242x tower speakers not working

[Brad Dunn]

Our tower speakers intermittently don't work. It is weird. Sometimes one works, both work. Sometimes neither work. Driving me nuts. Anybody have same issue? Ideas?

 

[bigblank69]

Can only be one of three problems.
1. speakers themselves have a loose connection, either at the speaker terminal or amp terminal
2. Wiring itself is faulty
3. Amp either has a problem either with wiring or internal.

If the connections are all tight I would start digging deeper at number 2 and 3.

 

[FloJet]

Our tower speakers intermittently don't work. It is weird. Sometimes one works, both work. Sometimes neither work. Driving me nuts. Anybody have same issue? Ideas?

We troubled shoot this on my friend's x not too long ago

Few things. Amp gains way to high for that system since they are over using the amps.

Second, wiring not big enough gauge which takes it back to gains being too high. The speakers a series and bridged so if I was you, I would get another amp to help alleviate issues.

 

[Brad Dunn]

So he was having the same issue? Did you resolve it? Thanks

 

[Julian]

We troubled shoot this on my friend's x not too long ago

Few things. Amp gains way to high for that system since they are over using the amps.

Second, wiring not big enough gauge which takes it back to gains being too high. The speakers a series and bridged so if I was you, I would get another amp to help alleviate issues.

Very curious to know how you went about re-wiring the X's tower speakers! Can you give us some details????

 

[FloJet]

Yes we resolved it.

First you need to find the wiring point where the towers are series with the back speakers. If one of those speakers go out, it will create a problem for both the tower and stern speakers. The tower speakers need to go to their own amp IMO. Or just run in parallel to another amp that is running either cabin or stern speakers.

If it was up to me, I would have the cabin speakers/stern on one amp. Tower speakers on one amp. Subwoofer on it's own amp. If you are going to stick with stock setup, I would run bigger wires and adjust the gains down.

The biggest flaw they did was putting the tower and stern speakers in series. This winter I am going to help him rebuild his whole system so I will have a better understanding of how it's all setup. Another flaw is they made it to where its almost impossible to work or adjust the amps without pulling the amps. Or atleast on his setup it was like that. Such a big pain. We will be finding a different location for everything too. Need the amp to be accessible so when something goes wrong it's not a pain to troubleshoot.

 

[jcyamaharider]

Yes we resolved it.

First you need to find the wiring point where the towers are series with the back speakers. If one of those speakers go out, it will create a problem for both the tower and stern speakers. The tower speakers need to go to their own amp IMO. Or just run in parallel to another amp that is running either cabin or stern speakers.

If it was up to me, I would have the cabin speakers/stern on one amp. Tower speakers on one amp. Subwoofer on it's own amp. If you are going to stick with stock setup, I would run bigger wires and adjust the gains down.

The biggest flaw they did was putting the tower and stern speakers in series. This winter I am going to help him rebuild his whole system so I will have a better understanding of how it's all setup. Another flaw is they made it to where its almost impossible to work or adjust the amps without pulling the amps. Or atleast on his setup it was like that. Such a big pain. We will be finding a different location for everything too. Need the amp to be accessible so when something goes wrong it's not a pain to troubleshoot.

Very much agreed and currently what I am dealing with. I pulled the batteries out so I can tune the amps with my DD1 tester. I will be adding another amp this winter so I can have each speaker on its own channel. I like the polk amps, I had them on my last boat and they were awesome! I will be adding 2 rev10's this winter and another polk 4000.4 to power them. The Wetsounds sound bar is massively under power as well and I will be putting this onto 2 channels also. I will need 11 channels and I will have 11 when all said and done. Polk 4000.4 for the interior speakers, polk 5000.5 for the 2 swim deck speakers, 2 channels for the sound bar and the sub channel for the sub. The last 4000.4 so I can bridge and power the rev10s to the full 300 watts rms.

 

[Julian]

First you need to find the wiring point where the towers are series with the back speakers.

I was hoping you were going to tell us where this wiring point is!

I added a 4 channel Wetsounds amp and have 2 channels driving the new JLs at the Helm, and have 2 channels doing nothing. So what I have yet to figure out is:

• Are all the speakers in the tower run of 4 wires or are the cans and the bar on separate wires?
• If they are on separate wires, then which ones are tied to the in boat speakers as I'd like to take them and split them to the amp channels I have open (ideally the wetsounds bar on the wetsounds amp).

 

[Julian]

I pulled the batteries out so I can tune the amps with my DD1 tester.

I gather there was room to turn the amps around in that space?

I'd found that the Polk amps keep going into protection mode when I'm cranking them....I assume they are overheating...perhaps because they are mounted to carpet with no spacers - so this was something I was considering addressing....adding peg board spacers to allows some air flow around them. But perhaps they are going into protection from being set wrong?

 

[jcyamaharider]

I gather there was room to turn the amps around in that space?

I'd found that the Polk amps keep going into protection mode when I'm cranking them....I assume they are overheating...perhaps because they are mounted to carpet with no spacers - so this was something I was considering addressing....adding peg board spacers to allows some air flow around them. But perhaps they are going into protection from being set wrong?

I haven't turned them around yet but I will when I add my wetsounds 420eq. They are probably over heating for both reasons, not enough air flow and the gains being up too high.

 

[Julian]

I haven't turned them around yet but I will when I add my wetsounds 420eq

What I mean was, you were able to see the back side of the amps to adjust them.....while they were plugged in. Or did you have to completely disconnect them, then move them to an angle you could see the back side, then adjust, then repeat in reverse?

But still dying to know which wires to cut ant reroute for the tower....

 

[jcyamaharider]

What I mean was, you were able to see the back side of the amps to adjust them.....while they were plugged in. Or did you have to completely disconnect them, then move them to an angle you could see the back side, then adjust, then repeat in reverse?

But still dying to know which wires to cut ant reroute for the tower....

OH, I completely pulled them out to adjust. With the DD1 I do not have to have sounds I just have to have power and I put test leads on the positive and negative terminal to see distortion.

 

[Julian]

OH, I completely pulled them out to adjust. With the DD1 I do not have to have sounds I just have to have power and I put test leads on the positive and negative terminal to see distortion.

I'm gonna have to drive back to the midwest for your help! LOL

Was pulling new wires easy? This is on my list...as I also want to pull a wire for the marine antenna....

 

[jcyamaharider]

I'm gonna have to drive back to the midwest for your help! LOL

Was pulling new wires easy? This is on my list...as I also want to pull a wire for the marine antenna....

I haven't pulled new wires yet, I just pulled the amps off of the board to adjust the speakers and then put them back. This winter I will be running new wires for the Rev10's. New wires are easy to run with the right tools. We have a board member here who will remain nameless that has this awesome magnet tool to fish wires up the tower.

I like you want to know where the wet sounds sound bar tees into the other speaker wire. I can tell that thing has potential but is seriously under utilized right now.

 

[Julian]

I haven't pulled new wires yet, I just pulled the amps off of the board to adjust the speakers and then put them back. This winter I will be running new wires for the Rev10's. New wires are easy to run with the right tools. We have a board member here who will remain nameless that has this awesome magnet tool to fish wires up the tower.

I like you want to know where the wet sounds sound bar tees into the other speaker wire. I can tell that thing has potential but is seriously under utilized right now.

Agree on the wetsounds bar...it (in its documentation online) also calls for some very specific amp settings...which if its tied to the can speakers will be hard to balance.

 

[FloJet]

I gather there was room to turn the amps around in that space?

I'd found that the Polk amps keep going into protection mode when I'm cranking them....I assume they are overheating...perhaps because they are mounted to carpet with no spacers - so this was something I was considering addressing....adding peg board spacers to allows some air flow around them. But perhaps they are going into protection from being set wrong?

Sorry I don't know where the wires are at this time as I haven't gotten that far with his boat. We both want to enjoy the lake season and will dive into this fall.

If I was to guess, the wires would be tied in by the speaker wires or half way point. Best way is to fold tower down and see if you can pin point wires going into the tower. At that point the tracing game begins.

If the amp is overworking it will go into protect mode. That's another reason I'm not a fan of going off RMS rating.

Example if Rev 10s call for 300 RMS, I would not put nothing less than 400-450 RMS on it. I always like head room with my wattage. Now that's not always the case but in most setups that will help the amps from overworking itself. If using 300 watt amp to power Rev 10s, which can be good if you set the gain perfectly. Which without those expensive professional tools, almost impossible to set the gains perfectly. Out here many are powering their Rev 10s with easily 600 watts when tuned right. You can play all day that way.

 

[Julian]

Probably going to need to find a good stereo place in Raleigh and have them tune it....

 

[FloJet]

I have 750 wattts going to each of my Rev 410s right now, and this winter I will attempt to push 1000-1100 watts to them by bi amping them. They are rated at 400 RMS
WS going to hate me if with all the warranty repairing from blown speakers