CU_Tiger_06
New Member
- May 24, 2019
- 18
- Boat Info
- 240 Sundeck 2004
- Engines
- 5.0 Mercruiser Bravo III
Since it's a pretty common concern--that some earlier versions of the 240 Sundeck and other models have a helm which is specifically designed to house the old oval shaped Clarion M301 remote, meaning any stereo upgrade creates a remote fit/compatibility headache--I figured I'd share my simple solution.
Like so many, I easily swapped out the head unit with a Fusion MS-RA70, which is so much more user-friendly with considerably better sound quality.
Then, for the remote, I was hopeful, based on product literature review regarding the dimensions, that the compatible Fusion ARX70 wireless remote would fit within the oval impression in the helm after removing the Clarion remote. Unfortunately, the Fusion remote was slightly larger, so my original plan didn't work. I hated the idea of cutting a bigger hole in the helm, because it would have been an awkward larger circle within an oval, and there may have been holes, unevenness, etc.--just would have been awkward.
So, I decided to simply stick the Fusion remote on top of the Clarion remote, paired it with the new head unit, and it worked perfectly without having to run any wires.
However, I wasn't thrilled, that the old dummy Clarion remote was still visible, and it generally drives me crazy to have buttons that don't go to anything. So, I disassembled the Clarion remote, removed the button pad, filled in with a sheet of plastic (actually used the black plastic that wrapped around the old Clarion head unit), then spray-painted the whole thing back to match, and placed it back in the helm. Then, I stuck the Fusion remote back on top.
Not a perfect solution by any means, but I'm pleased with the way it turned out. I still may get brave and carve-out a custom footprint in the helm. Or, I may explore filling the hole with a power port or something else and sticking the Fusion remote elsewhere. But until-then, I'm pleased with the way this looks.
Like so many, I easily swapped out the head unit with a Fusion MS-RA70, which is so much more user-friendly with considerably better sound quality.
Then, for the remote, I was hopeful, based on product literature review regarding the dimensions, that the compatible Fusion ARX70 wireless remote would fit within the oval impression in the helm after removing the Clarion remote. Unfortunately, the Fusion remote was slightly larger, so my original plan didn't work. I hated the idea of cutting a bigger hole in the helm, because it would have been an awkward larger circle within an oval, and there may have been holes, unevenness, etc.--just would have been awkward.
So, I decided to simply stick the Fusion remote on top of the Clarion remote, paired it with the new head unit, and it worked perfectly without having to run any wires.
However, I wasn't thrilled, that the old dummy Clarion remote was still visible, and it generally drives me crazy to have buttons that don't go to anything. So, I disassembled the Clarion remote, removed the button pad, filled in with a sheet of plastic (actually used the black plastic that wrapped around the old Clarion head unit), then spray-painted the whole thing back to match, and placed it back in the helm. Then, I stuck the Fusion remote back on top.
Not a perfect solution by any means, but I'm pleased with the way it turned out. I still may get brave and carve-out a custom footprint in the helm. Or, I may explore filling the hole with a power port or something else and sticking the Fusion remote elsewhere. But until-then, I'm pleased with the way this looks.
