Complete Cockpit Stereo Upgrade

Very clever HIFI. So it will look closed up whether the speaker is up or down. And since the two doors open opposed to each other, the lift mechanism could be a electric linear actuator that hooks below the two speaker platforms. When it lengthens it will cause both doors to open up until the speaker platforms fill the open gap. Any suggestion on a speaker to use? Something low profile so the doors do not have to open say maybe more than 45 deg.

You are all over this design.

Speakers you ask . . . I know what I would use but you should pick what brand you like. Because they are so far away from your cockpit system mixing brands would not be a concern. They wont effect what you are staging at your helm. They are clearly in a separate zone. Because this is custom you have the luxury of picking something that works in these triangular shaped baffles. I would go marine grade here because the environment is harsh compared to your cockpit. I can recommend a two way separate with separate crossover. I pound on my separates and they simply perform.

Here is a start : http://marine.jlaudio.com/products_components.php?prod_id=425

Your other choice would be Coaxial design. I just don’t know what kind of size you will get away with. I like your idea of 45% but you may get away with less, you may need more lift. You will want a dedicated amp for sure.
 
You are all over this design.

Speakers you ask . . . I know what I would use but you should pick what brand you like. Because they are so far away from your cockpit system mixing brands would not be a concern. They wont effect what you are staging at your helm. They are clearly in a separate zone. Because this is custom you have the luxury of picking something that works in these triangular shaped baffles. I would go marine grade here because the environment is harsh compared to your cockpit. I can recommend a two way separate with separate crossover. I pound on my separates and they simply perform.

Here is a start : http://marine.jlaudio.com/products_components.php?prod_id=425

Your other choice would be Coaxial design. I just don’t know what kind of size you will get away with. I like your idea of 45% but you may get away with less, you may need more lift. You will want a dedicated amp for sure.
I am completely clueless when it comes to equipment to use. I am a Mechanical/Fire Protection engineer. I can build things make things move up and down, hydraulically, electrically and so forth. I will go with your suggestions tied to your link. Do I need to mount them in air tight boxes or are those the open air type. Again, I am clueless. As far as installing another amp and wiring it and so forth, no problem. Can the amp be installed back in the cabin where all my other equipment ( and Power is) is and then just run speaker wires up to the front or does the amp need to be closer to the speakers.
 
I will go with your suggestions tied to your link. Do I need to mount them in air tight boxes or are those the open air type. Can the amp be installed back in the cabin where all my other equipment ( and Power is) is and then just run speaker wires up to the front or does the amp need to be closer to the speakers.
The brand suggested is a good brand. Many members here select JL speakers. I am suggesting the separates for the bass impact and with enough power will sound excellent and be indestructible. I just don’t know if you will have the space for these.

Yes . . . air tight boxes and the manual will recommend cabinet volume. I believe interior is .5 cu. ft. Get as close as you can to this spec. Mount tweeters to inside and woofers to outside if the baffle board allows. The reason for this is two speakers mounted on the bow of a boat will collectively reinforce each other if they are closer together.

Mount amp in cabin and run wire to speakers. Buy a big juicy amp (100 watts RMS min for these JL's)and run some fat speaker lines (10 gauge min).
 
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Another good brand of speakers that I really think sound good are MB Quart.

I have a system set up with these and they sound amazing.

Doug
 
I was wondering the same thing, my amp isn't in the greatest spot,(under the dash) but when it heats up the radio cuts in and out, so we just put a small fan to keep the temp down. That will have to do until I have time to rewire.

Dave
 
Bass So Low you need a Depth Finder.


I had two JL12W7's
http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_subs_pages.php?page_id=3

in a box made into the corner cockpit seat on the 500. Powered them with a JL1000/1
http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_amps.php?amp_id=440

Mids and highs were three pair of 6.5" JL separates on two JL HD 400 amps.

Used an Alpine ipod head unit. We could put two pods in the cabinet inside the boat and run them both from the outside head unit. You could even switch ipods from the head unit.
I have lots of pics of the install but I have a hard time shrinking pics to post here.

That JL stuff is amazing. To me nothing else even comes close.

HIFI, that is the best do it yourself install I have seen. Nice job!
And the guy all the 10W7's in his 460, I can imagine what that sounds like!
 
One thing I learned to do it to put a separate remote knob for the sub amp.
If you have a large sub system and listen to a wide variety of music the bass can go from nothing to killing everybody from one song to the next. On most head units you have to hit multiple buttons/menus to get to the sub level which is aggravating when it is pounding everyone off the boat.

To deal with that I always have a sub level control and a bass eq knob mounted near the head unit but hidden from view so guests don't tamper with it.

If the music is really cranking you have to kind of stay on top of that.
It's very nice to have it handy.
 
Just thinking here. What if the speakers ended up being installed level(horizontal with the boat deck,pointing to the sky) and not pointed towards the listners. Would this effect the sound quality emmensely to someone laying out on the bow?
 
Just thinking here. What if the speakers ended up being installed level(horizontal with the boat deck,pointing to the sky) and not pointed towards the listners. Would this effect the sound quality emmensely to someone laying out on the bow?
Really bad idea.
 
MJ,

Yes, not only are high frequencies increasingly polar but without any reinforcement surrounding the bow speakers, their energy evaporates instantly. So in order for this outdoor application to work the speakers will need to be aimed in the direction of the listeners.

The JL Audio 'T' series 7.7" components would be ideal in a very small enclosure where as the 'C' series would work best if you're using the anchor locker as your enclosure.

How about cutting your pods into KingStarboard anchor locker hatches with only two-thrids of the pod exposed above the hatch. You could angle the point of the cone slighty downward which would angle the driver slightly upward. This way the point would be just below the deck cap level. This would aim the speakers towards the bow pads, completely expose the tweeter and a majority of the midbass and maintain a very low profile 'bump' so to speak. Motorization wouldn't be necessary... Just some basic fabrication and a simple cradle structure to support the pod to the hatch and under the hatch. While the pods compound radius in two directions plus the slight tilt would make the exact opening difficult, you could trail and error with cheap MDF to get the perfect pattern.

This solution seems very simple to me as long as someone else is doing all the work.

David
Earmark Marine
 
David, sounds good. I guess what I am most curious about is sea spray. I am out in the Cheseapeake most of the time and there are times that I have had waves up over the boat and onto the windshield. Seriously. I would not think having speakers exposed to the elements would work. Am I totally off track here? That is why I was trying to stow the speakers while underway. Thanks again.
 
Really bad idea.
Since you guys are saying it is important to point the speakers in the direction of where you want the sound to go, what do you guy's think of mounting 4 bullets on the my radar arch?. 2 pointed forwards and 2 pointed backwards. Also, obviously I would need a seperate Amp(s) for these. I want to be able to control the amount of sound going forward versus the amount going backwards. Or completely turning the forwards off and Backs on and visa versa. 2 seperate amps, one for front and one for back? I have one head unit that controls the current cockpit system and the feeds to the bose system in the cabin. I would like to maintain the one head unit system. Hook an Ipod to the Aux in of the head unit and play the same music thru out.
 
Since you guys are saying it is important to point the speakers in the direction of where you want the sound to go, what do you guy's think of mounting 4 bullets on the my radar arch?. 2 pointed forwards and 2 pointed backwards. Also, obviously I would need a seperate Amp(s) for these. I want to be able to control the amount of sound going forward versus the amount going backwards. Or completely turning the forwards off and Backs on and visa versa. 2 seperate amps, one for front and one for back?
That would work but I think you mentioned you did not really care for the look of bullets. I still like your idea of speakers mounted in your two forward access plates And David had a good suggestion earlier in this thread.
 
I didn't like the look of the Bullets out front. The thing about the 48 is that you are looking thru the rails the whole time you are motoring. Just didn' want one more thing in the way. I am still up for the speakers coming up out the front lockers, just looking at options. We spend alot of time in the water out back and in order to hear the tunes coming from the cockpit when you are in the water, it needs to be cranked. Obviously this drives anyone in the cockpit out of the cockpit. I think the look of the bullets up top would be fine.
 
MJ,

Yes, I think you're right about speakers way up front. They would need to be either removeable or concealable.

Crusing around the tame inner-coastal waters of the Gulf or inland freshwater lakes would be fine. But if you're into choppy water, the salt spray will eventually sand blast (so to speak) most things into submission.

I personally like the bow rail option if you're putting them in place when you reach your destination and remove them when you're underway. The watertight quick-disconnects with cover caps are intended for that purpose.

As for the hardtop or arch, we have white powdercoated aluminum brackets that are intended to slightly tilt the overhead speakers down towards the bow deck occupants.

There's no problem adding the additional channels of amplificiation and independent zone controls to your existing equipment. A single 4-channel amplifier and three zone controls (everything in the cockpit, bow and transom zones) would do it.

David
Earmark Marine
 

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