Boat stereo update:
07-Aug-2006, 10:42 PM
#1
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Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Mississauga West Side
Posts: 11,206
Boat stereo update:
Amp rack before the final cover is in place. Without the cover water from the wakeboard rope, or from large waves would get the front of the amp wet, which wasn't good.
Amp rack with plexi cover installed. Painted flat black for now, going to change to gloss black later. Would have painted white, but it would scuff and show marks too easily.
Screen mesh I installed beside the amp to allow air flow behind and around the cooling fins. There is an exhaust port at the back of the boat, so airflow naturally wants to go through that opening at out the side/rear of boat.
Other side of boat (identical to amp side). This is what the opneing used to look like without the rack.
Source that drives it all. Nothing special.
Front drivers speaker (one of 4 speakers total in boat)
Custom sub built into boat. No loss of leg room. The 5/8" mdf box is sitting in an unused cavity that was being used for nothing before the box was added. I was contemplating a location, and with the sub downfiring, the bass is extended well throughout the boat, and the passangers are also comfortable because they can still extend their legs in the area below.
Second view of sub.
Total cost on this project: $200 I think. All materials I used were scrap. Leftover plexi and MDF. The amp was $65 used. Its a 5 channel pioneer amp in rough shape. I sanded it smooth and painted silver. The sub was $15 on ebay. Speakers were from my car before I upgraded. All wiring was leftover (4 awg welding cable and dist. block etc). Deck was $100 or so.
Amp rack with plexi cover installed. Painted flat black for now, going to change to gloss black later. Would have painted white, but it would scuff and show marks too easily.
Screen mesh I installed beside the amp to allow air flow behind and around the cooling fins. There is an exhaust port at the back of the boat, so airflow naturally wants to go through that opening at out the side/rear of boat.
Other side of boat (identical to amp side). This is what the opneing used to look like without the rack.
Source that drives it all. Nothing special.
Front drivers speaker (one of 4 speakers total in boat)
Custom sub built into boat. No loss of leg room. The 5/8" mdf box is sitting in an unused cavity that was being used for nothing before the box was added. I was contemplating a location, and with the sub downfiring, the bass is extended well throughout the boat, and the passangers are also comfortable because they can still extend their legs in the area below.
Second view of sub.
Total cost on this project: $200 I think. All materials I used were scrap. Leftover plexi and MDF. The amp was $65 used. Its a 5 channel pioneer amp in rough shape. I sanded it smooth and painted silver. The sub was $15 on ebay. Speakers were from my car before I upgraded. All wiring was leftover (4 awg welding cable and dist. block etc). Deck was $100 or so.
07-Aug-2006, 10:58 PM
#4
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Mississauga West Side
Posts: 11,206
boat is old lol.
Its a 1988 Doral Spirit 17.5ft bowrider with 115HP Yamaha. Pretty old, but its in good shape for its age, and Im not complaining. Wish I had a nice wakeboard boat but there too bloody expensive. So my Joystock pylon and some weight in the back has to do.
Amp isn't that powerful. I think its 50 X 4 RMS for the speakers and 100X1 for the sub. Thing is with outboard motor is they have a very small aux charger. It is only meant to run things like lights for night time and instrument panel accessories etc. But so far I have great luck, no drained batteries or anything of the sort. I think its like a 20-25amp charger.
Its a 1988 Doral Spirit 17.5ft bowrider with 115HP Yamaha. Pretty old, but its in good shape for its age, and Im not complaining. Wish I had a nice wakeboard boat but there too bloody expensive. So my Joystock pylon and some weight in the back has to do.
Amp isn't that powerful. I think its 50 X 4 RMS for the speakers and 100X1 for the sub. Thing is with outboard motor is they have a very small aux charger. It is only meant to run things like lights for night time and instrument panel accessories etc. But so far I have great luck, no drained batteries or anything of the sort. I think its like a 20-25amp charger.
07-Aug-2006, 11:04 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Mississauga
Posts: 13,184
hey man whatever gets the job done... wakeboarding behind an old boat is better than no wakeboarding at all...
i was on a brand new moomba lsv this weekend and damn... i think i've been spoiled lol... 3 built in ballasts 1 front, L & R and dang...
what a beautiful wake...
but i don't have a boat, so heck i'd take a boat from the 70's if it was atleast fast enough for a good start and strong enough to pull me lol...
i was on a brand new moomba lsv this weekend and damn... i think i've been spoiled lol... 3 built in ballasts 1 front, L & R and dang...
what a beautiful wake... but i don't have a boat, so heck i'd take a boat from the 70's if it was atleast fast enough for a good start and strong enough to pull me lol...
19-Jun-2009, 12:36 PM
#7
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: "On your ASS and ready to PASS"
Posts: 3
Boat stereo
I know I am bringing this back from the dead but how did you go about wiring the amp in the boat? Do you just run the ground back to the battery? I have a bowrider that I am looking to upgrade the stereo in. Any help is appreciated
BTW: It feels good to be back. I haven't been on the forum in about 6 years. It's good to see that you guys are still alive and kicking lol.
BTW: It feels good to be back. I haven't been on the forum in about 6 years. It's good to see that you guys are still alive and kicking lol.
19-Jun-2009, 09:19 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Mississauga
Posts: 409
hey 96ek nice to see you back 
Yes all grounds are run back to the NEG on the battery. All factory grounds run to a small ground block under the dash for lights etc, but its only a 12 or 14 awg wire so you need to run it right back to the battery.
Do you have an outboard or I/O on the bow rider? If its an outboard like mine they have very weak charging systems so be careful how much power you plan on running (I used a very small wattage amp to power everything). I/) usually have regular alternators so they have more amperage output (closer to a car output).
Yes all grounds are run back to the NEG on the battery. All factory grounds run to a small ground block under the dash for lights etc, but its only a 12 or 14 awg wire so you need to run it right back to the battery.
Do you have an outboard or I/O on the bow rider? If its an outboard like mine they have very weak charging systems so be careful how much power you plan on running (I used a very small wattage amp to power everything). I/) usually have regular alternators so they have more amperage output (closer to a car output).
23-Jun-2009, 02:52 PM
#9
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: "On your ASS and ready to PASS"
Posts: 3
Thanks
hey 96ek nice to see you back
Yes all grounds are run back to the NEG on the battery. All factory grounds run to a small ground block under the dash for lights etc, but its only a 12 or 14 awg wire so you need to run it right back to the battery.
Do you have an outboard or I/O on the bow rider? If its an outboard like mine they have very weak charging systems so be careful how much power you plan on running (I used a very small wattage amp to power everything). I/) usually have regular alternators so they have more amperage output (closer to a car output).
Yes all grounds are run back to the NEG on the battery. All factory grounds run to a small ground block under the dash for lights etc, but its only a 12 or 14 awg wire so you need to run it right back to the battery.
Do you have an outboard or I/O on the bow rider? If its an outboard like mine they have very weak charging systems so be careful how much power you plan on running (I used a very small wattage amp to power everything). I/) usually have regular alternators so they have more amperage output (closer to a car output).
I have a 4.3 merc i/o although I haven't really taken a good look at the charging system yet. I would think it's pretty stout as it's a v6 and im pretty sure is very similar to the 4.3 gm motors found in your average astro van?
25-Jun-2009, 11:17 PM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Mississauga
Posts: 409
yeh you should be good to go. Most marine blocks are the same as car/truck engines with different cams (different power band needed for boats) and different starter and electrics. The engine in my boat is a GM 350 5.7L. It even has GM stamped on the block.
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