Bass Boat Forums
How-To Videos & Photos => Bass Boat How-To => Topic started by: Treeman12 on January 24, 2015, 10:25:50 AM
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NITRO Z7 STEREO INSTALL EXAMPLE....Hope it helps!
STEREO INSTALL, DUAL CONSOLE NITRO Z7:
Jensen MS 30 Compact waterproof stereo w/ USB for MP3 input (EBay $139)
Two 6.5" round Jensen Marine waterproof speakers (EBay $89 /pair)
Speaker boxes are pre-wired golf cart boxes (Ebay $79 / pair)
16" Rubberized antenna (EBay $12)
Marine grade speaker wire, 30 feet (Home Depot, $14)
--all connections soldered and shrink tube wrapped
--marine grade speaker wire, hidden under carpet and rod butt panel under passenger console
--8 x 1" stainless screws and washers to attach speakers to fiberglass under consoles. When drilling the gelcoat always start the drill in reverse to keep from chipping it. Once you have a divot reverse the drill and make your hole
Speaker boxes (designed for golf carts) came pre-wired with a tweeter and sub-bellows, I used my Dremel to make the hole slightly larger to accommodate the heavy magnet in these marine speakers. The speakers came with two colored grate options, I went with the silver to match the striping on my boat.
First, I removed the passenger console and installed the speaker just above the bottom edge. This section is double walled fiberglass with a hollow between the walls. I used four screws to fasten the bottom/ sides of the speaker, it is very solid. DO NOT put screws in the top of the speaker, they will go through and be visible from outside !
Once the speaker was installed, I loosened the screws on and ran the wire under the rod butt panel, and then under the carpet. Anywhere the wire came in contact with metal I wrapped it with black electrical contact tape. I used a coat hanger to pull the wire under the carpet so I didn't have to lift and re glue it.
I installed the second speaker against the back wall under my Lowrance equipment. The taper of the speaker box made for a great fit. I used 6 screws to secure it in place. While sitting I the drivers seat I cannot touch the speaker with my leg fully extended. If you have a Hot Foot there is still room for this location.
I removed the (worthless) speedometer and used the two wires that illuminated the gauge as my positive and ground wires to the stereo. And, I plugged the water pitot tube with a finishing nail and electrical tape and zip ties. I wanted to have quick access to the USB port, so I used my Dremel to make a small hole next to the gauge. This allowed me to position the USB next to the stereo and the hole is loose enough that I can slide the USB cable out for use and push it back against the dash to store.
Note: For an antenna (one is not necessary for the unit for strong local signals, but I wanted to reach out further) I bought a 16" rubber marine antenna from EBay but rather than mounting it anywhere on the boat (which I thought would look tacky) I zip-tied it up out of the way under the driver console. The reception difference was very noticeable, I went for four to eleven stations.
Once I double checked all my connections I turned the stereo on, checked that everything worked, and then zip tied the wires to secure them out of the way.
Note: Because I used only two speakers I made sure to shrink tube the ends of the speaker wires I didn't use so they wouldn't corrode and/or come in contact with other wiring or each other.
I used the supplied "L" bracket to secure the stereo unit, which worked great when the bracket bit into the fiberglass upon tightening and wouldn't move.
Final install Photo:
Detailed photos available, PM me anytime. Hope this helps !!
Last edited by Treeman12; 01-17-2015 at 09:54 PM.
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Very good read! Thank you posting this.
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Great post! Thanks for sharing the process :)
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Give us an update on the performance! I've been thinking of using that Jensen stereo on my boat. My boat has the older sonar Lowrance 1240A mounted. So I was going to replace that hole with the stereo.