mrsrobinson
Well-Known Member
If the amp is in the cabin, not salt water, why does it need to be "marine" other than the higher than normal humidity? The same humidity I think one would experience in FLA in their vehicle.
J/L Amps and Speakers
- Thread starter Siboatguy
- Start date
- Dec 31, 2006
- 2,827
- Boat Info
- H2O Therapy
2006 Sundancer 48
Novurania 430DL
HighField 340-FCT
Yamaha EX-R
Raymarine
PADI DM
- Engines
- Cummins QSC 540's
Agreed. I have been using regular mobile amps in my boats for years. The cabin of my boat is better climate controlled than any car trunk. The "Marine" amp is designed to be used in the "Marine" environment ie cockpit area where there is a higher chance for it to deal with the elements. Not to mention if the label it "Marine" that way they can charge more $$$. In my boat the only equipment exposed are the speakers and the remotes to the elements and that means every few years they are to be replaced as needed.
- Apr 26, 2009
- 5,823
- Boat Info
- '97 330 Sundancer, Raymarine C80 suite with radar, Mercury 310 Hypalon w/8hp Yammie 2stk
- Engines
- 2X 454 carbs w/ vDrives
I love listening to music, but hate being forced to listen to other people’s music. On the water sound travels far more than on land or from one person’s yard to another. So I have zero interest in having a boat stereo that is capable of being heard by everyone around me. So why am I commenting on a thread about marine audio equipment? I have no idea LOL.
My stereo is a Clarion CDM4 head unit with 4 6.5” JL audio speakers in the OEM spots. It sounds great at volumes so that are loud enough to hear the music properly.
My stereo is a Clarion CDM4 head unit with 4 6.5” JL audio speakers in the OEM spots. It sounds great at volumes so that are loud enough to hear the music properly.
Wylie_Tunes
Well-Known Member
May be unrelated to your amp failure, but the power cabling in this pic is dangerously inadequate. I hope its been addressed. I see what looks to be 12 or 10 ga cabling supplying a pair of distribution blocks, supplying the 2 amps. At a minimum, each amp desrves its own 8ga from the source to the amp, or 2ga to the distribution blocks, to supply both amps. Inadequite supply can cause an amp to run hotter then it should. prolonged excessive heat, can ruin a PCB.I've twice paired JL speakers with rather low-end Rockford amps. I've been very pleased with the sound, especially for the money (<$200 per amp).
I just noticed I dropped a channel on my 4 channel amp a couple weeks ago. After 4 seasons, and for as cheap as they are, I'm not even mad about it
mrsrobinson
Well-Known Member
I agree, and I don't like that boat on the water that's playing their music loud enough for the entire country to hear. And I'm sure 15-20 years ago I was that boat and was ignorant to it.
I do like a quality sounding stereo though. Good lows, good highs, good mids. And if I hear a tune I like and want to bump it up for a couple minutes, it can do that and still sound great.
Wylie_Tunes
Well-Known Member
I hope these are custom-built marine grade enclosures. An off the shelf carpet covered MDF automotive enclosure, will start to die a slow death from day one.
Ive got one in the shop right now. It left the factory as 3/4" MDF and is now 1" or greater due to soaking up mousture. It weights about 15% more then originally.
Another option, is Kicker passive radiator tubes. Fully marine grade, and will yield similar output as a ported enclosure. Very compact and offers two mounting options. https://www.kicker.com/TB10-10-inch-Subwoofer-and-Passive-Radiator-Enclosure-4-Ohm
techmitch
Well-Known Member
- May 1, 2008
- 8,429
- Boat Info
- 1999 270 DA
- Engines
- Twin 4.3s W/Alpa I Gen II's
Wow, great catch and I couldn't agree with you more.
Stee6043
Well-Known Member
Dangerous? With all the fuses, breakers, thermal shutdown on the amps, etc?
Inadequate - entirely possible. I used the existing power run that the boat came with. Given the location of the amps (distance from the engine room) there is a 0.0% chance I'll be replacing that run
Like I mentioned, if I can get 4 years out of a $200 amp I'm happy. I also don't run them very hard...
mrsrobinson
Well-Known Member
This sub stuff is confusing. I have what looks like the factory sub mounted under a bench seat in the cockpit on the starboard side of the boat. I assume this is what you call "open air" "free air" "infinite baffle"? And the sub at my house, mounted in a box, is closed/sealed?
EDIT: I figured it out: https://www.caraudionow.com/free-air-subwoofers-defined/
EDIT: I figured it out: https://www.caraudionow.com/free-air-subwoofers-defined/
Joint Custody
Well-Known Member
Yep both our marine grade material and then I rhino lined them in white. I was going to go with the kicker tubes however would not fit in the space they need to go.
Skybolt
Well-Known Member
- Nov 11, 2014
- 6,501
- Boat Info
- Reel Nauti
460 EC
- Engines
- Detroit 6v92TA
(Low profile's)
Alison Gears
Westerbeke
12.5kw Genset
Open Air means the speaker is forward facing like the speakers normally are. Most sub's originally were down facing and had side baffles for the sound to escape. That was thought to be the best reflection for sub's. Now there are both forward facing subs or "open air" and also still the down facing ones. Each have there own plus's. For a boa where space is a premium the forward facing speaker is best.
Ok, I'm high jacking. All this stereo talk as got me interested in the upgrade. First things first. How the hell do I figure out what I have? I do know I have a Clarion M303 radio, with helm remote. Looks like 4 speakers and a sub in the cockpit. There are several abandoned wires/stereo plugs stuffed in the side compartments -- they look somewhat "important." Haven't seen any amps or anything. Where am I looking?
Wylie_Tunes
Well-Known Member
The tecnical term is "infinite-baffle" and "free-air" being a common term. It means there is no small built structure behind the driver. The driver uses the large cavity behind it, as its air space. An acustic suspension (sealed) and bass-reflex (ported) means there will be a small, air tight (not including the port tunnel)structure to be placed behind the woofer.
Free-air woofer installs are very popular on boats, because they do not require that rigid structure to be eother built and put in as the boat gets assembled, or built into the deck or cap mold. This cuts down on overall cost. An FA woofer only requires two main aspects. A large (3.0 ft3) air space behind it and 100% front to rear air isolation.
Exicuted correctly, an FA woofer setup can yeild pleasing results for most boaters. Sadly, most OEM FA woofer installs, are very poor. Bad location, wrong woofer, poor install, wrong amplifier, etc.
Due to the very nature of installing an FA woofer, it would likely be radiating directly into the listening area and not in a downfire configuration. However, not all direct radiating woofers are FA. There are plenty of cases where a small sealed enclosure is back-loaded to the backside of the woofer. So from the front, it mak look FA, but with the existance of the small encloure, it makes it an acoustic-suspension alignment.
As to the pic of the cabling. Anyone that can shooce the correct circuit protection type, value and placement, show also know that 10 or 12 ga cabling is not safe to power two amplifiers. The internal thermal protection of an aplifier will NOT engauge if the amp is pulling more amps then the cabling can handle. A proper circuit protection value for the load, will NOT trip if the amplifer is puller more amps then the cabling can handle. Its your boat, your family, rock on my man.
Free-air woofer installs are very popular on boats, because they do not require that rigid structure to be eother built and put in as the boat gets assembled, or built into the deck or cap mold. This cuts down on overall cost. An FA woofer only requires two main aspects. A large (3.0 ft3) air space behind it and 100% front to rear air isolation.
Exicuted correctly, an FA woofer setup can yeild pleasing results for most boaters. Sadly, most OEM FA woofer installs, are very poor. Bad location, wrong woofer, poor install, wrong amplifier, etc.
Due to the very nature of installing an FA woofer, it would likely be radiating directly into the listening area and not in a downfire configuration. However, not all direct radiating woofers are FA. There are plenty of cases where a small sealed enclosure is back-loaded to the backside of the woofer. So from the front, it mak look FA, but with the existance of the small encloure, it makes it an acoustic-suspension alignment.
As to the pic of the cabling. Anyone that can shooce the correct circuit protection type, value and placement, show also know that 10 or 12 ga cabling is not safe to power two amplifiers. The internal thermal protection of an aplifier will NOT engauge if the amp is pulling more amps then the cabling can handle. A proper circuit protection value for the load, will NOT trip if the amplifer is puller more amps then the cabling can handle. Its your boat, your family, rock on my man.
Wylie_Tunes
Well-Known Member
Speakers and woofer; remove 1 speaker and woofer. Likely a model mumber on the back. This can help date them. 6-7 years old, replace them. They are likely tired. Just like on a truck, the shocks waer out and dont work as well. The suspension on a speaker gets weak, and the repsonce and movement control is lacking.
There is at least one amp in order to drive the woofer. Amps are usually hidden. Under beds, steps, behind cabinet walls, etc.
Im about to contradict my self. ealrier, i suggested keeping the clarion CMD if it was still working. However, the M303 is one of the worst and unuser friendly units Clarion made. This one I would toss in the lake!
You may just need fresh. modern gear, to you make take the oportunity to do a real upgrade. More or larger speakers, significant increase in wattage for speakers, LED lights, etc.
Damn. I’m going to need a divorce lawyer.
techmitch
Well-Known Member
- May 1, 2008
- 8,429
- Boat Info
- 1999 270 DA
- Engines
- Twin 4.3s W/Alpa I Gen II's
That's better that putting up with that "if the wife is not happy then nobody is happy" or the "she that must be obeyed" bullshit! Been there done that, moved on and found the 1.Damn. I’m going to need a divorce lawyer.
As stated in my sig. What you put up with is what you will have.
You can apply that to: Your wife, your kids, your employee's your boss, etc. etc...
You realize it’s a joke. But just dropped a few boat bucks into new radar and Garmin mfd. I’m was hoping to do the stereo a little at a time. But I guess before I start I should go up and trace some wires and figure out what I have.
techmitch
Well-Known Member
- May 1, 2008
- 8,429
- Boat Info
- 1999 270 DA
- Engines
- Twin 4.3s W/Alpa I Gen II's
Surely I do. Just venting.
Stee6043
Well-Known Member
I’m not sure you’re seeing that pic correctly. The smaller gauge wire is stock. The stock breaker is sized for the smaller gauge wire and the original single amplifier. All still in place and functional. How is this unsafe? There is no way for my oversized aftermarket cable job to exceed the rating of the original breaker setup and somehow pull more current than the smaller cable is designed for?
Skybolt
Well-Known Member
- Nov 11, 2014
- 6,501
- Boat Info
- Reel Nauti
460 EC
- Engines
- Detroit 6v92TA
(Low profile's)
Alison Gears
Westerbeke
12.5kw Genset
The cable will only support what it is rated for but won't limit the current (safely at least). If enough over the limit it will melt the jacketing and fry the wire. Hopefully popping the breaker before something bad happens, like a fire. But that statement is the wrong way to look at it.
