How to Wire a Boat Stereo
You love boating and you love music, so why not install a stereo on your boat? The stereo will have to be removable, particularly if you have an open boat, but that's a feature common to most marine stereos. The hard questions begin with location of the stereo and how to run the wiring to minimizing tripping hazards on deck. Once you have chosen a stereo unit suitable for marine use and selected the speakers, the installation will only take a few hours and can even be done while you're enjoying a day on the water.
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Things You'll Need
- Screwdriver
- Phillips screwdriver
- Drill and bits
- Speaker wire
- Wire cutters
- Marine stereo splash cover and mounting bracket
- Plastic cable 1-piece raceway, 3/4 by 1/2 inch 5 foot lengths, adhesive backed
Instructions
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1
Drill two accommodation holes in your dash for the stereo power cord and speaker wires at the chosen location for the stereo. Mount the splash cover mounting bracket using the screws or bolts provided. Even though modern marine stereo systems are water-resistant, they are not waterproof and can be damaged by water over time. The use of a splash cover will have two benefits: ease of mounting and removal and protection against the elements. Use the screws provided with the unit and set the splash cover in place; tighten the mounting bolts on the splash cover so that the unit will not exceed more than 30 degrees of tilt.
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2
Install the push button switch in your dash. Connect an in-line fuse to one pole of the push button switch (use the screwdriver to tighten the screw) and your boat's common power bus. Attach one side of the quick-connect stereo power cord to the other pole of the push button switch and the other side of the power cord to the common ground on the bus bar. Install the speaker wires by pulling the wire from the back of the splash cover to the deck.
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3
Pull the quick-connect wire from the push button through the back of the splash cover and attach to the quick-connect connections on the stereo. Pull the speaker wires through the splash cover an attach to the terminals on the stereo. Slide the stereo into the splash cover and close the front cover.
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4
Mount the speakers in the chosen location. Flush-mount speakers have advantages on a larger boat, but on a small boat they can be troublesome, if only because there should not be an open air path behind the speaker. Not only do you have to drill a hole in your boat for the speaker, you have to isolate the area for cables, pass-throughs and other boat operating equipment. Box speakers can be semi-permanently mounted with Velcro pads or strips, making them removable, similar to the stereo.
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5
Pull the speaker wires from the stereo, through the accommodation hole in the dash and down to the deck. Cut a cable raceway to length to fit between the control console and the side of the boat. Secure the adhesive-backed raceway on the deck between the console and the side of the boat. Lay adhesive-backed cable raceways down the side of the boat at deck level to the speaker location. Open the hinged raceways and pull the wire for the left speaker from the console to the side of the boat and close the raceway to contain the wire. Pull the wire down the side of the vessel, in the raceway at deck level, to the speaker and close the raceway containing the wire. Pull two extra yards of wire, in case you decide to relocate your speakers, coil the extra wire and secure the coil with duct tape. Tape the coil to the back of the speaker. Attach the wires to the speaker. Repeat the process of laying raceways and wiring for the right speaker.
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Tips & Warnings
While the stereo has its own fuse protection, it does not protect your boat's electrical system---the in-line fuse does. The push button may seem unnecessary, but it will allow you to shut down the stereo if you need to hear the radio or pay attention to a developing navigational situation.
Cutting holes in a small boat's hull should be undertaken with trepidation, simply because you don't know what cables or wires you might cut. The use of box speakers is encouraged in all vessels of less than 20 feet in length.
