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Outdoor speakers

Randy

Randy

Well-Known Member
Superstar
Ok, guys what are your reccomendations for keeping your outdoor speakers in good working order?

Do you takle them down or bring them inside over the winter? And, if you do, what do you do to the end of the wires to protect them over the winter?

What type of speaker wire do you use?

Outdoor rated speaker wire or good ole reglar stuff?

Do you terminate or use bare wire into the speaker?

Any hints on caring for the wire and keeping it from oxidizing?

My outdoor speakers are starting to have some issues, and I am sure it is all wire related. I am going to replace all of it around the pool and in the garage, I just havent decided if I am going to use the spool of 16 guage that I already have or buy outdoor rated stuff.
 
I live in SE Texas so I'm confused by this "winter" you speak of.

I used some left over indoor speaker wire knowing that if I ever needed to change it I'd use proper outdoor wire. It's been up for over a year and. I problems so far.

My patio receiver gets taken inside when it's not in use so I terminated the receiver end with bananna plugs. The speaker ends are bare wire to the speaker's binding posts. To manage oxidation I put a film of petroleum jelly over the wire and contact points.
 
Randy said:
Ok, guys what are your reccomendations for keeping your outdoor speakers in good working order?

Do you takle them down or bring them inside over the winter? And, if you do, what do you do to the end of the wires to protect them over the winter?

What type of speaker wire do you use?

Outdoor rated speaker wire or good ole reglar stuff?

Do you terminate or use bare wire into the speaker?

Any hints on caring for the wire and keeping it from oxidizing?

My outdoor speakers are starting to have some issues, and I am sure it is all wire related. I am going to replace all of it around the pool and in the garage, I just havent decided if I am going to use the spool of 16 guage that I already have or buy outdoor rated stuff.
Click to expand...

I have a single outdoor speaker with dual tweeters since it's half the work to mount one speaker and I can be a bit lazy on occasion...

I didn't take down the first speaker I had and the rubber surrounding the woofer ended up splitting. I now have a new speaker that gets taken down and stored inside every winter.

I use in-wall rated speaker wire terminated with banana plugs. The speaker is mounted to an overhang so all but about a foot of the speaker wire is inside the house.

When reconnecting the speaker in the spring I hit the banana plugs with Pro-Gold to clean them up. Over the winter I cover the banana plugs with cable pants. I insert the end of one into another so each of the four legs covers a plug.
 
Randy,

I used regular speaker wire for mine, however I leave about an extra 18" or so of service loop, because about every 2 years I cut and strip off the wire that gets oxidized. I just strip the wire and use it under the terminal with no additional components (jacks/bananna plug). I am about 6 hours south of T7, and we really don't have a winter here!!!

KH
 
I bought 150' of outdoor rated speaker wire yesterday. I am going to get it replaced soon. The stuff I bought is direct burial rated.

Not sure why I am complaining about the reglar ole speaker wire that I had used, cuz it has been up for almost 12 years. Most of it is exposed outside because it runs around the deck to where the speakers are mounted.

I do howver like the Pro-Gold Andy mentioned and will try to find something like it soon to clean up the speaker terminals.

Do you guys think there is anything better to use as a protective coating than petroleum jelly?
 
I'm hoping to add some outdoor speakers to my new deck. I planned on just getting some speaker wire that was rated for in walls since they have an additional PVC jacket. Wire from Monoprice and Knukonceptz was pretty cheap.
 
Randy said:
I bought 150' of outdoor rated speaker wire yesterday. I am going to get it replaced soon. The stuff I bought is direct burial rated.
Click to expand...

Now your speakers will produce better sound quality. :handgestures-thumbup:
 
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