ok, i had my system hooked up to save myself the headache.......but as ive read and have been told you run the rca cables on the opposite side of the power wire, well........the place that hooked it up ran it on the same side!!?!?!?!? WHAT should i do?? and what will this do to my system?!!?
Replies (19)
Tray on 12/12/2003 12:22:31
Calm down.
Chances are, since you aren't asking about extra noise, you are fine.
It won't really 'do anything to your system'.
You may have luck going back to the place that installed your equipment, and explaining to them that you know it is poor practice to do such, and see if they will correct their oversight.
Otherwise, if you feel inclined, running the RCA is probably the easiest task of an install, and you could probably re-run it down the opposite side. Especially in an Exploder. They are extremely open, and easy to do.
movadoman2001 on 12/12/2003 15:05:37
yes, im gonna re-run them, it might take me a day or two to get to it, and the dude that did it taped them together!! like every 3 feet! and went around like 5 times with the tape, its taking me forever to peel it off lol........And speaking of extra noise, when i turn the car off, even with the radio volume all the way down it makes a thud (bass) is that from the inproper wiring? and a few other things im not sure about, it have one of those remote bass things up front and when its pluged into the amp the bass isnt as loud and when i unplug it its louder, also that thud doesnt happen when its pluged in and the volume on the remote is all the way down?? can anyone help?
movadoman2001 on 12/12/2003 15:25:50
One more question.....do good quality and thicker RCA cables make any kind of differance ??
cplkittle on 12/12/2003 15:29:49
the thud you are hearing is the amplifier kicking off (discharging the capacitors within the amplifier) it is normal unless your amplifier states that it has silent on/off circuitry.
I would only recommend higher quality RCA cables if they are picking up interference (engine whine). Some are shielded with some type of foil, and some are in thicker insulation. both are to reduce interference.
compvr15s on 12/12/2003 20:29:52
with that remote bass gain, i think in order for it to run properly you need the settin on the amp all the way up, then you adjust it from the control, im not positive, but i know on my kx600.1s that if the control is plugged in the bass decreases as well unless its set all the way up and then your have the control adjusted to the same as the amp was before you plug the controller in, kind of hard to explain, try doing that, just make sure you have the controller at zero when you turn the amp up. then slowely turn the knob up, wait for some other input before atempting this, i dont want you to damage your equipment if thats not proper procedure, but thats how i did it. i dont run the controller tho so i just set the amp normal then adjust from the HU if needed, good luck
movadoman2001 on 12/13/2003 00:24:00
would the engine whine occour only when the subs are playing? or other times also? just so i can check to make sure.........Also can someone explain to me what Mosfet means or is?
movadoman2001 on 12/13/2003 10:47:44
Ok, so i called the place this morning that hooked it up and the guy says " I wont rewire it or give your money back, thats how I always do it and it wont do anything" is this true or not?? should i re-wire it?? and i have a legacy la1990 amp its 2000 watts and bridgeable......i know its a cheap amp i got it for 120 bucks on ebay, so i cant complain......i want to get a good one though that will last and can put out the power to 2 15' 600 watt rms 1200 watt max subs..will this amp start having problems or blow if i run it at 3/4 volume on the amp and briged?? and please give some recommendations on amps please, i wanna buy from ebay, GOOD DEALS :) i have about $300 budget for it. THANKS!
cplkittle on 12/13/2003 21:27:33
metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor or MOSFET for short. The bipolar transistor was the only “real” power transistor until the MOSFET came along in the 1970’s. The bipolar transistor requires a high base current to turn on, has relatively slow turn-off characteristics (known as current tail), and is liable for thermal runaway due to a negative temperature co-efficient. In addition, the lowest attainable on-state voltage or conduction loss is governed by the collector-emitter saturation voltage VCE(SAT). The MOSFET, however, is a device that is voltage- and not current-controlled. MOSFETs have a positive temperature co-efficient, stopping thermal runaway. The on-state-resistance has no theoretical limit, hence on-state losses can be far lower. The MOSFET also has a body-drain diode, which is particularly useful in dealing with limited free wheeling currents.
Under average or typical conditions, a MOSFET provides the longest battery life while meeting all peak-performance levels — and usually at a lower cost.
Kinda technical, but MOSFET power transistors are basically ideal for use in 12v systems because of their efficiency and reduced energy loss from heat transfer.
As for the interference with running RCAs with power cables. Turn on your car and radio, with the radio turned all the way down. Now turn the gain on your amp up just a little past what you normally keep it at. If you hear any whine or other noise from your subs, I would recommend moving your RCAs.. if not, you are fine. There is a possibility that you will hear some noise at full gain, but if you don't run your amp at full gain, it is not a problem.
I just recommended power acoustik amps on another post, I have 2 friends that have the same amp (OV2 1600w) they swear by them. under $200 on ebay.
movadoman2001 on 12/13/2003 22:29:33
Great! Thanks for your advice .
movadoman2001 on 12/13/2003 22:34:47
Just wanted to let everyone know that these Volfenhags THUMP very loud! and i am very impressed at how well they sound. I thought they would sound good, it has pretty good specs...but them i kept telling myself not to get my hopes up (because you get what you pay for) but i was shocked! I had some rockford fosgates before these in my 02 cavalier dont no what ones just a cheaper end sub and they were 12's but these are seriously almost twice as loud and i give them my recommendation
cplkittle on 12/13/2003 22:39:59
thanks for the follow up! alot of brands out there are really good, just haven't made a name for themselves yet.
movadoman2001 on 12/14/2003 01:37:58
No problem, I do have another question.......i dont know if im just being paranoid or what, but my car seems to have less pick-up even when the radio is turned all the way down, it also sounds weaker when i reve it.....is this a problem that can happen if something is wrong with the system or something normal, and what can i do to correct this?
cplkittle on 12/14/2003 10:35:41
The stereo should not affect the engine other than when the alternator is charging the battery. if your volume is turned down or the stereo is turned off, there should be no pull on the engine at all.
movadoman2001 on 12/14/2003 11:59:20
Ok thanks, Now i have another question, sorry.......How much can you hook up to a factory head unit?? im going to eventually replace it but its a big radio and i want to fill the space up when i get a new one, and the one im looking at is one of those monitor ones and it $859 so its gonna take like a month or so but i just orderd some infinity 639.5i tweeters is there gonna be some where to run them off the HU and will i need another small amp to run them?
cplkittle on 12/14/2003 12:29:48
most HUs run 19-25rms each to 4 channels. You will get good sound from them, but the closer you get to the speaker's rms, the louder and clearer the sound will be.
BIGJ11BB on 12/14/2003 17:10:31
movadoman what kind of 15's do you have?? i have an amp suggestion for you that is under 300$ on ebay but it will be a huge step for your alt and battery so look to upgrade those first before buying it JBL BP1200.1 is the amp or maybe even a JBL BP600.1 might give you the power needed both can be had for under 300$
movadoman2001 on 12/15/2003 01:52:25
I have Volfenhags, thanks for the sugguestions, i will go take a look at those amps.........CPLKITTLE: i understand what you mean about the getting close to the rms, but will i be able to hook some tweeters up to my fsctory HU ( like is there enough jacks/places to wire them? i dont really know much about HU's ......I just have all factory speakers and then the amp going to the HU now, and im getting those infinity tweeters. also if they can be hooked up, how would i run a 2nd amp to those?? and what amp would you reccomend? the tweeters are infinity 693.5i ( are those pretty good??)
movadoman2001 on 12/15/2003 02:07:23
Sorry that model # isnt the tweeters, those are 6x9's i was looking at.........the tweeters are the infinity kappa 10.5t......what do you think? these are good for vocals right? thats what i need with all that bass it kinda drowns out the vocals
Swez on 12/15/2003 05:33:35
Most better HU's can deliver decent power to the interior speakers... (as noted by CPL) but if you have a big "Bass Machine".... the subs will dominate the system until you either turn down the bass or kick up the power to the interior speakers.
A good ratio to use in figuring out how much power you need to get a good balance is ~8:1. 8 parts bass (watts) to 1 part mids/highs (watts). Not an exact number here... just a guideline as some subs are very inefficient (85 dB SPL @ 1 watt) VS mid/highs that are generally more efficient. (90+ dB @ 1 watt) Ie: 800 watts to subs and 100 watts to full range interior speakers.
The target is to get your bass power up to what you desire. (SPL wise)
Then have enough power to the mids/highs to get similar SPL here too.
Since the mids/tweets are closer (to your ears) than the subs in most applications, it takes less power to match things up well enough to hear the whole system. (vocals, guitars, drum kit, synth etc.)
Hope that helps,
Swez
Replies (19)
Tray on 12/12/2003 12:22:31
Calm down.
Chances are, since you aren't asking about extra noise, you are fine.
It won't really 'do anything to your system'.
You may have luck going back to the place that installed your equipment, and explaining to them that you know it is poor practice to do such, and see if they will correct their oversight.
Otherwise, if you feel inclined, running the RCA is probably the easiest task of an install, and you could probably re-run it down the opposite side. Especially in an Exploder. They are extremely open, and easy to do.
movadoman2001 on 12/12/2003 15:05:37
yes, im gonna re-run them, it might take me a day or two to get to it, and the dude that did it taped them together!! like every 3 feet! and went around like 5 times with the tape, its taking me forever to peel it off lol........And speaking of extra noise, when i turn the car off, even with the radio volume all the way down it makes a thud (bass) is that from the inproper wiring? and a few other things im not sure about, it have one of those remote bass things up front and when its pluged into the amp the bass isnt as loud and when i unplug it its louder, also that thud doesnt happen when its pluged in and the volume on the remote is all the way down?? can anyone help?
movadoman2001 on 12/12/2003 15:25:50
One more question.....do good quality and thicker RCA cables make any kind of differance ??
cplkittle on 12/12/2003 15:29:49
the thud you are hearing is the amplifier kicking off (discharging the capacitors within the amplifier) it is normal unless your amplifier states that it has silent on/off circuitry.
I would only recommend higher quality RCA cables if they are picking up interference (engine whine). Some are shielded with some type of foil, and some are in thicker insulation. both are to reduce interference.
compvr15s on 12/12/2003 20:29:52
with that remote bass gain, i think in order for it to run properly you need the settin on the amp all the way up, then you adjust it from the control, im not positive, but i know on my kx600.1s that if the control is plugged in the bass decreases as well unless its set all the way up and then your have the control adjusted to the same as the amp was before you plug the controller in, kind of hard to explain, try doing that, just make sure you have the controller at zero when you turn the amp up. then slowely turn the knob up, wait for some other input before atempting this, i dont want you to damage your equipment if thats not proper procedure, but thats how i did it. i dont run the controller tho so i just set the amp normal then adjust from the HU if needed, good luck
movadoman2001 on 12/13/2003 00:24:00
would the engine whine occour only when the subs are playing? or other times also? just so i can check to make sure.........Also can someone explain to me what Mosfet means or is?
movadoman2001 on 12/13/2003 10:47:44
Ok, so i called the place this morning that hooked it up and the guy says " I wont rewire it or give your money back, thats how I always do it and it wont do anything" is this true or not?? should i re-wire it?? and i have a legacy la1990 amp its 2000 watts and bridgeable......i know its a cheap amp i got it for 120 bucks on ebay, so i cant complain......i want to get a good one though that will last and can put out the power to 2 15' 600 watt rms 1200 watt max subs..will this amp start having problems or blow if i run it at 3/4 volume on the amp and briged?? and please give some recommendations on amps please, i wanna buy from ebay, GOOD DEALS :) i have about $300 budget for it. THANKS!
cplkittle on 12/13/2003 21:27:33
metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor or MOSFET for short. The bipolar transistor was the only “real” power transistor until the MOSFET came along in the 1970’s. The bipolar transistor requires a high base current to turn on, has relatively slow turn-off characteristics (known as current tail), and is liable for thermal runaway due to a negative temperature co-efficient. In addition, the lowest attainable on-state voltage or conduction loss is governed by the collector-emitter saturation voltage VCE(SAT). The MOSFET, however, is a device that is voltage- and not current-controlled. MOSFETs have a positive temperature co-efficient, stopping thermal runaway. The on-state-resistance has no theoretical limit, hence on-state losses can be far lower. The MOSFET also has a body-drain diode, which is particularly useful in dealing with limited free wheeling currents.
Under average or typical conditions, a MOSFET provides the longest battery life while meeting all peak-performance levels — and usually at a lower cost.
Kinda technical, but MOSFET power transistors are basically ideal for use in 12v systems because of their efficiency and reduced energy loss from heat transfer.
As for the interference with running RCAs with power cables. Turn on your car and radio, with the radio turned all the way down. Now turn the gain on your amp up just a little past what you normally keep it at. If you hear any whine or other noise from your subs, I would recommend moving your RCAs.. if not, you are fine. There is a possibility that you will hear some noise at full gain, but if you don't run your amp at full gain, it is not a problem.
I just recommended power acoustik amps on another post, I have 2 friends that have the same amp (OV2 1600w) they swear by them. under $200 on ebay.
movadoman2001 on 12/13/2003 22:29:33
Great! Thanks for your advice .
movadoman2001 on 12/13/2003 22:34:47
Just wanted to let everyone know that these Volfenhags THUMP very loud! and i am very impressed at how well they sound. I thought they would sound good, it has pretty good specs...but them i kept telling myself not to get my hopes up (because you get what you pay for) but i was shocked! I had some rockford fosgates before these in my 02 cavalier dont no what ones just a cheaper end sub and they were 12's but these are seriously almost twice as loud and i give them my recommendation
cplkittle on 12/13/2003 22:39:59
thanks for the follow up! alot of brands out there are really good, just haven't made a name for themselves yet.
movadoman2001 on 12/14/2003 01:37:58
No problem, I do have another question.......i dont know if im just being paranoid or what, but my car seems to have less pick-up even when the radio is turned all the way down, it also sounds weaker when i reve it.....is this a problem that can happen if something is wrong with the system or something normal, and what can i do to correct this?
cplkittle on 12/14/2003 10:35:41
The stereo should not affect the engine other than when the alternator is charging the battery. if your volume is turned down or the stereo is turned off, there should be no pull on the engine at all.
movadoman2001 on 12/14/2003 11:59:20
Ok thanks, Now i have another question, sorry.......How much can you hook up to a factory head unit?? im going to eventually replace it but its a big radio and i want to fill the space up when i get a new one, and the one im looking at is one of those monitor ones and it $859 so its gonna take like a month or so but i just orderd some infinity 639.5i tweeters is there gonna be some where to run them off the HU and will i need another small amp to run them?
cplkittle on 12/14/2003 12:29:48
most HUs run 19-25rms each to 4 channels. You will get good sound from them, but the closer you get to the speaker's rms, the louder and clearer the sound will be.
BIGJ11BB on 12/14/2003 17:10:31
movadoman what kind of 15's do you have?? i have an amp suggestion for you that is under 300$ on ebay but it will be a huge step for your alt and battery so look to upgrade those first before buying it JBL BP1200.1 is the amp or maybe even a JBL BP600.1 might give you the power needed both can be had for under 300$
movadoman2001 on 12/15/2003 01:52:25
I have Volfenhags, thanks for the sugguestions, i will go take a look at those amps.........CPLKITTLE: i understand what you mean about the getting close to the rms, but will i be able to hook some tweeters up to my fsctory HU ( like is there enough jacks/places to wire them? i dont really know much about HU's ......I just have all factory speakers and then the amp going to the HU now, and im getting those infinity tweeters. also if they can be hooked up, how would i run a 2nd amp to those?? and what amp would you reccomend? the tweeters are infinity 693.5i ( are those pretty good??)
movadoman2001 on 12/15/2003 02:07:23
Sorry that model # isnt the tweeters, those are 6x9's i was looking at.........the tweeters are the infinity kappa 10.5t......what do you think? these are good for vocals right? thats what i need with all that bass it kinda drowns out the vocals
Swez on 12/15/2003 05:33:35
Most better HU's can deliver decent power to the interior speakers... (as noted by CPL) but if you have a big "Bass Machine".... the subs will dominate the system until you either turn down the bass or kick up the power to the interior speakers.
A good ratio to use in figuring out how much power you need to get a good balance is ~8:1. 8 parts bass (watts) to 1 part mids/highs (watts). Not an exact number here... just a guideline as some subs are very inefficient (85 dB SPL @ 1 watt) VS mid/highs that are generally more efficient. (90+ dB @ 1 watt) Ie: 800 watts to subs and 100 watts to full range interior speakers.
The target is to get your bass power up to what you desire. (SPL wise)
Then have enough power to the mids/highs to get similar SPL here too.
Since the mids/tweets are closer (to your ears) than the subs in most applications, it takes less power to match things up well enough to hear the whole system. (vocals, guitars, drum kit, synth etc.)
Hope that helps,
Swez
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