Waterproofing Under Tanning Bed for Electrical Components?

[BTheMann19]

Hi all -

Apologies if this is posted in an incorrect thread, or possibly even incorrect forum, but over the summer I upgraded the stereo on my pontoon, added a pretty big amp, and added a second battery with a battery switch/isolator so I don't drain the engine battery if we are anchored and have the stereo cranked.

I initially mounted the amplifier, battery switch, negative and positive bus bars, and fuses to a piece of plywood I wrapped in the kind of carpet you would see around a subwoofer box. This was put in the rear of the boat, under the flat tanning bed near the engine. I used a weatherproofing strip on the frame of the boat where the tanning bed lifts up, thinking that this is where most water would come from and when the tanning bed was locked down flat it would guard any water that could seep thru the crack of the frame and the tanning bed. It worked ok, but still time after time I was ending up with water in this back cargo area that I think is seeping thru the carpet when it rains into the cargo area and I just really want to make this little area as waterproof as possible.

I am a 26 year old who took the project upon himself because I have done stereo installs before myself, was interested in how the battery switch system worked, and so far so good - except the water that keeps getting in that area. The amp I settled on is HUGE - and I wanted everything located together (why I mounted everything to the board) so that when winter comes, I was able just to disconnect the RCA's, speaker wires, and the battery cables and just take all out at once. In theory, great idea. In practice... room for improvement, which I plan to rethink over the winter. Does anyone have any input on how I can make this little cargo area as waterproof as possible to maintain the equipment for as long as possible?

Thank you for your time.

 

[kapnD]

I’m biting my tongue hard to write a reply which is not crass or downright rude here.
Suggest to mount your equipment on a platform above the floor, or on the sides or under the top of the box, or in a waterproof box within the compartment.
Please be courteous in the operation of your machine, not everyone will enjoy it like you do!

 

[messabout]

KapnD, I am also biting my tongue hard so as to avoid becoming rude. I am trying not to urge the OP to install the big *** amp in Davy Jones Locker.

 

[bajansailor]

The amp I settled on is HUGE

I have to ask - WHY?

How loud do you play it while underway?
Does it hurt your ears when you crank it up?
I am in agreement with KapnD and Messabout above re their concerns.....

 

[fallguy]

We'd need pictures to even come close to understanding the space. I don't care how loud you want the music.

 

[fallguy]

In general terms, the best way to waterproof something is to either use a shingle effect and overlap the area, or make it impermeable.

 

[messabout]

Tanning bed? You have the electronics mounted under the tanning bed ? I presume that the tanning bed will absorb some heat from a source that may only be the sun. In any case if you have differential temperatures in the closed electronics space, you can very well encourage condensation. Find a new location for the amps that allows them to ventilate to ambient air. The amp creates heat of its own, of course.
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
We geriatrics understand that the younger set likes BIG decibels. We are certain that such a thing is ill advised, but what the hell, it's your life. Enjoy.

Here is the fair trade deal. When you "crank it" be sure that there are no other animals or humans within earshot, (except for your peers who also like loud). Sure that tends to narrow your field of endeavor but it is far safer and certainly more considerate of others. The use of the word; safer, is to suggest that there are more than a few less patient people who have ill tempers. Some of them are dangerous when sufficiently annoyed.

One of the absolute charms for people who operate sailboats is that their boat makes very little noise. There is peace and tranquility with quiet boats and quiet surroundings. We can get barely audible, soothing, sleep inducing, sexually pleasing, white noise from tiny little boxes such as Alexa. Please try to understand the difference in preferences.

I, and my peers on this forum, come in peace. You do your thing, let us have ours.

One last thing....get that expensive amp out of that damp hole and into the open.

 

[gonzo]

First of all, like we said in my generation, if the music is too loud you are too old . A solution is to get an aluminum tool box like the ones in the back of a truck and install your components inside. I suppose it may need ventilation for the amp. There are several ways to let air circulate without allowing water in. Usually they are goosenecks or clamshell covers.

 

[BTheMann19]

Hi all -

Apologies if this is posted in an incorrect thread, or possibly even incorrect forum, but over the summer I upgraded the stereo on my pontoon, added a pretty big amp, and added a second battery with a battery switch/isolator so I don't drain the engine battery if we are anchored and have the stereo cranked.

I initially mounted the amplifier, battery switch, negative and positive bus bars, and fuses to a piece of plywood I wrapped in the kind of carpet you would see around a subwoofer box. This was put in the rear of the boat, under the flat tanning bed near the engine. I used a weatherproofing strip on the frame of the boat where the tanning bed lifts up, thinking that this is where most water would come from and when the tanning bed was locked down flat it would guard any water that could seep thru the crack of the frame and the tanning bed. It worked ok, but still time after time I was ending up with water in this back cargo area that I think is seeping thru the carpet when it rains into the cargo area and I just really want to make this little area as waterproof as possible.

I am a 26 year old who took the project upon himself because I have done stereo installs before myself, was interested in how the battery switch system worked, and so far so good - except the water that keeps getting in that area. The amp I settled on is HUGE - and I wanted everything located together (why I mounted everything to the board) so that when winter comes, I was able just to disconnect the RCA's, speaker wires, and the battery cables and just take all out at once. In theory, great idea. In practice... room for improvement, which I plan to rethink over the winter. Does anyone have any input on how I can make this little cargo area as waterproof as possible to maintain the equipment for as long as possible?

Thank you for your time.

I guess none of you have ever enjoyed a summer in Michigan anchored up with a bunch of boats and everyone enjoying the stereo blasting! We don't want ya anyway. I'm young and we like to drink and listen to our tunes. You'd be surprised some of the songs that you would play yourself. Anyway, thanks all for the positive input and suggestions, if it wasn't wrapped up for winter I would have snapped some pics. It does have ventilation that I had blocked with the board. And it's a 6 channel 2600 watt with 4 pairs of speakers wired in parallel and a subwoofer bridged on 5 and 6. It's marvelous.

 

[gonzo]

I may be old, but my punk rock will leave your ears buzzing

 

[messabout]

Sounds like you have an impressive sound system. That you meet up with kindred spirits is admirable. You are apparently not committing acoustic terrorism.

Please excuse me for previously being critical of the use of your equipment. I am still a bit disturbed by an episode that took place in my own community. Certainly not the same as the scenario that you describe...........I have been sensitive about that episode, and its cause, ever since.

Some high school kids pulled into a busy gas station. Not very far from my home, less than a mile.....The kids had a huge Amp in the car that was powerful enough to wake the dead. They were using it near its elevated potential.

A grouchy 56 year old guy was gassing his pickup truck at the next pump.. He asked the kids to turn down the volume....no response. He told them again to turn down the volume. They rudely replied by urging him to do something to himself that is anatomically impossible. One more time he asked them to turn down the volume and they jeered at him. He went to his truck door, angrily retrieved his 45 automatic pistol and fired into the kids car. One kid was dead and the others were in danger of further violence. The old man did not deny his guilt in court. He is now doing 30 years in a Florida penitentiary. The kid is dead....the man is in the slammer....no one wins.

 

[IronPrice]

I may be old, but my punk rock will leave your ears buzzing

I see your punk rock and raise it to Metallica!

You don't just hear the music at a Metallica concert, you feel it in your chest.