Installed a sub - 2018 SD187

sdhurricane

No, I don't live in FL but I consider myself somewhat of an audiophile.  I wanted a bit more out of my SD187 audio so I installed a sub, as well as a 5-channel amp to power this and the other 4 speakers that recently replaced which were currently being powered by the headunit (JBL-PRV275).  Links below.

 - MB Quart NA3-1000.5 - https://www.crutchfield.com/p_049N310005/MB-Quart-NA3-1000-5.html

 - Kicker 45KM654L - https://www.crutchfield.com/S-9YnWuMvvHdl/p_206KM654L/Kicker-45KM654L.html

 - Kicker 45KMF104  - https://www.crutchfield.com/p_206KMF104/Kicker-45KMF104.html

Needless to say I was a bit apprehensive about cutting into the fiberglass so I initially looked into an enclosed (powered) sub and couldn't find much that would allow me to preserve the storage that was available and that didn't break the bank.  I then found free-air subwoofers which can be installed without an enclosure, and on boats, can be installed in front of any storage space (infinite baffle design).  There are very few places on our boats (SD187) that allow for a surface-mounted 10" sub.  There are really only two places; next to the port side center storage, and the dreaded cubby.  I was not keen on cutting a hole in a place that would look terrible if I screwed it up so I decided on the cubby. I say "dreaded" because as some of us have found that the cubby doesn't drain well due to some manufacturer miscalculations. Oh but my sub will get submerged, I said.  At any rate, I found a post where a shop posted some of their work detailing a client who had a whole audio upgrade in their Hurricane and with that they had two 10" subs mounted facing each other on the left and right hand side of the cubby (link - https://www.pinnacleautosound.com/hurricane-sundeck-boat-gets-jl-audio-marine-upgrades/).  

I only had one sub and purchasing an additional required additional planning, both financially and logistically.  I reached out to Pinnacle Audio and was able to chat with the owner (Joey) who was more than willing to assist with all of my questions over email.  I asked if one sub could be installed in the back of the cubby.  He stated that it actually is a better place than that of the left and right hand sides since their need for reinforcement on the back of the mounting surface was greater.  The sides of the cubby are longer whereas the back of the cubby is narrower and has more corner support for a 10" sub, hence the lesser need for reinforcement.  Joey suggested that I used High Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE) which I was able to find easily on Amazon (1/2" thick).  (link - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08M6F62PL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1)  He also suggested I fabricate a ring mount vs. using one big piece since the HDPE had to be mounted from the back and the screws would adversely affect the cosmetics of the installation.  I had purchased a RotoZip some time ago to tackle projects such as this, so here we go.

I don't have play-by-play pics like I should but the first pic is of the hole I made -- in my boat.  Seemed like a good idea at the time, just for a little bass, I said.  The second pic is the sub installed from the front and the second pic is of the sub from the back, taken from the battery compartment where you can see the fabbed mounting ring.  It never totally laid down but it still provides reinforcement.

The third pic is of, well, the LEDs of course, at night.  I also have a pic of the location where I installed the amp.  I initially felt that installing in the port side rear storage area made the most sense because it had a shorter power/ground cable run.  However, I realized that most amp install kits come with long power/ground cables vs. longer RCA cables.  The latter being the most expensive for longer cables.  Plus, I wanted to keep the water exposure to a minimum since we store our wet lifejackets in that rear storage compartment.  I ended up mounting the amp in the helm storage compartment and since the weight of the amp would have put stress on the current sidewall I used on another (1/2") piece of HDPE I had that fit perfectly between the Yamaha Command Link hub and the internal, what I'll call the "cooler bumper" on the deck.  I provided a pic of the amp installation location.

At first, I was not optimistic that it would sound that good but I was way wrong.  The sound is amazing, especially from the captain's chair.  As you can probably imagine there is some rattling with each hit of the low frequencies.  Nothing too difficult to manage by turning up the music of course or a little sound dampening if it bothers me too much.

In the end, it was well worth it to make a seemingly simple upgrade such as this.  To be honest, I sat there contemplating for about 20 minutes before plunging my RotoZip into the boat but I persevered and made it happen.

If anyone has any questions please feel free to let me know.

Thanks!

djea6b

Great install! Perfect spot for a sub, I may do the same... I have already replaced the head unit upgraded my 6" round factory "cheap" speakers and installed 8" Infinities, huge difference