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Placement of External Speakers in Vehicle

Se7en

Se7en

Well-Known Member
Jun 27, 2010
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Ca
Anyone have a general rule or idea on where to mount external speakers in a mobile SUV for optimum sound? i think the best place is the dash reflecting off the windshield but who wants to put speaker(s) on the dash lol.

I have found using two Speakers for my dual band mobile setup not very good because they are currently mounted to the "crash plate"?Below the steering wheel facing my knees when driving and it just isn't that great! I have a three row seat SUV the last row was removed to add more space for grocery's and what not.

Vehicle is a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT
 

i have escort and my speaker is on my dash with the speaker facing me. in my old truck i had the speaker mountes in the center console.
 
I drive an Armada and use a Ranger speaker. The only place I've found that it remains out of the way is to place it under my seat. It still puts out more than enough sound. Right now, I have it on the floor in front of the center row middle seat, but, it gets in the way if I need to fold the seats down.
 
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In my S10 Blazer I have one in the overhead compartment where the garage opener would go and the other (for side B) on the post by my left ear. I know which side of the radio is talking with out looking at the radio.
 
Here's something I am contemplating trying. It's still in the works...

My truck (S-10) is really too small to have any radio gear in. I run a Yaesu FT-7900R in it because I can mount the face on the dash and the main body under the seat. As a result, I have an ext speaker mounted under the ash tray, but it takes up some room for such a small interior. Plus I like a stealth look.

What I am thinking about, since my truck only has 2 speakers in the dash, is utilizing the 4X6 speakers in the dash, to serve double duty as the output speakers for my ham radio.

How I would do it, is I would hook a 1/8 male pin plug up to the front speakers, run a diode on each positive leg into the speakers, as to keep the ham radio from back feeding into the head unit, and then running 2 more diodes on the positive speaker wires (from the head unit), as to keep the head unit from back feeding into the ham radio.

Also since both speakers in the dash are 4 ohm and hooking both positive leads to one feed point (i.e. the single 1/8 pin plug) it would create a 2 ohm load. The ham radio I believe calls for an 8 ohm load. Therefore I'm thinking I would need to install a resistor inline to increase the ohmage, but I'm not sure if that would also serious decrease in the ham radios volume or not.

But it's a thought.
 
mackmobile43 said:
Like the do in semi trucks, in the side post pointed directly in your ear 12'' away.
Click to expand...

I spend my work-days with the radio turned on. The speaker (West Mountain Radio ClearSpeaker) when mounted on the Port B-pillar equivalent of a Class 8 tractor IS in the ideal location:

1). Above the ear and it’s output isn’t confused with other (potential) sources.

2). As it’s both amplified and features DSP, it’s also easy to make any control adjustments.

3). There isn’t the SLIGHTEST possibility of it being kicked or dislodged by loose tools, and dust, dirt, water, spilled food & beverages aren’t ever a threat.

4). Those old enough will recall commercial AM-receiver car installations where the single speaker was in the dashboard top so as to use the windshield as device to reflect sound throughout the car. This is the second-best location, but it WILL require experimenting to find best center-point, direction, and tilt to feed the driver optimal reproduction. Open-window, and closed. Port & Starboard seating.

— As airbags have rendered this moot (dash top PLUS knee board) and yet more airbags in the positions above the side glass:

5). Under driver-seat firing forward is where I’d start. Floor-mounted and aimed at driver can be quite bad despite seemingly intuitive.

.
 
If you can place the external speaker closer to the ear you "take orders from" as in your predominate - "I understand" ear.

It's a - Left-Brain or Right-Brain approach because for people to communicate, one ear "Hears" and the Hemisphere that it "Comprehends" it better - allows the operator to continue processing information while comprehending the conversation. So place your external speaker ABOVE or out of line of sight but near the front of your head will help in cutting thru road and cabin noises better.

Now for mounting it, that is whole different story...

In reference to the resistor array to drop signal over the speakers, you're better off using some type of monitor loop switch to help you with this - if the Dash radio has aux inputs, you can mix the outputs better using -low-level signals summing them together an operate the squelch "Harder" on one then let the other "talk over it" until you hear something break thru the squelch of the other and just switch to that radio, that way.
 
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I understand about “dominant ear” (think dominant eye in shooting), yet placement across the cab (passsnger compartment) won’t work out as well. Potentially too many competing sounds, or that which lowers audio quality due to distance.

We experimented also in the 1970s with sedans using the “package shelf” (as it was called) under the rear window. Dispersion was good, but the distance became a problem coupled to “verbal from behind” and “visual from the front”. (Fine when stationary).

One can get by with anything for short distances. A typical commuter in a metro area, the prime example.

My long-term experience says otherwise.

Ear dominance is outweighed by proximity coupled to the reflective qualities of the cab next to it (versus hanging speaker from a central “dome light” point to feed dominance).

Others are welcome to whatever opinion.

.
 
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Turbo T said:
Here's something I am contemplating trying. It's still in the works...

My truck (S-10) is really too small to have any radio gear in. I run a Yaesu FT-7900R in it because I can mount the face on the dash and the main body under the seat. As a result, I have an ext speaker mounted under the ash tray, but it takes up some room for such a small interior. Plus I like a stealth look.

What I am thinking about, since my truck only has 2 speakers in the dash, is utilizing the 4X6 speakers in the dash, to serve double duty as the output speakers for my ham radio.

How I would do it, is I would hook a 1/8 male pin plug up to the front speakers, run a diode on each positive leg into the speakers, as to keep the ham radio from back feeding into the head unit, and then running 2 more diodes on the positive speaker wires (from the head unit), as to keep the head unit from back feeding into the ham radio.

Also since both speakers in the dash are 4 ohm and hooking both positive leads to one feed point (i.e. the single 1/8 pin plug) it would create a 2 ohm load. The ham radio I believe calls for an 8 ohm load. Therefore I'm thinking I would need to install a resistor inline to increase the ohmage, but I'm not sure if that would also serious decrease in the ham radios volume or not.

But it's a thought.
Click to expand...

Sorry to necrothread this, but thought I'd toss this out there.

This won't work the way you think, and if you're still active and curious, I'd be happy explain.
 

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