Need advice from you stereo gurus on a ground up system build

[MLA]

Try using 1 1-7/8" and 1 2" in each clamp. Sometimes mixing the insert sizes does the trick.

[Txpilot83]

Tried to take the boat out today but my battery was toast (yellow top optima no idea how old). I figured I better ask for some advise on a battery set up before I go out and by a replacement battery. I'm planning on adding another battery for a total of 2 and using the Blue Sea Add A Battery setup and one of those Pro Sport on board battery chargers. Which batteries do yall recommend? I'm thinking about getting 2 Everstart Marine Maxx group 24s. Will these be fine? Its hard to justify dropping 500 bucks on a pair of Optimas. Both amps ill be using are class D putting out a less than 1500 watts. I still have the stock alternator and not planning on upgrading it unless it dies or its absolutely nessisary. Thanks!

[MLA]

TX,

You cant beat a good 'ol wet cell lead acid group-24 marine battery cranking battery. Plenty of CA's to start most any engine. Since you are going to be adding the Add-A-Battery setup and a house bank, I would get the largest (both physical size and amp-hour) that your budget will bear and the will fit the designated spot. A quality group-29 deep-cycle will give you about 100 Ah at a far less price then an Optima blue top, which IIRC, is about 65Ah. A group-24 lead acid deep-cycle will still give you about 60Ah if the larger 29 is too big or too tall including the box w/lid. Maintenance is key. shallower cycles and replenishment will make any battery last.

[Txpilot83]

MLA,

Thanks for all the great info, you've been a ton of help and I'm going to have more questions once I start the install. There is no way I'll be able to fit a group 29 in the stalk battery location in the floor. In the picture I took I made a mockup of the box Ill be using and the shoe box behind it is where Im going to put the second battery. I should be able to put a group 29 there in one of those protective boxes. Any issues with that location? Is it ok to mix a group 24 lead acid and a 29 lead acid? Would a promariner 120 be a good choice for an onboard charger for this setup? Thanks again.

[TX-Foilhead]

I'm putting mine into the floor, similar to what core-rider did in the DIY section. Instead of having them in boxes I'm going to have a hold down frame on them and then build a slightly raised cover to hide all the wiring between the batteries, switches and the VSR. If your box is the size of that cardboard box, your going to have a hard time getting to that and keeping it secured. The hold downs might be worth a look for your project.

[Chexi]

Expensive, but great, and the dimensions (and ability to mount in any direction) make these great batteries. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...Batteriesmv=rr

This is a military spec AGM battery made by Odyssey.

[MLA]

MLA,

Thanks for all the great info, you've been a ton of help and I'm going to have more questions once I start the install. There is no way I'll be able to fit a group 29 in the stalk battery location in the floor. In the picture I took I made a mockup of the box Ill be using and the shoe box behind it is where Im going to put the second battery. I should be able to put a group 29 there in one of those protective boxes. Any issues with that location? Is it ok to mix a group 24 lead acid and a 29 lead acid? Would a promariner 120 be a good choice for an onboard charger for this setup? Thanks again.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]20745[/ATTACH]

Yep, I was pretty sure it would be a stretch. other then your boat being upside down, I see no issue with location a battery there. No issue at all with using a a group-24 cranking and group-29 deep for your two banks. They are both wet-cell lead acid. A group-29 and a group-24 would be a collective Ah's of about 160, so a 20A 2-bank charger will be perfect.

[Txpilot83]

Thanks again MLA. Yeah the only way I can get the boat to fit in my garage is to hang it inverted from the ceiling.

[MLA]

I bet it drip drys well

[Txpilot83]

I need some amp advice from you guys. Originally I was planning on getting an Alpine PXD-5M but now I'm seriously considering getting either a JL MHD900/5 or Alpine PDX-v9. The speakers I'm going to be powering are 4 kicker KM6200s and 1 JL 10w3 in a small sealed box. Will the HMD900/5 or PDX-v9 be too much power for the KM6200s even with the gain turned down? I'm afraid the PDX-5Ms 300 watts of mono wont be enough to satisfy what I'm looking for bass wise. I already have a JL MHD750/1 for my tower speakers so the MHD900/5 would match nice but is that amp worth the extra $300 bucks over the Aplines? Any problems with the PDX-v9 not being marine? (it will be on an amp rack in the nose and never near salt) Thanks!

I'm also open to any other amp suggestions besides these 3.

[MLA]

I need some amp advice from you guys. Originally I was planning on getting an Alpine PXD-5M but now I'm seriously considering getting either a JL MHD900/5 or Alpine PDX-v9. The speakers I'm going to be powering are 4 kicker KM6200s and 1 JL 10w3 in a small sealed box. Will the HMD900/5 or PDX-v9 be too much power for the KM6200s even with the gain turned down? I'm afraid the PDX-5Ms 300 watts of mono wont be enough to satisfy what I'm looking for bass wise. I already have a JL MHD750/1 for my tower speakers so the MHD900/5 would match nice but is that amp worth the extra $300 bucks over the Aplines? Any problems with the PDX-v9 not being marine? (it will be on an amp rack in the nose and never near salt) Thanks!

I'm also open to any other amp suggestions besides these 3.

For a fresh water trailer boat, a marine amp is not a "have to", so dont sweat it unless you are boating in the gulf or brackish waters.

I do not know those amp specs off the top of my head, so I need to look into them. But, I have used the Kicker KM6200 in a pod on a tower many times and I like to feed them 100-125 watts rms. The added power is good for them. No worries hurting them when its tuned right.

[MLA]

I need some amp advice from you guys. Originally I was planning on getting an Alpine PXD-5M but now I'm seriously considering getting either a JL MHD900/5 or Alpine PDX-v9. The speakers I'm going to be powering are 4 kicker KM6200s and 1 JL 10w3 in a small sealed box. Will the HMD900/5 or PDX-v9 be too much power for the KM6200s even with the gain turned down? I'm afraid the PDX-5Ms 300 watts of mono wont be enough to satisfy what I'm looking for bass wise. I already have a JL MHD750/1 for my tower speakers so the MHD900/5 would match nice but is that amp worth the extra $300 bucks over the Aplines? Any problems with the PDX-v9 not being marine? (it will be on an amp rack in the nose and never near salt) Thanks!

I'm also open to any other amp suggestions besides these 3.

Both the PDX-V9 and the MHD900/5 show to deliver 100W x 4 @ 4 ohm @ 14.5V. This is not too much for the KM6200 speaker when run on Hi-Pass. The JL will continue to deliver the same output when the engine is off and voltage drops to the level of the battery. So again, still not worries. The PDX-V9 will have a reduced output at the static voltage level, so there should not be any worries about over powering them. Both will deliver 500W rms on the sub chnl, regardless whether your sub is a dual 2 wired in series to 4 ohm or dual 4 wired in parallel to 2 ohm.

[Txpilot83]

I'm about to install my head unit and had a couple questions. On the wiring harness is there any issues with wiring the ignition wire to a separate switch instead of the ignition? Also, there is a wire for illumination. Do I just tap this into the wire from the NAV lights? I'm also thinking about cutting a 4" by 4" hole in the back of the dash behind the head unit so I can get behind it and secure it better and also give it better cooling. Is this a bad idea? Thanks.

[MLA]

Tx,

We typically take the head-units red turn-on wire off the boats ignition key switch and relocate it to a dedicated toggle. Just take note, this is the turn on wire, not the yellow B+/MEM wire that actually powers the head-unit, thats getting relocated. If your boat has daul batteries, the yellow need to terminate to the same source as the amps.

I typically do not connect the illumination wire unless someone ask. On most head-units, the LCD screen offers plenty of light, as well as most people are using an MP3 or phone as their music source, so not much need for seeing the head-unit controls.

With out knowing exactly where you are cutting the hole and what part of the boat you are cutting into, I cant say yes or no on that, but, securing/supporting the back of the head-unit is a good idea, especially on those models that snap into the metal tray, as opposed to those that actually bolt to the mounting surface.

[Txpilot83]

Here is my sub set up. JL 10w3 in a small sealed enclosure coated in bedliner. Its tiny and will fit way up in the nose firing forward and be out of the way. Going to be powered by 500 watts from a JL MHD 900/5. I'm going to add some composite spacers underneath to keep it off the floor. Should I throw some polyfill in the enclosure before I install the sub? Any other suggestions? Thanks.