Installing a radio

Gilbert Park shows how he fitted an audio system controlled from his chartplotter and smartphone while underway

- By Gilbert Park

Entertainment in my Mitchell 28 used to be a portable battery-powered radio, but it didn't really work very well and there was no way of playing music from my smartphone.

I thought of fitting a standard car radio which might have solved some of these problems, but a major function would be missing: my wife, Máire's, ability to control the volume and balance. The reason these are important is that her hearing is better than mine so she requires a lower volume, which I then can't hear. The balance control enables this to be overcome with more volume on my side of the boat.

A radio with NMEA 2000 compatibility solves these problems. When sailing, Máire uses a tablet linked to the chartplotter that lets her change screens and make adjustments (except for the autopilot). Thus, she can call up the radio screen and make whatever adjustments she needs without leaving her seat.