Q: Does my marine audio gear need special protection? 
 
A: Marine-rated audio products come guarded against sun, saltwater, humidity, wind, and temperature variations. Each component is shielded against the atmospheric elements it is susceptible to and should be fit for use miles away from the shore.

A receiver should have shielded circuit board, water-resistant faceplate and cover, satellite radio controls, waterproof remote control, and line-level outputs.

Speakers should be powerful to beat the effects of wind, water, engine noise, and other nautical disturbances. They should also be well protected from the corrosive elements. Plastic cones, rubber surrounds, durable mounts are essential to mount the speakers in difficult locations. If you must place the speaker close to the compass, then magnetic shielding is compulsory if you want to avoid magnetic interference.

As far as amplifiers are concerned, you should add coated circuit boards, plated, non-corrosive connectors, and high power to the checklist.

Considering the challenges involved in mounting sub woofers, you must select enclosed subs or subs with air rated components. If an external amp is not on your buy list, then price out a powered enclosed sub.

Because salt water can corrode exposed wires, all the wiring should be plated with tin.

Q: Should the marine audio components be waterproof and water-resistant? 

Q: Is installing my audio components easy? 
 
A: Once you have the kit ready, your next task is to install them in the right places. In a car you know exactly where to place the panels, speakers, subs, and so on. Whereas, inside a boat, you may face many challenges including power constraints and space constraints.

Replacing a damaged speaker or receiver is easy because you can use the existing mount locations. However, adding a new receiver and speakers may require cutting panels or cabling the components with lengthy wires. Amps and subs can be accommodated under the seats or bow or on the wakeboard tower. Side panels or dashboard is roomy enough to host midrange speakers and tweeters. You can do most of these tasks yourself but when it comes to grounding the components, you may need to consult your manufacturer.

Q: Is it a good practice to hook up continuous power to my receiver? 
 
A: Receivers and other electronic devices draw continuous power, though in small quantities, from a battery whether or not your boat is in use. If you don’t keep the boat unused for long periods, then hooking up continuous power is fine; otherwise, the battery may drain out sooner.

Q: Does my receiver and speakers support hooking up another source of music? 
 
A: It depends. If you only want to hear the music played on the iPod (or other source of music such as MP3 player, CD changer, satellite radio and so on) through the speakers that are hooked up to the marine receiver, you very well can. However, the receiver itself will not act as an interface for accessing the iPod functions such as switching playlists or selecting songs randomly. You may need special adaptors that allow you to plug-and-play via the receiver’s head unit. Most receivers readily support plug-and-play options for satellite radio tuners without it actually picking up the radio signals.

Q: Where can I buy wiring harnesses for my receiver and/or speakers? 
 
A: Whether or not your boat is fitted with factory models of receivers or speakers, it is simply difficult to make the right wire harness to hook them up in the boat. As on date, wiring harnesses are not available for receivers and speakers.

Q: Are specific type of wires available for connecting my marine audio system?

American Wire Gauge-rated wires, which are thicker than the same gauge SAE-rated wire (Society of Automotive Engineers), labeled “boat cable” are well suited for marine applications. Another significant indicator that you should heed when cables for your boat is its type. A Type 1 cable has one or few strands and is not good for boats. Either Type 2 cable with 19-127 strands (0-gauge to 16-gauge) or Type 3 cable with 26-1,064 strands for the same gauge (0-16) should be used depending on the stress levels they will have to endure. Type 2 cables are fit for common wiring jobs, such as speaker cabling, whereas Type 3 can be employed for more rigorous tasks involving bending, flexing, or jostling.

Q: What are BlueChart maps?
 
A: BlueChart maps from Garmin are all digital marine maps (available on media devises such as data cards or CDs) that can be read like a paper map. They are used with Garmin's line of navigation equipment.   

Q: What do marine-rated maps include?

A: Marine maps are meant for navigation guidance in oceans, rivers, streams, and lakes extending beyond five square miles. These maps provide information on tides, depths, boating lanes, and underwater obstacles. 
 
Q: What are coated circuit boards?

A: A circuit board is the brain of an electronic gear such as receivers, GPS units, and so on. For weather protection in the sea, marine circuit boards are coated with either soft or hard materials like acrylics, epoxies, and silicones. Each material serves a different purpose including friction resistance, moisture proofing, and temperature balance. Coated circuit board in your marine audio equipment protects the component against moisture.

Q: How far offshore can I get satellite radio? 
 
A: Fit with a satellite radio and antenna, your marine stereo system effortlessly picks up radio signals up to 200 miles away from the shore. Except Alaska and Hawaii, both domestic and coastal waterways across the United States are covered under satellite radio. Some places across the Canada and Mexico border also benefit from the signal crossover that extends well into the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Q: What if I want more protection for my gear? 
 
A: In addition to individually protecting audio gear against salt, sun, and water, you can install a universal cover to protect the receiver. Alternatively, you can mount the receiver in a watertight chamber and operate it with a waterproof, wired remote control.