A boat as spacious as this Cruisers Yachts 5470 deserves the same consideration as a modern home audio/video system.

With these expanded entertainment capabilities, the owners can fully relax in an environment far from the reminders of their daily responsibilities. The electronic amenities are also designed to encompass the entire family as well as better equip the boat for entertaining friends.

At the same time, we were very conscious of maintaining a conservative aesthetic approach to a classy boat. We’ve created louder systems but in this case, we wanted all of the enhancements to appear plausible as factory.

Just forward of the galley and below the TV, a combination surround sound receiver and DVD player drives the salon’s 5.1 speaker system.

Above the TV, the front left, center and right speakers are concealed behind a cloth grill.

Rear fill salon speakers.

Concealed salon subwoofer.

First, we remounted the three speakers in order to conceal a Direct TV satellite receiver over the TV. We equipped the Direct TV unit with an infrared emitter for full control while hidden.

An infrared emitter was also added to the DVD receiver for full control from any cabin and even outside on the cockpit.

This IR target repeats all remote control commands to the concealed satellite TV receiver.

In the upper right hand corner of the service panel, we installed the KVH on/off switch and service port. The service port is used to plug in our laptop for programming.

To the far left, a high-isolation ship-to-shore switch was added for selection between the ship’s in-motion KVH TracVision antenna and the boathouse fixed dish antenna.

On the boathouse, we converted the existing dish’s single LNB to a dual LNB to provide service to a separate satellite TV receiver on the slip.

This cabinet in the master stateroom conceals a full entertainment system.

Above is a TV/VHS combo. Below it, is a compact tuner/CD/stereo receiver. To the outside of the stereo receiver are a pair of 6 1/2-inch coaxials concealed behind grill cloth. The factory TV does not have rear panel RCA composite outputs, nor is the TV and stereo integrated. The lack of integration had to be rectified.

We disassembled the TV and converted the interior audio amplifier into a line level output which we connected into the stereo system. Now VHS, DVD and satellite TV selections are enjoyed with a much improved audio range.

An IR target was added over the TV for full DVD player and satellite TV receiver remote control.

From left to right, along the starboard combing is a watertight cover concealing an equalizer, AM/FM/CD player, AC outlet, a covered outlet for antenna and RCA jacks and an infrared target. While the cockpit has a dedicated audio system, we engineered the ability to sync up with any of the cabin audio/video sources.

Above the electronics is a Clarion marine component speaker set.

Behind this watertight cover, a 5-band equalizer with pre-level fader provides independent zone control between the cockpit audio speakers and the speakers at the bow/transom extremities. The two level controls above the EQ further divide the exterior speakers into two distinct zones. The left control fully adjusts the bow deck speakers and the right control fully adjusts the transom speakers.

We converted the AM/FM/CD player changer input to an auxiliary. The switch in the center over the EQ manages a remote electronic audio selector so that you can toggle between the six-disc changer and the audio soundtrack of any video source.

We installed this watertight outlet with a friction lid next to the AC outlet. We converted the TV/phone outlet to a TV/RCA panel (more explanation to follow).

We also installed a UV resistant remote control target on the aft deck for full access to the cabin’s A/V sources. Flashing LED’s confirm the remote control commands.

This TV is now used as a portable unit which can be rested on the starboard side console and easily plugged into the boat’s audio/video distribution system. The TV’s UHF/VHF tuner now functions as a radio frequency decoder and delivers the theater sound output into the auxiliary input of the cockpit stereo. Family and friends can kick back on the aft deck’s large seating group and watch DVD or digital satellite TV with the full audio support of ten speakers and 700 watts of power! With the KVH TracVision, this capability is extended from under the boathouse to anywhere on the lake.

The cabin and cockpit audio systems can operate simultaneously with a seamless common source from stem to stern or function independently with separate sources.

This scheme also brings Direct TV’s fifty digital-quality music channels to the cockpit audio system. With the independent zone control scheme, the boat’s entire audio system can be shut down so that only the bow speakers play, for example. Star gazers and sun bathers have a localized volume control out on the bow deck. The same scenario holds true when floating off the swim deck.

We upgraded the factory coaxials to high- powered separate components. Shown is the port side speakers which are aimed at the aft deck seating group.

While these component speakers are consistent with the boat’s OEM brand, they are a dramatic improvement over the standard coaxials.

It’s a large cockpit deck so we added a second subwoofer to the forward cockpit area.

The forward 6 1/2-inch midrange and accompanying one-inch aluminum dome tweeter angle up and in from under the helm console. This boat actually has a front stage image! The midranges are contained in independent isolation chambers which separates them from the rear pressure of the nearby subwoofer. This practice dramatically improves the midrange through midbass tonal construction.

Port and starboard marine coaxials on the transom with a transom-mounted hardwired remote control.

The exterior audio system can be controlled from five different stations.

We rewired the entire slip RF cable system for a day and night difference in picture clarity. EARMARK’s standard procedures for boathouse and ship-to-shore video distribution includes:

a) Removable and replaceable ship-to shore links,
b) Gel-packed exterior connectors,
c) Re-enforced cable terminations of ship-to-shore links,
d) Intentional drip loops to keep water out,
e) Use of marine grade silicon sealers,
f) Non-corrosive stainless steel hardware,
g) Extensive use of dielectrics to inhibit corrosion,
h) Only the highest grade of RG-6 coax cable, and
i) Watertight, non-metallic protective enclosures for splitters, diplexers, RF amplifiers and other external electronics.

EARMARK’s RF distribution work looks cleaner, resists corrosion longer and is designed to be easy and inexpensive to troubleshoot and service.

In summary, this boat now features:

• A 3-zone cockpit audio system with cockpit video, a main control center plus four remote control locations.
  
• Three independent cabin A/V entertainment centers with whole-boat shared distribution of DVD and satellite TV.
  
• Satellite TV music channels and theater sound from every video source at every point on the boat.
  
• Satellite TV on the slip, in the boat while under the boathouse or anywhere on the lake.
  
• Full DVD and satellite TV control from three cabin stations and one cockpit station.
  
• With all this added flexibility, the system is extremely basic to use as we maintained the familiar factory remote controls.

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