Tunes on the Dunes

There is nothing like having a hobby that throws caution to the wind. One such pastime is off road driving in an all terrain vehicle. It may sound like extreme entertainment that is unsurpassed. But it can get even better when you include your favorite hard rock or heavy metal tunes.

Adding an audio system to one of these vehicles may not be as difficult as you might think. Sure, there are plenty of concerns. But these obstacles can be overcome. These concerns include space limitations; the harsh environment effecting the components as one drives through sand, water, and near the ocean where salt can become a factor; vibration caused by the bumpy ride; and the minimum capability of the ATV’s factory electrical and charging systems.

Isaac Goren, owner of Sounds Good Audio, Security & Marine in Woodland Hills, California, has some ideas to overcome all of these problems. He really didn’t begin to think of the possibilities until Don Osterholt, owner of an internet company and an ATV enthusiast for many years came to his shop, handed him the keys to his 2005 Yamaha Rhino and said, “design and install an audio system in this thing.”

Actually, the audio system was just part of the project. Osterholt bought the ATV with the intent of upgrading it from the start.

The factory tires and wheels were exchanged for aftermarket counterparts from ITP. An aftermarket back bumper from Trail Armor, back up lights from Piaa replaced the factory bumper and lights and Hella front lights were added. The stock carburetor was jettisoned for an Edelbroch carburetor while the stock 660 motor was retained. Elka gas shocks replaced the stock shocks. The full exhaust system was exchanged for an HMF system.

To attempt to protect the interior, Osterholt added a polycarbonate windshield, roof and extended fenders. The interior was spruced up with a new digital display panel which he bought from e-Bay as well as a new steering wheel and carbon fiber shifter knob.

A Strategy
Designing and installing an audio system on an ATV was a new experience for Goren and his staff. So Goren took a lot of time inspecting the vehicle to see what the potential was. He quickly noticed that the electrical and charging systems were very small. He was concerned that the system as well as the very small factory battery could not withstand the strain of a full audio system not to mention the new Hella and Piaa lights. Another issue was space. These vehicles are built down to the bare minimum for weight and handling. Furthermore, Osterholt wanted to be able to play the audio system when he was driving and parked and even when the ignition was off.

It would be possible to keep the number of components down to a minimum. Still, an amplifier would be essential to supply enough power to multiple speakers and a subwoofer. And the components -- the head unit, speakers, amplifiers -- would have to be durable enough to take the abuse of a bumpy ride along with the moisture, sand, and harsh environment.

The vehicle was taken apart in order to discover secure and protected mounting areas for the equipment. A dry, secure and protected location was found under the driver’s seat for the Scosche HD7004 four channel amplifier and an 8-inch JL Audio subwoofer with dual voice coil. The subwoofer was encased into a sealed enclosure and the driver fires toward the center of the interior and loads up against the engine compartment to get the most boost possible. The Scosche amplifier has been bridged so that it is playing in a three channel mode. Two channels feed power to the midrange and tweeters and the third channel works the subwoofer.

A fiberglass enclosure that includes six speakers, which is specifically designed and constructed to be used on an ATV, was purchased from eBay and bolted to the rollbar. The enclosure holds two 5-1/4-inch midbass speakers, two 3-1/2-inch midrange speakers and two tweeters. The assembly also includes a passive crossover. The speaker wires were routed through the rollbar and exits through special grommets and then continues on to the amplifier. The center of the dashboard was cut open and an MB Quart 6x9 speaker was mounted into the space. The speaker has been installed from behind the dash and is covered by a perforated aluminum cover which in turn is covered by grille cloth. An AVC cone backs the speaker to protect it from the elements. Another MB Quart 6x9 speaker in its own carpeted enclosure is mounted behind the back seat and is bolted securely from under the vehicle.

The glove box serves as the home for the Alpine CDA-9855 AM/FM receiver/CD player. This unit plays CDs, CD-Rs, and CD-RWs as well as MP3. Moreover, a special interface was included so that an Apple iPod can be plugged into the unit to allow the music from the iPod to play throughout the audio system. The head unit totally controls the iPod and, since the iPod is a hard drive, the potential problem of skipping while Osterholt jumps the dunes is virtually eliminated.

Electrical System a Primary Concern
Because of the lack of capacity of the factory electrical system it was obvious to all that the system had to be enhanced. The factory battery was retained to start the vehicle and power the factory electronics. A metal steel bracket with spot welded frame was constructed and bolted and spot welded onto the frame of the Rhino under the hood and serves as a tray for an Optima Yellow Top battery. It is located in the center of the engine compartment so the balance of the vehicle is not effected. The top posts of the Optima battery is open so that Osterholt can use these posts to trickle charge it. The side posts are wired. A PAC-200 solenoid from Pacific Accessory Corporation has been included to isolate the two batteries. The only time the PAC solenoid opens is when the ignition is turned on so both batteries can be charged off of the factory charging system. A PAC BG-12 device monitors each battery and tells the alternator which battery to charge. This piece comes with an LED that keeps Osterholt informed about the charging situation. The LED is mounted to the dash near the driver’s seat. A separate fuse block was also added with a waterproof cover under the hood. All aftermarket items has its own fuse which is contained in this block.

Some of the components needed a constant power as well as ignition. The constant power allows some equipment to be turned on while the ignition is turned off. The constant wire runs directly to the Optima battery and the ignition is taken from the fuse block. The fuse block is designed so that half of it is constant and half is ignition. A special master switch with a relay has been mounted to the dash. When on, the items that can get constant power gets it while the ignition is off. So Osterholt can simply flip this switch to power the audio system and the Hella front lights without the ignition being on. A special 150 amp manual reset circuit breaker is present. When it is opened, it cuts all electronics off so there is no draw on the Optima battery. This was included so that Osterholt can open the circuit breaker to be certain that no power is being wasted when he stores the vehicle. And, finally, there is a voltage meter wired directly to the Optima battery which shows Osterholt how much charge the battery has so he can determine when it is necessary to trickle charge that battery.

With the increasing popularity of ATVs why shouldn’t they be equipped with some entertainment. This installation is proof positive that it can be done.

Thanks to: Sounds Good Audio, Security & Marine