Satellite radio is quickly becoming a popular addition  to new home, car and even boat stereos these days. Currently, there are two satellite service providers - XM and Sirius. In order to receive one of the satellite signals, your stereo has to be "satellite-ready," or you have to purchase an external tuner/display that can be connected to your existing stereo. This article explains how to install the external tuner to your existing marine stereo. The product used is a Kenwood System-H2EC Portable Satellite tuner supplied by West Marine (www.westmarine.com).






Step 1

The particular marine radio (Poly-Planar) connected in this demonstration requires a special interface called an IMR-4, which is easily attainable through West Marine. The first thing to do is to gain access to the rear side of the stereo, which in this case is mounted in the center console of the boat. The IMR-4 is an expansion device, and this stereo has a 26-pin expansion connector that plugs directly into it. The connection pigtails coming off the IMR-4 that go to the satellite tuner are standard RCA-type connectors. Remove the red and white caps before making the connections. Leave the caps in place on any unused connectors. The IMR-4 should be mounted to a flat surface as close to the rear of the stereo as possible. In this example, it's mounted underneath the console near the radio with two small wood screws.

Step 2

The tuner comes with a base and cradle that should be mounted in an easily accessible, relatively dry location. The manufacturer makes this easy by providing a suction-cup type of mount that can be used on  a windshield or on another smooth, flat surface. We choose the windshield on the center console, which is close to the marine stereo unit. To mount, first loosen the base nut so that the suction cup portion rotates easily. Don't remove the base nut entirely. Make sure the suction cup lever is in the up position. Position the suction cup base in the desired location. The word "Press" (a button on the back of the suction cup) should be upright. Press this button while the suction cup is on the windshield. Then rotate the lever down, keeping the button pressed down at the same time. The suction cup (and the base) should now be firmly attached to the windshield.

Step 3

There are two options for powering the tuner: via the cigarette lighter adapter that connects to the back of the unit, which can be plugged into a cigarette lighter; or a power supply cord with a fuse, which attaches the unit directly to your 12V battery. You'll now need to connect the audio from your stereo to the tuner. On the back of the tuner, there are four connections: DC-12V; FM-out (not used in this installation); an Antenna connection; and an Audio-out connection. The Audio-out connection will connect directly to the appropriate input on the IMR-4 interface mentioned in step one. Once you've connected the Audio-out to the interface, tune your marine radio to an unused FM station, and using the FM transmitter options feature on the tuner menu, select the same station. When using the tuner, make sure to tune your marine stereo to the same station as you have set up in this menu.

Step 4

Finally, install the antenna and subscribe to the satellite service. With this installation, Sirius Satellite Radio is used. Find an antenna location that's at least 12 inches by 12 inches. The bottom of the antenna is magnetized, so it'll adhere to a metal surface. If you don't have a metal surface available, a strong two-sided tape will work to affix the antenna to the chosen surface. Run the antenna cable to the back of the tuner and plug it in. Once the antenna is installed and the unit is connected to a power source, press the power button to turn the unit on. After displaying the Sirius logo, the display will read "Acquiring Signal." Once the Sirius satellite signal is received, the display will change to "Call 1-888-539-SIRIUS to subscribe." Call the number, and they'll walk you through the remaining steps to complete your subscription. You're now ready to enjoy your new satellite radio option.