn't have the suffix peak or RMS, then it's sure to be a dodgy version of peak.

About 100W RMS or more is very powerful for most situations, especially as most head units allow the use of their internal amp at the same time.

SOUND INSTALLATION
Most installations are best with speakers in the front, rear and cabin (if used), otherwise people nearest the speakers will hear fine and the rest of the boat will miss out. Skiboats are increasingly appearing with a string of speakers in overhead pods, for best power handling and volume.

A common misconception, aided by incorrect advertising, is speakers put out power. In reality, speakers handle a certain maximum power, like motor power limits on trailerboats. The ideal is to select speakers that are rated to at least the same as the power fed to them. Marine radio manufacturers usually make this easy, as most have only one choice to match their gear. Make sure your installer has all the speakers in your system 'in-phase', so they all push the sound out at the same time, instead of fighting against each other.

 If the sound from the front of the installed speaker can easily reach the rear, bass will be very limited (tinny). You can test this by turning the music up loud and then placing a plastic box or other cover over the rear. If the sound improves, then make a rigid, generous size, totally airtight cover box for the rear of the speaker.

MOUNTING
The head unit or controller needs to be near the driver, unless a remote control is available. Also consider that large speaker holes cannot just be made anywhere, or the structural integrity of the boat may be greatly compromised. Speakers near a compass may also stop it reading correctly.

Installation is easy, though a leading manufacturer told TrailerBoat that 90 per cent of their warranty claims are from self-installation. Frying due to wrong connections can lead to 'no warranty' replacement. That's why companies like South Pacific Marine Electronics can save you time and money.

TrailerBoat visited South Pacific Marine Electronics' impressive factory, centrally located in the immense Gold Coast City Marina, to interview both the proprietor and chief technician, Glen Lee and Andrew Torti.

We soon discovered South Pacific Marine Electronics' (SPME) philosophy is high-end service not unlike Mercedes dealerships.

"We try to replicate that service. Many installers work out of a van or old warehouse, with no product on display or assurance they'll be around long-term," said Torti.

"We launched in an entirely different direction and offer superb service for our clients, like having drinks, lunch and wine, plus a showroom that looks like it's straight from a home designer magazine, with leather lounge, air-conditioning and fully operational equipment on display," he said.

WE KNOW HOW TO ASSIST
How often have you purchased high-tech gear and the moment you leave the store, you are on your own? SPME demonstrates gear hands-on and if you forget any part of the operation, customers can come back for more instructions, or as Torti says: "Ring us now straight from the boat and we can help you out.

"For advanced installations, we have even sent technicians to the boat afterhours to assist with equipment operation. It's met with good response.

"Our aftersales assistance is free of charge, or just come back and have a drink as we demonstrate it again," Torti said.

SPME installs all marine electronics like marine audio, radar, chartplotter, sounder, auto pilot, entertainment, TV, desalinators, underwater lights, internet and satellite connection, with high-end service, from trailerboats to the largest vessels in the area.

They also offer 'on location' back-dock service in South East Queensland regions, ranging from Bribie Island down to Tweed Heads. Staff includes four technicians, with expansion planned.

"We have checklists when we do a hand-over, tuition, plus even simple things like a laminated instruction sheet on how to operate the whole thing. It's what makes our service superior and a can-do attitude, supported by everyone in uniform," said Torti.

"We believe in making the customer feel important, and we smile a lot and talk a lot. Our headquarters are all class, like a boutique shop for marine electronics.
"Customers leave feeling great, knowing we have done the very best to meet their electronics requirements. We are not charging more money for this and we hold good stock.

There's a wide range of equipment and brands, like Raymarine. Fusion came on board strongly with us and we are strongly behind them."

"We also fit electronics for new boat manufacturers and have individual racks for each boat booked, all pre-stacked and waiting with every item, for fast service when the new boat is ready for the install," Torti said.

There's not a host of brands offering gear, but TrailerBoat has seen enough choice for great systems, with more people fast becoming interested in marine sound systems.

FUSION GREEN
One of the fastest-growing suppliers is New Zealand-based Fusion, who is strongly established in Australia and is an attendee at most boat shows this year, supported by their green aliens and model PR girls. TrailerBoat is excited to offer a Fusion system as a prize, with entry coupons available in TrailerBoat issue 225 and 226.

Keep reading TrailerBoat for more articles on Marine Audio.

For more information:
Fusion: http://www.fusioncaraudio.com/, or phone 1300 736 012;
GME: visit http://www.gme.net.au/, or phone (02) 9879 8888;
Sony/TMQ: visit http://www.tmq.com.au/, or phone (07) 3890 7788;
Sony Australia: http://www.sony.com.au/, or phone 1300 137 669;
Clarion: visit http://www.clarion.com.au/, or phone (03) 8558 1115.