If you’re shopping for audio upgrades for your boat, motorcycle or side-by-side, you’ll often hear the term “marine-grade” thrown around. While the definition depends on the product category and the manufacturer, in most cases that product was designed with enhanced features that will allow it to last longer when used outdoors. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the standard marine-specific features that let the speakers, amplifiers, source unit and wiring get wet or dirty and continue to function.

Speakers Designed for Outdoor Applications

If you have your local specialty mobile enhancement retailer upgrade the entertainment system in your boat, you’ll want to choose speakers designed specifically for outdoor use. Such companies as JL Audio, Hertz, Clarion, Wet Sounds, Kicker, Rockford Fosgate and many more offer speakers sized from 5.25 through to 8.8 inches in diameter and subwoofers from 8 to 12 inches that use materials that have been chosen to resist the destructive effects of ultraviolet energy from the sun. Likewise, these speakers are typically built around a plastic basket rather than a metal one. They may also incorporate water drainage channels into the grille.

Plastic and rubber designed for outdoor use don’t dry out as quickly as conventional ABS materials. The result is speakers that won’t fade, chalk, crack or turn yellow after only a few months.

When shopping for marine speakers and subwoofers, you’ll want to look for two common test standards. The first is the ASTM-D4329 UV exposure test. Products that have passed this test have been exposed to extremely high ultraviolet radiation levels in a test chamber. To pass the test, the materials can’t suffer from any significant degradation levels, even after 200 hours of exposure.

On a typical sunny day, the sun provides roughly 0.1 to 0.35 watts per square meter. The ASTM-D4329 test can expose products to as much as 6.5 times as much UV energy to accelerate the test process. If materials are going to fail, the intense exposure will make it happen quickly.

The second standard you’ll see with respect to speakers and subwoofers is ASTM-B177. This standard is a salt exposure test that ensures that the components used to construct the speaker won’t corrode. Test subjects are placed in a machine that exposes them to a spray or fog of typically 5% sodium chloride (NaCl). This is equivalent to almost twice as much salt as would be found in ocean water. To pass the test, the subjects need to complete it without any signs of corrosion.

Marine-Grade Source Units

Thanks to companies such as Clarion, radios explicitly designed for marine applications are now commonplace. These source options fall into two categories: marine radios and water-resistant marine radios. The marine radios are, for the most part, a car audio unit that has been modified with an upgraded display that’s easier to see in bright sunlight and a corrosion-resistant coating on the main circuit board. Some of these products also add a connection for wired remote controls, and they may include weatherband radio channels as well. More and more marine solutions offer NMEA-2000 interfacing so that they can communicate with multifunction displays from Lowrance, Garmin, Raymarine or Simrad.

The second class of marine source units is those that are designed to be weather-resistant. These products may be based on the same car audio-based circuit board but have a completely new front panel that’s designed to get wet and handle long-term UV exposure. The face of this class of radio should pass the same UV and salt testing as speakers. The front panels, when installed properly, should also have a water ingress IP rating. We’ll explain IP ratings shortly.

In most cases, the main chassis of these radios are not water-resistant. If the face of the radio isn’t sealed perfectly against the mounting surface in the boat, or if water leaks in from another source, the radio can still be damaged. If you are looking for a radio that can stay outdoors in the rain or get splashed by waves when boating, this is the type you want.

What Are IP Water and Dust Ingress Ratings?

IP codes, formally known as Ingress Protection Codes or International Protection Ratings, describe a product’s ability to resist the ingress of solid particles (dust) and liquids (water) under regular use. The letters I and P are typically followed by two numbers that describe the resistance levels.

Using the information above, we can see that a product with a rating of IP68 can handle being used underwater for short periods. An iPhone 11 has an IP68 rating. If you’re shopping for a radio for your boat, motorcycle or side-by-side, the front panel will need a suitable IP rating. If you plan on submerging your side-by-side, that’s a whole different ball-game.

It’s also worth noting that a product that passes the IPX7 and IPX8 test may fail the IPX6 test. The specifications may be offered in parallel as IPX6/IPX8 – these are known as dual ratings.

Amplifiers, Fuses and Wiring

Several amplifiers on the market claim to be water-resistant. The JL Audio MX-Series marine amplifiers carry an IPX7 rating, and the Wet Sounds Stealth Micro amp claims a “completely sealed die-cast aluminum chassis for maximum protection against water and dirt intrusion.”

When you’re shopping, be wary of the difference between water-resistant and waterproof. Water-resistant products may only have an IPX rating of 3 where waterproof is likely level 7 or higher. You’ll want to look for amplifiers that have all the wiring entering and exiting the heat sink sealed in a plastic or rubber grommet. A removable panel should protect any controls on the amplifiers with foam or, preferably, a rubber gasket. Take heed: Just because an amp may be classified as waterproof, it doesn’t mean the wiring you’ve used with it will function reliably while submerged.

Speaking of wiring, and we definitely should – marine applications can be particularly challenging on speaker wire, power wire and interconnect cables, especially in saltwater conditions. Many wire manufacturers offer tinned copper conductors so that salt won’t cause the copper to corrode quickly.

A bigger concern are fuse holders and circuit breakers used in marine applications. The American Boat and Yacht Council sets the standards for safety in the North American marine industry. They have several requirements for lighting, battery switches, storage batteries, electrical propulsion systems and AC/DC electrical systems on boats. Of particular interest to our discussion is the ABYC E-11.4.15 standard that requires electrical devices that may be operated in an area where fuel or other combustible vapors are present to have an Ignition Protection rating. The test standard for Ignition Protection is SAE J1171. Devices that have passed this test will not ignite combustible gases.

In most cases, these devices are operated in a chamber filled with a highly explosive gas mixture. To pass, the gas must not ignite or explode. It’s our understanding that a spark is created in the test chamber after the standard testing is complete to confirm that the gas mixture was suitably combustible. The device under test may or may not survive this confirmation step.

If you have wiring, batteries or electronics added to an engine compartment or in the same space as fuel storage, all devices must have J1171 Ignition Protection certification.

Choose Your Outdoor Audio Upgrades Wisely

If you’re planning to have an audio system installed in a motorcycle, boat, golf cart or side-by-side, spend some time researching the suitability of the products suggested by your local specialty mobile enhancement retailer. Water intrusion protection, UV resistance and much more combine to ensure that your investment in a high-quality entertainment solution will last for many years.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

If you’ve looked at a new boat recently, then you know that lighting has become an integral part of marine design. Aside from the standard red and green navigation lights and a white stern light, custom lighting solutions are a huge industry, and they can make your boat look amazing! Let’s look at some of the options available to make your boat stand out when the sun sets.

Required Boat Lighting

Depending on the size of your boat, there are strict rules about navigation lights, stern lights, all-around lights and, on sailboats, masthead lights if you’re going to operate the vessel after sunset or before sunrise. Larger boats require additional side lights, and fishing boats need a red all-around light above a white light. The guidelines also specify that these lights need to be bright enough to be seen for at least 1 mile on small boats and 2 miles on larger craft.

Modern LED lighting can ensure that your boat is visible to other boaters. Your local mobile enhancement retailer can retrofit high-efficiency light upgrades and resolve any wiring and control issues that might be present in an older system. Likewise, LED interior lighting for the nav station, berth, cockpit, galley or head can further reduce power consumption in a cruiser or sailboat, so you don’t have to worry about batteries dying.

Interior Marine Lighting Options

If you’re going to be out after dark, then it’s essential to have lighting inside your boat so you can see objects and steps. Even if you have a small fishing boat or a little bowrider, proper illumination ensures safety. On the flip side, unique lighting installations can also add some style to your boat. RGB LED lighting under the seats, at the helm or along walkways can deliver almost any color under the rainbow.

Multicolored lighting systems use either a hand-held radio-frequency (RF) remote or work with an app on your Android or Apple smartphone using a Bluetooth connection. You can choose from millions of color combinations of the red, green and blue LEDs to create almost any color you want. Many systems include options to switch between two or three colors, or gradually flow through the entire color spectrum for a subtle change and ambiance.

Underwater Lights

Another popular option for adding some style to your boat are underwater lights. These light pods are designed to be installed on or in the hull of your boat, beneath the waterline. In most instances, you’ll see them mounted on the stern to light up the swimming area at night. Of course, installing anything that will operate underwater means you’ll want to select only the highest-quality lighting solutions. We asked some industry friends about what they use. The names Shadow-Caster, OceanLED and Lumitec come highly recommended. These lights feature one-piece bronze housings and scratch-resistant glass lenses.

Audio System Light Upgrades

If you’re upgrading the audio system on your boat, several companies offer marine-specific speakers, subwoofers and wakeboard tower speakers that feature integrated lighting. You may also want to combine the speaker lighting with lighting around the amplifiers.

The Importance of Proper Installation

While the excitement of adding unique lighting to your boat may make you forget, we want to remind you that proper installation practices are essential to the safety of your boat. When it comes to wiring, the American Boat and Yacht Council has strict guidelines that need to be followed. Make sure your installer is using ignition-protected circuit breakers, fuse holders and battery switches. Likewise, you will want to see examples of their marine wiring practices to ensure that your boat will be safe and the upgrades they install are reliable. As with all mobile enhancement upgrades, you should be shopping for the best craftsmanship and quality, not the lowest price.

Make Your Boat Look Amazing with Custom Lighting Upgrades

If you want to add safety, efficiency or style to your boat, contact one of your local specialty mobile enhancement retailers today. If you can, take your boat to their shop so they can see what you have in mind. If your boat is too big, get as many photographs as possible. Several dozen pictures aren’t too many to make sure they understand the scope of your upgrade project. Adding lights to your boat is a great upgrade that can make your time on the water after dark a lot more fun!

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Marine radio designs and features have come a long way. Years ago, when Clarion introduced the first marine radios to the world, they were enhanced versions of Clarion’s car stereo solutions. Soon after, water-resistant faces were added to allow the radios to stay outside in the cockpit all year long. Over the next few decades, remote controls were added to make controlling the radio from anywhere onboard easier. In the last decade, marine source shapes have become flexible, and the source selection options are downright impressive.

Marine Radio Size Options

Most marine radios started as single-DIN car radios. The standard 2-inch-tall by 7-inch-wide chassis was outfitted with a front panel with silver or white trim. The displays were upgraded from their car audio brethren with reverse-LCD displays that were easier to see in bright sunlight. Inside these radios, the circuit boards were sprayed with a plastic layer called a conformal coating. This barrier helped keep the tiny connections on electronic components from corroding in high-humidity conditions.

Companies like Kenwood, Sony, Clarion, Fusion and Aquatic AV offered radios with an oversized front panel that was water-resistant. The large face mounted securely to the boat, and a flip-down design provided access to the cassette (remember those?) or CD slot. Over the years, these radios evolved into digital-media-only designs. Fusion had radios with room for an iPod inside the unit. The latest radios no longer have flip-down faces as many boat owners play music stored on their smartphone via a Bluetooth audio streaming connection.

Two-piece radios grew in popularity around 2010. These radios featured a hideaway control box that was suspiciously similar in size to a standard single-DIN radio, then a compact control module that was roughly 4 by 6 inches. The controller had the benefit of not requiring any significant amount of mounting depth, other than for its control cable. Currently, the most popular of these are available from JL Audio, Rockford Fosgate, Kicker and Fusion.

The final evolution was the gauge-sized radio. Many companies, including JBL, Hertz, Aquatic AV, Dual and Kicker, offer a compact radio that will fit into the same opening as a 3-inch dash gauge like a tachometer.

Modern Marine Integration Options

As the popularity of multifunction displays (MFD) from companies like Raymarine, Lowrance and Garmin has increased, radio manufacturers have developed integration solutions to let these navigation devices communicate. Clarion offers the MW6 interface that provides basic NMEA 2000 connectivity with a host of MFDs. JL Audio’s MM80-HR hideaway marine source unit works with Simrad, Lowrance and B&G MFDs and features a four-channel, 30-watt-per-channel amplifier. Rockford Fosgate also has a black-box NMEA 2000 radio called the PMX-8BB that works with its PMX-CAN interface to communicate with many Garmin and Raymarine MFDs.

Fusion’s Apollo Series radios have a Wi-Fi radio built in and allow iPhone and iPad users to stream audio using Apple AirPlay 2. Fusion says this wireless communication protocol offers a dramatic improvement over Bluetooth.

Upgrade Your Marine Radio Today

Whether you need to replace an older, water-damaged or worn-out CD player, or you want state-of-the-art connectivity and control, upgrading the radio in your boat is a great idea. Drop by your local specialty mobile enhancement retailer today to find out about the options available to make your time on the water more enjoyable and entertaining.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Upgrading the stereo system on your boat with new speakers, high-power amplifiers and subwoofers is a great way to make a day on the water a lot more fun. Just be aware that the behind-the-scenes work involved in these installations can take more time and is a lot more complicated than the equivalent work on upgrading a car or truck. Let’s look at a few reasons why marine entertainment system upgrades cost a little more.

Marine-Grade Wiring Ensures Reliability

Depending on whether your boat is used in fresh- or saltwater, marine-grade wiring is either a good idea or an absolute necessity. High humidity levels associated with boats and personal watercraft can accelerate the corrosion process and cause electrical connections to amplifiers, batteries, speakers and source units to fail. Taking precautions like coating connections with dielectric silicone and adhesive-lined heat-shrink tubing can help a lot.

What works even better is for the installer to use dedicated marine-grade cables and wiring. Companies like JL Audio, T-Spec and Stinger offer power cable that includes tinning — a thin coating of tin — on top of each copper strand. This coating helps to prevent corrosion so your sound system will play reliably for years and years.

Running Wires Takes Time

If an installer has to run a power wire, speaker cable or interconnect to the trunk of a car or truck, they can typically lift the door sill trim panels, raise the carpet and lay the cables in place. Depending on the application, this can be much more difficult in a boat, especially a sailboat. Often, the factory wire harness on a boat runs through dedicated cable channels, but without access, so adding new wiring can be time-consuming. The process may involve removing storage cabinets or upholstery to execute correctly.

If you are planning to add speakers to a wakeboard tower, you’ll want the cables to run inside the tubes for a clean look. Once again, this process takes time. Holes have to be drilled, a wire fish run through the tubing, then the wires pulled afterward. Proper grommets on access holes are paramount to ensuring the system functions reliably. Since most people want to listen to their tower speakers at high volumes, the wire should be relatively large — 14 gauge as opposed to 16 or 18. This added bulk adds further complexity to the install time.

Ignition-Protected Devices are Mandatory

If your battery bank or electronics share space with your engine or fuel cell, it is mandatory to use American Yacht and Boat Council (ABYC) E-11 or SAE J1171 Ignition-Protected devices. For example, circuit breakers, battery disconnects and any electronics must be designed in a way so they will not ignite a combustible air/fuel mixture. Stinger and T-Spec offer circuit breakers that are compliant. Several companies also offer source units and remote controls that feature Ignition-Protected designs. There have been many cases of explosions due to electronics igniting fuel vapors in the hull or engine compartment of a boat.

Corrosion-Resistant Fasteners and Water-Resistant Materials

In a car or truck, an installer can create an amp rack or subwoofer enclosure in the spare tire well or behind a seat out of plywood or MDF. The wet conditions of a boat will cause these woods to swell up, deform and fail. Materials like PVC or ABS plastic are commonly used for amplifier mounting panels. Speaker spacers are often cut out of acrylic plastic. Dedicated marine-grade materials like King StarBoard high-density polyethylene (HDPE) have built-in UV protection to ensure they won’t chalk, fade or turn yellow over time. These plastics cost significantly more than wood, adding to the cost of installation.

When it comes to mounting equipment, especially speakers that are directly exposed to water from splashes and rain, corrosion-resistant stainless-steel fasteners are a must. Again, these fasteners cost a little more than their black oxide or zinc-coated brethren. In the long run, preventing rust and streaks of brown running down your hull makes this upgrade a worthwhile investment.

Professional Marine Electronics Installation Ensures Reliability

Before you ask a friend who’s an electrician or a cousin who used to install car stereos in the ’90s to work on your boat, ensure they have the tools, training and materials to ensure the installation, integration and configuration will result in an audio system that’s enjoyable and reliable. In the same way you’d search for the best painter to create a family portrait, be sure to choose an expert to upgrade the electronics and entertainment systems on your boat.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

If you own a boat, you know how great it is to hang out on it with your friends in the evenings and on weekends. Enjoying great conversation, good food and awesome music is the perfect recipe for fun and relaxation. When it comes to designing and installing a marine audio system on a boat, there are some specific product requirements that will help ensure it lasts for years and always sounds great. Let’s take a look at a few.

Water Damage

Imagine the cockpit of a bow-rider or wakeboard boat. If you were to install a conventional car audio CD player in the dash and get it wet, it would stop working. Maybe not right away, but all the exposed internal components that are not protected against corrosion will fail eventually. The same goes for speakers. Car audio speakers can handle a few drops of water now and then, but being rained on or splashed a lot will do them in.

Water-resistant source units are built with control panels that seal themselves when closed. They include rubber gaskets to ensure water won’t get into the back of the radio, and the buttons and controls can withstand whatever Mother Nature throws their way. Look for an Ingress Protection (IP) rating of IP66 or higher. The first number in the rating describes the dust protection capabilities, and the second describes moisture protection. An IP rating of 66 means it is fully protected against dust and against water being sprayed by high-power jets. Specifically, level 6 jets spray 100 liters (26.4 gallons) of water per minute at a pressure of 100 kPA (14.5 psi), at a distance of 3 meters (9.85 feet) for a total of 3 minutes. No water can get into the device during the test.

While direct exposure to water is a problem, so is exposure to dampness and humidity. Thankfully, companies that design source units designed for a marine application coat their circuit boards with a non-conductive water resistant coating. This is referred to as conformal coating. It prevents moisture from corroding component connections inside the radio.

A genuine marine speaker is designed in the same way. These speakers include a rubber gasket on the mounting surface to seal them to the boat. For a coaxial speaker, there must be a secondary gasket at the base of the woofer cone to prevent water from getting into the speaker’s motor assembly. Without this seal, the top plate and T-yoke of the speaker will corrode. Good-quality marine speakers often include drainage channels to let water out from the behind the grille and include provisions for allowing wiring to be secured to the speaker. This prevents speaker wires from being pulled off when objects like life jackets or fishing rods are being pulled out of storage lockers.

UV Exposure

The second challenge is the sun. Almost every boat sits outside in the hot sun all summer. The sun will dry out plastics and fiberglass resins that are not designed specifically to handle harsh UV rays. The materials can fade, turn yellow, crack, turn chalky or simply dissolve. The UV rays cause the microscopic carbon bonds within the plastics to fail at an atomic level, causing free radicals. Once these free radicals (which are highly reactive molecules) are exposed to oxygen in the air, the material starts to fail. Quality marine audio products are made from plastics like Centrex 814 and similar materials that are designed to withstand UV exposure.

Marine manufacturers often specific industry-standard testing procedures such as ASTM D4329. This test puts products in intense UV exposure situations to verify material stability.

Ignition Protection

The American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) has a set of guidelines for the installation of electrical and electronic equipment on boats. While the ABYC guidelines are written for boat manufacturers, they are good practice for anyone who works on boats. Of interest to the installation of marine audio products is the requirement to use of ignition-protected equipment.

Ignition protection-rated devices were designed for use in environments where there are fuel vapors, such as the engine compartment of your boat. In these applications, the devices cannot produce any spark or another form of ignition of flammable substances during normal operation. Manufacturers of compliant products have their products tested in a chamber filled with a flammable air/fuel mixture. The device is operated and cycled through its functions repeatedly to ensure that it is safe. The best part of the test is the conclusion: To confirm the validity of the test, a spark is created inside the test chamber to ignite the fuel. Yes, they blow up the product under test. I know – cool, eh? Devices such as remote controls and circuit overload protection devices (fuses, circuit breakers, etc.) should be ignition protected. Why risk the alternative?

Connectivity

Marine source unit manufacturers put a great deal of effort into their source unit accessories, from simple wired remote controls to units with color LCD displays and wireless units. There are hand-held Infrared and Radio Frequency Remotes, remotes with extra features and outputs to control other functions on your boat (hatch covers, lights, etc.), and even remotes that will let you use your iPod or iPhone to control your radio and see what is playing. These features are not typically found on common “car audio” units.

Salt Exposure

If your boat is going to be operated near saltwater, fear not. Marine entertainment product manufacturers test for reliability under extremely salty conditions as well. In fact, most manufacturers of marine audio products do extensive salt spray and thermal testing, along with the UV and water ingress tests. Look for ASTM B117 Salt Fog Exposure testing on the products you are interested in using.

It’s no secret that marine audio products cost a little more than similar car audio products. You are making an investment in their reliability. The last thing you want is to sail out on the first day of a long weekend and have your system not work. With quality marine audio products on board and a professional installation, you will always be entertained.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.