seapahn

I recently upgraded the stupid stock clarion deck for a pyle mp3 player. I went with the PLCD18MRMP model with mp3, audio in, and to my surprise, the weather band (didn't know it had that until I started playing with it). This model comes with a wired remote control that I installed on the right side of the steering wheel ... it's a perfect spot for me to control things while driving the boat.

I also got the Pyramid 3071WP Marine Box Speakers which come in pairs but I only installed one of the boxes. I did a LOT of research and looking and pondering and finally decided I really needed a speaker that I can hear while the boat is moving at high speeds. And the only reasonable (and not too expensive) option I could think of was this. I think it turned out ok ... the bracket is a bit flimsy and has bent a little from the weight of the speaker and the boat hitting the chops. But I had a folding emergency blanket that I stuck between the speaker and the hull which prevents any vibrations. So at least now I can use 3 channels out of the 4 on the deck. This little speaker doesn't put out any bass (would be useless over the engine noise anyway) but you can hear it very well even when going at WOT.

My next upgrade will be a sub and an amp but that will probably be next year... I don't want to spend any more money on this thing and I certainly don't want to add to the weight .... but if I lose maybe 30-40 lbs by next year, I'm definitely getting a decent sub! Yah I'll keep dreamin

Overall, I am very pleased with the deck. It is not "top of the line" by any means, but it sounds excellent and has a ton of great features. The mp3 CD tends to skip in heavy chop but I have a feeling this has to do with my brand of recordable CD and the fact that I recorded at high speed. I'll play around with it in the next few weeks and post updates. The sound quality is definitely better and louder than the stock clarion.





(click for bigger pics)