www.iFourWinns.com

I am trying to install an Amp on my speakers and add a powered sub-woofer for the cockpit area of my 248 Vista. I have reviewed Vista Al's website on his stereo install. That project did not address the sub-woofer location. Can anyone advise of a good location to install that at. I am also looking for alternate locations to install the amp. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for the anticipated responses.

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Dale
2003 248 Vista
"Escape"

I just took some pics of mine to help out Saopm, but that's in a Horizon. I doubt there's much in common with the Vistas. But I hope to post those later tonight if you're interested.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Mike,

I appreciate any info that you can give.

Thank you.

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Dale
2003 248 Vista
"Escape"

Escape, I have a 2004 268 Vista so I do not think our layout's are too different. Although I have never tried to install more speakers on my boat, it came with a speaker in the cockpit under the removable seat on the starboard wall by the U shaped seating configuration. I don't know if you have a speaker there or not, but it may be a good spot for a subwoofer, and if you already have a speaker there, maybe you can move that to a better location. I find especially with people sitting there and with the speaker being under the seat, you really do not appreciate the sound coming from that speaker, but maybe a subwoofer would be perfect in that setting. I have the radar arch, so I have actually been thinking of relocating that speaker to the radar arch anyway. As far as the amp goes this is a wild guess, but would you be able to wire it up and access everything you need to if you used the rear storage cabinet in the aft cabin?? I know that space is realtively accesible to wiring and in my boat stays nice and dry. If you think this might work, refer to my reply to Woggy on his questions regarding his new/used 248 Vista, where I described the panel that gets you access to the wiring harness. Also, you and Woggy might want to talk offline since you seem to be doing similar projects on the same model. Woggy, I hope you do not mind my offering your assistance??? I am no expert in wiring, so I was not going to reply but maybe this can help. If not, I tried! Best of Luck!!!!!

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'04 FW 268Vista "Andiamo"

what about the cutouts located under the helm seating? Depends on the size of your amp. For my sub I'll probably be doing some custom fiberglass box and integrating / molding it into the boat for a clean factory look.

Mkivbren, I thought of that also, but you would have to cover it with a good weather seal. Mine occasionally get's wet, even if from just hosing the boat down. I suppose if you fashion some sort of a water tight door for the storage area, then it would be O/K.

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'04 FW 268Vista "Andiamo"

Good point. Maybe inside is best for the amps. I'll do some more analyzing when I actually pick mine up this weekend

Here's my stereo set up... I have a 2000 248.

To get to the stereo, you need to pull the whole face plate off.. I had to take off the breaker panel off a couple of times but I was adding a battery monitor at the same time. There is a small opening that leads down from the stereo area to an open area underneath the cabin stairs. If you lift the top stair and remove the garbage can you should be able to see wiring harnesses. In this area down and off to the aft, there is a circular hole that runs behind the 2 storage compartments in the aft cabin. I put my amp and power distribution here.

If you have factory air, the factory are runs through this area and it will make things tight. (not impossible)

As for the stereo, I have the head unit runing 1 set of deck speakers along with the set in the cabin. The amp runs another set of speakers I added to the deck along with a subwoofer. Finally, I have a set of RCA inputs that go to the DVD/Flat screen TV. It is mounted on the microwave cabinet in the same way that (Vista Fred) mounted his.

Right now the Bazooka tub sub is in teh aft cabin, but I am working on placement this year.

I was also able to run the aft remote through the back area as well.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Jmikula,

Thanks for the great info. If you ever get any pics, please post. I am going to try your install.

Thanks again.

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Dale
2003 248 Vista
"Escape"

Here are the two additional speakers I've added. Factory are black arrows, add'l are the red.
This is the wired remote.
This is where I mounted the amp.
wiring route
Head Unit

I have never been able to hear the radio in my 258 while under way. Does your new setup help the operator to hear the radio? I thought about moving the 6" speakers from the stern seat area to the operators bench area and then replacing the stern speakers with 6"x9" powered by an amp. Has anybody done something like this?

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Thanks,
Ben

1998 258 Vista 7.4Gi Duoprop

Most head units (the radio) won't ever have enough power to make the volume audible when underway. You'd have to add an amp.

As an aside, when you make the volume louder you're not the only one that's going to hear it. Be considerate, not everyone at an anchorage is going to share the same taste in music. The louder it is for you the more it's likely to ruin someone else's afternoon. Same deal with subwoofers... Just a thought.

If you add an amp make sure it's both shielded from moisture AND has good ventilation. Heat is the enemy of electronic components. If you stuff the amp in a place that doesn't have good airflow you risk damaging it, discoloring the nearby materials, or even a fire (at the out side, worst case). Some place that has at least some air convection possible is better than crammed tightly into a fully closed area.

And by all means, wire it properly. Use wire terminals not just twisted strands. You don't want the wire working loose and shorting it out.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Thanks, the only reason it would be louder is to hear it while underway. I am not one of those inconsiderate people that blast their music so everyone else has to hear it. The head unit has enough power it's just that Fourwinns placed the speakers in bad locations. Venting and correct termination methods are always required.

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Thanks,
Ben

1998 258 Vista 7.4Gi Duoprop

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't calling anyone here inconsiderate. But it's good to know I'm not alone in at least trying to save others from my taste in music....

I've thought about doing something to make the sound a bit more audible at the helm when underway. Trouble is the speakers are mounted up on the inside of the arch on the 348 and already pointing inward. This is about as good a location as you're going to get. And they're already powered by an amp. I can crank it up enough to hear it but then anyone sitting in the cockpit, out of the wind, gets deafened. I've more or less resigned myself to going without the music while I'm at the wheel. I've thought about adding something 'aimed' at the helm but decided I really don't need the music "that bad" when underway. That and there's really not a good place to put such a speaker anyway. Nor the added volume control that would be needed. Tough life we've all got, ain't it? Heh.

But those 258 pix look like a good solution. I wonder why the factory doesn't mount them up higher? Is there some other option (like a tower) that would need that location for mounting?

The speaker setup on the 348 has the subwoofer and the cockpit arch speakers powered by an amp and being handled off the 'rear' circuit of the head unit. Down in the cabin the speakers are driven off the 'front' of the head unit, alone, without the amp. There are two speakers in the cabin and then two more up in the forward berth. I'm planning on splitting the speakers at the berth with some external ones up on the fore deck, using a fader control.

I think there will be enough power from the head unit to drive these speakers when we're anchored up somewhere and just want a little more sound up on the sun pad. As it stands now you really have to crank the arch speakers up quite a bit in order to get decent sound up on the sun pad. That ends up being a bit louder for everyone else nearby and sound really travels across the water.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

When adding extra speakers be careful of the ohm load on either the amp or the radio. For the most part radio's are a 4 ohm load and amps that are multi-chanel have to have at least a 2 ohm load.

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Troy
2008 Centurion Avalanche
1994 Four Winns Horizon 180 SE 5.0L OMC Cobra (Sold)
2002 Ford F150 Harley Davidson Edition (http://www.nhtoc.com) 378 hp & 465 tq at rear wheels
2008 Honda Accord EX-L w/Nav