anyone into boats?

I spend most the summer on my boat when not working. I have a small but good system onboard, Pioneer HU to a 4ch Alpine amp, driving MB Quart marine speakers and a Boston 10 inch sub. I listen to Sirius for the most part. but have an MP3 connected too. 2 TV's in the cabin, but i have big issues with reception. Both are digital and are connected to a Seawatch antenna and amplifier on the arch. I'm wondering, what could i do to improve the channel quality? Before digital i had few problems, but man it doesn't work well on a boat that swings in the wind when you anchor...Mike M2

Tech Manager

CS Dealer Services

I have a theory on why none of the Big Automotive Audio/Video manufacturers make a digital TV tuner.   They can not make it work.  Before the big switch I was waiting for somebody to introduce a tuner.  Just before the big switch Power Acoustik came out with one.  I was concerned because Alpine, Pioneer, Sony or Kenwood did not have such a device.  We ordered a Power Acoustik unit to try, they work great when stationary.  Once the vehicle moves, picture gets pixelated and goes away.  The big names will not put their name on a device that does not work.  Power Acoustic on the other hand.  If you do figure out some antenna configuration that works, I wish you could post what you figure out.

Same problem here although the digital tuners appear to work better than analogue. I think we are a few years away from fractal flat pane antennae for vehicles/boats. Have a look if it isn't classified at what the F22/35 are using. Or use a satellite receiver with a moving antenna.

I think the Digital switch was just not thought out enough. Our govt. looked at it as a stationary object and didn't even think about TV on the go. There are better antennas out there for digital, but like everything else i buy for my boat they are very expensive and i'm not convinced they will work any better.Mike M2

Tech Manager

CS Dealer Services

Or over here, we don't use satellite radio but digital, it's rubbish, the only advantage is that we have one system for radio and a variation for TV which can be used with the same equipment from the West of Ireland to Mongolia. They are going to close down AM and FM radio within three years so they say, meanwhile they couldn't even agree on a cell system for the underground and tube lines, the cable managing company moaned too much, meanwhile I have a friend who used to do car audio repair, he quit about 5 years ago to work for this company earns about $150,000 per annum on nights.

Gotta love the brilliance of governments defining tech yet being "non-invasive" and switching to privatisation.... Fear not, the corporations will figure it out. And regulate themselves ... to our favour. Meanwhile thanks to competition, things get cheaper. (Only their price increases.) Me being political? Only sarcastically. (Sorry, I've got to go and pay the service fee for my "open competition" water & electricity bills.)    

I've always been centre right in my politics, in the 80s Thatcher privatised many Gov owned businesses such as British Telecom which lead to a similar system here as opening up Ma Bell and to our leading role in the cellular system, i.e. 6 major UK networks. Unfortunately Labour under Blair sold off what I would call essential businesses such as British Rail, what a cluster***k that's been, hundreds killed, cheaper to fly, etc. etc. The lesson is that no matter how staunch a Capitalist one is, certain things such as health, the Rail system, the airwaves should be under transparent public audit if not ownership, and notice I said PUBLIC not Government.

I agree. Out gov't sold off our Telecom (now Telstra) for some $billions - not that we got any of it despite it taking 90 years to return a profit. Telecom/Telstra has fibre-optic (for voice trafic etc) encircling Australia with redundant pathing - not bad for the size or Europe or the USA but with (then) less than 17 million people. Now the gov't is proposing a $42bn national high-speed broadband network. I recall how AT&T could have done fibre to the curb the the USA by 2020 for an average bill increase of $0.17c (1990 costings).     Our state government privatised our public transport to "save" $100m per annum and reduce prices. Our state government now spends over $600m per annum subsidising those companies; fares have increased way above inflation, and the company(s??) is/are unable to increase stock to match customer demand. And taxpayers still subsidise my PRIVATE health insurance by 30%. Privatise infrastructures like water, sewerage, gas, electricity, communications, roads, rail; and make a profit on industries like insurance? Only for the gullible, their CEOs, or their big share holders.    But now, I return you to the12V stuff....