Stereo is DONE!!! for this year anyway...

[Jason B]

So I started in March, I was pacing myself.
I put an additional amp just for the sub (a Hifonics 1600) and replaced the XS-12 with the XXX. Wow.
I added a battery and hooked the 2 batteries up to a power disconnect so that the original "stereo battery" can still charge when the boat is running, when the boat is off I turn the switch and the 3 batteries are connected but still runs through the Blue Sea system thingy to ensure the start battery does not drain.
I added the 420 to the dash and a 485 on the tower, making it a threesome with last summers Pro80s.
My tower now hates me (fromt he weight)and my neighbor some 80 yards away thinks I'm an azzhole He came over and asked me to please turn it down as I was tuning it. Actually his words were more like "holy chit, what did you do to that thing, the bass is shaking my garage." While I think he was exagerating it still made me crack up.
The pic is his house from my garage where I was tuning the inboat speakers--tower speakers were off.
Wait till next summer when the tower speakers get a Syn 6 and double the wattage they're getting now

Not sure if I should thank Wet Sounds or curse them!?

[Micah]

Nice setup! How did you hook up your Blue Sea System with the three batteries? I have one but have yet to add it. How much harder does the XXX hit compared to the XS-12?

[dogbert]

Better post up some pics before the thread police get you

[philwsailz]

.

[Jason B]

Smart azzes

It's nothing you all haven't seen, but I'll take some pics later.

I was most stoked with the fact that I had absolutley NO hiss or anything after putting in the 420. I was really dreading that after reading about so many problems...but nothing!

Micah,
I ran one seperate battery in the port side storage with all the amps/deck/sirius reciever and connected that to the start battery with the "Add-a-Battery" kit from Blue Sea. From that battery I ran 0ga. wires over to 2 batteries in my starboard storage--between the single battery and the 2 batteries I installed a keyed disconnect. I attached the "key" to my boat key ring so that it's either in the ignition with the banks disconnected or in the switch with the banks connected. With that setup I have no worries of frying my alternator from trying to charge 4 batteries, but when at anchor I can connect the extra batteries to the system to play longer while the Blue Sea unit disconnects the start battery from draining automatically. It's not a perfect system but it works as I intended. If I drain all my batteries I can just start the boat and it will chare at least one of the stereo batteries so I can keep having tunes.
I'll take some pics of that.

About the XXX, I'm not really sure to be honest. I had the XS12 hooked to 400 watts and it did really well. The XXX now has its own amp @ 1600 watts RMS. Not really a fair comparison. To give you an idea of its power though, driving through the no-wake channel with the bass turned up (playing Rock music no less, not bass heavy rap) there were ripples coming off my hull when the bass hit. It was awesome It actually started hurting my chest sitting in front of the sub driving.

[dogbert]

Smart azzes

Hey, don't say I didn't warn you

[deldarn]

I have to say thanks for this post Jason! After showing it to my girlfriend she knows how much further I COULD have taken my own install & investment (underway now..documented elsewhere).

What kind of keyed disconnect did you use? That's a good idea..

[skyski_tige]

So I started in March, I was pacing myself.
I put an additional amp just for the sub (a Hifonics 1600) and replaced the XS-12 with the XXX. Wow.
I added a battery and hooked the 2 batteries up to a power disconnect so that the original "stereo battery" can still charge when the boat is running, when the boat is off I turn the switch and the 3 batteries are connected but still runs through the Blue Sea system thingy to ensure the start battery does not drain.
I added the 420 to the dash and a 485 on the tower, making it a threesome with last summers Pro80s.
My tower now hates me (fromt he weight)and my neighbor some 80 yards away thinks I'm an azzhole He came over and asked me to please turn it down as I was tuning it. Actually his words were more like "holy chit, what did you do to that thing, the bass is shaking my garage." While I think he was exagerating it still made me crack up.
The pic is his house from my garage where I was tuning the inboat speakers--tower speakers were off.
Wait till next summer when the tower speakers get a Syn 6 and double the wattage they're getting now

Not sure if I should thank Wet Sounds or curse them!?

Atleast your neighbor mows his yard completely!

[Jason B]

I have to say thanks for this post Jason! After showing it to my girlfriend she knows how much further I COULD have taken my own install & investment (underway now..documented elsewhere).

What kind of keyed disconnect did you use? That's a good idea..

It's in the pics below. I recessed it into the cable cover so it looked a little less obtrusive. It's just a standard "mini" keyed disconnect from West Marine.

Atleast your neighbor mows his yard completely!

You baggin' on my drainage ditch???? Yeah it gets pretty nasty. I haven't got the weedeater out yet..yard work is the DEVIL. I absolutely HATE yardwork!!!!!! It ruins my boating time.


As promised, pics are below. I made a bracket out of Lexan I had left over from the speaker ring to mount the 420 in. I thought the standard brackets made it look pretty goofy just stuck up there. I thought the 420 would hide more of the epoxied section than it did, now I'm going to sand blast the front to give it a more finished, translucent appearance. I may even throw some leds into it if I feel motivated, that would be a snap!?
The red box is the disconnect attaching the other batteries that lay behind the sub box in front of the driver.