Subwoofer in a direct-drive boat

[phenom_1819]

Has anybody tried putting a subwoofer in any of the direct drive boats?  Where did you do install it?

Worried about rattling, if I put it in the storage are in front of the passenger seat...I know some rattling is inevitable, but how bad is it in a Toyota?  Anybody tried it?
 
Thanks,
Cal

[toyotafreak]

Unless you've got the heater option - which will be under the kick panel in front of the driver's seat (look pete, I didn't say helm), you'd probably want to stick the sub in there.

Don't remember off hand how much volume is there, but it seemse like it'd do for a 12". You'll want to find/make a box to fit in there and have it carpeted to match. Don't just plan on cutting a hole in the existing kick panel.

That'd do for a single sub and wouldn't take up your cubby space.


Here's what we have to do:

Ballast and speaker enclosures both use buttloads of good storage space. Why can't we combine the two. We might not be able to bump while the ballast is in, but... In the v-drive, we've got those lockers - just about the right size for 1100 pounds of water, or at least a pair of 18's...

This way we have double justification to use the space - speakers or ballast.

Yeah, a little MGD tonight...

[phenom_1819]

Derek,

I think I saw pictures of your boat (or one just like it) with the sub installed beneath the helm (there, I said it...).  :-)

I do have the heater option, but I'm going to take a look in there tonight and see if I can work around it...  Don't you have problems with the cd player skipping? Boats that I've done installs on  before, where the sub was in the same vicinity as the CD player, have always skipped like crazy with any amount of volume.

How has your boat handled it?

And has anybody tried installing a sub on the port side?

[toyotafreak]

Cal, you've got more experience than I. Got no amps, no subs, no satellite radio, no MP3 player. Did add a Kenwood changer (which skips like a mother). Can't use the changer unless we're sitting. The in-dash does OK unless it's really choppy.

Glad you brought up the 'bass making the cd skip' phenomena. Hadn't even thought of that before.

There are some dudes on the wakeworld discussion board that seem to know some sheot. One of them was talking about their 300Wx2 amp which set them back $3,500 (!!!!!!).

Think there might be only one thing unique to the Toyota application: don't expect to upgrade your alternator easily. Although a good alternator, it's not so easy to get ahold of and can't be cheap. If one of them real stereo types had an Epic, I'm sure they'd have a replacement fabricated so they could recharge their four Optimas in a reasonable amount of time.


Look at that, no MGD and I'm still a blabbermouth ;-)

[phenom_1819]

You bring up a whole 'nother issue...now I'm a little worried about.  And I know there's a post about this already (but it left me a little unclear): the dual-battery and alternator issue.

I was going to run three amps (one four channel 240-watt amp, one four channel 120 watt amp, and a 300 watt sub amp) to power 8 speakers and one subwoofer.  So that's nearly 600 watts RMS and three amplifiers (not a huge load, but still...three amplifiers).

Was going to install at least a 1-farad capacitator to help balance the load, and have a dual-battery system wired-in (I don't do batteries, so will pay somebody to do this).  

Being completely inexperienced with Toyota's, and only having dealt with the good alternators that come on the Mercruiser Magnum 350's, do you think the alternator will be a problem?  Has anybody had alternator problems?

I'm expecting to hear some "don't do it"s on this one (which probably won't stop me), but want to make sure I know what I'm getting myself into with the alternator situation.

I did a very similar installation on the boat next door (a 2003 Centurion Avalanche v-drive, Merc350, single battery), and it works fine. Will it be a problem in the Toyota?

And Derek, you must be sippin' your MGD... Apparently I'm pounding my PBR; because my rambling is much more beligerent.

[cyclone]

Guys,
Here's what I can tell you about these issues. Toyota alternator is very robust and puts out a true 80 to 90 amps depending on what specs you read. It probably is equivalent to a 130 watt GM or Ford alternator. Not a problem even with gobs of amplifiers. I put my sub in the panel in front of the driver (starboard side for us squids, eh Derek!) I found a sealed box sub enclosure (10") that fit right in there. I pulled the foot panel and the enclosure slid right in. I cut a hole in the foot panel and put a grille over it. If you have a heater, the holes for the heater are right in the middle of where the speaker is. You could relocate them to the right, there is room on the other side of the little divider panel.

I put my second battery in the port (left) storage compartment in the extra unused space behind the cooler (gedunk storage area:) There is enough room there for an Optima, see the articles on the How To page.

I also added a Kenwood CD changer in the stock location, mounted to the kick panel in front of the driver on the left side. It skips like crazy, especially when I am jamming out my God given rock and roll like Uriah Heep, Humble Pie and Foghat. The WHO Live at Leeds. Anything to drown out the punks in Daddy's boat playing Enema-em. They hate me.

Subwoofer  ballast enclosures?!?

[toyotafreak]

My alternator was bench tested this summer, and it put out gobs of current (can't remember if it was 85 or 95A.)

Pete, when I worked on Gary P.'s S22, the heater was pretty big. The hoses aren't the problem, it's the motor, fan and coils. On the floor right behind the kick panel. Clearly in the way (but Cal hasn't said if he's got the heater....)


I buy Pete's Hellroaring isolator position. From years of radio control stuff I know how easy it is to kill a battery from undercharging. The isolator makes sure that each battery is getting fully charged.

The sound system I was looking to build was all Kenwood crap, but it was 1060W RMS. For this, I felt that two dedicated Optimas would be the ticket. Considering how much stereo stuff costs, an extra 4150 on the third Optima seemed like a wise investment. The two stereo batteries were gonna go in the port cubby like Pete described. In the S22, there's room to slide them aft a ways to keep from enchroaching on cubby space. At least two of the three amps were heading in that cubby too. Amps were going to be 7201's and 7251's at about a buck fifty each.

As it turns out now, ballast is more important to me than a loud ass system. Indeed, there will soon be a Big Bump blocking access to the cubby ;-(


As far as enema-em goes...Pete you're gonna have to send me your address so I can hook you up with some hip hop that's more soulfull and clean enough for the kids to listen to. Good stuff. It'll make your old school stuff sound.... well, ....old.

And yes, the ballast sub enclosure is as efficient as the Lazy Susan.

[phenom_1819]

Wow. Just checked the specs on the Mercruiser Magnum MPI, which is what the boat next door has... Only 65 amps.  And that does just fine.  So 80-90 amps should rock it.

I do have the heater, and I tried taking off my cover last night to dig around...it's too friggin' cold in Seattle right now to do much of anything.   But Derek, from what you're saying, I don't think starboard-side is an option.  Especially after Pete said his CD player "skips like crazy."  So I'm going port.  Will start designing this weekend.

Great advice with the isolators and battery configurations.  The previous owner had just installed a very nice gel-cell battery...hopefully I don't have to replace that, and I can just build from there.

Thanks for all the help.  Oh, and Pete...I'll bump the Eminem every once in a while, but I throw in the AC/DC, Metallica, Danzig, Judas Priest, and of course, Motley Crue and Ozzy.  It's OK to listen to the new crap as long as you stay true...  -Cal

[toyotafreak]

Danzig.....just a little hard to sing along..