DIY Exile build in my new LSV... (first time)

[bbbabe1]

I bet if you change the blade on that air saw to something with more teeth per inch, it'd work a lot better.

[Cory]

Well, the end product looks great, so maybe just repeat what is tried and true for the other side.

[IXFE]

Well, the end product looks great, so maybe just repeat what is tried and true for the other side.

That's my plan... although I wish I'd thought of some of the cheaper solutions. I don't like spending $80 on a tool used to make two cuts. Oh well.... I'm sure it wilp come in handy on other projects.

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[Cory]

Never regret purchasing a high quality tool that you will keep for life. You never know what tool you will need and the right tool always make the job easier. You need to view these projects as excuses to purchase tools.

For Christmas my father-in-law purchased me a big @ss wrench (24" wrench) and big @ss bolt cutters. I had/have no current use for them, but one day I will pull those bad boys out and get the job done with ease.

Edited May 20, 2014 by Cory

[shawndoggy]

Never regret purchasing a high quality tool that you will keep for life. You never know what tool you will need and the right tool always make the job easier. You need to view these projects as excuses to purchase tools.

For Christmas my father-in-law purchased me a big @ss wrench (24" wrench) and big @ss bolt cutters. I had/have no current use for them, but one day I will pull those bad boys out and get the job done with ease.

LOL, and you might not regret buying the $8.99 set of 8 or 12 or whatever it is hole saws from harbor freight either. Will the saws hold up to day in day out lifetime use? No way! But for the one time you need to install heater hot tubes in the boat or drill speaker holes, it's money.

Stuff like drills and routers (and dremels) I totally buy the argument of buying a nice one. Specialty tools like lockring pliers or $7 a rotating stubby ratchet handle (love it btw) HF all the way. Oh and zip ties. and heat shrink. That reminds me....

[IXFE]

Today's update...

Last night I installed the other speaker in the walk thru using the same method I described earlier (Dremel). It was even more challenging than the first time because I could not get the combing pad off so I had to do it from the backside (under the helm). I'm glad this step is behind me. By far my least favorite.

A note on the Dremel... Lying down under there with a Dremel and a cutting wheel going at 35,000 rpm just a few feet above my face was nerve racking. To begin with, it's smoking like a chimney and it gets hot to hold. It's also throwing off a bunch of HOT plastic shrapnel which is landing in my face, my ears, my eyes, etc. Should I have worn safety glasses... of course! Did I? Sadly, no. Perhaps the scariest part of it was imagining myself accidentally dropping the cordless tool on myself. I really did not want to see what happens when that cutting wheel meets human flesh. It got me thinking, why don't these things have a safety on them (i.e. a lever that can only be depressed by a human hand holding it... let go and it's a kill switch). In fact, the switch to turn on the Dremel is too easy to slide on, I refuse to even lay it down in the boat with the battery in it. I have started taking the battery out completely!

Back to the stereo. I've shifted my attention to wiring the amps. The factory molox connector is now gone. I have mapped every factory speaker wire to the appropriate speaker, labeled them, and crimped long extensions into place. Then I routed all the speaker wires through the holes in the amp rack. I'm ready to wire the amps!

That brings me to my first question. My wires are long enough to wire the amps off the rack and w/out getting into the torture chamber. I was thinking that's what I'd do. Then once all connections are made I can hang the amps on my bolts (slowing pulling through the excess wire length. Still sounds hard. Do you agree with this approach?

Here's a few pics of where I've set up a mini work station to wire the amps (carpeted board on top of the batteries). This makes wiring easy. But it looks like stuffing all that excess wire behind the amp rack as I mount the amp is going to be a PITA.

As you can see, I only have the speaker wires in at the moment.

[IXFE]

One more random question.

Does anybody know what this wire is for? I found it under the the glove box. It's an odd looking, flat wire.

[Cory]

Antenna for your non existent radio

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[bbbabe1]

One more random question.

Does anybody know what this wire is for? I found it under the the glove box. It's an odd looking, flat wire.

Looks like the radio antenna wire. I could be wrong though.

You're making good progress! I'm loving following this build.

[wakedncsu]

One more random question.

Does anybody know what this wire is for? I found it under the the glove box. It's an odd looking, flat wire.

I would venture to guess the radio antenna. That is what the plug looks like.

[IXFE]

Radio antenna... check!

Any thoughts on my amp wiring question?

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[shawndoggy]

Do you have the ability to reach behind the amp board and pull wires in or just stuff them underneath? This is a fielders choice with no right answer. Will the amp "hang" on your studs without the lock nuts? If so I'd stuff as much of the wire as possible back into the hole, "hang" the amp, and screw in wires. Maybe put one nut on one stud to be safe. You should maybe able to then pull the other end of the amp up to pull the power wire.

Trying to stuff 4' of wire into that tiny hole is not going to work well. Lol I've tried that too.

[Cory]

I think you should just let Shawn do it, then give him a discount for services rendered when he purchases the boat. Seriously, this is a great time of year for a trip to Lake Powell. Drop the boat off at his house for a day, do the [[Vegas]] Reno thing, then proceed onto Powell...

I recently got an aerospace client in NM, so I'm hoping to schedule an in-person Friday morning meeting some day and maybe do a weekend road trip to Page, AZ. We shall see... It may be a pipe dream, but I've got to get to that lake one day!!! I love Banks Lake in WA, which really just seems like a mini-me version of Powell.

Edit: I just looked at a map. Probably not realistic for you or my dream, though Portland to Reno doesn't look so bad.

Edited May 21, 2014 by Cory

[MLA]

Radio antenna... check!

Any thoughts on my amp wiring question?

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I like having some extra slack behind the amp wall. If you ever have to pull an amp, that little bit of slack makes it much easier to reinstall the wires in their respective terminals. If you ever need to get behind the amp wall, that little bit of cable could be difference between tilting the amp wall out and reaching there or pulling everything.

Sorry, had my Ebonics APP open

Edited May 22, 2014 by MLA

[ktrent]

Dude your doing a great job that you will so be proud of. When your chilling on the water and everyone is smiling all because of the music and you can think to yourself "I did that"

X 2 on the rotozip. Great tool to have. Makes short work of holes and shapes in lots of

stuff. They have a bit for almost every material. Like a dremel on steroids.

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[IXFE]

One down (the hard one)... one to go!

I'll get on it... right after I get back from the chiropractor!

Edited May 22, 2014 by IXFE

[shawndoggy]

Nice job with getting the label to show on the wire. Pro move there.

^^^^ Nobody but your interwebs friends will ever see, let alone critique your amp rack.

[Brianinpdx]

I was just about to t.y.p.e "don't be a (P)wuss" and get in the chamber of love. Then I saw your picture.. nice work! Your gonna see me do it when you come in to the shop for some final tuning. Right about now you should be thinking, I'm sure glad these amps are hella small and don't take up tons of space like my old ones did.

Things are looking really good IXFE. Yes, right down to the wire jacket. You've a keen eye for detail... Heck just look at the boat graphics. And besides-- shawndoggy will appreciate all your detail work when picks it up from ya next year.

wahoo!

-Brian

[skurfer]

Dave, looking good!!!!!!!! Just finished this install today. Goes down the road Saturday. It sounds so good!

[08oregon v-rider]

This system looks great and has been fun to follow. Im working on a similar setup and want to eliminate using the head unit and install a switch somewhere to turn everything on(zld, javelin, harpoon). Looking at your previous wiring diagram and after all the discussion about fusing how did you actually end up wiring in a switch to power everything?

[Cory]

There should be a wire that goes high when you power up the dash pre-wired by the factory. I would recommend putting the zld switch in-line with that wire. When you hit the power button on the dash, the zld will be powered off. The switch you wire in-line would then allow you to turn the stereo on/off once the dash is powered on. The switch would operate exactly like the power button on the factory remote. I think it is natural to think you have killed the stereo when you power off the dash. If you wire the audio switch directly to the battery switch, there is a good chance you will forget to turn off the zld when the boat is off.

If your SOP is to kill the battery switch when trailering the boat, then perhaps wiring the audio switch in-line with the battery switch is ok.

Edited May 23, 2014 by Cory

[IXFE]

This system looks great and has been fun to follow. Im working on a similar setup and want to eliminate using the head unit and install a switch somewhere to turn everything on(zld, javelin, harpoon). Looking at your previous wiring diagram and after all the discussion about fusing how did you actually end up wiring in a switch to power everything?

I haven't actually done the switch yet. I took the day off work today, and I'm about to get in the boat to wire up and mount the 2nd amp (towers). Then all that's left for me will be to mount and wire in that switch.

After that it goes to a local pro for sub box install, zld hookup, and final tuning.

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[IXFE]

Badda bing!

[Cory]

Very clean! Very nice!

Is the radius of curvature on each wire identical? As Clark Griswald's father-in-law would say, "the little lights... they aren't twinkling, Clark."

[IXFE]

Very clean! Very nice!

Is the radius of curvature on each wire identical? As Clark Griswald's father-in-law would say, "the little lights... they aren't twinkling, Clark."

There's no twinkle because there's no power to the board yet... working my way back to the battery tonight.

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