How to Mount a Stereo in a Boat
A stereo system adds to the enjoyment of your time on the water by providing music and up-to-the-minute news, sports, and commentary to the experience. Adding a stereo to your boat is a fast, easy project that can be done in a few hours in your driveway, or on the water. All you need are a few common tools to provide audio entertainment on your boat.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Stereo
- Speakers
- Stainless steel screws
- Screwdriver
- Plastic ties
- Plastic shrink tubing
- Heat gun
Instructions
-
-
1
Mount the stereo unit in a cabin, or a glove box on the boat console for the best protection from occasional splashes of water. Most marine stereos can take a little bit of water, but it is still better to keep them dry. Use a screwdriver and stainless-steel screws to attach the stereo box in the glove box, on the ceiling or side of a cabin wall, or in a pre-cut section of a cabin wall.
-
2
Splice the wires to the proper length, and run them along the sides of the boat to the battery in the back of the boat. Use plastic ties to secure the wiring under the panels of the side walls to keep them secure and out of the way. Seal the splices with plastic shrink tubing and a heat gun. This is especially vital in boat electronics to prevent any sparks from igniting a fire.
-
-
3
Attach the ground wire from the stereo unit to the ground block located under the console of the boat or at the negative port of the battery. Check to see where the other ground (black) wires from other electronics route to on the boat.
-
4
Mount speaker boxes in out-of-the-way places on the boat. Common placement areas are under the seats, or on the sides of the boat. Speakers also can be flush-mounted by cutting an opening in the seat base or side wall of the boat, and inserting the speaker box in the opening. Keep in mind that the speakers should point in the direction of common sitting areas. Use stainless steel screws and a screwdriver to mount the speaker box, and then insert the speaker into the console and secure it with the mounting equipment provided.
-
5
Run speaker wires to the stereo and connect them. Secure excess wiring with plastic ties, and tie it out of the way in the side wall.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Review all of the instructions that come with your stereo before attempting to install it.
Buy a marine-grade stereo. Some people use regular automobile stereos, and they work, but the wiring used in car stereos is made of copper. Copper corrodes easily, so the stereo won't last as long. In addition, marine stereos are better designed to take the shaking and pounding any piece of equipment is subject to when moving on the water.
If you cut a hole to flush-mount speakers or stereo into the side walls of the boat, make sure there is plenty of air circulation, and at least an inch of space between the speakers or stereo unit and the back wall. Less space or air circulation will cause the system to overheat, and may cause fires.
References
- Photo Credit boat image by michele goglio from Fotolia.com
More Like This
Comments
-
Wiring speakers on a boat is not enough. Sound is a very complicated thing. What about quality of sound (can you hear clearly what man speaks on you speaker, can you make difference between a bass guitar drums)? What about sound in cockpit where there are a lot of noises?
