Where to put the FM Radio and Speakers

[r.oril]

If someone could direct me to a thread showing how they installed their radio and speakers it would be a big help. I have a 1988 Mac 26D with no frills. I bought a standard size car radio/CD (Kenwood KDC-MP242 and 2 Boss Box speakers (MR30). The radio has a wireless remote.
Thanks

 

[JDK]

Here is where they are on Soire'e, but I'm sure there are other good places for the electronics. The area above the sink has all of the styrofoam removed from it, and replaced with wiring connections, etc., with the radio/CD mounted to the right. The (4) speakers are in the stern berth as well as midship above the right side of the sink and directly across the boat, both attached to the liner overhead. There is also a bass box (tube) in the bow to the right of the hatch for those who like the bump with their grind.

Sorry I don't have pics of the ones amidships.

The wireless remote is a good idea IMHO.

thx
JDK

 

[r.oril]

Thanks for the info and photos. Big help!!

 

[Sumner]

Ours is currently up there, but all of that is going to change a little.

We have an older VHF radio mounted under the companionway stairs with its antenna on the stern. It will stay there as a backup VHF. We are getting a new one with DSC and it will go up where the tape-deck is now and its antenna will go to the top of the mast. Hopefully I can mount the new VHF and tape-deck/radio one over the other where the tape-deck/radio is in the picture now.

We will also be getting a cheap handheld VHF that we can use in the cockpit or if I'm ashore tending to lines I can use it to talk back to Ruth on the boat.

I'm also going to mount the..................

..... Voltmeter and an amp-meter like it next to the radios above the sink.

I'd like to do something better for the cabin speakers for the tape-deck/radio as right now they are some that I stripped out of a van and don't look very nice where they are.

To tell you the truth now that we got this.............

...........ipod with the $20 speakers we never use the tape-deck/radio unless we are trying to pickup weather on the FM. This little I-pod and the speakers are great as we can put them out in the cockpit or in the cabin or in the V-berth wherever we are. The sound is good and the thing will run over a week playing all the time on a couple batteries. Since we have to rely on the generator and solar panels to recharge the batteries we don't like to use the tape-deck/radio if possible. We liked the ipod so much that we went and bought the 160 gig classic. Pretty unbelievable we can have all the music we have on tapes, phono records, CDs and what we record off of Sirius on this thing. I didn't think I would like the ipod and was still pretty stuck on my tapes and CDs, but I'm a believer now.

c ya and post pictures of what you end up doing,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

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[walt]

Where you put the speakers makes a difference on how they sound - especially true in these "plastic" sailboats with lots of interior gel coat. Since you have box speakers, can can try out different positions and listen to how things sound before picking a permanent spot.

My car stereo is located similar to where JDK and Sumner put theirs. For a while, I only had the two rear speakers, this winter I have added front speakers for four total. You can see where the rear ones are, this is a fairly good spot at least for how I use the boat. Mine are very simply held in place.. an eye strap on the boat has a small bungie cord to an eye strap on the speaker. I originally thought I wanted them so that I could move them to the outside of the cabin but have never used this option - don't think I ever will.

For the front, I tried the speakers in a few spots and ended up putting one speaker in the head and the second in a box under the port seat. The speaker under the port seat is pointed straight up as it sounds better this way - and the speaker is protected from getting kicked.

FYI, with four speakers and an IPOD, my normal current use from this stereo is about 1.5 amps - maybe closer to 2 when its cranking pretty loud. My speakers are all home bookshelf. The rear are 8 ohm, the front are 4/8 ohm (whatever that means). I auditioned both sets in the store and they sound dang good in the boat.

 

[r.oril]

Thanks guys!! I will be mounting the radio next week and the speakers are not due to arrive for a week or so. If I mount the radio in the hole like Sum, I will be able to hit it with the wireless from the tiller.
Good idea Walt on moving the speakers around before mounting them.
A volt meter next to the radio like JDK works for me.
I will post photos of the finshed project.

Sumner, what kind of wood and where did you get the meter, RS?

Thanks again for all the input.

 

[Doug J]

Stereo & speaker location

I just installed mine about three weeks ago. I put the receiver in the overhead above the galley, which is pretty common. On my 26S there was already holes above the aft berth. They were put there by the factory to provide access to the bolts for the lifeline stancions. I put the speakers right in those holes, they fit right in, and are pointing downward. They sound real good there, and are out of sight. I also mounted two 3" waterproof box speakers on the aft rail in the cockpit. Those can be easily removed. I rigged them with brackets, and thumb screws. I run wires into the laz, where I plug them in.

 

[Sumner]

Sumner, what kind of wood and where did you get the meter, RS?............

All of the wood for the .......................

............interior is either Marine, Good one Side only or CDX depending on where I'm using it or what look I want. Pretty cheap. It has been stained with a golden pecan stain and exterior polyurethane (3-5 coats sanded between the last couple). I've also ripped 2X4 decking redwood for trim and other pieces and just used the polyurethane on it.

The volt meter ......

.... is from these guys...............

http://www.solarblvd.com/index.php?cat=c33_Amp---Volt-Meters.html

and I also got the digital amp meter that runs on the negative side of the circuit from them also and it looks like the voltmeter. The voltmeter only draws 0.008 amps. I've also gotten a 40 watt and 80 watt solar panel from them.

c ya and good luck,

Sum


Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

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[oreana123]

Whatever you do please PLEASE do not cut holes in the exterior coaming for cockpit speakers, rather install surface mount speakers on the external surfaces. Every owner after you will curse you if you cut holes in the cockpit.

 

[r.oril]

Thanks guys. Great interior shots. No cutting holes, got it!

 

[Capt. Kermie]

I just put my stereo in last spring and like others the main tuning unit was installed into the top bulkhead, obvious place. As for the speakers, well like Walt said placement is paramount. I got four speakers and I took advantage of existing cavities in the boat and used them as the speaker boxes since my four speakers are flush mount ( not bookshelf or self contained boxes) so I had to find appropriate places for them. As long as each speaker has its' own seperate cavitiy there will be no speaker reverberation interference. Mine sounds awsome and all four speakers are below, nothing in the cockpit. I did buy a marine system though which comes with the marine speakers that have synthetic plasic cones instead of the paper cones which would deteriorate over time in the moist environment. Making use of the various storaage cavities for speaker cabinettes works quite well and the speakers are not in the way.