www.iFourWinns.com

OK--so the audio upgrade for this year is to add a couple of speakers in the aft ski lockers that point out on to the water so we can actually hear the stereo while swimming and hanging out. My thought is to install a switch so I can turn the new speakers on or off as I wouldn't need or necessarily want them on when the ski locker doors were shut. My biggest question is around the ohms / impedance--an area I don't claim to understand well. I am hoping some of you that are smarter than me can help me out. Here is the plan:

I have the factory Clarion XMD3 Head Unit and a Kicker ZX700.5 (5-Channel Amp). The Kicker's Channel 1-4 RMS Power Rating:
• 4 ohms: 70 watts x 4 chan.
• 2 ohms: 85 watts x 4 chan.

I currently have 2 pairs (in the cockpit) of the factory Clarion CM1605 6.5" speakers (4 ohms, RMS Power Range 50 watts, Peak 100 watts) hooked up to the Kicker and 1 pair (in the bow) still connected to the head unit.

I plan to add a pair of Bose 151 outdoor speakers (4 ohms, (RMS) Output Power 40 watts) to the aft ski lockers.

Thought process is to put 1 pair of the cockpit Clarions from the Kicker and the new Bose speakers on a switch. Switch would allow to play either set of speakers or both at the same time. Does this sound right?

I was looking at a switch such as this: http://www.amazon.com/Speaker-Selector-Switch-Switcher-Splitter/dp/B0043JBLC0. Any help is appreciated.

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Norris Lake, Stardust Marina, Andersonville, TN
2005 Four Winns 230 Horizon 5.7L Volvo Gi/DP
2001 Maxum 1900SR 5.0L V8 (Sold)
2011 Nissan Armada Platnum

I'm not a stereo guru, but sounds nice to have.

I would be interested in a simpple and separate volume control for the same (my tower speakers, actually). I can adjust the gain, but that would mean emptying out a compartment just to access my amp.

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Walt B
"Debt-Charged"
Black '07 H210SS
6.2L Bravo One turning a 21P HIFive
Wakeboard Tower with Perfect Pass Stargazer version
Missouri River; Kansas City, Mo.

Here's what I did in my setup to cheaply add an amp and a subwoofer. I think you could slightly tweak it to replace my sub with your two aft speakers.

I installed a 4 channel amp (don't have all the specs, but I'm pretty sure it has the switchable 2-4 OHM setting for them) and used 2 channels for the cockpit speakers and bridged the two remaining channels together into 1 to power the sub. I connected the RCAs from the head unit for the cockpit and the subwoofer to the amp. I left the bow speakers alone to run off of the head unit. The amp came with a control knob hookup for the subwoofer so that I can turn it all the way up or completely cut it. I upgraded the cockpit speakers but left the bow stock speakers in place.

For YOUR application, you could do the same setup I did but hook up only the RCAs for the cockpit speakers into the amp. You should be able to run your cockpit speakers on 2 of the channels and your aft speakers on the other 2 (and not bridge them). If you get an amp with a control knob, you should be able to use it to control the volume of the 2 aft speakers. If this does not work, you could always just put a volume control knob in the speaker wire line running to the aft speakers and control it that way. Either way, it would be an easy setup and would be relatively cheap.

The other benefit of this is that you preserve your ability to fade the sound out of the bow for the people sitting up there. The stock speakers running off of just the head unit are plenty loud-the place you really need the volume/power increase is in the cockpit and the aft speakers, so this setup allows you all of those possibilities. You just adjust the gains for the rear speakers with the head unit turned up to distortion level so that you aren't killing the people in the bow when you want the rest of it loud.

Just make sure you match the OHMs as closely as possible. Let me know if you have any more questions about my setup just in case I wasn't all that clear in my description.

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

Thanks a million pet575, that is EXACTLY what I want to do (someday) on our boat. I need to keep this post in my archives when the time comes to actually do it. What brand of amp did you get ? Sincerely Cheap Cap'n.

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

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

French,

That switch won't work for what you're trying to do as it says "Speakers connected must be no less than 8 ohms." Your cockpit speakers are 4 ohm speakers. You will need to find a switch that supports lower impedance speakers.

In addition, just my opinion, but the Bose speakers are very overpriced for what they provide. I would look at a set of DC Gold speakers and make some enclosures for them or really any other marine speaker.

In my U17, I run a PDX5m amp that uses speaker plugs on the amp side . I have it connected to a pair of DC Gold n9.5c and n5c when running. When I stop at the beach, I have another set of n9.5cs in some enclosures I made. I simply unplug the my n5cs and plug in the 9.5s. Makes it pretty quick and easy.

Thanks--I was afraid that wasn't going to work. I appreciate the advice.

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Norris Lake, Stardust Marina, Andersonville, TN
2005 Four Winns 230 Horizon 5.7L Volvo Gi/DP
2001 Maxum 1900SR 5.0L V8 (Sold)
2011 Nissan Armada Platnum

Here is an idea but it would require a bit of work...

You could wire up a 2nd amplifier. A 2 channel amp dedicated to your rear speakers. Then, put a switch on your remote wire that toggles the 12 volts from your main amp or your 2 channel amp. You could even do a 3 way switch that sends 12 volts to amp A, amp B or both if you wanted the cockpit speakers to be playing when your rear speakers were going.

So when you stopped, you'd just have to flip the switch and your cockpit speaker amp would shut down and your rear speaker amp would startup. Depending on how many RCA preouts you have on your head unit, you'd also need some RCA splitters to send the signal to the 2nd amplifier.

This is the route I was going to go before I found the Alpine PDX amp with the quick connect speaker plugs.

Sorry for the late response. The name brand is BOSS. I can't remember the model number but I want to say it is something like a 100W per channel RMS or something along those lines. Was in the neighborhood of $80-100. Nothing fancy, not super high-powered or anything. Just enough to improve the sound quite a bit.

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

Thanks for the info. Maybe this was it ?
BOSS MR1000

Remote level control:

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

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Here are 2 more ways too. BUT the other Paul has the RIGHT way, but if money is a concern!!

You could us a DPDT switch.
http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/components/switch.htm

The output from the amp to the common side of the switch, than connect one pair to A & than the other pair to the b side. Down side is, you can only use one pair at a time!!

The other way, but it will bring down the volume a little. Is connect BOTH sets speaker in parallel. Lets say all the speakers are 4 ohms, now in this type of wiring it will bring it down to 2 ohms. By connecting 2 ohm 20 watt (or easer to find two 1 ohm 10 watt resister) resistor. This will bring the impedance back up to about 4 ohms. If you were to use 8 ohm speakers, than no resistor would be needed. Total, 4 ohm load. This method I use my self, it works.