Outside speakers question?

Sagecoachdriver · 09-21-2015, 05:52 PM

Our Forester came with an outdoor entertainment center with TV and radio,CD, DVD player. There are 2 outdoor speakers mounted under the awning. We can't get them to work. At the PDI, the salesman said the switch just inside the step well on the overhead cabinet on the right is for the outdoor speakers. We are now playing with all the things we will probably never use, but are writing down procedures in case we ever do. Got the TV working along with the stereo, cd and DVD. But sound only comes out of the speakers in the entertainment center cabinet. How can I get the speakers to work?

GL1800Rider · 09-21-2015, 08:21 PM

They only work with the in dash radio. Nothing else. Turn on the radio and flip the switch. Ours was installed backwards so down is on. It is shame they don't work with the outside tv or radio

Sagecoachdriver · 09-21-2015, 08:31 PM

Thank you GL1800rider. That's it! Not very loud, but load enough if we are sitting under the awning. Boy that sub-woofer is something when we are sitting on the couch watching a DVD like Terminator. Absolutely no instructions, what a learning curve!

Creativepart · 09-21-2015, 10:20 PM

Crawl under the sofa. There is a level control and a frequency cutoff control on the end of the subwoofer. You can adjust it with those two controls.

Sagecoachdriver · 09-21-2015, 11:14 PM

Thanks Creativepart. I looked under the sofa and found it. Hard to look at it with tri-focals. Took a photo with my cellphone. Yeap, just as you said. The volume is turned up all the way. I didn't touch the frequency. I doubt we will be using it, but it's good to know how it works. We will just keep the wall switch off all the time. I don't want to be rolling down the highway playing classical music that the DW is listening too out those speakers. Does that volume affect the sub-woofer?

Creativepart · 09-22-2015, 06:40 AM

On our coach the music on the radio does utilize the subwoofer.

Creativepart · 09-22-2015, 06:46 AM

On our coach the music on the radio does utilize the subwoofer.

When we got ours there was no subwoofer evident. I figured it had not been installed correctly. Then I happened to look under the sofa and found the volume all the way off.

I adjusted the frequency so that more than just low bass notes came thru it. This took some of the boominess out of it and made the dash radio sound better.

newRVer · 09-22-2015, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GL1800Rider

They only work with the in dash radio. Nothing else. Turn on the radio and flip the switch. Ours was installed backwards so down is on. It is shame they don't work with the outside tv or radio

That's interesting. I was speaking with the FR rep at the Harrisburg show this wkd and was discussing the outdoor speakers since they are new on the 2016's. I could have swore he turned these on by hitting one of the "speaker" buttons on the audio entertainment system mounted above the entry "see attached" and not on the dash radio. And yes, it is a shame that these speakers are not used for the outdoor TV. At this point I'm not even sure why there is a separate audio system outside since that makes a total of "3" installed in the vehicle which seems to be overkill and just adds cost.

newRVer · 09-22-2015, 07:53 AM

Sorry, needed to attach photo of inside entertainment system.

Creativepart · 09-22-2015, 07:56 AM

Well, that system in your photo is not something I have in my 2015 3051S. But then I don't have outdoor speakers - just an outdoor TV with it's own radio/cd/dvd player and speakers flanking the bottom of the TV.

newRVer · 09-22-2015, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Creativepart

Well, that system in your photo is not something I have in my 2015 3051S. But then I don't have outdoor speakers - just an outdoor TV with it's own radio/cd/dvd player and speakers flanking the bottom of the TV.

That is correct. The FR rep indicated that was new for 2016, at least on the 3011DS that I was looking at. Seems they are moving away from using the in-dash system for entertainment in the coach and just primarily using it for when you are on the road. That makes sense to me and it should be easier to manage when you are stationary.

ENE · 09-22-2015, 09:43 AM

Maybe if theres an audio speaker output on the stereo, you can connect some bluetooth or wireless speakers outside. Just a thought.

Sagecoachdriver · 09-22-2015, 10:15 AM

I don't know why they didn't have the speakers hooked up to the outdoor entertainment system?? There is the TV, and radio/CD/DVD player that could use a better sound system. The way it's wired now, you have to play the Nav radio on the dash with sound filling the MH too!
You know, that outdoor speaker wiring is under sofa at the sub-woofer and the rear access to the outdoor TV entertainment center is 6" away on the wall. Could probably rewire it and add a switch under the TV and next to the radio.

GL1800Rider · 09-22-2015, 10:53 AM

Good idea but on my 3011 the sub is on the oposite side

Boso · 09-22-2015, 11:42 AM

My radio speakers sounded awful but when I learned to use the full coach speakers with bass it helped

Sagecoachdriver · 12-22-2015, 02:45 AM

May some progress today. I found that the outdoor speaker wires exit the cab via a bundle of wires under the driver's vinyl step and then make a turn to the passenger's side and I lost it. If I can find the wires where they come into the passenger's side before going up, I could cut and tie them off from the radio and attach those going to the speaker switch to the cut off stubs on the back of the outdoor radio.
However, I know that radio is set up for 4- 40 watt speakers of which 2 are on either side of the radio under the outdoor TV. I will eventually have to pull the upper outdoor speaker covers and see what their wattage is. It may be a waste of time. For the moment, I can't play the outdoor speakers without blasting it inside. If I can switch it to the outside radio, I could play the radio or DVD and audio come thru those upper speakers.

Hey Joshua Cavitt, can you check and see what the watts are on the outdoor upper speakers??? Thanks!

tlf65 · 12-22-2015, 07:56 PM

We have a Sunseeker 2700DS and the outside speakers only work off of the dash radio.

Sagecoachdriver · 12-22-2015, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tlf65

We have a Sunseeker 2700DS and the outside speakers only work off of the dash radio.

Yes I know and I'm going to find a way to make them work off the outdoor entertainment center radio/cd/dvd player and maybe the TV too.

Boso · 12-22-2015, 08:33 PM

My outside speakers work off my outside entertainment not the inside

Sagecoachdriver · 12-22-2015, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boso

My outside speakers work off my outside entertainment not the inside

Really! As I have mentioned before, my upper outdoor speakers work only off the dash radio with a switch on the upper cabinet by the entry. No way to limit volume in the MH while playing outside speakers. So to hear anything outside the inside volume has to be LOUD!

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