Just got new stereo for our 28.5 looking for suggestions on were to put speakers in cabin and cockpit. Merry Christmas
Were to put speakers
- Thread starter Cmp1110
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Where to put speakers
http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=747836&highlight=speakers
http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=747836&highlight=speakers
When we bought our boat 2 yrs ago, there were speakers near the cockpit sole. They were damaged from people kicking them, so I removed them and covered the holes with deck plates (see pic). I knew eventually I'd put in a stereo and speakers, but it only recently came close to the top of the project list. I intend to do what someone suggests in a Practical Sailor Waypoints newsletter. After installilng the speakers, will cover with deck plate when not in use. I wouldn't have put speakers in this place, but there are already 6" holes. Since this information is from a free newsletter, will post contents.
Many owners whose boats have cockpit-mounted stereo speakers are totally unaware that they can admit sea water at the rate of al- most 1,000 gallons per minute if deluged by a 1-foot wave on deck.
Here's how to calculate the potential danger: Q = 3,600 (A) (H) in which Q is gallons per minute, A is the area of the hole in square feet and H is the height of water over the hole in feet measured to the lowest part of the hole.
The calculation for 1,000 gallons per minute is predicated on two speakers, each having a 5" diameter hole. The area of a circle is Pi x R2. The diameter is 5" or .417 feet. Half of .417 is .208, so the math is: 3,600x3.14(.208X.208)x1= 489 GPM, per speaker.
It is not uncommon to have more than a foot of water on deck. Sea water weighs 8.6 pounds per gallon, so one would get more than four tons of water below per minute with 1' high waves washing through blown-out speaker cones.
Fortunately, it is relatively easy to install deck plates over existing speaker holes. ABI and Perko make chrome-plated, cast bronze deck plates with screw-in centers in 5" and 6" sizes. Beckson has plastic 4" and 6" screw-in deck plates.
I bolt the deck plate through the speaker structure and a 3/4" thick plywood backing plate. Half-inch long screws hold the speaker (generally without the decorative grill) to the backing plate behind the fiberglass cockpit side. A black fiberglass window screen glued to the front of the backing plate makes an attractive speaker grille and will not corrode. With deck plates covering speaker apertures, one can enjoy music on good days while maintaining watertight integrity in heavy weather.
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My cockpit speakers are in the coaming, each end of the stern locker seats. They lasted ten years before the Florida sun finally did them in. Never covered, always open to the elements. These are the flush type, no edge for covers. But they do make those. I'll be too old to sail when these replacements fail: http://www.rocktheboataudio.com/html/32002.html
I have the 28.5 - in the cabin 2 round cone types are located on each side of the Vberth arch and I I got the WM box spkrs mounted high up on each side of the bulk head by the gally and chart table wall. The ones on tha latter bulkhead being I can rotate to throw the sound towards the cockpit- but I want to get a more balanced sound in the cockpit so I bought another pair to mount at a "V Angle" under the teak helmsman seat . Will instal a DPDT switch so the audio signal from the Vberth spkrs will switch to the helmsman seat when I want it . I usually remove my H-seat when I'm away so I simply unplug the signal jac from the coverable sockets under the H-seat- I think they are called J-ports ( from Jenson co).
I don't like cutting holes in the cockpit- and most all of the spkrs baffles/covers I've seen install on the side of the "T" AND they get ugly yellowed from the sun exposure.
I don't like cutting holes in the cockpit- and most all of the spkrs baffles/covers I've seen install on the side of the "T" AND they get ugly yellowed from the sun exposure.
Great help I was also thinking under the helm seat. I also do not want to cut holes in the cockpit.
I ended up buying two waterproof box speakers with adjustable brackets to mount on either side of my cabin top near the cockpit. That way I could remove the speakers if I did not want them up. My only concern was having the speaker bracket sitting on the cabin without the speakers for fear of it getting bent or hung up on a line. My solution was to fabricate a second permanent mount to the cabin top with threaded brass inserts. That way I can remove the whole speaker assembly, leaving just a small low-profile mount on the cabin top.
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