Radio or Sound System issue

[maproy99]

I have an issue with my radio not supplying any sound to my speakers. This is a minor problem, but I would like to fix it. (Long day on the water gets boring with no tunes) I do not know if it is the radio, wiring, or speakers that have the issue. Everything in this set up is old-era 70's. The radio has power and a signal indicator. I can tune the radio to a station here in town and it shows that it has signal, but I cannot get any sound out of my system. I disconnected the wires in the back to get a volt reading off the radio- on, off to see if anything changed. Off voltage going to the speakers was 5.7 Is there any way to hook up something directly to my 2 speaker wires to see if the radio went bad? Like a 9 volt battery just to see if I get any power to the speakers? I would hate to have to start unscrewing panels to replace the wires or the speakers, so I hope it is just the radio gone bad. It worked 8 years ago before it was put in storage, but after storage no radio.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Radio or Sound System issue

If your radio doesn't have a mute setting, it is probably a bad head unit. Marine radios are pretty inexpensive (depending on your definition of expensive) and Craigs List/eBay are loaded with them. just replace it. Go with a new unit that is digital, plays CD/Mp3 and has an auxiliary input for ipod or iPhone. That way, you can have uninterrupted music or satellie radio without any issue at all.

 

[120_i/o]

Re: Radio or Sound System issue

Maproy99, Yes indeed you can test the speakers with a battery. You can use a 9v, or a AA, C, D, or similar. You will want to make sure the batt. is good, and hook up one lead to each post on batt., and listen for a slight "POP". If you hear the pop, your speaker works, if not then the speaker, or wires are bad.
To test the radio, simply just hook up another speaker from something else to the existing output wires from radio. Hope this helped

 

[maproy99]

Re: Radio or Sound System issue

Thanks 120_i/o. I found out the speakers were wired together, left speaker, then right speaker, then ground. It appears from checking really quick with the batteries, and then hooking up only the right speaker that I now have 1 speaker on the passenger side with the radio. I'll investigate the right speaker more tomorrow. It is hooked up elaborately back to the radio through the grounding on the boat and maybe if I just directly connect it in everything will work again. I will properly reconnect wires when I am done, not how it was done in the past (wouldn't that be a spark waiting to happen, and with the leaky fuel tank I replaced.................) It was nice to hear some tunes for a few minutes, even if it was country and I was laying in an uncomfortable position.

Problem RESOLVED!

 

[120_i/o]

Re: Radio or Sound System issue

You bet