Boat Stereo

[Bryand82487]

I dropped my SAN off at the local audio shop today that has been around for years to get the tower speakers working and setup the amps in better spots. Basically just to make the install cleaner and troubleshoot a thing or too. I really would have rather taking it to a boat center but the closest one is an hour away and they charge twice per hour as to where I took it. What are you guys experiences on car audio shops doing the installs on you alls boats? Does it normally turn out good or do they do more harm than good since most probably don't know to much about the boats?

[SuperSquirt]

RE: Boat Stereo

Car audio installers are a lot like doctors. Both of them will fix you up, but you never have to go back to the good ones.

You get what you pay for. I used to spend hundreds of dollars on labor to the best car installers in town over the years. Luckily, I got to learn from them and now I can do it on my own.

I believe boat installs are way easier than working on cars. Also, keep in mind that a lot of car installers don't like working on cramped, mold smelling boats. It only takes one wet, stinky POS boat to ruin it for an installer.

[TravisFling]

RE: Boat Stereo

I've had pretty good luck, although I do most of mine myself. Stop by during the install, or hang around while they do it and have a chat with the techs. They're usually pretty cool dudes. I know with mine they had a few questions that I helped them with. I usually do all my own stuff, but I know my guy pretty well and didn't have time to get her done before a big trip. He did a good job, though. If they know 12v stuff pretty well, I'm sure they'll do an OK job, but there's just some quirks about a boat that they might want to know, and helps if they're familiar. My install guy has a pretty tricked out BAJA with transom remotes, subs, video and GPS tied into nav charts with Depth marked out and all, so he knows his way around a boat.

[TravisFling]

RE: Boat Stereo

GRANT WEST had a really nice install done by his local Best Buy, or Circuit City. Search for Bling Bling and you should find it.

[Chexi]

RE: Boat Stereo

Things to note (and tell them). There is no grounding to the chassis in a boat.

Car audio installers have been known to drill screws through the hull and gelcoat (from the inside out) when installing an amp under the observer's seat to the outside wall. This one spot requires a creative solution using an amp mounting board and either epoxying mounting brackets or tying custom brackets into the cleat bolts or the tower bolts. If you have an amp that will be mounted there, call the shop up immediately and find out how they intend to mount it there.

[TravisFling]

RE: Boat Stereo

Great points Chexi. Many things to note with a boat. That's why I like an installer who has one, certainly makes things easier. Or search for one who has done boats before.
Before this guy was in business I had another guy who had done a bunch. He called me when he had a Stars and Stripes MC in there to come check out their work. Nice dude, by the way.

[MyWakeIsBigger]

Re: RE: Boat Stereo

Things to note (and tell them). There is no grounding to the chassis in a boat.

I always wondered why? Is the angle iron in my engine compartment consider the chassis of my boat? Theres a ground to it but i dont think its stereo related?

[Chexi]

RE: Re: RE: Boat Stereo

I'm not sure if I will explain this correctly, but this is how I understand it. Your engine may be "grounded', but your stereo is not grounded to the chassis, it is grounded to the engine via the negative post of your battery, which is grounded to the engine (if you have an isolated stereo battery, it's negative should be tied into the negative of your cranking battery, which in turn is grounded to the engine). There is no metal chassis to ground to on a boat, so the ground and the negative end up being the same thing.

[MyWakeIsBigger]

RE: Re: RE: Boat Stereo

So ground to battery?

[Chexi]

RE: Re: RE: Boat Stereo

Yes. Ground your distribution block (or if you don't have one your amps and head unit directly) to the negative post on your battery.

[TravisFling]

RE: Re: RE: Boat Stereo

YESSIR!!! That certainly eliminates looping interference. I've seen people try to ground to everything from the lifting rings, to the engine mounts, which does not close the loop... Always to the negative on the battery.