Dead Radio

SundayDinner · **Posted:** Sun Jul 31, 2011 1:14 pm

Hey Y'all

Been having some great weekends on the water as of late, but as always, something has to go on the fritz. Got to the boat this weekend and found that the radio wouldn't power on. We were out all last weekend running it with no problem at all. So, I checked the fuses at the helm, the inline fuses behind the radio, and the breaker at the battery switch. All were fine. I suppose it's possible that the head unit (Clarion) could have just crapped out, but seems unlikely. Any thoughts? Is this a higher power telling me it's time to upgrade?

Thanks!

Misterbulbous · **Posted:** Sun Jul 31, 2011 5:42 pm

SundayDinner wrote:

Hey Y'all

Been having some great weekends on the water as of late, but as always, something has to go on the fritz. Got to the boat this weekend and found that the radio wouldn't power on. We were out all last weekend running it with no problem at all. So, I checked the fuses at the helm, the inline fuses behind the radio, and the breaker at the battery switch. All were fine. I suppose it's possible that the head unit (Clarion) could have just crapped out, but seems unlikely. Any thoughts? Is this a higher power telling me it's time to upgrade?

Thanks!

It's my limited experience that the marine environment (ie; heat/humidity) kills stereo's fairly quickly. My 2002 FW is going on it's third. The previous two both developed "button" type issues. One would be on infinite volume when powered up, the next one began getting stuck on certain pre-sets. I've gone the disposable route with the $150 units and getting a few years out of them.

ric · **Posted:** Sun Jul 31, 2011 9:04 pm

Check ebay, there's some good Sony Marine radio's on there for awesome prices

SundayDinner · **Posted:** Sun Jul 31, 2011 10:00 pm

Thanks guys. I'm definitely considering replacing it. I was actually pretty happy with the Clarion head unit, but am willing to branch out as long as its not too much of a hassle.

With that said, I'm having a hard time believing that this thing died so suddenly. I say that because, unlike a head unit in a bowrider, this thing sits in a cabin. So, it isn't subjected to near the wear and tear as a unit in an open cockpit.

Anyone have any thoughts on potential issues/fixes?

wkearney99 · **Posted:** Sun Jul 31, 2011 10:45 pm

You checked the fuses? How? Visually or with a volt meter? And did you check the voltage at the back of the radio? It's entirely possible it's as simple as power not getting to the radio. Could be a loose connection or a fuse that looks good but tests as open.

SundayDinner · **Posted:** Sun Jul 31, 2011 11:42 pm

Hey Bill - the fuse check was only visual, although I did switch a couple around at the helm fuse panel to verify that they were good. Your point is well taken. I plan to use a volt meter to see if I'm getting power at the radio next time I go out. One thought I had was that the resetable breaker at the battery switch has gone bad. I've never heard of that happening, but from my general knowledge of breakers and electrical circuitry (read - just enough to be extremely dangerous), its entirely possible.

ric · **Posted:** Mon Aug 01, 2011 7:57 am

Radio's are cheap. You're talking about getting one for $130 that is far superior to your clarion with way more features and better sound. It might take you a whole 15 minutes to swap it out.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sony-CDX-M30-Marine ... 816wt_1219

I swapped out the factory speakers for some Polk DB651 this weekend, amazing sound compared to factory!

wkearney99 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 01, 2011 8:16 am

The downside to switching head units is if you have remote controls. None are compatible across brands, and some not even within the same manufacturer. That and the remotes often use a different sized hole. Then there's the labor of removing and properly reinstalling new wiring to them.

Besides, fidelity out on an open space like a boat is a joke. Sure, you can make it sound 'better' but to what end? The higher end speakers are still going to degrade due to exposure, sometimes faster than the cheaper ones.

A visual check isn't enough for a fuse. Just use the resistance measure (ohms) on a voltmeter and make sure. Yes, breakers can fail. A marine environment is tough on anything with metal, breakers aren't excluded. But that's why checking the voltage level at the radio's harness is the best check. If there's no power then you work your way back to the source (through fuses, breakers, wires, connectors and eventually the batteries).

There's not a lot to learn about basic electrical wiring in a boat. Just know that 'swapping fuses around' should pay attention to the fuse ratings. Never, ever just use a larger fuse that the circuit is designed to handle. The idea being if a load becomes too great the fuse will blow. If the fuse is too large then the load will heat up the wire instead, possibly causing a fire. And don't forget, an electrical circuit requires BOTH a positive AND a negative lead. Both have to be working reliably for things to function. So don't forget to check the negative ground leads too. It's not uncommon for the ground bus to have connectors work loose or get corroded.

ric · **Posted:** Mon Aug 01, 2011 8:43 am

Fidelity might be a "joke" on a boat, but good quality marine speakers and head unit will sound much better then cheap stuff. The point really isn't to make the boat sound like a concert hall, it's to clearly hear the music over wind/engine noise without it sounding like 1960's AM radio. Higher quality speakers with a wider frequency response and higher SNR ratio will clearly sound much better then lower end speakers not of the same spec.

The Polk DB651's I got (and are marine rated) were only $60 shipped and are night and day better then the Sony XS-MP61's they replaced.

Paul I. · **Posted:** Mon Aug 01, 2011 9:33 am

As other people have stated you need to check if the head is getting power. All heads have 2 power inputs, one powers the head, the other keeps setting stored in memory. Depending on the head, both must be powered or it will not turn on. As far as upgrading the head, if you stay with the same brand, before buying, go to the web sit and download there install manual. This will give you a feel as to what to expect.

I have used Sony for the past 6 years, all of there remotes & heads, are wired the same way. I would think the same is true for other brands.

wkearney99 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 01, 2011 9:44 am

Paul I. wrote:

I have used Sony for the past 6 years, all of there remotes & heads, are wired the same way. I would think the same is true for other brands.

Clarion remotes were relatively compatible up until their most recent CMD6 series. The CMD4 and 5 have more features than the older remotes would completely control, but still worked. So if you've already got, say, an XMD3 then you could use up to a CMD5 and still retain basic control using existing remotes.

I would never assume anything about compatibility with remotes. ALWAYS check first. It was a surprise to see Clarion making the switch (but understandable given new features). Otherwise you're faced with what can be a pain in the ass pulling out the old wiring, cutting new holes or screw patterns and then properly re-securing the new wiring. Be SURE to secure the wires as the rocking motion of the boat can lead to the wire getting worn through or breaking.

SundayDinner · **Posted:** Mon Aug 01, 2011 10:10 am

Assuming its dead, I'm inclined to stick with Clarion, if only for size and compatability issues. I have the CMD4 with the football shaped remotes at the helm and on the swim platform. It looks like, at the very least, I'd have to replace both of those if I went up to a CMD6. That right?

I fall somewhere in the middle when it comes to boat audio. For my taste, you can do a lot better than the factory speakers, but I also don't see blowing a ton of money on sound in such an open space. My speaker choice will largely be based upon the best quality speaker that I can find with the minimal amount of fiberglass and gelcoat work to be done.

Paul I. · **Posted:** Mon Aug 01, 2011 10:22 am

wkearney99 wrote:

Paul I. wrote:

I have used Sony for the past 6 years, all of there remotes & heads, are wired the same way. I would think the same is true for other brands.

Clarion remotes were relatively compatible up until their most recent CMD6 series. The CMD4 and 5 have more features than the older remotes would completely control, but still worked. So if you've already got, say, an XMD3 then you could use up to a CMD5 and still retain basic control using existing remotes.

I would never assume anything about compatibility with remotes. ALWAYS check first. It was a surprise to see Clarion making the switch (but understandable given new features). Otherwise you're faced with what can be a pain in the ass pulling out the old wiring, cutting new holes or screw patterns and then properly re-securing the new wiring. Be SURE to secure the wires as the rocking motion of the boat can lead to the wire getting worn through or breaking.

Thats way I said "As far as upgrading the head, if you stay with the same brand, before buying, go to the web sit and download there install manual. This will give you a feel as to what to expect."

Paul I. · **Posted:** Mon Aug 01, 2011 10:29 am

SundayDinner wrote:

Assuming its dead, I'm inclined to stick with Clarion, if only for size and compatability issues. I have the CMD4 with the football shaped remotes at the helm and on the swim platform. It looks like, at the very least, I'd have to replace both of those if I went up to a CMD6. That right?

I fall somewhere in the middle when it comes to boat audio. For my taste, you can do a lot better than the factory speakers, but I also don't see blowing a ton of money on sound in such an open space. My speaker choice will largely be based upon the best quality speaker that I can find with the minimal amount of fiberglass and gelcoat work to be done.

My experence with Clarion speakers is limted, but the one that came with my new boat were junk. I picked up a set of Kickers for $70.00 and now I can hear the highs and lows. Not just the mids. If you need a good web site for Kicker speakers, just ask.

ric · **Posted:** Mon Aug 01, 2011 10:34 am

Most brands changed the remotes from a few years ago. If it's a 4+ year old system there's a good chance the new stuff of the same brand won't work. If your remotes are not compatible with the new radios and you need new remotes, I'd ditch the clarion brand and get something of better quality like Sony or Alpine. Clarion sucks. You don't even have to be an audiophile to hear they are the worst sounding systems ever produced. OEM's use them because they cost nothing and they figure people will upgrade. You're just accustomed to it.

www.iFourWinns.com

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