Last year I put up a *very* basic web page with some project pics of my boat at the behest of some inquirers from a Ranger 33 mail list. I have a lot of cosmetic stuff to finish, but I am about 80 percent done over-investing in this venerable boat. Anyhow, I just added a small section with 5 pictures of stereo/Empeg install if anyone is interested. You can find it at http://www.drizzle.com/~jimhogan.

By the way, that little Sony XA39 switch is sweet! So glad they still produce it.

Jim

Excellent pictures!

I love the bit about compass deviation caused by the audio equipment. So does that mean if you play Crystal Method, you'll sail in circles?

___________
Tony Fabris

Exactly. However, I found that TCM somehow reduces my chances of sighting marine mammals. For stationkeeping purposes, the local Dahl Porpoises seem to find Squeeze's _Around And A Bout_ more approachable.

Jim

However, I found that TCM somehow reduces my chances of sighting marine mammals.

ROFLMAO

___________
Tony Fabris

By the way, that little Sony XA39 switch is sweet!

My stereo installer just today installed the XA39 that you sold me, and in his words, "...that Sony switch is God!" My installation is coming together pretty quickly now, and I may actually be able to listen to it today or tomorrow. The preliminary tests so far have been promising except that we need to mellow out those titanium dome MB-Quart tweets!

tanstaafl.

"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

digging up a super old thread here, but Jim, a friend of mine is thinking on putting his new empeg in his new sailboat, and i wanted to show him your pics, but i can't seem to get to them now. Could you post them on riocar.org in the galleries?

Loren,

I still have all those pics and some new ones, too.

There were some problems with my Riocar.org account that prevented me from logging in (and setting up a gallery). I've sent Tom a note, though, to try to get that fixed and will put up a gallery as soon as possible (I'll post back here when I do)..

Thanks!

Loren,

I put 3 albums up, one of which is a sailboat album. I haven't added much in the way of comments. 3 newer sailboat shots show it with a blue faceplate next to the newer Kenwood HU (hard to tell, but also has blue illimunation). I originally used a red faceplate in hopes of keeping with the "preserve night vision with red lighting" thing, but tell your friend that red/amber are a no-hoper on a boat. Blue or green only, I'd say.

Thanks to Tom for Riocar.org and setting Gallery up!

Thanks!! John will dig those shots.

Thanks for the pictures of your install in the Ranger 33. I had a Ranger 23, short stick, which I learned to sail on in San Francisco in 1977. They are great boats. I got some good ideas from your install including the plate making external audio inputs?/outputs? available as well as Ethernet.

I have a Valiant Esprit 37 that I intend to install my Rio Car in and haul it back and forth between the boat and home. It looks like that Sony switch would be very handy so I will get one of those too.

Glad you enjoyed the pics. Yes, for anybody out there looking for a great, all-round sailboat on a budget, it is hard to beat a Ranger 33. Usable for cruising, but quite reasonable for short-handed daysailing. I *will* consider a trade for your Valiant, though!!! (I was in a karate class with Bob Perry for a while, FYI!)

I added 5 more boat pics on Riocar.org. I'll explain them here:

Even with a 3rd Type 27 battery, I found that the 4+1-channel amp I had installed chewed up too many amps. I got rid of it along with an unpowered subwoofer that a friend gave me. I went back to running 4 speakers off a newer (that has AUX-IN) Kenwood head unit and I added an 8" powered Bazooka.

The Bazooka? Well, it sucks, but not that bad. It is only turned up to "1.5" and is not very boomy at that level. One pic shows the Bazooka tucked under the nav table (behind my trash bucket) and another shows the Bazooka remote level control.

One reason the Bazooka doesn't suck too bad is that I got it off eBay for ~$115 new.

Due to this change I have a Sony XA39 that I can sell you for half-price if you decide to go that route.

There's a pic of one of my (inside) KLH home theater speakers. These aren't great, but I picked them because they have very low magnetic effect on my bulkhead-mounted compass. With the addition of the Bazooka, the sound is adequate.

Another pic shows the waterproof Polyplanar speakers in the cockpit/transom (the important listening area!). These sound surprisingly good (esp. with the subwoofer added). I installed single volume-control knob in the companionway that lets me mute the exterior speakers as needed.

The last pic is a gratuitous glam shot of my almost-finished mast-step junction box that I thought you might appreciate.

Oh, that particular RJ-45 isn't ethernet. It's a RS-232 output from a Noland Engineering NMEA multiplexer. With a DB9-RJ45 adapter, I can hook up laptop and get combined GPS, depth/knot/wind messages for nav software.

I may use the other spot for ethernet, but I am probably going to add a wireless access point to the setup for Empeg remote control from my Zaurus.

You can rightly be proud of the mast step wiring junction. It looks very good and the clear plastic covering is nice looking and functional. I have done that with several 12V battery cable junctions that something might inadvertently come in contact with. I had not thought of doing it with the mast step junction which is on the side of a locker in my boat. I think I will add it. Too bad that very few boat builders take that kind of care in the stock wiring on a boat.

I am interested in the Sony XA39 switch. I have sent you a private email regarding it.

As much as I loved my Ranger 23 and lusted after a 33 I think I will keep the Esprit 37. She has been very good to us. Built in 1977 we bought her early in 1980. She now has over 40,000 sea miles on her and is still in good shape but requires lots of maintenance. I am starting to get that way myself!

Michael

Thanks Jim. I received the Sony switch on Friday. I will send you an email when we come to Seattle in May or June. I look forward to meeting you.

Michael

Hate to bring this post back from the long long dead, but Jim, I have a friend who recently bought a nice sailboat. He's looking to install a stereo and was very interested in seeing how others with boats had theirs set up. I remembered this post and found that the pics of your installation are no longer there! Is there any way you could post them or email them to me? Thanks!

The pictures here? RioCar.Org

Doh! I swear I looked in the gallery.... anyway Thanks!