420 DA Aux. Audio Input

[SeaRM]

Hi guys.

We have a new-to-us '05 420 DA (Hardtop/blue hull) and after staring at it for 5 months up on blocks --- are finally in the water and settling in to it. It is a fantastic boat by all means.

One thing I am trying to figure out however, is the audio system. It has the factory Clarion system that has RCA-style inputs on the back for an auxiliary audio device (iPOD). So I pulled down the panel to attach a connector -- only to find that the AUX inputs are already connected to a mysterious white "marine audio" cable heading into the abyss below.

I have searched all over for where this may lead (with the hope that there is already an AUX jack somewhere in the cockpit (!?!?!?!?) to no avail. I have no idea where it goes. So in the meantime I have unplugged the cable and temporarily hooked my iPOD jack and the sound is terrific.

Does anybody know where that factory AUX cable leads and what it may be used for???

TIA,

Shawn Chaney ---
SeaRM -- 2005 420 DA
Marblehead, Ohio

 

[JC3]

Shawn, Welcome to the Board. I donot have any info on your ? but Skip and some others will chime in soon enough. Its good to have you hear and look forward to your input here. Again, Welcome JC

 

[Sea Ray 300]

Welcome aboard.... :thumbsup:

 

[Gervie]

It is good to have another 420 owner on the board. I looked at the wiring diagram. It is page 146 of the owners manual and there is nothing shown connecting to the RCA aux. input jacks.

I will be going to the boat today and I will take a look at the back of the XMD3 and let you know what I find. I am hoping to connect a Y-cable to use to play my IPOD Nano.

 

[SeaRM]

I am hoping to connect a Y-cable to use to play my IPOD Nano.

The 420 is a perfect boat for around here...big enough to duke it out with Lake Erie on a rough day --- small enough to find dock space over at Put-In-Bay and Kelley's Island on a busy weekend. We love it.

I tried to follow that cable down into the bilge but it is hopelessly buried out of sight. Sure would be nice to have that show up in a convenient space somewhere in the cockpit. Like I said the sound was fantastic from the Nano and when guests come along they can bring their own MP3 players for their music preferences.... :smt017

 

[Gervie]

I have the same configuration as you do I believe. I opened the power cabinet and the XMD3 has all the RCA jacks used. The Aux pair is wired to the DVD player in the galley. When you put the radio on Aux the sound will play through your stereo speaker system instead of just out of the TV.

Maybe there is a way to tap into the DVD. I didn't look at it closely.

It was a good exercise and I know a little more about this great boat.

 

[wish2fish]

did you say what radio? I have manuals and wiring diagrams for most of the xmd1, xmd2, xmd3 radio I could email to you.

 

[SeaRM]

The Aux pair is wired to the DVD player in the galley. When you put the radio on Aux the sound will play through your stereo speaker system instead of just out of the TV.

Fantastic info...thanks tons. :thumbsup: I wish there was a convenient way to re-route that cable towards the cockpit but everything is buried so tightly - I don't think that's an option.

I'll probably find a way to route a new cable along the port side somewhere and mount a jack along the rail just aft of the cabin bulkhead.

FYI - West Marine sells a $7 cable with a nice white, sealed jack just for this application.

 

[wish2fish]

shawn,
do you have an item nubmer or a link to the west marine product? I searched and didn't find anything in that range!

 

[Gervie]

Here is another idea. Clarion sells a couple of solutions. One is to buy an E1251 Ipod CeNET adapter. They also sell a Y adapter for CeNET so you could branch off of the CD changer. It is called CCA519.

The other is to buy their 3.5mm to RCA jacks cable. It is call CCAAUX. It has a nice protected 3.5mm outlet. You would need to use the Aux Input.

 

[SeaRM]

shawn,
do you have an item nubmer or a link to the west marine product? I searched and didn't find anything in that range!

The package is since long gone. Sorry. I went to the audio/electronics of a West Marine store and was surprised to find exactly what I was looking for (and so cheap!). So if you called one near you or visited one - they could probably help you out.

 

[SeaRM]

Here is another idea. Clarion sells a couple of solutions. One is to buy an E1251 Ipod CeNET adapter. They also sell a Y adapter for CeNET so you could branch off of the CD changer. It is called CCA519.

The other is to buy their 3.5mm to RCA jacks cable. It is call CCAAUX. It has a nice protected 3.5mm outlet. You would need to use the Aux Input.

Thanks Gervie. The EA1251B adapter is a bit more than I'm looking for. It has nice features...like displaying Ipod info on the Clarion Screen...but I plan on using this mostly in the cockpit area.

The CCAAUX is just like the item I bought at West Marine - except West Marine's is a nice white color and about 1/4 the price. I like this because it is simple and the iPod volume control changes the volume of the entire system.

The best part of this whole setup (in combination with the topside fridge and sink) is that it dramatically reduces daytime traffic down into the cabin. It also virtually makes the 6 Disk CD Changer obsolete.

Now I just have to figure out how to snake a cable back to where I'd like to have it in the cockpit. For a big boat - there sure isn't much room for cables....

 

[2003380]

I purchashed a wireless remote with a lcd screen: iJet Two-Way LCD Remote for iPod


take a look http://www.abtech2.com/twowayRemote.htm

 

[aquadancer]

Clarion's CeNET I-Pod adapter will also charge your I-Pod and if your have a cockpit remote with LCD it will also display artist/song info.

Very easy to install and you can pick them on eBay for ~$80.00.

 

[Cuttin' Edge]

Hi Shawn -
Great to have another 420 member here!! Nice color as well - I have the Pewter sister ship!

I think it's been solved, but use a "Y" adapter and all is set. That is what I have done. I added in a Sat system after purchase (about 1/3 SR's price) and then used a "Y" adapter so that I could hear the Sat over the whole radio when running it... Nice and simple!

I also added in a Sirius System.. I like Ipod's - but just don't have the time to download all the songs...I like Sirius for the variety - whatever mood I am in - I can listen to it... So I hard wired that into the system...

I just put in a post about adding speakers in the cockpit hard top...if you haven't noticed, when driving, you can't hear the radio....

 

[Robski97]

ok so i took the entire area apart where the radio goes....

what color wire am i looking for ???

U guys better help me put this all back together... ALot work just for an IPOD

Rob

 

[SeaRM]

what color wire am i looking for ???

I found the simplest way to set it all up was as follows.

Buy an RCA to iPOD adapter...mine was a Jensen JPORT from West Marine ($7). Undo the two long screws at the top of the electric panel and fold the whole thing down....very nice - it moves along a hinge at the bottom and has a strap to keep it from tumbling down on you. The connections and wiring on my boat were very nice and neat.

The AUX out RCA-style cables are on the left rear of the radio...two rather short red wires with a red jack on one and a white jack on the other.

I contemplated long and hard about where I wanted the jack...I really wanted it at the cockpit - but getting there was beyond my recreational ambitions. So I elected to drill a 3/4" hole just to the left of the hatch through the bulkhead. (for those with 420 DA - just to the right of the Bell). This made for easy stringing of the JPORT cables through the bulkhead and right up the harness to the back of the radio. Plug them into the radio, clean everything up, and enjoy excellent music. Very simple really.

BTW, I also made up a little "iPOD" sticker from a label machine and stuck it above the new jack...looks almost factory!

I'll get some pics this weekend and upload them for future reference...