Stereo speakers mounted on transom

golfdog

Hello All, hope everyone is enjoying the holidays.
I have a 2003 342 FV with the built in fender holders. I was wondering if anyone has mounted speakers around the transom/swim platform area and if so, where. I think the sound system on my boat is fantastic but there are times when I'm trying to get the music loud for the people outside of my boat or in the water. When I get it loud enough for others to hear you can't hear yourself think when on the boat. Any suggestions?
Thanks, Jerry

jhorta

I'm in the process of installing a Fusion head unit to my 290.  One of the benefits of the Fusion is multiple zone setup.  So in my case, I will have 2 zones.  One for the Deck, and one in the Galley. This will allow the different music sources and "Volumes" to each zone.  You could ideally set up your transom area as a separate zone. Turn that one up and the others down. 

I can never actually hear myself thinking, regardless how quiet it is...I may need to see a doc about that

That's my 7 cents...

Handymans342

If you cut 2 holes in the back area and install marine speakers they should work but I suspect they will get wet at times. 

Cableguy Greg

I saw a 270 that had speakers mounted to the top of the arch. Not something that I would do, but it worked for him. They were speakers from a wakeboard tower.

MarkB

Definitely get marine speakers. Even the condensation on cold mornings can ruin normal speakers.

golfdog

Thanks for the info. I realize that I'll need to install some good quality speakers due to the location. I'm just looking for a place to put them. There doesn't seem to be a place to install a set of speakers on the rear of my boat. I was just wondering if anyone had done this. I haven't been to the boat recently to check for possible locations. I was kind of thinking about lip just above the swim platform where some people put the name of their boat or port of call. Not sure if there is enough room to mount speakers. Still open to suggestions. Jerry 

Dream_Inn

I'm not sure I'd put speakers there.  They will constantly get wet.  That entire area gets wet while you are on plane.  I'd say the best place to get music out the back is mounting them up off the arch.  I've seen that done pretty tastefully and with a small switch can be turned off when not needed.  Mounting them up higher like that will help get the sound out a bit further without sounding so loud in the cockpit area.

LaRea

If you need more volume mostly when you're rafted up with other boats, consider getting an FM transmitter so that the boats around you can all play your music on their systems.  

I'm a big fan of loud music on the water, but the sound quality is usually much better when you have multiple boats all playing the same music at lower volumes.  Low-wattage FM transmitters can be had for a couple hundred bucks, and they are pretty easy to use.

My boating buddy Dave has one that we use on every raft-up.  If he didn't have one, here's the one I'd buy:

https://wholehousefmtransmitter.com/shop/whole-house-fm-transmitter-3/

 

Dream_Inn

I agree with you Larea .  I boat with someone that does the same thing and if he doesn't have what you like he'll download it.  He also has a mic connected to it that I used during the Rendezvous.

golfdog

I'm going to seriously consider the FM transmitter sounds like a neat option. I still want to get more volume towards the back of the boat. When hanging out at the dock I'm the unofficial person in charge of music. I think Dream Inn is right about how much water the speakers would be exposed to mounted low by the swim platform. I guess I'll look into mounting some speakers on the radar arch. Was trying to avoid mounting them there, not sure how it will look. Jerry

Cableguy Greg

The transmitter idea looks very cool. I might have to get one for the summer.

Dream_Inn

We had 9 of us on labor day with all stereos cranked in sync. What was cool was some of the go faster nearby on the beach turned heads. Our radio guy is Glen(has the 342 for sale, moved up to a 400).  So now he'll upgrade the 400 before our Chesapeake Rendezvous.

LaRea

(Still not answering golfdog's original question, but ...)  If you have an FM transmitter, you can put music devices wherever your listeners are.  On the dock?  Plug in a portable AC-powered stereo.  In the water, or on the bow?  Use a floating, battery-powered FM radio on a tether.

But if you really want built-in rear-facing speakers, you have few options. For safety, stay away from the fuel filler hoses.  Maybe you could do a 3-piece speaker system:  a woofer flush-mounted in the transom locker door, coupled with cube satellite speakers mounted to the grab rail along the transom.  (I've never seen a marine setup like that, but surely there's one somewhere.)

Dream_Inn

You know, one other option that might actually work best is to use a portable Bluetooth speaker that you can set on the swim platform while anchored.  Then you can set it where you want the sound and it will just add to what is already coming out of your system.

Handymans342

What are you guys talking about?? My stereo will light up the whole marina!

Dream_Inn

Problem with that Handy, is that you can't hear anything while in the cabin. Having speakers out the back, you can still enjoy a conversation in the boat while others in water behind boat can enjoy the sounds too.  I've been on boats (especially this past summer) where they spent $10k+ on their stereo.  Sounds great, but has to be cranked when floating around behind boat.  (now, most didn't mind it being cranked in the boat, but I know that wouldn't last a long time on mine)

golfdog

Exactly what Dream Inn said. I can get the music plenty loud but its impossible to have a conversation while sitting in the cockpit. I think I'll be buying some speakers to add to the radar arch but now I'm worried that I may need another amp to power them. I started researching speakers and some say that you need to add an amp. Sometimes I hate the interweb just to much information. I have a 2003 342, it has 6 JL cockpit speakers, 1 10" sub, and 2 speakers in the cabin. I  believe it has a 800 watt amp and I upgraded to a new Kenwood head and remotes. Does anyone know if I would be able to add two more speakers to my system without and another amp. Jerry

DanD2

What's wrong with buying a good Bluetooth speaker? That will allow you to put it any where's.

LaRea

Adding a 4th pair of speakers to the amp is risky, and adding another amp can get tricky and expensive.  How about an A/B switch on one of the amp outputs?  One switch position drives the 6 cockpit speakers, and the other drives 4 cockpit speakers plus 2 rear-facing transom speakers.  

99270fv

I have installed a separate volume control on each speaker in the cockpit allowing each person to control the adjacent speaker.

golfdog

99270fv, that's a neat idea. Where did you mount the volume controllers and what kind of volume control did you use? Do you have any pictures?

Handymans342

Yeah! Do tell!

99270fv

Roll over image to zoom Click for larger image

Speaker L-Pad Attenuator 100W Mono 1" Shaft 8 Ohm

from parts express    remove speaker and insure clearance behind the gunwale requires a 3/8" hole to be drilled at the location of your choice, I put them maybe 2" to the front of and even with the bottom of each speaker. the attenuator disk is probably 2 1/2" 0r maybe 3" in diameter. I can give you step by step instructions or you can give me step by step instruction on how to post pics  

Handymans342

That don't look like it would hold up too well to wet or salty environments. 

MarkB

What you guys need is a digital volume control on each speaker. I haven't seen one, but it should be easy enough to get, something that can be easily concealed in a water proof area, and use a remote to increase/decrease the volume to each speaker.

Handymans342

What I want to do is to be able to kill the cockpit speakers and just have the cabin speakers on you know, smooth jazz, wine and the admiral LOL

golfdog

MarkB, that would be ideal. Just have to find something like that now. Handymans342, my stereo is capable of fading the cockpit off and only having music in the cabin. I want to add speakers to the radar arch and be able turn the cockpit speakers down while  keeping the speakers on the radar arch up.

MarkB

How about a selector switch at the helm, speaker A, speaker B or both?

MarkB

Something like this: http://isports.cafe24.com/eBay/selector&dispenseor/LC086_TelManualSelector41/images/LC086_TelManualSelector41_03.jpg

Dream_Inn

Handy, you should already be able to do what you are mentioning, just as Golf mentioned.  I've seen simple switches put in to just turn one off here or there, I've seen the attenuators as well.  They all work fine.  I think the A/B switch would work well with a transom speaker since you'd want one or the other on at times.

Handymans342

I may put a speaker switch in the old TV cabinet as I can pick up the speaker wires close by.