Help me re-build my sound system.

[phenom_1819]

I have decided I am going to buy the Wet Sounds Pro 80 tower speakers.  Problem is, I haven't found space for the amp.

It's no secret that our Epics have one major problem -- storage space.  I am out of room for amps because I have completely filled up the passenger side compartment with subs, two amps and a capacitor.  (see pic below) Is there anywhere else I can mount a third amp?  I have decided on a JL Audio 300/2 amplifier.  See here: http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?Source=googlebase&ProductID=11725 

This is not a large amp, still...I can't find space.  Or should I abandon this idea?  Here's what I've got right now, let me know if you have any ideas on how to fix it.  I'm not afraid to replace/upgrade.

Amplifiers:
Sony 60x4 amp running full-range speakers in boat
Kenwood KAC-X301T running sub

Speakers:
(6) Infinity Kappa marine 6.5" speakers wired to the Sony amp.  Two are on their own channel -- four are wired in parrallel to the remaining two channels.
(1) JL 10W7 (in the picture, the sub is on the back side -- towards the side of the boat), being run by the Kenwood amp.
(2) Wet Sounds Pro 80 tower speakers (powered by )

If I parted with my amps, is there a way to run this whole thing on two (new) amps?  I want the towers to have around 200 watts each (150 watts minimum), the sub to have around 500 watts (400 watts minimum), and the boat speakers around 70 watts each (50 watts minimum).  Though I think this whole problem might be solved by parting with my beloved JL 10w7 sub.

Any ideas?

[shawn]

I know this is a terrible pic but you can get an idea of how much room there really is in there.  My amps are close to 12 feet long and with the right mounting locations you can utilize the area for your sub as well.

Pete was running a pretty cool setup with a 10 under the dash.  It really looked like it came from the factory, I think it was blended in with the original foot panel.

[phenom_1819]

OMG...

I think I've just decided to go with new amps.  I've wasted most of today looking at this crap.  I'm going to sleep on it, but as of now I'm going to get a JL 300/2 to run the tower speakers and a 500/1 to run my W7 sub.  Those two amps are both really small and will actually fit in the same space that the Kenwood amp takes up right now. 

As for the second battery, it seems like one would fit perfectly in the space between the storage compartment and the bow seat.  Any concerns about having the batteries about 6-8' apart from each other?  To wire a second battery, is it as simple as just wiring the second in parrallel?  Then can amps be hooked up to either battery?

[cyclone]

You should mount the battery close to the amps, I had an Optima behind the wall of the storage compartment between the cooler and the hull. I mounted a group 24 battery box minus lid to the back side of the bulkhead to the left side of the storage compartment when you are looking in the door. I mounted a Hellroaring isolator/combiner to that panel as well, that would connect/disconnect the second battery when charge was applied either via the alternator or my onboard charger. All that crap is going in the SX, since I'm gonna take a bath on the E22, I pulled all that stuff off. There are pics on one of the original maintenance docs I put up.

If I were to do it from scratch (Cal:) I would use a Stinger 200 amp continuous duty solenoid, it would energize when the boat is running and connect the second battery + terminal to the charge source. The power and ground run straight to the amps, short run with big wire. This is a cheap and efficient way to isolate your second battery. It is a relatively short wire run from the Perko to the storage compartment.

JL is a good choice for the amps, I am going to use Old School Zed Audio made Planet Audio amps for my systems. I have cornered the Ebay market on them, got some real deals so far. I'm going to disassemble them and have the extrusion (amp cases) anodized purple to match the purple LEDs I'm putting in. Cal, with all your big time pimpin' you definitely need to put LEDs in your boat. It is easy and pretty cheap, lots of bang for the buck. I am also going to run 8 interior speakers off one 600 watt two channel amp at 2 ohms/channel  There is no reason to go to a four channel when two will do.

I mounted my amps in the storage compartment on the hull side. I glued MDF blocks to the hull and screwed panels made from cheap ass cutting boards (home depot) that I covered with matching cheap ass grey marine carpet from Lowes. On the SX it looks like two of my amps will fit on the wall on the left side of the storage compt, the sub amp will go on the hull in front of the rear Vdrive storage compt.

Here's a pic of the amp install on my E22. I put a homemade LED cluster on the underside of each amp mounding board so they glow from underneath at night. More crap like that coming for the SX:) You can make your own LED clusters if you are a cheap SOB like me:) These amps are staying in the E22, it is at the boat dealer for sale right now, CHEAP:) Good deal for someone!

[cyclone]

There is more than enough room for a 12" sub enclosure under the footpanel of an E22. I made a box and mounted the footpanel directly to the front of the box. I removed the plastic supports for the footboard that are behind the panel. Here is a pic of the latest sub, I pulled the 12W6 and replaced it with a cheap Polk 12", good match for the amp I have in there.

I will have to relocate my heater on the SX to put one in there, not as much room under there.

[phenom_1819]

Yesterday I bought the JL amps.  And the WetSounds Pro80's arrived today -- holy crap, they are huge.  They are literally as big around as a basketball...can't wait to hear them. 

Pete, where can I buy the solenoid?  I've been doing searches all over the place with no luck.  I've decided I'm going to keep the W7 and the box it is in now.  Part of the problem with the W7 is it needs a lot more room to breathe than most subs do.  The box is big.  I have the heater option, so so under the drivers seat is a no-go. 

I'm spending way too much money.  Somebody please buy my LaunchPad fat sacks and amps (in the for sale section).

Thank you for all the help.

[cyclone]

http://www.cardomain.com/item/LITS200

Here you go Cal:)

[phenom_1819]

Alright, battery install almost done.  Stupid question that I'm almost certain I know the answer to.  The solenoid is installed and positive terminals of both batteries are hooked up to the solenoid.  Do I still need to wire the negative terminals of the batteries together, as if they were in parrallel?

[phenom_1819]

Yep, I do.     Here's a good "how-to" link I found on wakeworld.com.  Dang, Pete...you run pretty much every battery/hellroaring isolator/solenoid conversation ever started on wakeworld!  Except this one, bwaaah haah haaahhhhh.....
http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/305823.html

And the diagram that I found helpful:
http://www.tmcowners.com/teamtalk/showthread.php?t=3557

[cyclone]

HAH that's cool Cal.Yeah, I can't help but jump in on WW when some normal person asks a simple question and gets a bunch of smartass bullshit answers from know-not IjustboughtaboatandI'mcoolnow idiots on that site. If you sift through the posts on that site, there is great info but it's mostly wankers with new boats bragging and justifying their unfavorable debt-to-income ratio. It gets really stupid this time of year when everyone is jonesing  to go out on their boat.

Sounds like your boat is gonna be big time pimped when you get done. Are you gonna do any LED lights or anything?

[phenom_1819]

No more pimpin' right now... I'm already in way more than I started out wanting/expecting to spend.  By about double.  There is one more upgrade I REALLY want -- the JL Audio 450/1 amplifier.  150 x 2 to channels 1 & 2, 75 x 2 to channels 3 & 4.  Yes, there are plenty of others that would be a nice upgrade from the Sony (which isn't broken, so I'm not sure why I need to fix it), but if I'm going to do it I want to do it right.  I've decided to hold off until I hear it first, or until somebody buys my old amps/trades with me.

You should see those wetsounds pro 80's on the tower.  They fit really well in the corners of the tower, with just a little bit of angle-out so you should be able to hear them outside the wake.  I'm trying to be as patient as I can...but I can't wait to hear them.  I'm hoping amps arrive today so that I can drag the boat out this weekend and find an open area, which shouldn't be hard considering I live in a desert, and warm them up a little bit.  I can't wait!

[phenom_1819]

Oops, I meant JL Audio 450/4 amplifier.  And I also forget to mention -- I did some "light pimpin'" of the interior with some new stainless steel cupholders throughout.  They look NICE.  Our boats need more chrome/stainless steel.  I tried to change out the rear grab-handles with stainless when I bought the boat (I also really wanted diamondplate SOMEWHERE, if you remember).  The cupholders were an easy way to accomplish that.  $9/ea at wakeside.com.  d-drives need 8 of them.

[phenom_1819]

Dual battery/solenoid set-up is done.  Next step -- wiring the tower speakers.  Has anybody tried to replace the stock tower wiring?  How difficult is it? 

[phenom_1819]

It's days like this when I wish more people checked this site in the winter...  my conversation is very one-sided.  And I kinda need help.

At the base of the tower mounts, the hole in the fiberglass is too small for my 12-ga speaker wire to fit through.  The whole is only about 1/2" around.  My instinct tells me that I can take a drill to it from the underside of the tower mount and gauge the hole in the fiberglass out larger -- I know I can get a drill in there without problem.  But is this a good idea??

Is there an easier solution?

[curtis]

We are here!!! Yes you can drill a larger hole thru the glass.
Just measure 50times then drill. After rigging tower lights a
couple of years ago on a E-22 , then mounting a tower on a S-22, I
still check about 50 times before I commit suicide.
Just trying to keep up to what you are doing with the batteries.
Currently I have the "fixings" for the same thing you are doing,
Tower speakers, amp, sirrus, etc. haven't had a breath to
put it all together...............I will need your help in a couple of months.
Oh and thats about the best cleanest way to install the wiring
to the tower.
curtis