www.iFourWinns.com

I'd like to reopen this topic to get some updates as to what people have done with their speaker and stereo upgrades if at all possible.

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"Where Da Go"
2002 248 Vista
Lafayette, IN
http://blueoceanlife.worldventures.biz

here are a couple photos of the 2 speakers I added to the cockpit area.

I have an amp running the 4 cockpit speakers and the head unit running the 2 down in the cabin.

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2000 248 5.7L DP
'92, '94 SXI 750, '08 STX 15F, '12 Ultra LX 300
Videos

Thanks for the pics. I sure would like some speaker mre forward in the cockpit. The problem is, I have my VHF mounted where you put the starboard speaker. When you open and latch the cabin door, does it block the speaker you added on the port side? How much depth is there behind the speakers you added? Did you also add a sub somewhere to the cockpit, if so, where? Upgrades to the stereo are nice, but spending $1500 as some have, is out of the question. Some of us are on a budget, and married. There are many better things to do with the money than adding stereo bling for a toy used only 6 months per year.

Sorry for all the questions, I have been pondering this upgrade for 5 years, and have not seen anyone add speakers where you have, until now.

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

There is approx 6" between the inside and outside gunwale fiberglass pcs. Lots of room for a speaker and reaching/pulling wire!

I here you about being on a budget!

I bought the head deck (sony marine CDX-F50 with rear aux input) and remote (for helm) off ebay, 600 watt amp $90 at walmart, 8" bazzooka tube sub woofer for approx $130-150ish, monster wire approx 20-30 bucks (ran monster wire from amp to all four cockpit speakers), and then my time to install. By doing it myself, I had to pull much of the boat apart and got to see just about everything there is to see and where its at on the boat (pumbing, electrical, ect.). A very worth while project!!
I placed the sub in the small storage compartment in the aft cabin next to the a/c unit. The nice thing about a boat/fiberglass, you can place a sub just about anywhere on the boat and have good results.

I mounted the speakers where I thought they would work best in all situations for us.
Here is a photo with the cabin door open.





White cord under head deck is the aux input for satilite radio, Ipod, MP3, lap top to watch DVD's, ect... cord will pull out aprox 4' and have another 6' extention to reach just about anywhere in cabin.

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2000 248 5.7L DP
'92, '94 SXI 750, '08 STX 15F, '12 Ultra LX 300
Videos

Very nice work.

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Powellcrazy,

Where did you locate your amp?

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Walter

2003 248 Vista - VP 5.0 GXi
2009 Toyota Tundra SR5 5.7L 4x4

I placed the amp in the storage between the aft and the steps into the cabin, I placed there til I decide a permanent spot!

Powell,

That is a sweet job! Congrats!!

Can you tell me the wiring routes you took to get to the 4 speakers and the power to the amp?

I love how you did the install of the non factory speakers. No messing with the vinyl! Although my boat an '03 248 should be the same how were you able to confirm you had nothing behind the fiberglass on the port side? If the boat is easily accessible could you measure the height from the floor to the center of that speaker?

Finally do you have a permanent location for your sub?

Thanks again,

-w

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Walter

2003 248 Vista - VP 5.0 GXi
2009 Toyota Tundra SR5 5.7L 4x4

Sorry for the slow responce, just got home from the lake! Very nice weekend!

The centerline of the speaker to the floor is 10 1/2", but to be honest with you, I just placed them where I thought they fit best and cut a hole.
If you pull the fuse box out you can reach behind the starboard side and feel around before cutting, as for the port side, if I remember right, I searched from the storage compartment in the aft and I also removed most of the boards that make up the storage areas just in front of the aft. Once you have all that ripped apart you can see where to run wires. Also worked from under top step, remove garbage can and you can see plumbing and wiring for everything.

Had to fish a rigid wire to pull the monster speaker wire from between the helm and the head down thought storage compartment, under carpet, over to amp. Got to have kids with long thin arms to help out with much of this project as well!

I had a hard time fishing ridged wire from batterys (bilge to cabin) to run power wire to amp, because you got to go through two small holes in the bulkhead at each end. After I finished project, I saw at home depot some small fiberglass rods to fish/help pull wire, this would have helped.
I mounted the fuse block for the sub and the amp on the bulkhead next to the batteries.

I placed the sub in the storage compartment in the aft, it seems to work well in this location, no matter where we are at on the boat, in the cabin or cockpit, seems to work well.

Still need to figure out a better spot for the amp. Just have not had time for that, and it may just end up staying where its at, and we will have to give up that storage area. After spending weekend on boat, we didn't miss that storage area or the one in the aft.

I hope I answered some of your questions, I should have taken a few photos of the project when I did it.

Just start taking pannels and carpetted boards up to expose where you want to run wire, there really is not much to it.

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2000 248 5.7L DP
'92, '94 SXI 750, '08 STX 15F, '12 Ultra LX 300
Videos

I ran 2 gague wire to a power distribution block. (both pos and neg)

Did you ground your amp and radio to the fuse block, the engine or directly to the battery? Right now I am drawing off the selector switch and grounding back to the Battery.

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2000 Four Winns 248 Vista (Nice toys, no Air)
2001 Highly Modified Yamaha GP1200R (75+MPH)

2 gauge? Wow. My OEM battery cables are 2 gauge. I dedicated 8 gauge wire for my amp, with about a 10' run going to battery terminals (and a 50A circuit breaker close to the battery on the hot side). Either you've got some long cable runs, or a huge amp, or both. Now with your distribution block config, you need to protect both the 2 guage run to the battery with one fuse, and the wiring where the amp connects to the distribution block with another, correct? I may have to re-think connecting my hot side to the battery, in favor of the switch. *edit - I did change the Amp's hot side connection to the switch, and still ground to the battery.

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2007 Horizon 200
4.3L GXi/ SX 225 HP

My fuse block is connected directly to battery, I used 10 gauge wire, but my amps are not drawing too much power and less than a 10 ft run.

I want to change the positive from the battery to the battery switch.

A friend of mine has a 2000 268 vista and is wanting to install more speakers. I will direct him to this thread!

In the meanwhile, Im in the process *right now* of installing a 250w amp and a bazooka sub in my 99 258 Vista. Ive already yanked out the OEM stereo head unit and installed a Sony Xplod head unit, sirius ready. I plan on installing the sub underneath the aft seating and the amp in the small storage area underneath the stereo in the cabin.

Other projects I need to tackle: Install a new AC outlet in the v-berth area of the cabin, and install a new DC "cigarette lighter" type plug near the microwave.

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1997 Four Winns Vista 278
T - 4.3l EFI
Kohler 4esz Genset
379 hours as of 8/8/21