Bluetooth on boats

[The Jolly Roger]

Hello folks

Currently addressing a sound system for new semi-trad currently being built.

The most economic and sensible solution to listening to music seems to be via a 12v car stereo. Just checked Halfords website and they have a sale on of Sony units which seem to have all the bells and whistles one could want, enabling connection of hard drives and mp3 players. Some at the higher end have Bluetooth which is interesting to me, as I’d like to send a signal from the unit in the saloon to a bluetooth speaker in the cockpit from time to time. However, I know the Bluetooth signal is limited and guess it will not like being enclosed in steel. Anybody had any experience of Bluetooth on boats and of Bluetooth speakers generally folks?

Will be mounting two 6.5” speakers in saloon ceiling (Mrs Jolly Roger is mightily against a sub woofer) and I think that the low frequencies could be quite annoying for other craft. Got any recommendations re co-axial vs full range speakers? I am not an audiophile, but want my tunes to sound as decent as possible.

Roger

[Nickhlx]

Hello folks

Currently addressing a sound system for new semi-trad currently being built.

The most economic and sensible solution to listening to music seems to be via a 12v car stereo. Just checked Halfords website and they have a sale on of Sony units which seem to have all the bells and whistles one could want, enabling connection of hard drives and mp3 players. Some at the higher end have Bluetooth which is interesting to me, as I'd like to send a signal from the unit in the saloon to a bluetooth speaker in the cockpit from time to time. However, I know the Bluetooth signal is limited and guess it will not like being enclosed in steel. Anybody had any experience of Bluetooth on boats and of Bluetooth speakers generally folks?

Will be mounting two 6.5" speakers in saloon ceiling (Mrs Jolly Roger is mightily against a sub woofer) and I think that the low frequencies could be quite annoying for other craft. Got any recommendations re co-axial vs full range speakers? I am not an audiophile, but want my tunes to sound as decent as possible.

Roger

 

At around 2400 Mhz, bluetooth wavelengths are short and will reflect around within a metal container very well, although going through it will be somewhat more difficult ! If you could arrange the ? whip aerial to be insight of or hanging over the open hatch though, there should be no problem. You could perhaps have the receiver inside the rear cabin and a separate remote speaker outside on the hatch..

 

As regards "sounding good" there is no substitute for "decent speakers" and, generally, the larger the better, although, as you say, too much bass might attract unwanted attention.

 

Re Co-axial or full range - I think that is really down to the specs of the intended items and will be also down to the cabinet...

 

In practice a couple of fairly small computer speakers and a sub woofer in the rear cabin/on the rear deck will be a good compromise for the volumes that you will "get away with".

 

I imagine it will also depend on how noisy the engine is / how soundproofed the engine hole is

 

Nick

[pearley]

I think yuou will find that the Bluetooth on the Sony is only a receiver, designed to accept the audio from your phjone and put it through the car speakers so the phone could be handsfree.

 

Regards

Pete

[Pretty Funked Up]

Hello folks

Currently addressing a sound system for new semi-trad currently being built.

The most economic and sensible solution to listening to music seems to be via a 12v car stereo. Just checked Halfords website and they have a sale on of Sony units which seem to have all the bells and whistles one could want, enabling connection of hard drives and mp3 players. Some at the higher end have Bluetooth which is interesting to me, as I’d like to send a signal from the unit in the saloon to a bluetooth speaker in the cockpit from time to time. However, I know the Bluetooth signal is limited and guess it will not like being enclosed in steel. Anybody had any experience of Bluetooth on boats and of Bluetooth speakers generally folks?

Will be mounting two 6.5” speakers in saloon ceiling (Mrs Jolly Roger is mightily against a sub woofer) and I think that the low frequencies could be quite annoying for other craft. Got any recommendations re co-axial vs full range speakers? I am not an audiophile, but want my tunes to sound as decent as possible.

Roger

 

have tested 2 sets of bluetooth speakers. one was toally rubbish (3m range) and the 2nd set was pretty good (worked anywhere on the boat). So i guess it was a quality issue with the first one (it cost £9.95) so i guess you get what you pay for. Cant remeber the product names as they weren't mine and it was over a year ago, i will try and find out if you want?

 

edit: best way i can think off is to put a FM transmitter at the stereo, pick a frequency, then tune a radio in where ever you want the sound (backdeck, bathroom, etc.)

you'll have your very own radio caroline

Edited October 31, 2011 by Pretty Funked Up

[Nickhlx]

.......... put a FM transmitter at the stereo, pick a frequency, then tune a radio in where ever you want the sound (backdeck, bathroom, etc.)

you'll have your very own radio ....

I have done this with great effect at home and it surprising how far the transmission will go..

Bluetooth has evolved significantly over the years and all modes are not compatible - you need to have an understanding of the classes of power ( 1, 11, or 111) and operation to be even able to guess whether they will work together over the intended path, whether they are mono or stereo etc etc .. and then is it all working as it should ? - it all seems a bit marginal on the viability for the average person to be expected to work it all out, especially when there are better alternatives ( two pairs of speaker cable / FM transmitter) available so cheaply...

Nick

[The Jolly Roger]

Thanks for your responses folks. When you say FM Transmitters, the only ones I know of are bits of kit such as the itrip which you need to keep close to your car stereo to get a good signal. Do you know of one that could connect to a car stereo and send to a remote radio.

Roger

[NB Willawaw]

We have remote Sony Bluetooth speakers which are driven from laptops and work fine inside the boat.

[Nickhlx]

Thanks for your responses folks. When you say FM Transmitters, the only ones I know of are bits of kit such as the itrip which you need to keep close to your car stereo to get a good signal. Do you know of one that could connect to a car stereo and send to a remote radio.

Roger

 

Sorry, Roger, I don't know of one intended for that sort of use - the type I was thinking of plugged into the headphone socket of e.g. a portable radio or mp3 player and sent the output to another radio receiver ( which possibly could receive the radio station itself and directly) I think they are mainly intended to play mp3 players / laptops through a car or house radio system. They cost a few pounds on E-Bay

 

Nick

[Grace and Favour]

Why not blow your full year's beer budget and go for a top-of-the-range system? Sonos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited for punctuation

Edited November 1, 2011 by Grace & Favour

[by'eck]

Thanks for your responses folks. When you say FM Transmitters, the only ones I know of are bits of kit such as the itrip which you need to keep close to your car stereo to get a good signal. Do you know of one that could connect to a car stereo and send to a remote radio.

Roger

 

 

This is the first one I could find from Maplins, there are several makes available though. They typically are powered by internal AA batteries or by external cigar lighter 12v feed. They have a choice of pre-set frequencies. You match those to the receiving radio on the freq with least interference from other transmissions.

 

Note some smartphones have built in FM transmitter for same purpose. Very weak signal but if you place it right next to receiving radio it works perfectly.

[Pretty Funked Up]

If you get a 4chnl or 6chnl head unit you can use the main channels for your speakers and send a different pair off to the FM trasmitter. Even if you cant find an fm transmitter that takes phonos (RCA), must be one out there, then its also easy to convert RCAs to 3.5mm headphones as a work around.

[bizzard]

Blue teeth?.As i've lost my toothbrush,there's only yellow and green teeth on my boat.

[Proper Job]

Blue teeth?.As i've lost my toothbrush,there's only yellow and green teeth on my boat.

That's the first post I've been able to understand what the hell it means on this thread