I guess i just want something between a broad side and forward facing arc. I think ive dont pretty good with it now, but due to the small overlap of the cannons and beam array, the broadside arc is quite small.

Honestly, there isn't really any build choices you could make to fit into that space.

I personally prefer beams with 1 or maybe 2 weapons for forward punch, but these are attacks of opportunity and not something I plan to keep on target constantly.

STF Example:

Fore: 3x Beam Arrays, 1x Tricobalt Torpedo
Aft: 4x Beam Arrays

This load out has a 7 beam broadside (good) and a weak 3 beam forward arc - however, once the escorts pull a shield facing off of a Borg Cube, or Negh'var, etc. I can launch the Tricobalt if I happen to get my fore on target.

So a bit of spike damage that's nice if I get it off, but if I don't I'm still running a 7 beam broadside with FAWx2 or FAW+APB , etc.

I'm no expert or claim to be one but can some please explain these DBB Cannon and Turret builds to me because I can't wrap my head around how they can be effective. Your limiting your fore firing arc to 45 degrees and even though you have a 360 degree firing arc on the rear the turrets don't don't do that much damage to cover up the blind spots you are creating with Cannons and DBB's. Where with 6-7 Beam Arrays you would be doing allot more damage vs Turrets and more dps than Cannons and DBB's with the wider firing arc's on the Beam arrays. On a Escort I could see cannon's or dbb's because of the turn rate but on a cruiser even the excelisor the turn rate isn't that of an Escort. So imho you would be creating a huge blindspots on your ship with your front weapons and relying on the turrets to much. Where with the 250 degree firing arc of Beam arrays you have no blind spots at all and dishing out constant damage.

So am I missing something with these builds because I can't imagine how they can be all that effective. I'm not critizing anyone's build I just can't imagine in my head how they can work that great.

No actually you pretty much nailed what most of us have said from the start. The only real mistake your making is the Single Cannons you can mount on Cruisers are 180 so as long as you can keep it in the front arc it works.

Yeah, im running single cannons now with scatter volly and I enjoy it, still have two launchers up front with 1 in the rear though

By running DBB / Cannons up front, you up your DPS while sacrificing firing arc. To compensate, you run turrets aft. This gives the Excelsior quite a punch fore. And since she's so nimble, it's not hard to point her toward the enemy.

I also like to mash Cannon Rapid Fire as I fly by an enemy and watch my turrets dish out the hurt.