Fullscreen HTML5Med Res (??MB)HTML4

audio/visual equipment for boats Boaties like to have access to radio, music and on larger vessels, video. Whether they are cranking the music up on the long run to fish the continental shelf, relaxing at anchor or keeping track of weather reports, they want performance and state-of-the-art gear. T oday, most boat-builders have receiver/amplifiers as original equipment or as an option. In fact a $4.6 million motor yacht at the recent Sanctuary Cove boat show had a FUSION sound system in every cabin, the flybridge and transom area for totally independent listening. Marine systems with an integrated DVD player are relatively new, however FUSION’s 600 DVD model also offers iPod control and replay, plus FUSION has a world’s-first unit with weatherproof iPod dock and controls built-in. We saw the FUSION 600 DVD model at the recent Sydney Boat Show – and like many boaties, we liked what we saw. But it was only when we “lifted the lid”, so to speak, that we were impressed enough to tell SILICON CHIP readers about it too! With an in-built iPod dock, it handles programs from any conceivable audio source: DVD, CD, MP3 and all audio units with a headphone socket or RCA line-out. If an iPod is plugged into the dock, the MS-IP600 takes over the controls of the iPod and also charges it. Designed for marine use FUSION’s 600 series audio/visual entertain14  Silicon Chip by Kevin ment unit, examined here, is designed specifically for marine use; it’s not just re-badged car equipment. They are probably the only company in the world who design true marine entertainment systems from the ground up. FUSION gear is designed in Auckland, NZ for worldwide distribution – and is taking off in Australia and the United States. Class-D for efficiency One problem with entertainment systems on most boats is that mains power is not available. Instead, power comes from batteries and to keep batteries charged, you either need solar panels and/or you have to run the engines or a genset. For the batteries to last as long as possible, the current drain of audio equipment needs to be as low as possible. FUSION were one of the first marine entertainment manufacturers to employ Class-D amplifiers, which have typical efficiencies of 85% or more – a great improvement on that achieved by Class-AB amplifiers. Incidentally, that’s one Poulter reason that the vast majority of portable audio siliconchip.com.au equipment and cheap home theatre sound systems now use ClassD. Class-D amplifiers also mean much more compact construction, which is why the small FUSION range can produce lots of power. Another big advantage of Class-D is that it doesn’t need a lot of cooling. Some brands using class AB amplifiers provide cooling with a large hole in the rear and a computer fan. This inevitably draws in salt air. True 360° waterproof design No other environment is as unforgiving as the marine enviroment. Predominantly moisture-laden salt-concentrate (also called ‘fog’ in the marine certification tests), is a relentless invader attacking metal parts with gusto. This can be combatted by sealing all entry points, which is only possible if you have used class-D amplifiers. The 600D series has a die-cast clamshell construction, with a single lid and a rubber gasket, plus two sealed compartments to totally seal it from the elements. FUSION’s 600 complies with IP-x5 splashproof standards. The rugged diecast ‘clamshell’ construction withstands the harsh marine environment, including the pounding and vibration a vessel normally experiences. Dropdown door Multi-zone technology Zone control is particularly important in larger motor yachts as it makes it easy to access and direct audio all over the boat at the level required in that particular area. Flash memory It is normal safe practice when a boat is unused (eg, tied up at a mooring or berth) for all batteries to be isolated, via master switches or circuit breakers. Therefore no power is available to maintain memory settings, as it would be in a car, for example. FUSION get around this by storing all last-used parameters in non-volatile memory. Even if the boat is not used from one year to the next, when the FUSION 600 is turned on all settings will be exactly as they were before. ARM processor. The user interface has been designed to be as simple as possible to operate. To achieve this, the heart of operations is an ARM processor with a 32-bit Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC). One benefit of the ARM processor is that it is very suitable for low power applications. More intelligence When you adjust the backlight of the LCD for night use, all the keys are mapped, so they also change brightness proportional to the screen illumination setting. The display digits are large and the digital clock is about 25mm high. siliconchip.com.au Class-D output filters IF transformers Input choke Sirius satellite reception Voltage regulator What makes it tick? Taking the cover off and removing the DVD player reveals a digital tuner, audio processors enabling zone control, plus a number of building blocks making up the product. As already noted, the 600 platform is quite powerful, delivering 4 x 70W (peak) into 2-ohm loudspeakers from its bridged amplifiers. Jtag debug port CD / DVD shockmounted transport Input cap (4,700F) Apple iPod interface Through the iPOD interface which FUSION developed, it communicates with the iPod and can interrogate it, read files and track information, plus search it. Since Apple do not usually give away the technical ability to search for music, FUSION developed their own alpha-search technology. It means you can find music in a vast array of songs or albums effectively. In order to be Apple-approved equipment, FUSION submits their prototype hardware to Apple for extensive testing and ultimate approval, before it can be released to the market. No manual required! In the FUSION there is no multiple-lines-of-text-on-screen that require a user manual that’s the size of a book; in fact, it’s so intuitive that a user manual is obsolete. Inspired by the way Apple do things, FUSION makes their products very user-friendly, through icons and simple key-presses. Sirius satellite reception ready In addition to AM/FM reception, this model can receive Sirius Satellite Radio in USA and Canada via optional equipment – important to skippers of larger vessels who travel to North America. Sirius Satellite Radio provides 69 streams (channels) of music and 65 streams of sports, news and entertainment to listeners. Specifications: Conclusion 4 x 70W max; 4 x 43W RMS into 2Ω AM/FM Tuner; Sirius radio ready DVD/CD, MP3 and iPod (also available with internal iPod dock) Outputs: 1 x RCA stereo, 2 x subwoofer, video & S-video Inputs: iPod, RCA auxiliary, Sirius, wired remote Display: 2.7-inch backlit LCD Waterproofing: IPX5 (includes full behind-dash water protection) Dimensions: 80 x 217 x 36mm (mounting 53 x 181 x 160mm) Further details: Fusion, Ph: 1300 736 012 www.fusionelectronics.com Power Output: Media: If the response by visitors to the boat show is any indication, FUSION, a small NZ company, is leading the world in marine AV entertainment. September 2010  15