340 Sound plan

I can see that. I like the way you handled it. Truly an expert job. So, was it just a project, or can you take a minute to describe the end result? What do you listen to? Can you feel it?
 
Hampton said:
I can see that. I like the way you handled it. Truly an expert job. So, was it just a project, or can you take a minute to describe the end result? What do you listen to? Can you feel it?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words. I did my last boat as a training mission. I really just wanted to get a little bit better sound and saw some obvious areas to upgrade. It just kind of snowballed from there.

This was just a way for me to get a system into my boat on my own time. There aren't many mobile installers here, and they tend to be rather expensive and quite busy. I am not an expert in this area, just a hobbyist. I have to have a real job to make my boat payments (that's right, payments... Sorry Pres...)

With my 340, I was able to start with a clean drawing board. I learned some things from my previous mistakes and I think I came up with a good system. As far as how it sounds, well, I doubt there are many boats in MN that sound better. Lake Havasu, maybe, but not here. :grin:

Oh, BTW, I listen to mostly Indie rock and 80's style alternative, but you will hear almost anything come out of my speakers (except country).

But then this thread is about your sound plan. Let's hear what you are going to do next :smt038 .
 
Teekster,

When trying to decide from which side to get my amp power, I turned the stbd batt bank off - the sound went off. So, I turned it back on and turned the port bank off - the sound went off. So, which side did you take the hot line from? Is it switched? There is a remote on/off feature on my amp. Is there a way to use that?

How did you secure your amps down on top of the fresh water tank? Silicone?

Should I take the pre-amp out from the 4-channel amp to get the sub signal?

Thanks for any and all help.
 
I ran 0/1g power cables directly from the starboard batteries to the area under the couch (is that the fresh water tank?). I did not rely on the factory connections. I put fuses at both ends to be safe.

I did use the remote lead form the factory amp because it is connected to the switches by the cabin door. I have 2 powered zones, so I used both leads.

You can certainly use the pre-amp output from an amp to get the sub signal. In my case, I knew that the space was going to be relatively difficult to access for fine tuning, so I used electronic crossovers mounted in that hidden compartment behind the midcabin area (starboard).

I screwed everything down, but silicone is not a bad idea. I did put silicone on the screw threads
 
Teekster....how did you learn all of this stuff?? Your install looks awesome!! Very professional. Are you sure your not an installer on the side?
 
Thanks again, Teekster. Having the power lead solves one of my biggest questions - how do you turn it on/off?

I'm going to start on this pretty soon, as you can tell.
 
Hampton said:
Thanks again, Teekster. Having the power lead solves one of my biggest questions - how do you turn it on/off?

I'm going to start on this pretty soon, as you can tell.
Click to expand...

It all turns on and off with the button on the helm controls. The head unit has a remote output. This is a low amperage 12v signal that tells anything connected to it to power up or down with the head unit. In a standard installation, this would typically run to the remote connection on the amp. On the 340 (and others), Sea Ray split this before the wall switches by the cabin door. Each switch controls the remote lead to the factory "amps." This is why I tapped into the lead at the amplifier, thus preserving the function of the switches. If my kids want to watch a DVD, I can still flip the switch instead of messing with the fader.

With this setup, the true power lead to the amplifier(s) is always hot. I disconnect it from the battery when the boat goes into storage (a sad fact of life in the great white North).


BTW, thanks Bottom Line, It was years of trial and error... I don't plan on starting a side business, though.

When Hampton is finished, I'm sure he will say the same. It is a tremendous PITA!
 
I ripped back into my 340 today. I pulled the cabin couch out, placed my amp there, drilled into the electronics cabinet, routed two 4 gauge wires all the way back to the engine room, connected one via a 30 amp fuse to the hot side of the stbd batteries, the other to the grounding junction, and...... (Deep breath) I ran speaker wire to the stereo cabinet from the amp, a power wire, and now I'm ready to do the easy part - hook it up.

Teekster, my amp needs to know how many volts output the lines in have. I am going to take the two inputs off of one of the stock amps and split it into the two input pairs for the amp. When I do this, will it change the voltage?

What if I leave it hooked up to the old 40 watt amp for yet another pair, will that further reduce the voltage out of the lines in? I'm thinking about mounting a pair of speakers onto rods (STS) for placement into the rod holders to project more sound out back. I would use the extra 40 watt amp for them.

Thanks in advance, again.
 
The line out has 2 volts. It's just a starting point anyway, apparently. The job is done. I found a good use for the extra Sea Ray Amp that used to power the cockpit. It now powers the two cockpit speakers that I had de-commissioned in favor of the upper arch speakers.

This, along with the new amp and MB Quart Premiums, brings a deep, rich, bass sound to the cockpit. Everything worked like a champ.

For the next guy, the blue wire is the power (on/off signal) wire that connects to the switches at the top of the steps.
 
I'll give this another sot. The gremlins of the new CSR site ae my post last night.

The numbers (volts) on you gain controls are not that important. I was going to say that the Clarion HU won't put out more than 2 volts, but I see that you have got that figured out.

You have a pre-amp output next to the inputs on that amplifier. Why not run the preamp out back to your stock amp? That way you aren't splitting anything.

Don't forget to put a remote switch somewhere for the old amp (blue wire).
 
I split the blue wire too. Is that bad? They all come on at once.
 
Also, I was saving the pre-amp out for my next amp - 8 )
 
It's alive! This thread is alive! I'm going to dump my 10" junk in the trunk. That is, I'm going to put my Kicker 10" subwoofer and marine box under the rear seat of my 340. I'm shopping for an amp to drive that thing, and maybe one more. Teekster started with one and added another, so, who knows, I may need to do the same.
 
Yes, that would work well for 1 or 2 subs. If you go with 2, remember to run them in parallel to present a 2 ohm load. This amp looks like it will handle that.
 
Teekster,

I'm getting ready to put the second sub in. It's been a while, so to make sure:

If I connect the (marked) line from the red terminal on the amp to the red terminal on one speaker, then the red terminal on the other speaker, and do the same with the unmarked line, is that parallel? I think it is. I can't imagine wiring speakers in series. Would they even play?
 
Next Phase:

2 Speakers mounted on fishing rod holders facing aft when we are at the beach, or in/forward when on the boat. I will use the leads for the Bose Arch speakers (switched on/off) which means these will be powered by 2 of the 4 channels from my Eclipse XA-4000 digital amp. Primarily for use while on the beach.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-FsSyuO...&removeitems=653OASIS6W&compareitems=065VOY7W

Suggestions?
 
Great info on this thread.

"No Highs, No lows, Must be Bose". Ask any professional audio engineer. Do not be duped by the hype of Bose.
 
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