El-Cheapo Stereo (and other electronicky thingies)

[Unclebob]

The UPS dude has started dropping off boxes of neat things for the budget Aquaspurt 215 Explorer project

I started the stereo install Thursday. I decided to try something different this time. With an emphasis on cheap, removable, Streaming, and max sound for the money.

My stereo is installed in the cabin, and I dont use CD's anymore in lieu of Pandora/MP3's on my phone, so I opted for an el-cheapo JVC KD-X50BT Integrated Bluetooth 50WX4 head unit with remote.

http://cgi.ebay.com/itm/110833172859

For the speakers, I purchased Four 7.7" MTX Marine Thunder 600W units (this is the 4th set of these I have installed, and for the money, I've yet to hear anything even close.  I'd put TWO of these up against any other sub $200 pair of speakers out there...and I think I've purchased them all...lol)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/390340251519

I stumbled across an el-cheapo 700W Blaupunkt Amp with Remote 3.5mm Inputs, so even if I do lose my headunit, I can plug my phone directly into the amp with the 3.5mm headset jack.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/270922092139


I installed a pair of the speakers in the recesses by the captains chairs, and the 2nd pair at the rear in the rod boxes. The head unit and amp got wired up in the cabin and will be removed when not on the water. The head-unit can be yanked in 5 seconds. I'm trying to figure out a way to make the amp easily removable for storage as well. A 12-pin quick disconnect plug would come in handy for that..(pinging Seabob!)

Lemme tell ya. For under $300 it's rediculous. Clear, hard, and LOUD! The MTX 7.7" Speakers continue to impress me. The AMP helps with clarity, but really, it's not needed. A decent 50Wx4 head unit is plenty for them. Kinda nice being able to stream and control Pandora with the phone. I can control Pandora with the head-unit as well (skip, like/dislike, stations, etc.)


If you're looking for speakers on a budget, you should give those MTX 7.7" a shot. I had 2 years on the last set when i sold the boat and they were still in perfect condition. They're well insulated for the money. You'll see the same speaker in a 6.5" as well, but those dont have nearly the same bass response as the 7.7".

[Unclebob]

Speaking of cheap and redundant, the rest of the electronics got here yesterday.

Raymarine A57 with Pre-loaded Coastal charts. (that screen is smaller than you'd think for 5.7", but sure is clear. I've been wanting to try Raymarine instead of Lowrance for a while now. Heard the sounders work awesome. Anyway, seemed decent enough for a $650 combo unit)

http://www.boemarine.com/Raymarine_A57D ... -E62188-US

Standard Horizon Explorer GX1700W GPS VHF ($200 for a VHF with integrated GPS? I can even navigate home with it, or to another boat with DSC..slick! I could get lost in my backyard, so having this, a regular GPS, and my phone with Navionics, decreases my chance of getting lost at sea. Works great in my shop, so should be fine under the hard top..)

http://www.boemarine.com/GX1700W_Standa ... HF_-_White





And lastly, for the REALLY REALLY cheap bastards out there, I ordered a roll of 12V Blue strip lights from China. The Waterproof 3528 600 Count 5-Meter. At $20, if nothing else, cool to stick under my friends truck and wire them into the lights real quick. Wonder how long he would drive that big F250 Diesel around before someone asked him WTF he was thinking when he installed him...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/230719849535

Does anyone know how they are any different than the other 12V strip lights out there (with the same LED count, same part number, etc) for 4-6 times the price?

http://www.thehulltruth.com/parts-forum ... count.html

[Unclebob]

Welp, after two solid days of wiring, my electronics are complete. Woop.

For anyone curious what the el-cheapo waterproof 3528 LED's look like, here ya go. This is about 3.5' per side, so I still have over half of the lights left. At about $10 to do some gunnels, even if they last 6 months it's worth it. I'm ordering some more of this stuff for friends boats. The pics dont do them justice. The only tricky part is soldering the wires on your cuts, and keeping the connections waterproof. I used 5200, and shrink wrap.

hard top capture in pics, video below is better.






http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUL8GePNCeM

[pete]

lookin good!gotta love those LEDS!

[seabob4]

Bob,
Since you pinged me, try Radio Shack, they have Molex 9-pins, might have 12-pins, don't know...

[Unclebob]

Bob,
Since you pinged me, try Radio Shack, they have Molex 9-pins, might have 12-pins, don't know...

Radio Shack still carries stuff like that? Thought they only had batteries and phone accessories nowadays. Remember when they had electronic stuff?  

(I kid. Thank god they still carry capacitors, or else there's be a few local LCD TV's at the local landfill around me..)

[Capt. Bob]

(I kid. Thank god they still carry capacitors, or else there's be a few local LCD TV's at the local landfill around me..)

Own a Samsung do ya UB?

[seabob4]

Hey, we have a Samsung 46, 2 years old.  Potential cap problems?  Hmmm, need to google this...

[seabob4]

Is this what you guys are referring to?

The problem, which is not unique to Samsung, comes from the installation of lesser quality capacitors, Phil said. He explains that the televisions circuits generate around 12 or 13 volts, which overheat the 10-volt capacitors that are pre-installed. The 16-volt capacitors that Phil uses to repair this problem have a higher heat tolerance and thus a much longer lifespan.

It seems, from reading, that is prevalent in "older" models, older being a relative term.  Ours is a 2010, bought from Crutchfield (been dealing with them for 25 years, all my stereos have come from them, car and home).  You guys think the cap problem had been rectified by then?

[Unclebob]

Samsung, Akai, Vizio, it doesnt matter. It's not specific to a brand. I think the majority of them use the same parts anyways. You'll notice, when searching for parts online (http://www.shopjimmy.com/) that many different manufacturers use the same boards..

Symptoms=Getting harder and harder to power on, until ultimately, the TV doesnt power on at all. Or, just all of the sudden stops powering on.
Problem=Power Supply Unit
Fix=replace a Couple of $1 Capacitors on the power supply board.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na7iKcVZzZw


I'm 4 for 4 fixing dead LCD TV's because of this, for less than $5 worth of capacitors. I fixed one 2 months ago that was just out of warranty. Radio Shack doesnt always have the uF size ya need, but you can find them on ebay.

if ya ever see a dead LCD on the side of the road, grab that sucker and give it a shot.