SPF Radio Install

[madmaxx]

Since the radio is mounted in the trunk I ran a wire from the battery directly to the radio. This is the way my boat radio has been wired for 12 years. The radio has a 10 amp fuse but I installed a fuse holder ($1.99) and 6 amp fuse at the postive battery terminal. This will protect the battery and wire if somehow the wire gets damaged etc.The radio has an automatic shutoff feature where 30 seconds after you hit the off button, on the radio or remote the radio completely powers down but does not loose programmed stations. In other words I tied the radio power and sensing wires together when connecting to the battery (this is illustrated in the radio instructions)

Yes the wired remote goes back through the same hole for the speaker wires. It is behind the passenger seat and low on the passenger bulkhead so it is not visible. I ran the speaker wires and remote wire under the car following the frame rails and tie wrapping to ensure it was secure. The two speaker wires and remote control wires were all taped together with electrical tape and then inside 3/8" plastic conduit, (sounds like alot but it took me 20 minutes since it is only about 9 feet long). I ran the wires under the car because I did not want to drill the trunk bulkhead, I did not want the hole high in the passenger compartment bulkhead, in case the radio is ever removed I did not want a visible hole left behind, and there is a gap between the trunk bulkhead and passenger compartment bulkhead, which means you would need a long drill bit.

The speaker box is secured with two #8 1/1-1/4" screws. If I were to remove the screws and speaker box and rub the carpet you would never be able to tell a hole was ever there since they are so small and the carpet back fills. The speaker enclosure is mounted very firmly I would have thought more screws would have been necessary but it is not the case.

As far as an antenna I used the same as on fiberglass boats, it was $6.98 at boaters world and just amounts to a wire which lays in the trunk, I have it crammed behind the radio and it has no issues with reception.