www.iFourWinns.com

Anyone have Bluetooth setup in their boat? Clarion has come out with a relatively inexpensive car kit (street price around $70) that works with any stereo that has either RCA or 3.5mm input jacks. Supports hands free (HFP/HSP)and wireless stereo playback (A2DP & AVRCP). Here's the link:

http://www.clarion.com/us/en/products/2007/audio/accessories/BLT370/us-en-product-pf_1165294998507.html

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2007 Horizon 200
4.3L GXi/ SX 225 HP

$200? For that? Yeesh, that's gouging. That and Clarion's not known for making devices that are a) user friendly or b) compatible. I can only imagine the hassles of getting it paired with all sorts of phones. That and not all phones have the correct (or properly working) profiles. But at the end of the line you run up against horrible battery life. Bluetooth for this stuff drains your cell phone quicker than anything else.

But if you're lucky enough to have a phone that works properly, and are prepared to plug it into a 12v outlet to keep it running, then a device like that might be worth considering. I'd look elsewhere than Clarion though.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Yeah the MSRP is $200, but street price is $70. For that price I'm tempted, I do play mp3s via BT in my car, and occasionally plug in via an adapter to the 'ipod connection' in the boat. I don't take many calls on the boat, and the handsfree with the music interrupt is what one is really paying for with this item. So for me, it's an it'd be nice item, but not very high on my priority list.

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2007 Horizon 200
4.3L GXi/ SX 225 HP

I hear ya, but in several years of dealing with an endless array of gadgets I've learned the most important thing is powering the damned things. And if I'm going to plug in a wire then it might as well be one that does as much as possible. Thus using the edge connector on an iPod or a Zune gets me the AV signals while also recharging the battery. Unfortunately the same can't be done with most phones (although my XV6800 can with the right cable, which is too short). Then there's the whole hassle of controlling it. Wet hands or spray are a sure-fire way to kill it. I've got a Griffin RF remote that controls the iPod, but don't end up using it all that often as most of the time I just select one genre or playlist and leave it alone.

Still, for $70 that's almost in the area of being worth a try...

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista