Moving sub under helm 02 SAN

[Nauti 210]

Right now my sub is under the observer seat, I am planning on relocating it under the helm to try and free up some storage space under the observers seat and get a little better sound out of it. The fuse box that is mounted to my kick panel presents my biggest problem. I'm sure a few of you have moved a 12" under there and if anyone has any pics of their sub install or advice for moving the fuse panel to a place that is still accessible, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

[NautiqueJeff]

I moved my factory 10" sub to that location on my 2003. No issues with the space for one that size.

[Nauti 210]

Thanks Jeff! I'm assuming that's a free air sub? The plan is to build a ported box to fit a 12" woofer under there and am trying to figure out where/how to exactly mount the fuse box that is currently mounted on that same kick panel. Just kind of curious how others have tackled this problem.

[s_kelley2000]

Have you looked behind your kick panel yet? You might have a tough time fitting a 12" sub and box back there if it is similar to my 99. I spent lots "quality time" under there this past weekend installing my New Dimensions tower and there is not too much room there. The gas fill line and wiring harnesses take up a lot of room back there. It might fit but it is definitely going to be tight. I need to take some measurements to confirm but I am pretty sure my current 10" sub and box will not fit back there on my boat.

As for the fuse box, perhaps you could mount it to the side of the hull either by the drivers leg or in in the observers storage area similar to how people mount amp racks.

[Nauti 210]

Oh yes, I'm quite familiar with it. My boat gets pulled apart yearly and gone through.

Our gas fill lines are not in the same place. Mine is more in line with the ski pole towards the aft of the boat. I'm pretty positive that a single 12" sub will fit under the helm. I've seen Grant West fit 2 JL W7s under there in a Air Nautique which has less room than a Super Air. I'm not saying it wont be tight, but it's gotta be possible.

Just curious if anyone has any pics or info on how they did theirs.

Also, I think the fuse box would have to stay under the driver's feet somewhere

[EarmarkMarine]

A 12-inch bass-reflex enclosure is the better part of three cu.ft. external displacement. That's a big enclosure!

Certainly there are sound quality benefits to having a direct radiating subwoofer under the driver's dash rather than inside the port observer's locker, even if you have to downsize to a sealed 12" or to a bass-reflex 10".

David

[ers906]

It has been a while since I have crawled into the kick space in the helm of my 02 SAN, but I remember tons of wiring harnesses, heater box with water lines, etc. under there. If you remove the heater box, water lines and moved the wiring off to the side, I would imagine that you would have enough room, but barely. I guess it all comes down to how big your sub box is going to be (I know nothing about those things). Can it be any shape? Or does it have to resemble a square or wide rectangle? If you can custom build a box to fit from the inside of the walkway partition, and over it should be possible. But the weight concerns (MDF or wood, glass, etc) of a box that size would likely throw off the wake in as sensitive a boat as the SANs

[s_kelley2000]

Our gas fill lines are not in the same place. Mine is more in line with the ski pole towards the aft of the boat.

Ok ya I bet they switched the gas inlet in 2002 when they made the other deck changes. The gas fill hose is definitely the biggest obstacle under my dash so you definitely have more room than mine.

[Nauti 210]

I'm picturing something like this...

I know I have some obstacles (water and ballast hose's need to be lenthened, wire's re-routed perfect pass moved, fuse block moved and all while not cutting into the factory wire harness), but I don't have a heater or gas fill lines in the way, and I feel like the enclosure will be almost identical in size to my existing one under the observers seat, which is ported.

David, I'm assuming that whatever sub I decide to go with will dictate how many cubic feet the enclosure should be, correct?

For example, say I decide on the Wetsounds XS-XXXv2.

This sub calls for-
1.2 cubic ft SEALED enclosure or 1.78 cubic ft PORTED enclosure.

What exactly would be my best option here?

[EarmarkMarine]

Nauti,
For the best outcome you really have to place the horse BEFORE the cart. The internal displacement specs given is premature at this point. You don't know in every case whether that is just the main sub chamber alone or the internal chamber including the port volume and port wall displacement. The logical place to start is 'in the boat' since the under helm cavity, with a little re-arranging and re-routing, will absolutely dictate the maximum external displacement. The boat determines the enclosure, and the enclosure determines the woofer size, enclosure type, and loading method based on the woofer's Thiele/Small parameters. Once you have a know displacement, then you can model which woofer and enclosure gives you the max performance. And often the enclosure is a little smaller than your initial maximum projection.
Woofers are a little like enclosures in this sense. Two different 12-inch woofers may yield the same overall/average output. They just deliver that output in different places. For instance, you may get more output over a narrower bandwidth from one woofer but ultimately you get less bandwidth. Two different but equal sized 3.0 cu.ft. enclosures may yield the same overall/average output but emphasize either more output over a narrower bandwidth or slightly less peak output over a more linear bandwidth.
Once you know what your maximum external displacement is, and what type of music reproduction you prefer, then a dealer can take that model and give you the best options specific to your boat and your musical preferences.
I recommend that once you find your max enclosure displacement, you contact Odin with Earmark. He has all the design software and tools to do it right....and most importantly, by the numbers.

To answer another enclosure question from above. An enclosure can be a simple square, rectangle, or wedge without a change in performace, just as long as it doesn't become too complex and too elongated in one dimension. Long appendages aren't productive either.

David

[Brichter14]

I took the carpet off the existing kick panel and replaced it with 3/4" mdf. I then built a box 8" deep 13" tall and 24" wide. But it is shallower toward the starbord side of the boat. Fits fine and shakes the crap outa the boat.



Is is on a 97 super sport. The kick panel does not go all the way back to "stock" position but its good enough for the girls I go with.

[s_kelley2000]

Great results Brichter! Does the fuel fill line run right behind that kick panel in a 97? I'm guessing that is the main reason it is offset to the left? I love the way it came out and may copy your design when I get around to it.

[Brichter14]

Ya there is a wiring harness and fuel lines back there. I tucked them to the right a bit but they still prevent the box from moving all the way back to the original position

[SargAdam]

I have been fighitng this battel now for like 2 years and moved my sub 3 times. Under the helm is the optimal place. The fuse panel is in my way and I am not sure how to combat that. Please Help!!2002 SAN 210Adam

[David Analog]

Adam,
You want to avoid extending all the wires. And you do need access to the fuse panel without removing the enclosure. Can you re-mount the fuse panel with a little bracket fabrication and gain enough space to buy some room for a larger enclosure?
Also, it helps to not get locked into a certain size of woofer. A single sealed 12-inch woofer, a single bass-reflex 10-inch woofer, and dual bass-reflex 8-inch woofers, will all have similar output with varying enclosure sizes. Once you know the maximum external enclosure displacement then you can explore your best woofer(s) and loading options for that particular enclosure size.