Salt water boating and non-salt water proof electronics

[KarstRanger]

So I've got a nice car CD-FM player that I would like to mount in my boat. I would mount it where just the face was exposed but protected from spray under the dashboard, with the rest of the unit inside the cuddy cabin.

Given it is only exposed to salt air and not water, is it going to last a while - or am I wasting my time with a non-marine unit?

[Chalk]

I would say it might last sometime with one of those protective face shields, but the odds are it won't last long....Most non marine electronic boards are not coated with a epoxy type finish, it would only be a matter of time before the humid corrosive evironmment in a boat would corrode the solder traces and cause problems...It would work...buy a protective case and mount it in that....it should last longer in that case than just mounted in the console...

[drayno]

Karst,

I would take the car stereo and put it back in your car. The main danger is going to be salt in the air. Even though you only have the face exposed the stereo still has vents that are going to circulate the air. Given the high humidity when you're out and the heat produced by the stereo it's not going to last too terribly long. Marine electronics are made to handle that kind of environment.

The internal connections will rapidly corrode due to the salt in the air and the excess moisture that it wasn't built to handle. I know marine electronics are more expensive, but by the time you've replace that unit 2 or 3 times, you could have bought a 1 marine unit for the same price.

A perfect example of this is a guy I worked on his laptop. He an old lap top he connected to a GPS and used it on his boat. When the laptop failed he asked me to take a look at it, the mother board was almost completely corroded out. If you keep that unit in your boat you've basically resigned it to a short life followed by a quick and painful death.


Jeff

[wevans]

https://www.surplusunlimited.com/Mercha ... _Code=0505

[KarstRanger]

So maybe I put the car CD/FM in my little fresh water boat. The $160 unit Wevans showed is pretty reasonable. Before, I had simply looked over radio units at the local boat store, and everything "marine" seemed to be $300+.

[qoutrage]

I read an interesting thread on the subject on another forum. A couple of people said they had been using cheap auto radios and had got good service from them. Besides that all our electronics are exposed to the daily seabreeze here in Carrabelle, and while everything seems to rust and corrode to some degree, I don't hear anyone complaining about thier electronics failing. With this in mind, I had thought about putting the cheapest WM special in the old boat. It did cross my mind to pull the cover off and spray the inside with CorrosionX to add extra protection. 'Seems, if you keep it covered and out of the weather, it might last a while. It would probably depend on how good a person takes care of his boat stuff.

[Hit-n-Miss]

Maybe I can help you out, I install stereos in cars, homes, and boats; thats my job. Go to West Marine and buy a gimbal stereo mount. It resembles a vhf radio and cost about $70. Put your non-marine stereo in that. You can use it 1 of 2 ways. You can top mount it somewhere on the console or use it sandwhich style thru the console. To sandwhich it just get longer screws than came with it, to put it together(stainless of course). Just add the thickness of the fiberglass to the original screw length. Once you sandwhich it through the console just run a line of 5200 front and back. Then install and wire the radio. Also a tip take a bowl of rubbing alcohol and dip your finger tip into it to smooth the 5200. Wipe your finger off with a towel between wipes. When we install one I recommend a stereo with a remote. You can put the remote in a baggie and operate the radio and never open the cover.

[Knot Tester]

Forget all the other advice and listen only to me.. to me... to me....

Boaters World ran a sale for $99 Jenson AM/FM/CD just last week.

I bought mine at the Atlanta Boat show Jenson AM/FM/CD/Satellite ready for $90

[KarstRanger]

I don't think you guys realize how cheap I am (or try to be). I have sunk a whole $10 in this 2003 Jeep AM/FM/CD player and a big $15 more for the wiring plug tail. So I am going to try the CorrosionX that was suggested and also keep it as enclosed as possible without overheating it, and I'll let you know how I fare. When this one gets toasty, then I get to be the big spender and go for a $150 marine unit. Of course, I suppose I could air condition my 20 footer w/cuddy cabin and install Hepa filters, but that is a tale for another day.

[KarstRanger]

I have got to drill a hole through the side for my VHF antenna wire, replace a gas overflow, and maybe install a couple of rod holders, mount an FM radio, etc. I went to good old Boat World and they wanted to sell me a little tube of stuff for $10 and by the way the next time you go to use it, you have to slit the tube open and get the last remaining non-hardened stuff out of the middle.

Is there not a cheaper but workable alternative like some of the caulk gun 30 year silicone painters caulk you see at Home Depot?

[Hit-n-Miss]

There is no substitute for 5200

[wevans]

The only thing I will use on any boat
The small tube seems to last longer than the chalk gun size "I also keep it in the fridge"

3M - 5200 Marine Sealant

[KarstRanger]

Not that answer I was hoping for, but I appreciate the benefit of you guys' collective experience. Well maybe the thing to do is to open a new tube and do all the sealing at once rather than part by part as I install them. And then store it in the downstairs beer fridge along with by flashlight batteries...

-- and it's good to be off real work doing boat work on this fine looking day today, maybe I can get this baby seaworthy by Memorial Day weekend !

[Hit-n-Miss]

There is no substitute for 5200

[KarstRanger]

Well, I got some 3M 5200 for $5.46 a 3 oz. tube at Walmart when the boat stores all charge 9.49 for the same. Small victory.