Tower Speaker Wiring

Ok I did a search recently and thought I saw were someone used a trailer wiring harness for there tower speakers? Am I wrong? I cant remember what I was looking for when I saw it and my connection (dial up) sucks so I thought id just ask you all rather that do another search. Kinda makes sence as the connector is water resistant? But is the wire heavy enough? Or do I need to use speaker wire and a differant quick disconnect?

Get yourself some neutrik speakons. They do a 4 pole version and its corrosion proof, very sturdy and not too pricey.

Here is a link to my how-to for quick disconnects at the speaker. Are you looking for boat/tower disconnect or tower/speaker disconnect?

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/221331.html

Thanks for the link, thats a real clean way to do the speaker side of it and i'll probley do the same now. I am looking at how to connect the hull side as well with some sort of quick disconect and thought I saw were someone used a 4 prong trailer wire kit? Mabye im wrong.

Ok found what I was looking at. Is this a good way to go? Is the wire guage large enough for tower speakers (2X100 rms).

The trailer wire would probably the the round type plug and I don't think it would look as good as the Neutric/speakon or the other twist lock type connectors.

I just drill a hole in the boat that fits the wire perfectly and connect it up below the deck with a loop. It's much cleaner than it sounds but you need to use round speaker cable like the stuff from www.audiopile.net. I don't have my pictures on this PC send me a message if you want to see pix.

That looks nasty. Seriously get some neutrik speakons. They look much neater, are much stronger and will handle around a 1000w RMS without problems.

Here is my boat with a neutrik connector (red boat) and my friends boat with some other sort of quick disconnect plug....its the only way to go!

Since we are on the subject...

I just noticed that Parts Express now has 8 conductor speaker cable in a nice little bundle that is just over 1/2" in diameter. This should solve most wiring needs for all of the tower. It's 13ga so it should handle the power for most applications. If you are running NVS or other high power application you may want to use the 4 conductor 11ga wire they sell.

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=100-491

Mikeski...I owe you a Coke man, thank you! I was just looking at the PartsExpress Catalog on the train home tonight and was looking for this and a few other items! You saved me a bunch of time!

Thanks guys!! Im gonna go ahead and get one of those connectors (neutrik). I ran the wire yesterday and it went surprisingly smooth. Now just shrink rap and the connector and im done.

I was talking to my insurance agent and he told me that the company, American Family, has denied two claims nationwide on boats that had fires in them since speaker wire was not marine certified. Anyone here of this and know where to get a small marine stencil so I can stencil marine on all my wires....LOL!

They should not require marine classification for speaker wire, however they should require it for the amp's power wires (I would not expect most insurance agents to know the difference). I don't believe that the factory speaker wires are marine rated either. I always use it for power wiring on my boat, I just like the fact that it is pre-tinned so it won't oxidize as much or as quickly. There is really no reason not to use it other than it's not quite as purdy as the clear shiny prophylactic coated wiring. I buy it from these guys:
http://stores.ebay.com/Genuinedealz