Stereo Speaker Installation in 26X

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

I'm into my third year using a boombox in my Mac and although simple is good, there are also some clear advantages of having a nice stereo. I went back and read a bunch of the old threads on this and have some questions.

1. Do you have to cut an access panel to do the traditional speaker in the vberth area install or can you just cut the speaker holes?

2. Will 6.5 inch speakers fit in the vberth or do you have to use smaller?

3. What is the best tool to cut the thin fiberglass/gelcoat in that area?

4. For cockpit speakers, seems like the black plexiglass panels on the sides of the pedestal would be the easiest plact to install. But I'm concerned that having both speakers together in the smallish pedestal box will cause sound quality problems. Anybody install in this area with good results?

5. Anybody have any experience with these Pyle stereos as seen on Ebay. They seem to have a nice looking wired remote which seems to be a big plus to have at the helm.

Appreciate hearing any insights.

[Scott]

Dimitri, We also use a Boombox. A water "resistant " one. after 4 years and some serious rain and splash it still works. We have considered the hard mount but didnt due to replaceability and portability as we also party at the BBQ up from our slip.



As for your questions my opinion is.

1. Some others have posted in the past that you can access this area through the access panel under the anchor locker. Lotta foam to pull but do-able.

2. dunnoh

3.I would bet on a roto zip with a circle guide

4.That plexi on the binnacle is very brittle, be careful. Also do you have instrumentation and will it be affected by a strong magnetic field?

5. nope

[ALX357]

later x-boats (mine is a 2000) have no access panel under the anchor locker at all, and access to the bow fittings is thru a space left open at the front of the V-berth. You would not need to access behind the speaker holes, if you mean the flat surfaces facing aft on either side aft of the fore-hatch. Running the speaker wires thru the space over the upper liner is more of a chore....

[Greg]

I experimented with rotozip and sabre saw for cutting fiberglass, but got the best results using a dremel tool with cutoff blade then smooth out the edges with the drum sander attachment. Fire up the shop vac and hold the hose to collect the glass as you cut will keep the mess to a minimum.

There are special drill bits and sabre saw blades for drilling and cutting acrylic. Straight cuts can be done using a special knife blade that scores the sheet so that it can be snapped apart.

I have 6.5" West Marine round speakers mounted in that area. No access panel is needed for installation.

Sound is very good from those speakers but I need another set in the cockpit for good sound quality. We rarely use it when in motion because of that- only at anchor.

If mounting in the pedestal, I will use waterproof shielded box speakers set in a bracket so that they can be removed during storage. I would prefer to clamp them to the rear stanchions (removable), but don't want to deal with rusting terminals and haven't seen a good wireless solution yet. Probably end up with the box speakers in the pedestal.

Greg

[ALX357]

Greg,
exactly what route did you go for the wiring of the speakers over the V-berth. ? Is the player unit surface mounted over the "battery box" storage compartment ?

[Sloop John B]

Hey, get a better boom box. One for CDs and tape. Dont be having your compass deviate to the point you inadvertently end up in Trinidad.

If you just have to do it, for nothing else to do in the winter, then install a large vibrating woofer under the middle of the helm seat. It will be worth it.

[ALX357]

Using a MP3 player like a iPod or hand-held computer with solid state memory cards as used in cameras works great for a music source. Just select the music from a list, and no handling of cd's or tapes needed.
I have an HP iPac hand held Windows CE computer with a 4-gigabyte CF card in it and a 1 gig SD card also, holds around 1,400 songs, easily changed on the computer. Still need an amplified sound system, but a 100 dollar computer sound system in a suitable carry-on bag, with subwoofer and speakers sounds great. a cheap car 12V~AC inverter supplies the power no mods needed, just a 12v outlet which most of us have installed anyway.
Just an idea i thought some of you sailors might like to think about as a convenient and portable alternative to the "boom-box" route, which means cd's or tapes to deal with.

[Sloop John B]

Geez, Alex, let me rest my head.

"A HP iPac hand held Windows CE computer with a 4-gigabyte CF card in it and a 1 gig SD card."

You talk like my kids do.

Give us a break!

[ALX357]

true it's a new language for us, but i picked it up ok at age 50, and live in the digital age now..... music sounds great like it did back when, but there is no reason to deal with all that old tech stuff when this new way of playing it is so easy. Luddites ought to try it awhile before closing the gate.
Besides, if you can assimilate the details of a trailer carried, outboard powered, water ballasted, swing centerboard, twin ruddered, fractional rigged, roller furled 150% Genoa equipped, vanged and backstayed, all fibergalss and stainless steel powersailer boat, nothing seems that complicated anymore.

[Catigale]

Luddites ought to try it awhile before closing the gate

I did try it. honestly, but the d*** CAT 5E T100 Ethernet line gets caught in the gate and it wont close.....

[ALX357]

[Brian]

Dimitry,

I just posted a new mod called "Simple Stereo Installation" in the mods section. My first mod posting by the way. I started to reply to your post and realized that a few pictures would be worth a thousand words in this case. BTW, I highly recommnd the wired remote. My original plan was to use a wireless remote like baldbaby2000. His mod is a good one too. I just know that with my family the remote would end up in the drink eventually. I hope this helps.

Regards,

Brian

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

Brian, thanks for posting the mod. Looks like a nice clean install you did, good tip to hold the clips in place with putty. I presume that is long enough to run the screws through. Also, what tool did you use to cut the speaker holes? One reason that I would like to have a separate set of speakers in the cockpit is so that you can decide whether it will be louder in the cockpit or in the cabin. With a lot of people on the boat, this could become an issue. Do you mind if I ask how much a JBL system like that costs? I guess the 6x9 speakers probably sound better than the 6.5 inch rounds. That Pyle unit on Ebay looks interesting but I would be a bit hesitant going with a name I've never heard of like that. I think you can't go too wrong with well known names like JBL, Clarion, etc.

Scott, I'm not sure if I have any instrumentation in the pedestal area. My compass is not there. The electro compass for the autopilot is in the stern area of the cabin but would be at least a couple feet away from the speakers. This would also be true if I mounted them in the foot well walls. Otherwise, my fishfinder and GPS sit on top of the pedestal so that would be a foot or two away from the speakers. Doesn't seem like magnetic interference should interfere with the A/P motor unit on my sportpilot+. Although maybe it would affect my electric tachometer which is in the pedestal. Doesn't sound like many people have installed speakers in the pedestal...or else they aren't speaking up about it.

ALX, I agree that having mp3 capability is pretty important which is one reason I will likely get rid of my existing (uninstalled) stereo and get one that supports cd-r and mp3. I really like the long play and home DJ ability of that. I made an mp3 music CD on my computer that has about 12 hours of music on it. But I also like listening to the radio too.

Thanks for all the responses so far...as usual on this board, it is so much better to learn and carefully plan through experiences of others before undertaking a non-reversable project.

[Brian]

Dimitri,

Here are the responses to your questions:

Yes, you are exactly right. I use putty to hold the clips in place long enough to run the screws through. I used a drill and a sabre saw to cut my holes. I don't own a roto-tool/dremel. I guess I should buy one next time I see a good deal. I understand your desire to put a set of speakers in the cockpit. Honestly, I just could not bring myself to cut holes into the cockpit of my brand new boat. However, if I had the X pedestal like you have, and did not already have a compass there to interfere with, I would mount two 6 1/2" speakers there. Let me tell you, it's not easy to add things to the tiny M pedestal.

I don't mind you asking the price of the JBL stuff. Here it is:

JBL MR-25 AM/FM/MP3 Receiver Controller 31-914-0914 $249.99 180 Watts (4 x 45)

JBL REM20GSW Wired Remote for use with JBL Receivers 31-914-0778 $69.99

JBL MS920 6" x 9" Two-Way Marine Speakers, pair 74186 Sale:
$79.99 I bought two pairs.

I purchased the stereo and remote from boatersworld.com, and the speakers from overtons.com. My original plan was to use 6 1/2" round speakers, but bought the 6" x 9" speakers instead because I got them on sale for less than the smaller speakers. They are still on sale at Overton's if you are interested. MP3 is great if you want to have hours of music on a single CD. You can purchase a decent AM/FM/MP3 Automotive Receiver for around $100, but you won't get a marine unit with the wired remote unless you are willing to shell out more bucks. You only buy quality once though, right? Best of luck with your mod.

Regards,

Brian

[Bobby T.-26X #4767]

Brian...Welcome!
Another 90 TLDI owner...YES!


and (I'll bet) a Longhorn fan too!