Stereo Build - 02' SANTE
 

OK so I'm finally bucking up and diving head first into all of this. Here is what my plans are thus far...

Tower - Pair of REV410's powered by a sd4 (already purchased)

In boat - Six XS-650's

Sub - Either a 12" w7 or l7 (build a ported box under the drivers helm)

I'm going to run a pair of blue top batteries (will enlarge stock batter compartment)


I am looking for advice on a few things though before I get started...

#1 What is the best way to power the XS650's? I'm thinking the HT6 looks like a decent option...

#2 Sub advice - is the w7 that much more "Awesome" than a L7

#3 Amp for the sub...

I'm going to start in a week or so and will be providing some pics as I go along...

Everyone likes some pictures... Here is a snap shot of the boat before...

<a href="http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/myleskristof/media/Boat/photo_zpsf31df246.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b622/myleskristof/Boat/photo_zpsf31df246.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo photo_zpsf31df246.jpg"/></a>

Here's on in the the boats new home waiting for the goodies to be installed

<a href="http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/myleskristof/media/SANTEinshop_zpseca1cd2a.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b622/myleskristof/SANTEinshop_zpseca1cd2a.jpeg" border="0" alt=" photo SANTEinshop_zpseca1cd2a.jpeg"/></a>

Hahaha..
I find it funny that the only thing inside that great big shop is your boat with the tower folded down..

How about adding an additional pair of XS 650's or a pair of 808's and then powering them with an SD 4 or SYN 4.

Ha I wish that place was still that empty... We just finished building out ~600sq/ft loft apartment upstairs. I wish I would have put the cover on the boat prior to doing all that work because it is pretty sad looking now.

I don't think you need more than 6 in boat speakers in a 210 SAN... Where else would you put them? It's a solid idea though as most any amps you try to just run the in-boat speakers off of will be more than likely underutilized. Well based off what little I have learned / know about mobile audio thus far.

Here's a little shot I took when I started getting some of new toys in.

<a href="http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/myleskristof/media/image_zps5eae354f.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b622/myleskristof/image_zps5eae354f.jpeg" border="0" alt="Rev410 photo image_zps5eae354f.jpeg"/></a>

Nice... Love my REV 410's, I amgetting ready to swap out 2 SYN 2's for an SD4 myself.

As for the 8 inboats, Im not sure what your interior looks like but in My MB (and many other MB owners have as well) have added an additional pair of speakers for the "driver".
In our boats, there are 2 in the bow, and then 4 that are inset into the gunnals behind the driver making it hard for the driver to get decent sound especially if people, dogs, towels, ballast bags or whatever are sitting in front of them. Adding an additional speaker down under the throttle or in the kick panel and another under the observers seat has made a world of difference in the drivers enjoyment of the stereo plus it makes a 4 channel amp fully utilized.

just a suggestion though

otherwise you are probably on the right track with the HT 6. it should drive your 6 in boats very well.

Yeah I have one in the drivers consul if you will so it's not an issue. Well I guess with the old setup it was because you could hardly hear it, ha! Don't think that will be a real problem with the new setup.

Got the 650's today... still debating on what to do amp wise? any thoughts?

SD4. Wire the bow right to chn 1, and bow left to chn 2 for 185 watts rms each. Run your right side cabins in parallel (2 ohm load) to chn 3, and left side cabins in parallel to chn 4 for 170 watts rms each in the cabin.

Sounds like a winning combo to me! I still need to make it over and meet up with your crew sometime when you're down here in Oklahoma man

Yea for sure man. Hoping to finish my install tomorrow and get on the water this weekend. Holler at me one of these weekends and well get together.

OK so I finally started getting after it.. I'll post pics this weekend w/some progress pics. I've got the new box to go under the drivers console 90% done, tight fit! It was weird cutting out that fiberglass hump and then into the floor to enlarge the battery box.

One this that it a major PITA that I figured would be easy after mounting a friends Rev10 is getting my Rev410's hooked up and set up for the LED rings. It's not too fun cutting holes in brand new $$$ speakers but you gotta do what you gotta do. I thought it was strange how they give you two identical clamps with speaker wire in it to use on both sides. I guess to get the RGB wire through one I will have to drill out where stock wire runs. Once again not the most fun thing to do. It will be nice when it's don though.

Not looking forward to pulling 12 gauge wire thought the tower either... Would it be bad bad or just not ideal to run the 410's off of 14 or 16 gauge wire that is already ran upstairs? I need to pull the RGB wire through anyways.

I have basically the same boat. I have 6 Rev8's on the tower and we used 14 gauge wire, seems to work fine. It is absolutely loud. One thing I didn't realize is how heavy the fold up/down process becomes. I have an l7 in a sealed box where the cooler was as I haven't found the budget to do the under the helm route. Could you post up a pic of the box under there? That fiberglass hump is such a waste!

What about using some of the existing wire to run the LED's off of? That would save at least one pull. Also, maybe you can use some of the extisting wire to pull the thicker gauge wire?? Agreed, pulling wire through the tower is a PITA. I drilled too small of hole for the wires to go IN and it made it really hard to pull it through.

I used the "Kite string" trick. I taped closed the holes I wasn't using and then fed string into the bottom hole and used my shop vac to SUCK the kite string up and eventually out the upper hole. It didn't work prefect, and took a lot of tries, but I finally got it done.

tie the string to a little corner piece of plastic shopping bag like you get from home depot or grocery store. think of it as tying a string around a balloon base except the plastic is lighter. It will work much better than string alone. The bag expands once in the tower and creates more surface area for the suction.

Like a tower wire running parachute! Nice.

I have used this method and it works!

Update time...

I've gotten the battery box cut out to fit 2 Optima's sided by side and plan on laying fiberglass in there for that tonight.

<a href="http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/myleskristof/media/image_zps1132e9bb.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b622/myleskristof/image_zps1132e9bb.jpeg" border="0" alt=" photo image_zps1132e9bb.jpeg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/myleskristof/media/image1_zps13f2daee.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b622/myleskristof/image1_zps13f2daee.jpeg" border="0" alt=" photo image1_zps13f2daee.jpeg"/></a>

Got the Rev 410's installed. I was surprised how much of a pain it was to get the Rev410's hooked up for the RBG rings. Once you get the steps down how it needs to be done its fairly simple thought. I bench tested them and then tested them once they were hung and all is well. I did end up pulling some of Knuconcepts Karma SS 12 Gauge Speaker Wire through the tower for them. I'm sure I would be mad at myself if I didn't. Everything is soldered so hopefully I never have to take these things down.

<a href="http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/myleskristof/media/image3_zpsdbfaf633.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b622/myleskristof/image3_zpsdbfaf633.jpeg" border="0" alt=" photo image3_zpsdbfaf633.jpeg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/myleskristof/media/image7_zps7e528077.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b622/myleskristof/image7_zps7e528077.jpeg" border="0" alt=" photo image7_zps7e528077.jpeg"/></a>

As far as under the drivers helm I got the old hump cut out thanks to the sonicrafter X2. I had to relocate the fuse box and a few other small things to make room for the box I built to house the L7.

<a href="http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/myleskristof/media/image2_zps004f915d.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b622/myleskristof/image2_zps004f915d.jpeg" border="0" alt=" photo image2_zps004f915d.jpeg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/myleskristof/media/image5_zps0a330c49.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b622/myleskristof/image5_zps0a330c49.jpeg" border="0" alt=" photo image5_zps0a330c49.jpeg"/></a>

This was my first sub box build... I think it turned out pretty good

<a href="http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/myleskristof/media/image6_zpse07fffa3.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b622/myleskristof/image6_zpse07fffa3.jpeg" border="0" alt=" photo image6_zpse07fffa3.jpeg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/myleskristof/media/image8_zps06ba2476.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b622/myleskristof/image8_zps06ba2476.jpeg" border="0" alt=" photo image8_zps06ba2476.jpeg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/myleskristof/media/image10_zps973cd8cc.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b622/myleskristof/image10_zps973cd8cc.jpeg" border="0" alt=" photo image10_zps973cd8cc.jpeg"/></a>

I ended up going with 2 SD4's (one to power the Rev410's and one to power the 6 XS650's)

Then a Kicker 1500.1 to power the 12" l7

You can'y see the other SD4 in the pic but it is on the opposite side of the SD4 in the pic

<a href="http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/myleskristof/media/image9_zpsd860c754.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b622/myleskristof/image9_zpsd860c754.jpeg" border="0" alt=" photo image9_zpsd860c754.jpeg"/></a>

Why plywood on the sub box? Most sub boxes are done with MDF. Plywood isn't very common as it's not the best choice for sound quality... Did you use it for water resistance?

Sub box is made from birch. Then it's coated with some truck bed liner ish

Yes that's plywood, yes on more waterproof

Sometimes things get wild on the boat

What did you use to mount the amps to the hull? I see some black panels…any pics or details on that?

I used some 2 part epoxy that was supposed to be good on fiberglass and wood. I got it at Lowes and used A LOT of it. I had to hold pressure on it for quite a while before I felt comfortable letting it hang but it feels solid. I've pulled on it pretty dang hard and it isn't wanting to go anywhere so I feel good about it. It's just 1/2" birch covered in the some undercoating and covered with the vinyl wrap I used for the sub box. If that wasn't going to work the plan was to fiberglass those pieces in.

MDF is actually only ideal in car stereo applications where there will be virtually no moisture issues. MDF acts like a sponge in wet environments, swelling up and getting mushy when wet, making it a terrible candidate for a box in a boat, especially one with low freeboard/heavily weighted that has a tendency to take a bit of water over the bow. Birch trees thrive in wet environments, and birch plywood holds up a bit better in wet conditions, especially if it's seal properly.

Bingo, well at least that's what I've read thus the route I went. I'll have it all powered up tonight. I'm ready to enjoy the fruits of my labor!

Looks great! Sub box came out nice!

Nice looking install! I have the 1200.1 running an L7 and it slams! I'm sure that 1500.1 is going to do some work!

All done ready for the lake. I didn't really take many pics but here are a few...

So this part was tedious... I forget who I got the idea from on here to do this but kudos to them. Doing RGB strips just made it that much more fun too.

<a href="http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/myleskristof/media/subgrill1_zpsde4271f7.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b622/myleskristof/subgrill1_zpsde4271f7.jpg" border="0" alt="sub grill LED1 photo subgrill1_zpsde4271f7.jpg"/></a>

But they all worked first bench test after an afternoon of soldering. Time to mix some epoxy and make them stay.

<a href="http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/myleskristof/media/subgrill2_zpsbbf6c5b4.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b622/myleskristof/subgrill2_zpsbbf6c5b4.jpg" border="0" alt="Sub grill LED2 photo subgrill2_zpsbbf6c5b4.jpg"/></a>

It worked first try after wiring it into the boat. Life was good

<a href="http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/myleskristof/media/photo2_zps02ffde23.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b622/myleskristof/photo2_zps02ffde23.jpg" border="0" alt="sub light photo photo2_zps02ffde23.jpg"/></a>


Here's a few shots of the SANTE with it's new look. Yes I have the spare on right now. I've got the actual tire in the back of my truck so I can drop it off and get it replaced today.

<a href="http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/myleskristof/media/photo1_zpse6e22d20.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b622/myleskristof/photo1_zpse6e22d20.jpg" border="0" alt="rev410 pic2 photo photo1_zpse6e22d20.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/myleskristof/media/photo_zps42b28c6e.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b622/myleskristof/photo_zps42b28c6e.jpg" border="0" alt="rev410 pic1 photo photo_zps42b28c6e.jpg"/></a>