As our season winds down, I can report that we continue to be very happy with this Fusion system.
This
photo shows how we were using the ipod prior to getting Fusion's wired
remote. We plugged the base into the USB port in the
docking bay. Now we just put the ipod into the docking bay when we get to the
boat, where it charges and plays
music or video. The ipod pops in and out of the docking bay very easily and securely, making for very mobile multimedia between boat, home and
work.
We added the wired remote to the
cockpit: not
cheap, but extremely convenient for entertaining in the cockpit under way or at the dock, and for us worth the
price of a couple of average restaurant
meals for a couple. After installing the remote in a hole in the bulkhead, the remote's cable simply plugs into the dedicated socket in the back of the compact
head. The remote turns the unit on and off, allows switching between input modes, and intuitively controls the ipod through the text on the
screen. Shows playlists and song but not performer. Switching zone control at the remote is not as intuitive as on the head in the cabin-- we just leave it set for the cockpit zone and if someone in the
cabin wants to adjust the volume for the cabin speakers they can do it using the head.
We also added a simple generic ribbon AM/FM
antenna that we bought from a local store: it just plugged into the dedicated
antenna socket too. I have not tried the Sirius or
VHF functions yet.