Help needed wiring tower speakers

[phenom_1819]

Hello,

I posted this on the supraboats forum, too, but thought I'd ask this as well since the tower mounts are similar enough between Supra and Moomba.

I'm wiring tower speakers, and cannot get the wiring to run through the base of the tower. I've tried using the string & vac method, the fish-tape method, but neither has worked... The hole through the fiberglass seems VERY small (in fact, with the fish-tape I can't feel one at all, but I know it's there because the tower light wires run through it...). I've tried going from both the top and bottom -- no luck either way. Does the tower need to be removed so a bigger hole can be drilled??

I'm sure I'm not the first to have this problem but couldn't find any other posts about it. Any ideas or advice would be very much appreciated. Thank you!

[zegm]

Is there enough play in the tower lights to tape the speaker wires to it and pull them through?

[phenom_1819]

There isn't enough play in the wiring from the factory. I've thought that I could cut and splice some more wire onto the factory wiring, then pull it through, but I worry that the splice won't pull through the hole, which then would leave me without the tower light and without sound. This is my plan B right now.

Unfortunately, this is holding up the rest of my stereo install... it's times like this when I wish my dealer wasn't 3 hours away!! :?

[zegm]

If you don't mind resplicing the tower wiring you could cut it way above the tower, tape the speaker wire to it and try pulling it through. But make sure you don't pull the end of the tower light wire through.

[tazz3069]

r5

[tazz3069]

I ran the tower speaker wire down the left side of the tower. I had to drill holes on both sides of the hinge. Removed the base and drilled the hole biger in the fiberglass. You need to remove the three bolts and place the base on a towel. This will keep the boat from getting scratched. Make sure you put tape over the hole you will be drilling. This will keep the gellcoat from chipping. I will post pictures of the holes, I drilled in the tower. Hope this helps
Tazz

[seanpatsdad]

I used grass trimmer chord on mine.Worked good.
John

[JesseC]

I used grass trimmer chord on mine.Worked good.
John

Brilliant!! I never thought of that one, but that huge spool of fo weed whacker cord sitting in the corner of my garage has just found a use!!

[llxlv]

As stated above, go down the other side.

[phenom_1819]

I love the trimmer idea -- it didn't work though. :( I cut the wiring to the light, attached the speaker wire to the light wire and tried to feed through, no luck... the hole is just too small.

At this point, I've decided to just hold off on the rest of the install until I can get the boat to the dealer for de-winterization. I'll let them take off the tower, drill a bigger hole and run the wiring for me.

Thanks for all of your help everybody, I really appreciate it... just wish I'd been successful.

Thank you,
Cal

[zabooda]

Phenom,
Welcome to the clan and sorry it didn't work out. Glad to see another Moomba in the area. Where did you get your boat? I may be seeing you out on the water just look for the blue metalflake Moomba.

[phenom_1819]

This stereo install's been a pain the entire way through... but I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and will be very happy when it's complete. I'm guessing I have around 60 - 80 hours into it now...and I know what I'm doing!!

Zabooda, you'll have to let me know where you ride -- I typically am at Vantage, and am always up for meeting new people on the water. I actually have a Supra, not a Moomba -- I've just noticed that there seems to be a lot more action on this site. I bought my boat from Active Watersports in Portland in December (GREAT people at Active, just wish they were closer to Yakima!!!).

And to answer why I haven't just wired up the other side... there's no hole through the fiberglass on that side, who knows why not -- dealer told me there should be. Oh well.

Thanks again for your help everybody.

[zabooda]

I hear nothing but good things from the Portland dealership. I never make it to Vantage as I stay in the Tri-Cities or go to Lake Roosevelt and sometimes to the Potholes especially early in the year. If you come this way send me a PM and I'll give some good info on where to go.

[cab13367]

This stereo install's been a pain the entire way through... but I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and will be very happy when it's complete. I'm guessing I have around 60 - 80 hours into it now...and I know what I'm doing!!

Zabooda, you'll have to let me know where you ride -- I typically am at Vantage, and am always up for meeting new people on the water. I actually have a Supra, not a Moomba -- I've just noticed that there seems to be a lot more action on this site. I bought my boat from Active Watersports in Portland in December (GREAT people at Active, just wish they were closer to Yakima!!!).

And to answer why I haven't just wired up the other side... there's no hole through the fiberglass on that side, who knows why not -- dealer told me there should be. Oh well.

Thanks again for your help everybody.
phenom,

What did you end up doing with your tower speaker wiring? I am in the same situation - needing to get speaker wiring up to my tower speakers. I checked things out tonight and found that I could insert a 1/4" diameter allen wrench into the whole at the foot of the tower. I could insert it about two inches before I hit the inside of the tower. Seems like this would be a big enough hole to pass 2 sets of speaker wire thru.

Is the hole in your boat smaller than that?

Al