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wiring for car-battery, fuse block, etc.

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Project25_MASTR

Millennial Graying OBT Guy
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Yeah, my work truck rarely gets going that fast. Occasional trips across the state, but I'm usually out of my radio system coverage. Usually it's much slower. The truck is nearly 10 years old and it's got just 25,000 miles on it. Working on swapping it out for a full size here next budget cycle. Too much crap to carry with me, and not enough secured space in the small truck.

Maybe mixing audio together and using one speaker would be a good solution. At least you'd only have to mount one speaker in the prime location.

I put 50,000 on my pickup last year…a 10 year old truck with under 30k just amazes me. One of my favorite trucks was a farm truck…run into the ground 1 ton dodge. Reason it was one of my favorites, 1.3 million miles on the original engine and transmission. Turbo (not TRBO) went out and at that point it wasn't worth fixing.

I had thought about that. If I get a console I may still do it but I'd use a transformer combo instead of a mixer to utilize the nice push-pull amps Motorola is kind enough to include with the radio. If there was more room in the back of the things I'd refurbish a vintage /\/\ speaker I've got and hide the transformers back there.
 

Delivers1234

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I put 50,000 on my pickup last year…a 10 year old truck with under 30k just amazes me. One of my favorite trucks was a farm truck…run into the ground 1 ton dodge. Reason it was one of my favorites, 1.3 million miles on the original engine and transmission. Turbo (not TRBO) went out and at that point it wasn't worth fixing.



I had thought about that. If I get a console I may still do it but I'd use a transformer combo instead of a mixer to utilize the nice push-pull amps Motorola is kind enough to include with the radio. If there was more room in the back of the things I'd refurbish a vintage /\/\ speaker I've got and hide the transformers back there.



McKenna,

Where did your dad place his external speaker on his equinox? And was the radio in the center console rest where you put your arm when driving? That's where mine is. The whole center console (where the gear shifter is) looks to busy to add a radio.

I tried the speaker under the chair. Sounds muffled and multidirectional. I think the equinox has an option on the top dash for a center speaker. The top dash console Its in the way so I'm not sure if the speaker goes under it or there is another cover that would go there for the extra speaker or if it just goes through the plastic. The other equinox' with pioneer speaker upgrades have the center speaker. I'll call cheverolet...



In terms of the antennas, I keep thinking about not hitting them. Do you all just drive and don't get fast food?

I've all ready hit branches etc.
 

mmckenna

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Well, my dad mounted his control head same place you did. I have no idea where he put the speaker. I'll have to ask next time I see him.

As for hitting the antennas, I have a couple of things going for me:
1. I have two antennas on my truck, a 18" quarter wave VHF antenna mounted at the center of the cab roof and a 3" quarter wave 800MHz antenna mounted at the rear of the cab. So, my profile is pretty low, except for it being a 4x4 Ford F150.
2. I don't do drive throughs.

I do occasionally have to park in garages. When I do I just remove the VHF antenna and leave it on the dashboard so I don't forget to put it back on.

Eventually you'll get used to it. In reality the antennas will take a lot of abuse. The whips are quite flexible, so unless you hit them right at the base, you won't have an issue. It's good to be cautious, but other than really low parking garages, you won't harm anything. It will make a lot of noise, though.
 

Delivers1234

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speakers

Hi. So i saw a 3 watt, 5 watt max, 4/8ohm? speaker from truckspec. I currently have a 5 watt, 8 watt max 4/8ohm from mfj 281. the truckspec speaker is almost a 1/4 of the size. I was thinking of having it directly on the front dashboard console facing me, at almost line of sight. i have a yaesu ftm-100. would the less watts make a big difference?


i cant find the item online. its at a pilot truck stop here. i kind of don't want to buy it to try it.
 

Rred

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Sorry to say but most "mass market" speakers and audio equipment have meaningless specs attached to them. The "maximum" power ratings on a speaker just mean that sustained operation at that power level will either sound like *rap because of high distortion, or literally overheat the speaker coil and burn it out. I've done that with top-brand high quality audio equipment, simply because the tone I was feeding them with unusually high frequency and power, and they overheated and burned out very quickly. (Like in a minute or two.)

Yaesu says yours radio puts out 3W of audio power, but that doesn't say what frequency range or at what distortion levels. Odds are you won't be putting the volume knob on "10" very often, so the odds re you wouldn't be putting 3W into the speaker.

What you don't know--and again most manufacturers won't say--is the efficiency rating of the speaker. I can feed a 20W signal into two different speakers, and if one is twice as efficient as the other (which will make it more expensive) that same 20W will sound twice as loud on one as it does on the other.

You just don't have that information, so all the rest is something of a crapshoot. You won't overload or damage either speaker, but there's no certain way to know which will sound louder, or clearer, or whatever you'd call "better". That truckstop brand might be perfectly good, I've never met them. And there are certainly brand names that are simply overpriced.

All you can do is buy a brand that you have some faith in, with a good return option. Or, roll the dice.
 

cmdrwill

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its at a pilot truck stop here. i kind of don't want to buy it to try it.

The Truck stop may be the way to go, they are going to be more versed on speakers .. trucks are noisy inside.

The one spec is speaker impedance, Ohms. So, if a radio puts out 3 watts of power into 4 ohms, then you want a 4 ohm speaker. Using a 8 ohm speaker with the same radio, the sound output will NOT be as loud.
 

bharvey2

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Hi. So i saw a 3 watt, 5 watt max, 4/8ohm? speaker from truckspec. I currently have a 5 watt, 8 watt max 4/8ohm from mfj 281. the truckspec speaker is almost a 1/4 of the size. I was thinking of having it directly on the front dashboard console facing me, at almost line of sight. i have a yaesu ftm-100. would the less watts make a big difference?


i cant find the item online. its at a pilot truck stop here. i kind of don't want to buy it to try it.

I wouldn't be too concerned with the max wattage of the speaker as you will probably not exceed it with the radio. Making sure that the impedance matches (4ohm/8ohm) will do more for the efficiency of the speaker in producing adequate volume. As noted, driving an 8 ohm load with an amp rated at 4 ohms won't produced as much volume. (My Kenwood V71A warns against impedance mismatch) Also, what problem are you trying to solve specifically? As an example: In my case, I have a bit of a high frequency hearing loss in my right ear so finding speakers that are a little brighter (more pronounced high frequency response) often drives my choice.
 

Rred

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Messages
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Another caveat on max wattage: If the speaker is rated for 10x the power of your audio? The odds are that also means it is a fairly inefficient speaker, intended to require high audio power. Which will make it sound weak with a low power audio source. 2x, 3x, 4x, I wouldn't worry about, but somewhere above that...it is the wrong speaker to use.
 

Delivers1234

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Another caveat on max wattage: If the speaker is rated for 10x the power of your audio? The odds are that also means it is a fairly inefficient speaker, intended to require high audio power. Which will make it sound weak with a low power audio source. 2x, 3x, 4x, I wouldn't worry about, but somewhere above that...it is the wrong speaker to use.



I bought the 3 watt trucker pro speaker and added an extension 6'. It works and does get distorted when on max. It's on about 60-70 percent turned on the knob. When I get pics I'll post.
 

Delivers1234

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I bought the 3 watt trucker pro speaker and added an extension 6'. It works and does get distorted when on max. It's on about 60-70 percent turned on the knob. When I get pics I'll post.



I also bought the bc906 uniden wireless mic. The base is bulky but the mic hooks to USB for power. I still have to open the console to change the channels. I think it will go next to the tricker pro speaker on the top dash compartment.


Q: where do o get that flat thin snake wire that allows u to move wires through tight spaces. Silke had a 3/8 width by 3ft metal to snake wire.
 

mmckenna

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McKenna,

Where did your dad place his external speaker on his equinox? And was the radio in the center console rest where you put your arm when driving? That's where mine is. The whole center console (where the gear shifter is) looks to busy to add a radio.

Finally caught up with him tonight over in Gilroy. Here's his speaker mount. Not sure what the ty-wrap was about. Said it wasn't in his way and his foot/leg never touched it. Looks like it's an MFJ speaker. Probably find one of those up at HRO. Nothing special about them, just a speaker in a box.

IMG_4646_zps1qhlzb62.jpg
 

bharvey2

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It's no surprise that the speaker distorts at 100% volume. Looking at the picture, I'd say that it isn't the best speaker placement with regard to aural efficiency. The sound is directed into your leg rather than toward your ears. Without seeing the rest of the cabin, its hard to make other suggestions.
 

Delivers1234

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It's no surprise that the speaker distorts at 100% volume. Looking at the picture, I'd say that it isn't the best speaker placement with regard to aural efficiency. The sound is directed into your leg rather than toward your ears. Without seeing the rest of the cabin, its hard to make other suggestions.



Actually that's another person set up. I'll try to see how it is but I think the smaller one I found will work on the dash console.
 

bharvey2

Member
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Actually that's another person set up. I'll try to see how it is but I think the smaller one I found will work on the dash console.

Deliveries1234 - My apologies, I misunderstood mmckenna's post. I know the location shown in the photo is often used for speaker placement and I suppose there are instances where you don't have a choice. Given the hearing loss I mentioned in a previous post, I'd do whatever I could to move it to a more optimal location.

On a related note, I noticed you are in the Monterey area. Do you every make it to the East Bay? I have a few of the Motorola external speakers and you could have one if you'd like. They're used though so it isn't like you'd be striking gold. If it is something that interests you, PM me or email me at kk6doq@gmail.com.
 

mmckenna

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It's no surprise that the speaker distorts at 100% volume. Looking at the picture, I'd say that it isn't the best speaker placement with regard to aural efficiency. The sound is directed into your leg rather than toward your ears. Without seeing the rest of the cabin, its hard to make other suggestions.

Yeah, that's my dad's setup in the same vehicle Delivers1234 has. It's not an ideal location, and not where I would have installed it. He needed it there to be out of the way of everything else, allow the seat to travel forward (my mom is shorter than my dad) and to keep grandkids from kicking the speaker on the back of the center console.

He's never complained about speaker volume.
 

Delivers1234

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Yeah, that's my dad's setup in the same vehicle Delivers1234 has. It's not an ideal location, and not where I would have installed it. He needed it there to be out of the way of everything else, allow the seat to travel forward (my mom is shorter than my dad) and to keep grandkids from kicking the speaker on the back of the center console.



He's never complained about speaker volume.



bf439ecae79d99e3974b47253f717276.jpg

ecede21d802bdad70aeeb462e1b51e94.jpg


Temp speaker set up.
 
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