am/fm/stereo installation and speaker placement

[Tom Glennon]

Well, we just purchased hull #354, and believe it or not, it has no stereo!  Any advice as to where a good place would be to install? I was thinking about the shelf area next to the nav station.

Any suggestions for speaker placement in the cockpit?  As this is a Mark 1, without the rail seats, I was thinking perhaps in the coaming area, port and starboard.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

[Rodney]

I have a Mark I (Hull #290) and I'm happy with the speakers mounted in front of the transom storage locker facing foward (with the speakers down by your feet on the port and starboard side but up several inches from the very bottom). The only disadvantage is that a dramtically misplaced foot could whack the speaker grating but no place is perfect.

As far as a stereo is concerned, I was going to replace the aging AM/FM/Tape Player that was on the boat when I got it. However I recently purchased a iPod MP3 player (Creative Labs Nomad player would be a good choice for you Windows users) because I have to travel for business a lot and wanted to listen to music to while away the travel hours. But I found that after loading it with my entire CD collection it worked great with the boat also! I interface it with the existing FM radio using a small little FM transmitting device (called the iRock - get it at any Radio Shack).

Now I have my entire music selection on my boat at all times and I don't even need a CD Player any more. Works great!

-Tranquility '87 Hull # 290
San Diego WA7ZIA

[Stu Jackson]

I believe, I believe.  Our PO didn't have one either.  They just watched TV at the dock!

I bought a car stereo and matched 6 disc CD changer.  Mounted it just forward of the nav station.  The cassette - radio unit is mounted to the underside of the deck.  The CD changer is mounted to the shelf that is the top of the space with the black sliding doors below.  I got a great deal on some small Radio Shack speakers for inside, and they lay on the shelf one aft of the cassette, one way at the forward end of the shelf.  I store the CDs on this shelf, and the cassette tapes behind the black sliding doors over the nav station.

After trying to figure out the "best" place for the cockpit speakers, I agree with Rodney's assessment for placement.  The sound gets out very well to the cockpit, and when you're behind the wheel, the angled cockpit seats bounce the sound back to you.  Aslo easiest place to install.  You'll find that the pacement isn't exactly equal, since the manual bilge pump on the port side moves that speaker a little more to the center line.  It just doesn't matter.

I haven't hit them with my feet in three years and they still work.  Got the Horizon Standards, white exterior round speakers.  Many other companies now make them, like West Marine.  Their template was wrong, so you'll need to cut the holes and use a dremel tool to enlarge them a bit to get the speakers to fit.  The aft lazarette makes it a great boom box!

The newer MP3 technology is a great idea, too.

[Rodney]

Isn't "aft lazarette" an oxymoron? (this coming from a guy who couldn't remember that an "transom storage locker" IS a lazzarette!)

[Tom P, IMPULSE #233, '86]

When looking at hull 233 prior to purchase, I was horrified to see that the automotive AM/FM/Cassette player was mounted on in the forward port bulkhead facing aft; the bulkhead which separates the main cabin from the V berth...

The broker and I were in amazement that someone would actually cut a large rectangular hole in such a odd place, which in our opinion basically ruining the bulkhead...

However, after spending some time looking around the boat, we soon learned why the previous owner chose that placement...The car stereo had a wireless remote and needed to be placed within "line of sight" of the cockpit/helm...And that bulkhead placement was the only reasonable place to put it...

The owner cut the hole just above the locker top in the V Berth, so the brackets which support the radio are screwed into the top of the locker...The owner then made a nice wooden cover for the back of the radio; so from the V Berth, it looks like a nice, factory installed job...

I recently replaced the original AM/FM/Cassette w/remote player with a new Kenwood model; AM/FM/CD with sirrus capability (satelite radio) and wireless remote ($165)...I also added a Kenwood 6 disc changer which plugged directly into the radio...I mounted the CD Changer inside the top drawer of the port V Berth cabinets...The CD player fit in the drawer nicely and still leaves plenty of room for extra CD's or anything else...

I haven't got around to installing the cockpit speakers yet...But really like the ability to control the radio from the cockpit via the wireless remote...

Tom

[pklein]

West Marine has 6" Jensen speakers at about $70 per pair.  You can use the surface mount boxes they come with or cut holes and make them flush mount.  The 6" cone sounds better than most 5" box speakers.

I mounted mine on the vertical outboard pushpit rails by using 1" ss eye straps.  I used the strap to drill two holes in the back of the enclosure and then put ss washers on the #8 ss pan head machine screws.  The speakers are out of the way, easy to mount and a pleasure to hear.

Phill Klein
Andiamo #977
Montrose Harbor - Chicago

[Jkar]

Ya mon, here is the deal.

Cheaper CD/AM/FM stereo ~150ish (WM, Sear's, BestBuy) w/ 1/8" mini input on the front for accessories (MP3) (WM has one that reads CDRW for 159)

Set of Bose 151's in White (Submersible) ~250/pair (You can get them in black as well)

Quick release rail mounts (Thumb screws w/ 1/4" stud) ~17

I mounted the CD unit on the flat face above the navstation.  Ran wires out to the rear locker.  Attached the speakers to the wire, the rail mounts to the bottom of the Bose (has a standard thread for the rail mounts) clamped them to the back rail.  Wires do not impede closure of the rear locker, and when you are done, quick release and secure in the locker.

Benefits are that the sound is not at your feet and Bose speakers rock, even inverted and submerged :0

If you want a remote, invest in the FM Transmitter that Rodney talked about and a portable MP3 player ~100 and you can change tracks, adjust volume... from upto 50feet away.

[Ted Pounds]

I'm with Joel;  I mounted my speakers on the pulpit with rail clamps.   I preferred not to cut holes in my cockpit.  A little bit of tape and the wires dissapear virtulaly unseen into aft locker.  My speakers are Poly-Planar(sp?), a different brand,  but having been to a couple Amar Bose's lectures when I was at MIT I know he's the man for audio acoustics.  

Ted

[Stu Jackson]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Rodney Grim:
                              Isn't "aft lazarette" an oxymoron? (this coming from a guy who couldn't remember that an "transom storage locker" IS a lazzarette!)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
 

Yup, took me a few years to figure out what to call them!  I now use lazarrette for the aft "boom box," and port locker for the other one.  Good thing there are only two of 'em!  

Now if I could only stop syaing "going downstairs," "bathroom," and "kitchen," I'd be doing OK.

[jwwarwick]

Jenson makes an outdoor model for marine use that fits perfectly inside the coming cutouts on either side of the cockpit. I used 3-M 5200 adhesive to attach them to the underside of the deck so the speakers were facing down. This leaves about 2 inches of clearance to the bottom of the coming box. I also mounted a waterproof toggle switch in the coming box that will shut the unit off from the cockpit if needed for docking or using the VHF. It sounds great and gives a really good stereo effect and you can not even see them! Front speakers are the small metal box type mounted on a bracket on either side of the main cabin facing aft. Stereo is on bracket hung from under deck in front of nav station.89C34

John Warwick

[salsailor]

Do you remember what model of the speaker? I'm planning to do the same, but haven't found speakers of that size can fit in.

thanks

Lee

Jenson makes an outdoor model for marine use that fits perfectly inside the coming cutouts on either side of the cockpit. I used 3-M 5200 adhesive to attach them to the underside of the deck so the speakers were facing down. This leaves about 2 inches of clearance to the bottom of the coming box. I also mounted a waterproof toggle switch in the coming box that will shut the unit off from the cockpit if needed for docking or using the VHF. It sounds great and gives a really good stereo effect and you can not even see them! Front speakers are the small metal box type mounted on a bracket on either side of the main cabin facing aft. Stereo is on bracket hung from under deck in front of nav station.89C34

John Warwick