Tower light/speaker wire routing

[Jeff X-10]

I recently built a light bar for the tower on my X-10 (it looks pretty good and only cost $120 in materials). I also plan to put some tower speakers up there as well. On your boats with lights or speakers how did you route the wires to the boat from the tower?

The previous owner of my boat had speakers but they were removed when I bought it. He had drilled a hole in the top of the tower and another at the bottom. The wire from the bottom was then routed through the front mounting point on the boat and a hole was drilled in the fiberglass under the mount. I think this might be an OK way to do it but thought I would ask. Also, these mounts have a huge hex or allen bolt that attaches to the boat. I don't have anything close to that size in my toolbox. This means I can't remove the mount to route the wire the way he did anyway. Does anyone know what size these bolts are...17mm or something like that? Thanks for the help.

[erkoehler]

:popcorn: Post a pic of your handy work

[rick s.]

The mastercraft dealer that installed the tower on my maristar 210 routed the wires the same way, down the front tower leg on the drivers side of the boat. It's a good question about the bolt size, I would like to know the same thing. I made tower backing plats out of 3/8ths inch aluminum that I need to install, and I need to remove these bolts too.

Anybody really know what size they are?

[DanC]

I don't remember what size the allen bolts are, but in a pinch I have used a standard bolt as an allen wrench. Find a standard bolt who's head is the correct size to fit in the allen socket. Then clamp a big set of vise grips on the bolt to turn it. Later I took the bolt down to the hardware store and bought the correct size allen wrench.

I routed my tower wires down both legs the same way you described.

[tex]

it is a very large allen right? lowes, home depot were no luck for me. i went to a small mom and pop hardware store and they had it. i believe it is 1/2".

[gregg]

This may help. I have an 2002 Maristar 210 that I recently installed a Zeroflex tower off an 2001 X-10. I own an auto repair facility and also did not have a hex bit that large. Take a 5/16 bolt 1 inch long, install 2 nuts on the bolt and seat them tightly against the head of the bolt. The bolts and nuts are 1/2 inch and will fit the hex of the tower mounting bolts and you can use a 1/2 inch wrench or socket. Tip.... under the head of those hex mounting bolts there are locking serations. Is best to hold the bolt with your homemade tool, and have someone else loosen the nut inside at the backing plate. As far as wiring, the guy with the tower before me ran the wires up the passenger side which is silly because the wires have to be ran all the way around the bow to get to the drivers side. For the lights on mine, I used one of the accessory switches on the dash that was not used. The switch will not handle the current the lights require, so I just wired them into a 30 amp relay, and the accessory switch turns on the relay. Hope this helps

[rick s.]

thanks for the great tips using the 5/16ths bolt. Great idea!

[Andyg]

I started routing the wires for my speaker pods with lights last night on my mini tower. I am going to route the speaker wires inside the port side tower leg and the light wires inside the starboard side tower leg. Currently the wire harness for the mooring light runs inside the starboard tower leg. I am also going to use one of the accessory swithces to run a 30 amp relay for the lights so I don't fry the switch.

I picked up a set of weatherpack wire connnectors from my local NAPA store to use where the wires come out of the upper part of the tower and then go into the legs at the hinge. These connectors are what is standard on the OE towers with wires already installed. They are about 7 bucks a piece for a 4 wire connector. That way each tower leg will have one 4 wire weather pack connector that connects all of the wires for the tower.

One trick I read some where was to use string and a shop vac to suck the string through the tower. Then use the string to pull the wires. I did this last night with kite string, but it didn't work very well. I then tried very fine thread and it worked like a charm. I tied the thread to the kite string and now have a way to pull the wires through the tower.

I had to drill holes where the speaker mounts for the wires to enter the tower. So far this is the only part I am having difficulty with. The problem is the the hole needs to be bigger to allow for the light wire harness butt splice connectors to fit through. Since I don't have a drill bit large enough I am going to break out the dremmel tonight to open up the hole.

Another thing I have to do yet is drill a hole in the hull under the tower leg for the speaker wires to come through on the port side. Unfortunately I think the only way to do this correctly is to remove that side of the tower from the boat. I was thinking about drilling from underneath based off of the hole location on the other side, but that is a little risky so I think I will just remove the tower.

Gregg - Great tip on the 5/16 bolt.

[gregg]

Andyg: The front leg of the tower may have enough flex for someone to hold it aside to drill your hole. When I drilled mine, I was told to put masking tape over the area to drill, mark the spot on the tape, and drill in reverse until thru the gelcoat, then drill clockwise. Worked like a charm, no chips or cracks in the gelcoat :)

[Jeff X-10]

Guys - Thanks for all the input.

Gregg - Awesome tip about the bolt, I never even thought of that.

My digital camera is broken right now, but I will post some pics of my homemade light bar soon. It has six 55W driving lights on it mounted to a piece of 1x1 aluminum bar. This is mounted to the tower with standard tower mounting clamps. It looks pretty good and saved me around $400.

[DanC]

Andyg: The front leg of the tower may have enough flex for someone to hold it aside to drill your hole.
yep, I just unbolted that foot, held it up with a 2x4 and there was enough flex for the leg to move to the side 2 inches. Drilled from the top.

[TEX P205]

I'm also currently adding tower speakers and lights to my Samsonsports tower. I bought a Jumbo Hex Key set from Northern Tools last year for winterizing my boat, (exhaust manifold plugs). It also has the correct size for removing my tower hex bolts. I've used it for other projects also. Definitely worth the $14 I spent.

Northern Tools (http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=6970&productId=1036623&R=1036623)

[Jeff X-10]

I'm also currently adding tower speakers and lights to my Samsonsports tower. I bought a Jumbo Hex Key set from Northern Tools last year for winterizing my boat, (exhaust manifold plugs). It also has the correct size for removing my tower hex bolts. I've used it for other projects also. Definitely worth the $14 I spent.

Northern Tools (http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=6970&productId=1036623&R=1036623)
Thanks for the link. I just bought the set. Sears or Home Depot didn't even have them.

[erkoehler]

They have everything you could ever want....well, almost everything.

[peason]

Tell me more about a 30 amp relay? Can I just pick one up at an auto supply store? I am in the middle of wiring my tower lights/speaker combos.

[Andyg]

I bought my 30 amp relay at Radio Shack for like $5. I would think you could get one at any local auto parts store also.