new stereo thread

[devonrs]

hey, i started that thread to actually try and find out some useful information because i'm planning on buying a stereo for my scooter, whether or not you think it's "dumb" is beside the point.

i'm sorry the thread went on for so long, but i really didn't get much useful info at all (did anyone else see much?)

i would STILL like to know how much the stock battery can handle, and if there is such thing as a "better" battery that can handle more...
i would also still like to know how much room is available to mount an amp and possibly another battery in the vino somewhere (guess i'll just have to open it up and look?)
and i would like to know, if anyone knows much about the sound quality of motorcycle speakers in chrome housings, i read the last post claiming they sound bad, but there are different types, and different sizes, etc...

i don't want 23 speakers sticking out all huge everywhere and looking "ghetto" - nor do i even want a cargo box on the back (i think they're really ugly) i would just like a decent sounding system. doesn't mean i'm gonna turn it up all the way and go racing around.

being that most of you on here own scooters (and snowmobiles and other wacky vehicles) for fun, not for every day commuting, i'm surprised you're not more into the idea. anyone on a little four wheeled offroad thingy looks really stupid, in my opinion, so what's a few speakers on a scooter?

[Zuma88]

i would put for speakers maybe a sub depending, the stock battery dont handle much if you have a good step up.
i have 2x pionner 400 watt speakers and 2x 200 watt and 2 mini subs, 2 horn tweeters, and boss amp, and to min 55 watt amps on the subs.
I WILL HAVE PICTURES SOON!

[Lennox]

This is my last post on this topic..........

there are "gel" and "dry" batteries that will give you better results........
Get a decent head unit, and use it to power a couple of small speakers, and yo should be set........

Jered and I both know that "airhorns" alone kill the battery;) ....... and that is only used periodicaly. So I would say do not use an amp.......... or, you can listen to Zuma88:rolleyes: and ruin your elec system..........your choice

[devonrs]

wait, do not use an amp.. get a decent head unit... i'm sorry, but i don't know much about car stereo stuff, a head unit is what exactly? like a car stereo basically, with a built in amp? or..?? i was looking at little 100 and 120 watt amps, the type sold at motorcycletunes.com probably using two of them - i assume they won't kill the battery, or will they?

[XPS1210]

okay... this as well is my only reply on this topic...

The other thread was closed... due to it being and arguement about how much garbage could be crammed into a scooter... and having to plug in a battery charger because the scooter can't power it...

So if this gets off topic and goofy again... I'll bet it gets closed... Just my thoguhts...

here is the breakdown...

Head unit... The stereo, like in a car has AM/FM cassette or CD player, you could get crazy and place a DVD/TV version etc... Get a good one... which means don't buy a radio shack or schucks auto garbage model... if you spend $19.00 on one... it'll sound like garbage no matter what you hook to it...

Get a pioneer, sony, kenwood, alpine, etc... a decent one... or spend the money for a marine one that can handle the water that it might be getting one it...

Most of these brands above sell models of their stereos for cheap for $50 (tape) of $90 (CD)... these will handle 50w X 4 channels... another words they will power the 4.5 inch speakers the scooter has room for and more... They will "probably" not pull so much power that they kill the battery as discribed by zuma88...

An AMP, is nothing more than a multiplier of the signal produced by a head unit... They can be cheap "power boosters" that are $25 (radio shack specials) or expensive MASSIVE power models that are thousands of dollars... Unless you use a "power booster" I bet 99% that your scooter will NOT handle the power it needs to run it and will not work right...

Marine or motorcycle speakers will be fine for most applications... remember that if you have a helmet on as you should (no matter if it's required or not) then you won't hear much at higher speeds anyway... So the high (treb) sounds are want you want... these are produced best by smaller "door" style speakers... 4.5" of 6.5" speakers will work... or you can get ones that come in housing for motorcycles and such...


quick breakdown... head unit and small speakers... that's it... or your charging system in the scooter will not charge the battery enough and you'll be kickstarting all the time and can't listen to the music anyway due to dead batteries...

Heck, My 1200watt sony amp kills my car battery (the car is only 9200 miles old) if I let it play without the car running for more than 15 minutes... So imagine a scooter...

As Lennox said... the stock battery in a scooter is a cheap liquid (acid) battery... there are jell batteries and dry batteries available... Heck they make batteries for cars that are the size of the scooter battery in my zuma... however it's hundreds of dollars but is a high quality battery...

[King Vino]

Devonrs, sent ya a PM.

[devonrs]

okay.. still haven't got the stereo i ordered yet... should be any day now.. (i freakin hope!) but when it does come, i'd like to be ready for it... i was told by jered that there's pretty much no way the vino charging system will be able to handle any sort of stereo (there's about 40 watts extra, the amp i bought is 120 - and that's probably not even enough to sound too great/loud). so i need to buy a seperate battery and charger. anyone have any suggestions of where to get one and what type? i don't wanna spend too much, whatever will put out at least 120 watts, not be too big, and hold a charge for at least a couple hours is fine. i'm clueless in this department... also, do i need any specific voltage/amps for the amplifier? it's this one here:

http://www.motorcycletunes.com/proddetail.asp?prod=PLA%2D10

yeah, no details really there, they just say hook it up to your motorcycle and hit play...

so yeah, any help is much appreciated... thanks

[XPS1210]

here is my plan...

At a local store, I can get a basic Pioneer CD car deck... for about $99.00

Also can get 4.5" speakers for about $35.00

so with that being said...

I plan on hooking this directly to the stock battery...

The stereo is a "55w" stereo... which is over the "extra" 40w the scooter charging system however, this is a "MAX" power and most car stereo's are rated their "WATTS" on a 14v testing set up... which means that the power output is actually around 35% less then the rated amount...

So a 55w stereo is actually putting out around 40w MAX... this is powering 4 speakers and played LOUD!

So a basic car stereo rated around 55w could possibly work on a stock charging system scooter... However don't plan on over using the electric start or you'll be using a wall charger to charge the battery up...

IMO 120w amp is gonna kill the battery... I don't think the charging system can possibly handle that amount of power...

[devonrs]

got it today!! and man, it's beautiful... the speakers are pretty big, which i was a bit afraid of, they're 6 inches around, and i didn't think they'd fit on the handle bars too well.. but actually they fit just about fine... still pretty friggin big, but not nearly as crammed in as i thought they'd be. i'll post some pictures real soon.

the amp they sent me is 150 watts (pyramid pb70), not 120. at least that's what it says on it. i still haven't got an extra battery to run it though, i'll do that first thing tomorrow morning.

i hooked up the speakers to a crappy old radio and they sound decent, not much bass (expected) but it's hard to tell how much is the speaker quality and how much is the radio/reception quality. i turned em up pretty loud but got scared to blast em too hard, for obvious reasons. anyway, i'll post how they do on the road tomorrow.

also, as far as the extra battery goes, the amp just says hook to a 12 volt dc battery (car battery) ... are there any other battery specifications i should be looking for? i really have no idea... i just want something that's small, not too expensive, and will hold a charge for at least a couple hours...

[XPS1210]

It's not the battery that is the problem... Well not totally...

A car batter has a LARGE alternator charging it... Most 4 bangers are charging a good 500 amp alternator set up or more...

the charging system on the vino only puts out around 85amps... so the problem isn't totally a battery issue, it's a charging system issue...

The battery couild probably handle the stereo fine as long as the charging system can charge it fast enough...

I don't know of any add on charging system to add more power... Maybe one of those bicycle headlight things... Just kidding...

[devonrs]

okay, understood.... so now... what kind of battery should i buy??? just any 12 volt dc car battery and charger? preferably small and cheap.... ?

[XPS1210]

There are some that are tiny and are designed for cars!

Here is an example... try running a google search for something like "Performance car batteries"


this is the info on the one I'm talking about...

Lighten up your street car, hot rod or race car! Remove the heavy 40 lb battery and replace it with Performance Distributors 13.5 lb Dyna-Batt. The Dyna Batt produces more power per pound than any battery on the market. It has the cranking power of wet cell batteries three times its size! This is due to the extremely low internal resistance which allows faster, more consistant starting. The Dyna Batt does not have a cold cranking amp rating like other batteries, but has been tested to crank engines with compression ratios as high as 15:1. The reserve capacity of the Dyna Batt is 16 Amp Hours. The Dyna-Batt is completely dry cell and can withstand the rigors of high performance and racing enviornments. It is built with corrosion resistant terminals and is truly maintenance free. The Dyna Batt has an excellent storage life and recharges very quickly. Any 12 volt charger can be used to recharge the Dyna Batt but a low amperage battery charger/maintainer, much like the charger/maintainer we sell listed below, is recommended to avoid overcharging the battery. This battery works great with one of our alternators!

SPECIFICATIONS: Weight = 13.5 lbs, Dimensions: Length = 7", Width = 3" & Height = 6 1/2" , Reserve Capacity = 16 Amp hours, Cold Cranking Amps = Not Rated

Here are the prices! A little high but a nice battery compaired to the normal ones!

Part# 5575A comes with 1/O gage terminals that must be crimped onto the battery cable. This design is used in many racing applications and GM vehicles to replace the side post design.

Part# 5575B has standard size top post terminals that will work with most applications that originally came with a top post style battery. This is our most popular design that replaces the stock battery in most domestic and foreign vehicles without modifying the battery cables.

Part# 5575C does not have terminals but includes bolts and washers. This style is designed to work with motorcycles and personal watercraft that have the terminals with 1/4" holes attached to the factory battery cable.


Part# 5575A w/ 1/O gage terminals $155.00
Part# 5575B w/ top post terminals $155.00
Part# 5575C no terminals $155.00

basically this battery can do what a full size car battery does... holds that much in a small package and isn't filled with "acid" it's a dry battery... so no issues of getting hurt from it!

[devonrs]

that's rad... though it seems a little large and heavy for what i need... but i'll look around, thanks for the info.

[hybridrazz]

ill stick to my engine for my stereo lol.

[Hawaii 50]

Why not just do something with an ipod or mp3 player, and make some brackets to hold some battery operated speakers. Make it so you can easily take it off and store under your seat. If you use good quality gear it should sound decent. -Chris

[XPS1210]

BTW: I pulled the stereo off of mine... it drained the battery after 5 days of sitting...

Figured I'd not waste anymore time with it.

[devonrs]

Why not just do something with an ipod or mp3 player, and make some brackets to hold some battery operated speakers. Make it so you can easily take it off and store under your seat. If you use good quality gear it should sound decent. -Chris

is that a joke? those things can maybe sound decent if you're listening to them in a library at half volume...

anyway, figured i'd update this super old post... i just went to schucks and bought a cheap little motorcycle battery and a wall charger... the battery seems to last quite a while, i only use the stereo for 15 minutes at a time, at most, one or two times a day, and i charge the battery like once a week, so far i haven't had any problems...

[Iceman]

I recall seeing a scooter with a stereo mounted under the seat for sale on ebay a short while back. I think is was a Vento. Personally my hearing is so bad that it would be a waste for me anyhow. Try surfing ebays closed sales in the scooter section and you may be able to track the seller down and pick his brain about the setup.

[marylandmark]

is that a joke? those things can maybe sound decent if you're listening to them in a library at half volume..

I have an iPod Mini with the iTrip and it is AWESOME! If you are having a problem with yours send back to Apple and they will replace it for free within 6 months of buying it. I had to do that once because the battery was running down too soon. The key is to turn the iPod to 3/4 volume and your stereo to whatever level you want to listen to. A lot of people turn the iPod volume up which causes the tini internal amp to overdrive itself which in turn causes clipping of the signal which then in turn makes it sound like pooh.

I have never tried to use it with headphones but I can't see the tini internal amp being able to push good sound out- which is most likely what I think DevonRS is refering to.

For a scoot I would buy the monster cable RF interface which connects/hardwired between the antenna and radio- then use the radio like you normally would. This would use the iPod for the source and the radio to amp the signal to the speakers.

[devonrs]

i also have an ipod with an itrip, and yes, it is awesome... i didn't mean that being a joke, i meant the little 1" ipod speakers, that is a joke, there is no way you could hear them while driving.

[florida derbi rocket]

Devon..I have heard of people putting PC speaker sets into their scooters..(Like the Sub under the seat..and the Satellites mounted on your dash panel).....A Lot of them are 12 Volt...you just gotta cut the wall plug off.(Read the Plug Top..It should say what Voltage..Look for 12 volts) ..they dont draw too much power..John

[devonrs]

yea, that would work, but i already spent way too much on my chrome motorcycle speakers... they're fine.. but a sub would be nice...

[CheapWhine]

Why do you feel the need to share your music selection with the people around you? All this excessive equipment is a desperate cry for attention ("Look at me, look at me!") Get yourself a HJC CL-21. Slide in a pair of helmet speakers, into the neck curtain. Get a patch cord. Plug it into your walkman or whatever. Set it at a safe volume and sing along, loudly. I guarantee... others will look at you. Only difference... you'll have lotsa money leftover, in your wallet.

[florida derbi rocket]

I'm Thinkin' IPOD also..too much battery drain on that sub...

[XPS1210]

Get yourself a HJC CL-21. Slide in a pair of helmet speakers, into the neck curtain. Get a patch cord. Plug it into your walkman or whatever. Set it at a safe volume
most states, this is HIGHLY illegal!

Just wanted to point that out... Such as, people who use walkman's or IPODs in cars instead of a stereo (not sure why, unless they don't work) are illegal.

[CheapWhine]

I'm pretty sure the ones 'disturbing the peace' would be ticketed first... plus, helmet speakers (mine anyway) don't come in contact with my ears, like earbuds or headphones would. I can still hear traffic sounds.

[gjtomli]

I had never heard of helmet speakers... where did you find them?

[ex-racer#2]

Sorry this thread was too much not to jump in. We all go on and on about performance and how to get more zip from our scoots. Now even i thought a small stereo to run the ipod off would be cool. But no one has hit on electro mechanical drag. SMALL MOTOR. HUGE ELECRO-DRAG. You will need a 70cc kit just to go the same speed with the charging system going full tilt all the time.

Now if I can only figure out how to keep the ipod earphones from falling out when i put the helmet on.

[speedy_scooter]

Tape em in there. Its what motorcycle and F1 drivers do to keep headset earbuds staying in.

[HIPPYHUNTER]

If we gave world hunger this much attention it would be a thing of the past!
LOL :rolleyes:

[gjtomli]

Lol. True.