Music In Boat

I like to listen to music while in my boat. Not All the time but some.
So right now I have a old car stereo that draws some from my battery.
Looking at replacing it or getting a blue tooth speaker and using my phone (or an old phone) for music player.

I am wondering..

What do you think is the best way to go for getting music in my boat ?

Car stereo set up that draws juice from my battery or….New head unit $130.00 separate battery for stereo $115.00

One of those blue tooth tube speakers $120.00 (there are several blue tooth speakers) and use my phone for the music carrier ?
And take the chance of lowering the battery on my phone.

Any suggestions ? Go with out music

I’d be curious to see if anyone that listens to their radio has ever drained their cranking battery. I plan on using a BT speaker in my boat because I don’t have a radio but would like to put something in next year.
I would think starting the big motor every couple hours to charge up the battery would be sufficient? I always carry a jump pack in my boat that can provide enough juice to start the motor or charge any other electonics if need be.

I’d get a speaker and sync with your phone. I like to listen to music or a game when I’m out and that’s the best way to go versus buying a new stereo.

I don’t know what type of phone you have but I can run mine all day and be connected to other devices and not kill the battery.

I listen to the radio all the time in my boat and run two graphs, all connected to the starting battery, and I’ve never had it die on me. I’ve had the battery get low and cause the units and/or radio restart when cranking over the outboard, but it’s always started. So I’d just replace the stereo. That way you don’t have to remember to bring the bluetooth speaker with and keep that and the phone charged. And carry a jumper pack or jumper cables to jump start from the trolling motor battery if the starting battery dies.

Matt Moen wrote:

I’d get a speaker and sync with your phone. I like to listen to music or a game when I’m out and that’s the best way to go versus buying a new stereo.

I don’t know what type of phone you have but I can run mine all day and be connected to other devices and not kill the battery.

X2. You can use the the BT speaker for other things too — take it off the boat to the beach, camping, working out in the yard, etc.

Wire up an all-weather 12v lighter socket to the boat battery if you’re concerned about draining your phone battery. It’s a good thing to have anyway in my opinion.

I just picked up a Bluetooth speaker for my boat earlier this summer ( There are a ton of them that are waterproof ) I really like it. I just put my play list on shuffle and sit back and relax. I do have a plug in in my boat and keep the phone plugged in. That way it stay fully charged all day. The speaker I purchased wedges perfectly in the cup holder on the dash. Great sound for around 50.00

U use a small waterproof one i got at Wally this year think brand is soundcore plenty loud and only cost 30 bucks

Go Groove.com has a lot of options that are reasonably priced if you’re looking for a speaker. They have a variety – some that use an SD card or USB loaded with your music files. Some are also bluetooth so you can use them with your phone as well. I think this is similar to the one we bought my Dad a few years ago and the sound quality is nice.

https://www.gogroove.com/bluesync-bxl-portable-bluetooth-boombox-speaker

If you don’t mind spending a little more get a Kicker Bullfrog 400. Kinda spendy but work and sound great.

There are lots of times I start the boat motor and run to the fishing spot and might sit there for hours ( if the fish are biting ) and run depth finders and radio. Then when done run back to the boat ramp and that’s not much charging time for the battery. I am leaning toward the Blue Tooth option.
Thanks for the suggestions

I got a Photive brand bluetooth speaker from amazon for about 50 bucks… water proof, dust proof with decent sound and the battery will last easily 12 hours. I would definitely suggest it.

Phone and bluetooth speaker. You can buy battery charging packs for around $10. to charge both your bluetooth and phone.

And plenty of speakers way under $100…and now you have something for ice fishing, camping, back deck…

Pretty happy with the Exogear BT speaker I have. Two seasons on it and no problems.

Water proof, floats, has a solar panel charger in it. Can pick up phone calls hands free.

There are lots to choose from in their line.

https://www.amazon.com/Ecoxgear-Solar-powered-Waterproof-Speaker-black/dp/B01A71WJ5K/ref=sr_1_36?crid=2VXAA77RUNJUB&keywords=exogear+waterproof+bluetooth+speaker&qid=1567172199&s=gateway&sprefix=exogea%2Caps%2C267&sr=8-36

Kinda bigger, but I got the milwaukee bluetooth speaker recently. I have so many batteries, I figured why not. I had a Sony that would last maybe 6 hours. This will last all weekend on a 5ah and is reasonably loud @ 40w. I’ve been using it in my farm truck because the radio died, in my boat and for camping. I’ll use it ice fishing probably too. My bad music keeps neighbors away.

I’d just skip all the headache of replacing a stereo/wiring/battery concerns etc. and just get a bluetooth speaker. Way easier, less troubleshooting if something stops working, cheaper, and you can take it out of the boat and use it around the house/campfire if needed.

Bluetooth is great as long as you don’t forget it, or the kids grab it and forget to put it back, or buddy leaves it in truck 3 miles back at launch, or in wife’s purse at a pure romance party, or forget the cable to charge it up, or can’t figure out how to connect the Bluetooth (is it 2 blinking red dots or is it a blue dot followed by 4 reds?), should I go on?

Deuces wrote:

Bluetooth is great as long as…should I go on?

Get off my lawn…

Kicker KMC2 is what I have in my dash. Never a problem with the cranking battery, I run my helix 7, the radio, and have my phone plugged in charging and I don’t have issues. I’m running a grp 29 battery.

The only complaints I have are it doesn’t have a remote offering and no volume knob, so volume has to go up and down by button presses. I guess I’m more of a knob guy, or would like a remote. I have a feeling the first thing to stop working in the future will be the volume up button LOL I press it often.

get a new head unit and make sure it has a knob.

These are great. I couldn’t get the Twins game in the boat, now I can.

https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Bluetooth-Wireless-Waterproof-Superior/dp/B07KC3TXJL/ref=sr_1_11_sspa?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjI3T1Z6r5AIVh7zACh00rw-WEAAYAiAAEgJjD_D_BwE&hvadid=267916142385&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9020269&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t2&hvqmt=e&hvrand=1759372368896733986&hvtargid=aud-649564993678%3Akwd-347611272436&hydadcr=24627_9648891&keywords=lifeproof+bluetooth+speaker&qid=1567190296&s=gateway&sr=8-11-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyMU5KSzNXODFKRDkyJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzcyNzM0MllRWEpVMFlIR0kxJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAwOTk5ODAyTlVLUTZDSzVYTFlaJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfbXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Mike Burke wrote:

I am wondering..
What do you think is the best way to go for getting music in my boat ?

Ear buds,,,, seriously, which ever way you go, please keep in mind, sound travels a long way over the water. Yes, I know the next response will be,,, “if you can hear my music, you are too close”.