www.iFourWinns.com

Let me state I am not an audiophile! I really don't care how this unit is going to sound I just want a working stereo in my 1996 238 Vista.

The unit in there now is the factory installed alpine TDM-7534 with a six disc magazine...it stopped working...
I bartered for a Sony Marine CDXM30 and a Pyle PLMRA400 amp...

Now I want to install them...I used to install car stereos all the time in the '80s...but I might be out of my league here.

I thought I would just remove the old deck, and cut some wires and install the new deck, but what do I do about the amp?

Any links around?
Tips?
Rick? (Just don't tell me it's a piece of crap, tell me how to handle the install. I just want something that works when I turn it on)

TIA,

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Chris and Alicia
Las Vegas, NV
ALTIVA
1996 Four Winns 238 Vista Dlx 5.8Fi

For the deck, yeah its that simple. You can get fancy and use the heat shrink connectors if ya want. Um, but the amp thing I dont know about (don't have one).

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1996 205 Sundowner DLX
5.0FL Volvo SX Cobra
Tow Veh: 2012 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X

Look into Fusion. It is pricy, but in most cases you will not need am amp. Its rated if my memory is right, 25 watts per and water proof. It would be the last head you would ever buy.

He already has his replacement head and amplifier.

_________________

"Knot Easy" 2000 Horizon 240 Volvo 5.7GS /SX
tow: 2017 Honda PILOT EXL-AWD
prev. boats:
'87 Chaparral 198CXL 4.3 OMC Cobra
'69 Jetstar 16ft Ski Boat, 115hp Yamaha
'68 Aluminum Jon Boat, 3hp Sears
'64 Water Wings

Again I'm not an audiofiill either, from what I remember the deck needs to have a preout for the amp and it should look like a set of rca plugs like in the old days on your tv. It is just a 2 wire plug from the deck to the amp then if I remember on most decks a baby blue wire that needs to be hooked up from the deck to the amp. hope this gives a little insight. Your deck may not be able to run an amp.

Just found this, Maybe you can hook an amp up.

https://docs.sony.com/release/CDXM30_install.pdf

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2001 328 Vista "Nauta Dream 2"
AB Inflatable 10AL "Little Dreamer"
2000 248 Vista
1997 225 Sundowner


Mike

Wow that's exactly what I needed! Thank you so much!

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Chris and Alicia
Las Vegas, NV
ALTIVA
1996 Four Winns 238 Vista Dlx 5.8Fi

No problem wish every forum out there was this helpful!!!!

_________________
2001 328 Vista "Nauta Dream 2"
AB Inflatable 10AL "Little Dreamer"
2000 248 Vista
1997 225 Sundowner


Mike

Ok update.

I installed the head unit today...not the Amp. Turns out it needs some fancy high input "Pyle" connectors to hook it up labeled 3 in this pic...



not sure where I am goping to find those...

put the bigger problem(s) are

1. The head turns off and restarts if I turn the volume over 24 (It maxes out at 32). I read that maybe it was a speaker problem so I faded it all the way to the front-no problem, back-no problem, balance left-no problem, right-no problem. center, it cant go above 24. I checked the wires, the speakers, etc...nothing wrong that I can tell. Is the head bad?

2. When I turn the battery switch on, the unit tuns on. My old one would be off until I turned it on...this seems very strange and almost unusable.....did I do something wrong?

3. what the hell is this? I found it while digging out the old radio...it's wired in series on the red power cord....and it was hidden so no idea why there would be a light on it? and no marking whatsover.....anyone?

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Chris and Alicia
Las Vegas, NV
ALTIVA
1996 Four Winns 238 Vista Dlx 5.8Fi

answered my own question I think... I believe it is a noise filter...but that suggests that something was wrong with the previous install. Of course it wasn't really hooked up anyhow...just the red and blue were...ther was no ground for it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/40-AMP-CAR-AUDIO-ENGINE-NOISE-FILTER-AMPLIFIER-INSTALL-/260767448119#ht_4043wt_1179

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Chris and Alicia
Las Vegas, NV
ALTIVA
1996 Four Winns 238 Vista Dlx 5.8Fi

So then it got worse...

I read on-line that perhaps the problem was not enough power from the head to run 4 speakers (other options were checked thoroughly, power wire gauge, speaker problems, etc.) and so an amp would fix it. So I decide Sunday to hook up the amp. Hooked it all up and the amp will not turn on...never buying electronics on Craigslist again.

So this is what I have learned;

1. Never buy electronics on craigslist.
2. Replacing a stereo is not that difficult, assuming the new one works.
3. Saving $20 buying used is simply not worth the frustration.
4. I want a head unit that does not turn on when power is applied. I have the radio installed now (just won't turn it up over 24) but when I turn the battery selector on....the radio turns on. It only has an off button....not sure why anyone would want this?
5. Do anything you can on your boat yourself...you will learn A Lot! Replaced the blower and the radio this week.

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Chris and Alicia
Las Vegas, NV
ALTIVA
1996 Four Winns 238 Vista Dlx 5.8Fi

Sorry to hear about your purchase on CL.
Before you throw the amp out check the amp on a battery directly wiring(maybe throw a fuse in the middle) but this will verify it isn't your boat wiring that is causing the failure. You maybe getting too low a voltage for it to turn on. You should also test your voltage so you don't destroy your new head unit. Not being about to turn it up over 24 sounds strange. It could be a voltage problem but also check the other wiring. It may have a built in cutoff if you have a crossed wire or wired improper.
You could have a bad ground somewhere or that line filter could be causing too much of a voltage drop. Lots of variables..
Also if you turn your head unit off before you turn the battery off will it keep the head unit from turning on when you turn the battery on. The 2 sony heads I had/have use the source button to turn on and only have an off button as well. Hope that works for ya...

_________________
--2002 3880 Regal Flybridge | Twin Merc 8.1HO **Seven**
--2003 AB 13 VST Console Inflatable | Tohatsu 40hp TLDI **Phish'n ski**
--310 Mercury Inflatable | 1982 9.9 Johnson

babbot,

Thanks...I guess I hadn't thought about the wiring..I just spliced the amp power into the radio power wire. I figured the radio powered on, so should the amp. I may have to run some more tests before I throw it in the trash.

As for a voltage problem, I can't see it. I checked the head unit by fading the output all the way to the left, right, front back and in each of those situations it turned all the way up. It only has a problem with 4 speakers. now some have said that changing the speakers from the 4 ohm speakers that I have to 8 ohm may fix that problem, but just not sure.

I didn't install the line filter, won't until I see a need for it. I will have to take the boat out and run with the head on to see.

Not sure about turning it off first, but my guess is that since I did not wire the one 12v wire that keeps the clock and setting running that maybe that would do it.

Thanks,

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Chris and Alicia
Las Vegas, NV
ALTIVA
1996 Four Winns 238 Vista Dlx 5.8Fi

Thats possible about the "clock" wire. But if you think about it. When you shut your car off with the radio on it will turn on when your turn the car back on. Same concept. Just a theory in my head though....
Well when you fade to center you are use more power to run 4 speakers rather then 3 or less. Again just a theory. A voltage meter should tell you whats going on. Its a quick check too.

_________________
--2002 3880 Regal Flybridge | Twin Merc 8.1HO **Seven**
--2003 AB 13 VST Console Inflatable | Tohatsu 40hp TLDI **Phish'n ski**
--310 Mercury Inflatable | 1982 9.9 Johnson

-The amp requires a separate set of power wires ran straight from a high-current source such as the output of your battery selector, or straight to a battery. This will of course require large diameter cabling to handle the extra current that the amplifier demands. I'd say somewhere around #8 wire at least, depending on the length. Be sure that the positive lead is fused as close to the source as possible.
-The amp requires a separate switched "turn on" wire from the head unit. It will provide the amplifier with 12 volts at very low current to let the amp know it needs to power up. It is connected to the "remote" terminal on your amplifier. This is typically the blue/white wire coming out of your head unit.
-Your Sony Marine CDXM30 has "line level" outputs. These should be employed when hooking up to your amplifier. They are on RCA terminals on the head unit, and would require four of them to connect to the four RCA line level inputs on your Pyle (labeled as "LOW INPUT" on your amp, item #4).
As for your stereo powering up when you power on the battery selector, that's probably the default way of operation, and I don't know that you can do anything to fix that other than hooking the yellow wire on your head unit to a separate accessory switch and using that switch when you wish to turn on the stereo. Keep in mind that if the battery select switch removes power from the red wire on the stereo when it's switched off, you'll have to reset the clock, audio settings, and station presets every time you switch the power off.
The radio cutting off when volume is increased is indicative of a supply that cannot source enough current. My guess is that there is a corroded connection to a fuse, a corroded wire, or a corroded Molex connector somewhere along the line.
Hope this helps.

Matt thanks for your response. I have a couple of questions though...



I simply used the wiring from the old radio. It looks to be #8 and has the built in 5 Amp fuse in the fuse block in the engine compartment. So I assumed I could run both the head and the amp off of this, when I hooked them up however the head powered on but the amp did not...which is why I thought it was bad.



Yes I connected this lead...also tried the amp with out it,



Yes this is how I had it wired, but no power to the amp, so no sound.



That's ok I think, never listen to the radio anyhow.nor do I use the clock or change any of the settings. I would think any marine head unit would be this way since boats can sit for weeks without being started.



Yes I left the head in, and will be checking the wiring more the next time I get to bring her back home. But that seems very difficult looking at how the wiring is on a boat...no real easy access to the wires. This might be over my head, we'l see.

Thanks again.

C

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Chris and Alicia
Las Vegas, NV
ALTIVA
1996 Four Winns 238 Vista Dlx 5.8Fi