System in Boat

Hey fellow Car Audio Enthusiast, First let me say yes, I'm a NEWB when it comes to Car Audio Installation, weren't we all at some point in our lives? This is why this website exists and this is why I'm here - I have questions, hopefully someone will be able to help me with. Anyway, I have a few questions for knowledgable do-it-yourselfers out there. I have a 2002 Caravelle 212 Interceptor (Powerboat) http://www.caravelleboats.com/Boats/BowRiders/212_BR.html that I have installed (2) Eclipse 86120 12 Inch Subwoofers in my kickplates under my consoles. I have a Sony CDXL300 CD Stereo Head Unit that came with the boat - looking to upgrade it, but for now it's what I'm using it's a 45x4. I have an Eclipse 33230 130 x 2 Amplifier and I have (2) Factory 5.25 speakers next to the Subs and (2) Infinity Kappa 62M Marine 6.5" Speakers in the rear of the boat. I have this all wired directly up to a spare battery. My question is when I crank the system up to about 28 (it goes up to 32) and when the BASS kicks in, the stereo shuts itself off and will then come back on. I'm thinking that maybe a capacitor would resolve this but before I run out and spend $100, I want to make sure that is what I actually need. Also, I'm not 100% sure that I have wired this system up correctly to get the most out of it. If anyone has any suggestions or ideas and would care to share I would appreciate that as well. I know that the system could be louder, but i am just not sure how to do it. It's pretty hollow up behind the subs, would putting some type of filler up in that dead space help or hinder the subs? My first problem that I want to resolve really is that problem with the system shutting off, so If you can help, then let me know. Thanks in advance

It sounds like you have power problems, and that your equipment is going into protection mode because of low voltage. I'm guessing your spare battery is connected to the boats electrical system? A capacitor won't solve this problem. Also, how is your equipment grounded (your boat is fiberglass so its connected directly to the battery?). Tell me exactly how you have your system wired and then we can help you better. After you get that problem solved, if you want it louder I would buy an external amp for your 6.5" coaxials and just take your 5.25" stock speakers out. Then get maybe a nicer marine deck, like one of the newer RF decks.

Your subs are in their own sealed boxes right? If not, they definitely should be, unless they are capable of being used in free-air.

 Okay sorry more specifics....

 Regarding the Subs,  they are installed in a Kickplate underneath each of my consoles in the boat.   The kickplate is basically a piece of board seperating space under my console and the storage bins in front of the consoles.   There is 4-6 inches of space above the kickplate to the underside of the Console, so the enclosed area behind the sub is not 100% sealed.   I know for optimal performance, it probably should be however this location is the only place I have room for the 12" inch subs.   My question surrounding them was should the space behind them be free air or should it have some type of filler?   I would have liked to installed them in *Sealed* boxes, but there wasn't enough room for both boxes and feet under the consoles if you know what I mean.

Okay, about the MAIN problem with the Stereo shutting down..   I have the Amp wired directly to the Fuse Panel located on the Kickplate underneath the drivers console so it's not wired directly to the battery.  It's wired from the Amp to the Fuse Panel with 10AWG power/ground wire.   The Fuse Panel is then wired directly to the battery using 10 or 12 AWG wire.   There are no fuses between the Panel Wire and the Battery.   The Amp is powered On by the Remote Turn on wire - wired directly to the Head Unit.   The Speaker wires from the Amp are 10 or 12 AWG wire as well.   The AMP is mounted to the kickplate under the driverside console as well - I left it out so it would be able to get air as it heated up.

One thing to note too is that *if * I have the boat running and course the alternator is going since I have a 305cui V8 chevy smallblock engine, that the stereo won't power off at all.   So,  it is probably getting enough amps that the HU won't shut off.    I need to figure out how to keep using the stereo all afternoon without having to start the engine up and charge the battery  - or- is that even possible??   I have (2) Batteries,  one an Exide 1000 marine cranking amps Marine Starting Battery used primarily for starting the engine,  which was originally used to operate all the electrical and the starting the engine,  then as I added the Amp I went out and purchased another battery a Kirkland Deep Cycle 750mca Marine Battery which I use to power all of the accessories.   I thought that would resolve the problem, however it has not.

Someone has suggested that I upgrade my alternator, however as I mentioned, I do not want to keep cranking the engine over every hour to charge up the batteries,  there seems like there would be a way to run a sound system for 3-5 hours without having to crank on the engine and run the alternator to charge the batteries back up. Maybe I'm missing something here but like I said,  I'm a Newb and have many questions...

What is a newer RF deck??

1. You could try using fiberglass to fill up the open space, and strengthen your kickplate enclosures. Have you  even measured how big these enclosures are?

2. The amp should really be wired directly to the battery.

3. You arn't going to be able to run the system all afternoon with just one battery (I dont know how many it would take but it would be a very large number). You might be abel to run the system for maybe an hour at average volume before you start running into low voltage problems but thats about it. You might want to consider an optima yellow top or two instead of your current acssesory battery, but I dont know how much that would help you. The only way you could really run it all afternoon, is that you could maybe use a genorator but that would probobly make more noise then your stereo anyways.

4. Rockford Fosgate has some new marine decks that look pretty nice. Here is a pretty nice one (and the price isn't bad either).