Running Speaker Wire in the Tower

jgarvish · Criminal Joined: 12 Nov 2003 Posts: 63 City: Austin

I am planning on installing some lights and speakers on my tower this weekend. Does anyone have any suggestionns on how to make running the wires through the tower easier. Several ideas that I have had were running some fishing line first and then trying to pull the speaker wire through. I have also thought of using a clothes hanger to try to pull it through (put a knot in the speaker wire or fishing line and then fishing for it with the clothes hanger). Any thoughts or experience would be welcomed... By the way here is a pic my boat without any of that stuff, if I get it done, I will post a pic or two of the commpleted project...

Geoff Standish · Addict Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 843 City: Calgary

The easiest way I found was get some heavy duty fishing line. Tie a small piece of paper or plastic bag to the end of the fishing line, get one person to feed it into one hole while another person holds a vacume up to the hole it is to come out of. Turn the vacume on, and the fishing line will be through the tower. Then you just tie the fishing line to your wire and pull it through! The tower material on the X-star looks like big. So you shouldn't have any trouble.

Good Luck!

jgarvish · Criminal Joined: 12 Nov 2003 Posts: 63 City: Austin

That sounds like a great idea. I really appreciate the advice, I think that you just saved me a couple of hours on Saturday. I will let you know my success.

Fishmaster · Posted: Nov 20, 2003 9:02 am Post subject:

I think that tower is made by Extreme Marine in Venore, TN and they have have some good ideas. Try calling MasterCraft or Extreme for tips and tricks as well.

Check out www.diyTower.com for some good links to getting the connectors and stuff if you dont have those yet.

Styk33 · Posted: Nov 20, 2003 9:56 am Post subject:

Fishing line with a fishing weight on the end works too. If you know an electrician or a telecom guy they will have a fishtape that you could borrow. Another way is to lube the wire so it slides easily and drop it in from the top.

jgarvish · Criminal Joined: 12 Nov 2003 Posts: 63 City: Austin

Thanks Y'all. I will takes some pics and post them next week if I manage to get the speakers installed.

CenturionDad · Soul Rider Joined: 28 Oct 2003 Posts: 277 City: So Cal

Typically an electrician uses a fisher, a flexible steel strand, to run wires in tight places. Being this is a tube you should be able to push a heavy guage wire through with no problems. Nice boat.

jgarvish · Criminal Joined: 12 Nov 2003 Posts: 63 City: Austin

The fishing line with part of a plastic bag tied to it worked fantastic for running the wires for my speakers and lights. Thanks for all the suggestions. Here are some pics of the setup (before I got the wires run but you get the picture)...

Again, thanks for all the suggestions.

lockar · Posted: Nov 23, 2003 1:32 pm Post subject:

Wow!! Very nice stuff you got. Could you specify which speakers and lights sets that are, brand and type?

Thanks

jgarvish · Criminal Joined: 12 Nov 2003 Posts: 63 City: Austin

I have Boss B-653s and B-62s for my tower speakers and I have bulletspeakers 7 light bar and KC style lights from precision performance. By the way, sorry I posted such a large picture of all that stuff...

UDLOSE · Newbie Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Posts: 39 City: Wichita, Kansas

MAN You Tower Acc. KICK ASS...I know where to find the speakers but cant find the lightbar on-line anywhere....Where did you find it?

Thanks in advance

Shane

jgarvish · Criminal Joined: 12 Nov 2003 Posts: 63 City: Austin

www.boardersparadise.com has the light bar (it is made by bullet speakers - www.bulletspeakers.com) and the two high intensity lights are from www.precision-performance.com. I haven't gotten them hooked up yet but I manage to run the speaker wires from all four speakers and the wires for the lights. Hopefully I will get everything hooked up and can get some night pics to show what the lights can do.

BillJ · Posted: Nov 24, 2003 12:05 am Post subject:

Hopefully you already know this but make sure you wire the lights using a relay due to the high current they draw. The switch will activate the relay which will then provide power to the lights. And also make sure the wire is the right size for the current. Lights can easily draw 10 amps each.

Gaignstar · Soul Rider Joined: 29 Sep 2003 Posts: 468

that's a sick a$$ boat

jgarvish · Criminal Joined: 12 Nov 2003 Posts: 63 City: Austin

BillJ, thanks for the recommendation on wiring the lights. I am havinng the wiring of the lights done this week but the lights came with a relay that i will be sure to install...

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

jgarvish, NICE job! Can't wait to hear you coming from a mile away!