With the close association with automotive systems, the obvious choice for narrow boaters has traditionally been the car radio. Plugging directly into the narrowboats 12VDC system (with the appropriate wiring and fuses of course) these are an inexpensive way of providing music and radio whilst on-board. Models are available that now that can pick up signals from the digital network and falling prices are making these models an obvious choice.

Considerations need to be given to running co-axial aerial cable through the narrow boat to an external aerial and it is worth fitting a suppressor into the wiring to avoid any interference from other DC appliances. Simple “bee-sting” type aerials are available from high street electronics and car audio specialists in order to complete the installation.

If you are 230VAC enabled, then any audio system available on the high street can be used, with consideration to the aerial connections as above.

Portable bluetooth speakers systems are becoming increasingly common and these work very effectively with computers, laptops, notebooks, TV’s and other such media devices. Some models can accept bluetooth input from up to 5 devices, so you and your families individual music collections can be played from different devices through the same unit. With the speaker unit wirelessly connected to a suitable TV system and this system connected to the internet, the potential for entertainment is endless.