Born Again Fakesetter

[obski]

The bimini looks good Bryan. I think I said before that the one option I had from the dealer that I wasn't completely happy with was the bimini. I really like how yours turned out. Good for you to get just what you wanted.

I actually only use the bimini when I'm at someplace like Shasta or Billy Chinook as we don't really need it much here, so I will probably not make a change, but it is tempting.

[Chia]

looks really good. is it hard to close up? do you have a pic of it closed?

[Slurpee]

looks really good. is it hard to close up? do you have a pic of it closed?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, sorry. I didn't take a picture of it in the boot. I always feel like I need another person to help put these things in the boot because I'm zipper challenged.

That front hoop disconnects from the mounting brackets and the whole canvas hangs loose off the rear mounting points. I just rolled it up and hung it next to the rear hoops while I wrestled the boot over it and zipped it up. I'll take a pic later in the week when I go back out to the storage to put a battery tender on the boat.

Another note. Be sure you triple check that front measurement. I must have been off by a couple inches because I have to muscle that front hoop into the clamps. It is not rolled to the right width and needs to be compressed somewhat. It was easier today to do it than Friday. Hopefully with use it will get easy enough for my wife to do it.

[Slurpee]

I actually only use the bimini when I'm at someplace like Shasta or Billy Chinook as we don't really need it much here, so I will probably not make a change, but it is tempting.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Come down to the Texas WOW next year and try to survive without shade. I'm looking forward to being able to spray down my seats with cold water using my new shower.

[obski]

I actually only use the bimini when I'm at someplace like Shasta or Billy Chinook as we don't really need it much here, so I will probably not make a change, but it is tempting.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Come down to the Texas WOW next year and try to survive without shade. I'm looking forward to being able to spray down my seats with cold water using my new shower.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My wife would love it - she likes the heat and strongly dislikes the cold. We use the bimini here more often to keep out of the rain (marginal help) or to help keep the boat warmer. It does help to trap some of the warm air put out by the heater. Yesterday my wife had herself all wrapped up in a heavy fleece blanket, but at least she was out there.

[Slurpee]

Here's what I have in my Garage Right Now:

2006 Fusion T-Combo Tower Speakers

2006 Infinity Basslink II

2006 Kicker ZX450.2

and in the boat is a 5 year old starter battery that is still going strong and a Sony HU with all the outputs I need.

My question... what other things do I need to do my tower install? I've never done a performance install so I'm vague on all the little nice touches that'll make the install cleaner and easier.

Cables? gauge?

Connectors? IP68?

Relays?

Switches?

Blocks?

Oompaloompas?

[jetskipro550]

Here's what I have in my Garage Right Now:

2006 Fusion T-Combo Tower Speakers

2006 Infinity Basslink II

2006 Kicker ZX450.2

and in the boat is a 5 year old starter battery that is still going strong and a Sony HU with all the outputs I need.

My question... what other things do I need to do my tower install? I've never done a performance install so I'm vague on all the little nice touches that'll make the install cleaner and easier.

Cables? gauge?

Connectors? IP68?

Relays?

Switches?

Blocks?

Oompaloompas?

thru hull conector of some sorts...unless you never ever take off your tower. Oh yeah, and a whole lot of patience when running the wires through the tower

[WakeGirl]

I would think that a thru hull connector would be a good idea, regardless of whether or not you take the tower off. You can almost guarantee that as soon as you figure that you'll never need it, you'll need it. That's the way that it always seems to go for me anyway.

[Slurpee]

I would think that a thru hull connector would be a good idea, regardless of whether or not you take the tower off. You can almost guarantee that as soon as you figure that you'll never need it, you'll need it. That's the way that it always seems to go for me anyway.

Well, i got my through hull connector from Allied Electronics (http://www.alliedelec.com/).

Part Numbers for those who do this in the future are:

Panel Connector: NLT4FP (Female, Solder Cups), MLT4MP (Male, FASTON Quick Disconnect Tabs), add a -BAG suffix for the black parts instead of the Zinc Diecast color.

Cable Connector: NLT4FX (Female), NLT4MX (Male), add a -BAG suffix for the black chromed parts instead of the Zinc Diecast color.

The Neutrik STX series are IP56 weather rated. I noticed a lot of the part numbers bandied about didn't use the IP56 rated connectors for water and dust intrusion. And I saw these connectors up for sale everywhere. I just ordered them from Allied because I had some credit with them and needed to order other things as well.

Edited May 11, 2006 by Slurpee

[Slurpee]

And the speaker system is done. WOW! Crystal Clear. But wow did it take a lot of work to get done.

[Slurpee]

Another shot from the front. And the system sounded a lot better then what was coming off a brand new 247 as it went by. Of course I'm biased....

[stusumm]

Slurpee, that a great looking setup!

[Slurpee]

Well those Fusions finally kicked the bucket in a big way so I sprung for a much nicer setup.

Wetsounds Pro-485

Wetsounds Pro-60 Pair with the trick connect bracket. A must for the 60s now that I've seen both brackets.

Wetsounds SYN-4 Amp powering them

Wetsounds WS-420

WOW!!!! I had to rip out the Basslink to make room for the SYN4 in the passenger compartment. I left the kicker 450.2 amp in there and ran new wires from the 4 stock Infinity cabin 6.5" to it for now. In the future I think I'm going to stick a SYN6 in it's place, add another pair or two of cabin speakers and an XS-12 sub in a fiberglass box in lieu of the bow filler cushion.

I tore the head unit clean out of the boat as well. Wiring was much easier and I can't remember the last time I used the radio (I have a satellite radio mounted) or the CD player. It's always IPODs or the satellite radio and the 420 does it all.

Wow did I ever piss off some golfers as well trying to putt in 100 yards away.

Edited May 18, 2009 by Slurpee

[Slurpee]

And another photo of the back side. I'll snap some photos of the 420 and amps once I get all the loom and brackets in there to make it looks clean.

[txwakejunkie]

Awesome!!!

[Slurpee]

A parting shot.....

And some may ask why not a full 3-Some. Well that's a good question.

First, the Titan I didn't have enough cross-bar space to mount them without mounting them on the radius, and still it's a close fit. Plus those radius aren't symmetric and the clamps are in different places to get the speakers in the same relative position. That was a PITA.

Two, I have a towerbimini.com bimini and I like it mounted high so that WakeMD doesn't knock her head and then mine in. Therefore the total hang height had to be pretty level just with the bottom of the 485. Anyways, they sound AWESOME from behind the boat.

Cheers,

Bryan

[Slurpee]

OH, and a final to Riverrunner at www.wakeoutlaws.com and Tim at Wetsounds for the annoyingly large number of emails before I bought something.

Thanks to Ronnie for letting me have some of his 1/0 cabling and helping with the fabrication of an acrylic mounting plate for the Perko switch.

Thanks to Aric's205V for coming by every night to help me wrestle the speakers in to place, loaning me a hack saw, and giving up a Friday night to run that new pair of speaker wire through the Titan past all the other wires. Was that ever a special prolonged moment !!

And last but not least a big thanks to WakeMD for letting me get it all done and ignore the honey-do list for a few days.

Edited May 18, 2009 by Slurpee

[txwakejunkie]

Well those Fusions finally kicked the bucket in a big way so I sprung for a much nicer setup.

Wetsounds Pro-485

Wetsounds Pro-60 Pair with the trick connect bracket. A must for the 60s now that I've seen both brackets.

Wetsounds SYN-4 Amp powering them

Wetsounds WS-420

WOW!!!! I had to rip out the Basslink to make room for the SYN4 in the passenger compartment. I left the kicker 450.2 amp in there and ran new wires from the 4 stock Infinity cabin 6.5" to it for now. In the future I think I'm going to stick a SYN6 in it's place, add another pair or two of cabin speakers and an XS-12 sub in a fiberglass box in lieu of the bow filler cushion.

I tore the head unit clean out of the boat as well. Wiring was much easier and I can't remember the last time I used the radio (I have a satellite radio mounted) or the CD player. It's always IPODs or the satellite radio and the 420 does it all.

Wow did I ever piss off some golfers as well trying to putt in 100 yards away.

I installed the Syn6 and two pair of xs650's this winter and they made a HUGE improvement!!! You may not need extra cabin speakers after you hear them, I am thinking of adding a pair to the bow though. Do you have any in your bow?

Edited May 18, 2009 by txwakejunkie

[obski]

Wow, I bet that is an awesome, and awesomely loud, system!

The boat must be continuing to work well for you. There are times that I do miss my '01 SSVLX.

[Slurpee]

Well those Fusions finally kicked the bucket in a big way so I sprung for a much nicer setup.

Wetsounds Pro-485

Wetsounds Pro-60 Pair with the trick connect bracket. A must for the 60s now that I've seen both brackets.

Wetsounds SYN-4 Amp powering them

Wetsounds WS-420

WOW!!!! I had to rip out the Basslink to make room for the SYN4 in the passenger compartment. I left the kicker 450.2 amp in there and ran new wires from the 4 stock Infinity cabin 6.5" to it for now. In the future I think I'm going to stick a SYN6 in it's place, add another pair or two of cabin speakers and an XS-12 sub in a fiberglass box in lieu of the bow filler cushion.

I tore the head unit clean out of the boat as well. Wiring was much easier and I can't remember the last time I used the radio (I have a satellite radio mounted) or the CD player. It's always IPODs or the satellite radio and the 420 does it all.

Wow did I ever piss off some golfers as well trying to putt in 100 yards away.

I installed the Syn6 and two pair of xs650's this winter and they made a HUGE improvement!!! You may not need extra cabin speakers after you hear them, I am thinking of adding a pair to the bow though. Do you have any in your bow?

Nope. That's what I think I'm going to need regardless. It shouldn't be too hard. The guy at the local stereo shop who I think I'm going to hire to build the sub box to go in the bow in place of the cushion said he could fab up some fiberglass inserts to go in the storage nooks really easily. WakeMD really wants something up there so she can hear the tunes while looking good in the sun.

Edited October 18, 2009 by Slurpee

[Slurpee]

Wow, I bet that is an awesome, and awesomely loud, system!

The boat must be continuing to work well for you. There are times that I do miss my '01 SSVLX.

I look at new boats every year. Amy Mauzy almost had me sold on a new one at the Austin Boat Show this year. I just can't give up my '01 though. Besides, it's cheaper to upgrade and enhance than go all new. And we just got the wake dialed in perfect at 80' for neck breaking air.

[99response]

Sweet setup!

If your looking of offload that basslink let me know...looking to add a little bump to my lxi.

-Chris

[UWSkier]

Nice setup! Are you running dual batteries? I'd recommend looking to an alternator upgrade if you haven't already. The stock alternator on the '01s is pretty wimpy.

[Slurpee]

Wetsounds Installation Photos 1/2

Wetsounds Installation Photos 2/2

Thought I'd add some more photos with the bimini up. Those speakers are fine.....

[obski]

I would bet that the rest of the lake knows when you are out and about now.

Looks good.