Help me re-build my sound system.

[wakejunky]

Not quite sure why you need 12-GA wire to run tower speakers. I think it's overkill. I ran 14-GA monster cable through my tower just fine. I'm running two sets of skylon components. (4) 6 1/2 and (4) tweeters. You can use the old wire as a snake or I used some wire feed from a welder. DO NOT drill from the inside out! when the bit cuts through the outer gelcoat it will shatter the gel coat and end up spider cracking everywhere. Always drill from the outside in, you must run the bit in the reverse direction until it has cut through the entire gelcoat otherwise it will chip. then you can run the drill forward through the fiberglass. if your really nervous about it you can run it in reverse all the way through.

Good luck. Just remember a short cut usually ends up costing more than just doing it the right way the first time. If it was me I would remove the tower leg and enlarge the hole with a dremel with a stone grinder bit and the finish it off with tapering off the hole so it will not spider crack down the road when the fiberglass flex's going over a double up or something.

[cyclone]

12 gauge is definitely overkill for any tower speaker. I use CL4 Monster cable, which is 14 gau 4 conductor in one jacket. You can easily fit this through a .5 in hole.  If you HAVE to run 12 gau, run one wire per side. I used the CL4 so that I have other conductors for my tower lights. I would avoid drilling out the hole as spider cracking is likely. .5 in. should be more than enough.

If you need to replace the wire, tape a string to the old wire and pull it through. If you need to run a new wire and there is no wire in there, duct tape a shop vac to the bottom hole in the top tower leg, then feed a string through the top of the tower. Tape off the other holes for more suction. Works like a champ. I was the first person to post this years ago, now everyone does it and takes credit for being so clever:)

I ran new wire last week in my old boat, took 20 minutes per side including the vacuum trick.

As far as amps go, I prefer to run fewer amps but drive them harder, it lessens the load on the charging system. So, I am going to run one Zed audio 600watt rms amp for the tower at 4 ohms bridged mono, and an identical one at 2 ohms stereo powering 8 interior speakers. I have cornered the Ebay market on this particular amp, I bought four of them and have a bid in on a fifth:) Then, a 1500 watt RMS class D sub amp powering a 12w6 and a 10W3 in parallel at 1.5 ohms. I may have to upgrade the alternator, but I am going to give it a shot first to see if the stock one will hang with it.

Five channel amps are cool but the sub channel won't have enough grunt to power a big sub like a w6 or w7.

[phenom_1819]

That's genious, Pete.  I don't have to run 12-ga, I just new that my stock wiring is very old and turning brown...there's no way I'm hooking up these new tower speakers with it.  My logic was that if I'm replacing it, I may as well replace with the thick stuff.  Back to the car stereo store.

I'm not trying to do any shortcuts, I just don't know any better.  That's why I check here before I do ANYTHING (see my user name). 

Thanks for all your help, guys.

[cyclone]

Cal,
I'll try to call you tonight, just got back from Europe and now I'm in North Carolina. I am jet lagged so bad my skull is buzzing.

I bought a bag of 50 of the grommets used for the tower. I'll send you a set for your boat:) I will also take a pic showing my tower wiring, I did a really clean job on the E22 when I put Terry's 151's on there. I used that black nylon sheathing to cover the wire, looks all professional and sheot.

[brad]

Okay Pete you've got me going on the battery isolator project.

I bought the one you recommended and now it's time to hook it up.  I currently have two batteries connected to a Perko switch 1, 2, All, Off.

Any recommendations how to add the isolator?

I'm also going to relocate my battery from the V-Drive Starboard Locker to the open area in front of the V-Drive locker panel (close to the original battery).

PS - It looks like my amp is connected with the black wire to the starting battery (-) and red to the deep-cell battery (+).

[phenom_1819]

I'm probably not the best source on the solenoid, but I've given enough thought to this that I'd hope I understand.  My guess is that you would wire it in-line with either of the positive battery cables from the perko, and it should work fine when the perko is in the "all" position.  I could be wrong though, I'm a rookie.  My other hunch is that amplifiers should both be hooked up to the same battery.  It probably doesn't matter with a Perko, but with an isolator it would draw from both (or possibly neither?) battery when the boat isn't running.

As to my system, the battery install is done and the tower speakers wires are all run.  All wiring is wrapped in the insulator tubing, which makes it look very nice, especially for the wiring exposed at the tower speakers.  I tracked down some audiosource 14-ga round 4-conducter wiring and used that instead, which was much easier to work with than the traditional flat speaker wire.  Fit through the tower-base fiberglass hole easily.  And the shop-vac trick works like a charm. 

For anybody trying to do this utilizing the stock Bose tower speaker holes (as I did), here are two tips: 1) in the base of the tower, it is easiest to wire UP the tube...from the boat to the hinge on the tower.  2) for the tower itself, wire DOWN from the speaker locations to the tower-base/hinge.  Yes, you will have to splice, which I really did not want to do.  But I spent probably two hours wasting my time trying to get wires to round the corners through the cross-bars that they simply would not do.  So I gave up and spliced REALLY well, then tucked the wiring way up into the tower so that it shouldn't be disturbed.

Everything is installed -- just waiting on an amp-board that is being cut and carpeted by a local shop (too lazy to do it myself, they said they'd do it for $10), then the amps go in and I get to fire 'er up!   I'll post pics when I get it out of the garage in a couple weeks.

[phenom_1819]

Oh, and a battery box and second battery fit VERY nicely in a little spot in front of the bulkhead in the passenger side storage compartment, and behind the bow-seat of my X22.  Easy enough to access there,  and in a spot where it's not exposed to elements or in the way for anything but lifejackets.

[brad]

Here are some pic's of the perko switch.

It looks like I have two smaller gauge, red wires that each have an inline fuse.

I've also attached the isolator drawing.  Do I need to run the purple wire to the ignition or do I utilize one or both of the smaller red wires?

[phenom_1819]

Brad, I don't know what those two smaller wires are...  About your isolator, I believe it's the purple wire on my boat.  If you go into Pete's perfect pass install document, it will tell you which wire to wire PP to -- I used the same wire for my isolator. 

Of course I won't know until Saturday whether mine works or not...  but the isolator install (at least without replacing a perko switch) seems even villageidiot-proof.   

[brad]

Here's how I think I'll hook up the isolator.

I'll take off the battery 2 (+) wire from the Perko and connect it to the isolator.  I'll run battery 1 (+) & (-) wires from Perko to the isolator - I'll move the two smaller gauge red wires to the isolator.  In essence, the Perko will only function with position 1 selected or off.

I ran the purple wire from the isolator to the ignition purple wire (there were two coming out of the same contact on the ignition so I connected to one of them).

Does this sound correct?

[phenom_1819]

I have no idea.  I think it sounds right...??  You should fire a post out on wakeworld to confirm before you do anything.  Just disregard the first response you get, it's usually some jackass that doesn't know what he's talking about (like me, for example).   The second post may be more accurate.

[brad]

I believe I figured it out.  Once I studied all the wires, it made sense.

The three main posts on the Perko are Battery 1, Combiner, Battery 2 (all (+)).

I took the Battery 2 (+) wire off the Perko and put it on the isolator.  I ran a new red battery (+) wire from the combiner post on the Perko to the isolator.  I ran a new black battery (-) wire from the isolator to my Battery 1 (-).  Then ran a new purple wire from the isolator to the purple wire coming off the ignition.

I tested it as follows:

Perko to 1 position, then turned on the key and heard the isolator click.  When I turned off the key the isolator clicked again.  When I turned the key to acc, the isolator didn't click.

In the acc key position, I ran my stereo then moved the Perko switch to all, and the stereo kept running.  The Perko in position 2 cut the power.

The off position on the Perko also cuts the power.

Cal - thanks for the help!

My winter projects are all done!!!  It's time to hit the lake one the ice clears.

[brad]

Here's how I think I'll hook up the isolator.

I'll take off the battery 2 (+) wire from the Perko and connect it to the isolator.  I'll run battery 1 (+) & (-) wires from Perko to the isolator - I'll move the two smaller gauge red wires to the isolator.  In essence, the Perko will only function with position 1 selected or off.

I ran the purple wire from the isolator to the ignition purple wire (there were two coming out of the same contact on the ignition so I connected to one of them).

Does this sound correct?

Ignore the paragraph above about moving the wires - it's too confusing and not correct.

[phenom_1819]

Nice work, Brad! 

I just finished mine as well.  Fly High ballast went in last week.  Stereo was completed tonight.  Here's a couple pictures of my set-up.  In the picture, the second battery was installed behind the bulkhead on the right side -- and in one of the pics you can see the isolator installed in the top right hand corner.  Holy crap this is LOUD.  I'm putting it in the water tomorrow...

[cyclone]

Cal,
Nice job! It's a good way to do it, that space is not that useful anyway! I will probably end up with a sack in the walkway in the SX, so that doors useless anyway.

Post pics of the tower setup