Poly-Planar MR45R Wired Remote for MR45, MRD80 & MRD80i

The Poly-Planar MR45R is a wired remote with a backlit display built for the MR45 Series, MRD80, and MRD80i marine stereos. Wire it in, and you get full control of the stereo from a second spot on the boat. Tracks, volume, source, the works. No walking back to the head unit every time somebody wants the music louder.

Here's where it earns its keep. A lot of boats hide the main stereo down in the cabin or tucked under the helm where nobody can reach it underway. Run this remote up to the wheel, out to the cockpit, or back by the swim platform, and you've got a proper second station for the audio. Dual-console boats, center consoles with a hardtop, pontoons with a bar area, cruisers with a cockpit lounge. Anywhere you sit that isn't right next to the stereo is a good spot for it.

The display is the part people appreciate most. It's a digital readout with an adjustable backlight, so you can actually see what's playing and what source you're on, day or night. Turn the backlight down for a dark run home so it doesn't wreck your night vision. Turn it up on a bright afternoon so you can read it in direct sun. It controls all the main stereo functions, including iPod and MP3 players connected to the head unit, so you're not stuck with just volume.

It's a waterproof design, which is exactly what you want on an open helm or an exposed cockpit. Spray, rain, the odd wave over the bow, none of that bothers it. The faceplate measures 3.47 inches (88 mm) across, so it mounts up clean like a gauge on most dashes. Before you cut a hole, hold it up against the dash and check your clearance. On some tighter dashes the faceplate can overhang an adjacent gauge, so it's worth a two-minute dry fit before the hole saw comes out.

The remote ships with a 6-foot cable, which reaches most second stations on a mid-size boat just fine. Need more? Poly-Planar makes extension cables in a few lengths, sold separately, so you can push the remote farther from the head unit on a bigger hull. The CMR-10, CMR-20, and CMR-60 cover the common runs. Grab the length that gets you from the stereo to where you actually want the remote, with a little slack to spare.

A couple of install notes from the water. You're running a small multi-conductor cable back to the head unit, so plan the route before you start. Dash cavities on some center consoles get tight around the connector, so leave yourself room to seat it fully. If you run a saltwater boat, hit the connector with a little dielectric grease when you plug it in. That one habit keeps the pins from corroding and saves you a headache a couple seasons down the road.

The remote draws its power through the stereo, so there's no separate power wire to run. It powers up and down with the head unit. If it ever seems dead, power the stereo on at the head unit first and the remote should come right up with it. Pretty simple once it's wired.

One care tip. When you pull the boat for winter, condensation is the enemy of any dash-mounted control. Keep the helm area as dry as you can over layup, and the buttons and display will thank you come spring. It's a small part, but it's the kind of thing that makes a Poly-Planar system feel finished, letting you run your audio from wherever you happen to be sitting instead of from wherever the stereo happened to fit.