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Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Reversing polarity on your speakers will most likely ruin your speakers. Speakers do exist to accommodate this type of installation. This type of installation is usually only used in show cars - to show off the look of the speaker, not for sound quality!
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 If you have your subs in a box, and they don't produce enough sound for you, try to change the wires at the amp. For your subs, hook your "+" sub wire to the "-" and the "-" to the "+" on the amp. This well sometimes make your subs fire into the box and produce more bass.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 If you amp(s) can fit under the front seat(s), put them there. You'll save money (by using shorter wiring and such) and your input signal will be stronger (because it's so close to the radio). If you don't want to drill the holes into the metal, mount it onto a piece of 5/8 inch board and use 1 inch screws. No thieves! Better sound! Less money!
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Whenever possible, always ground all the components to the same location. This will keep noise out of the system and avoid ground loops which occur whenn adding amplifiers, video, equalizers, etc.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Be sure to ground your amplifier first. This will prevent frying. Unplug the battery, then ground the amplifier.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 I had a 1000 watt system with no capacitor for 2 years. Before installing the system, I replaced my alternator (it was an unrelated incident). At first, my system was great. I was fairly new to car stereo installation. Now I have to replace my alternator again for a little over $200. Save yourself a loss of $200! Get a power capacitor. If not, it will destroy your alternator.
Anonymous said
on 1/9/2008 To get more power out of your subs (if you have 2) connect both of them to the mono on your amp. If you have a 2 channel amp, you connect both subs running on 1 wire. Positive goes to the positive and negative with the negative on the mono.
Anonymous said
on 12/15/2005 A lot of people place there amp on the sub woofer boxes. It may work for some people, but be careful. It could
rattle the insides of your amp causing
them to break. It would best to place
the amp elsewhere.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 To determine what size fuse to use, take the amplifier's RMS wattage and divide it by the vehicle's idle voltage (or use 12.6). For example, 600 / 12.6 = 47.61, so an amplifier that puts out 600 watts RMS would need a 50 amp fuse. The fuse should always exceed the number you get (current draw). Also keep in mind that a fuse should be as close to the battery as possible, but no more than 18 inches away.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 If you're powering a lot of bass using an amplifier(s) with a total power of 1000 watts (for expensive amplifier[s]) or 1600 watts (for off-brand amplifier[s]) and you don't plan on getting an aftermarket alternator, be sure your factory alternator can handle the amperage your amplifier(s) will be pulling. Many smaller cars only provide 40-60A, and pounding heavy bass while driving will probably fry it (and possibly other electronic parts of your car, too). Using a capacitor(s) is a wonderful way to get around this problem, allowing your amplifier to pull "too much" amperage for short periods of time (like when the bass hits). Note that trucks will normally not have this problem since the torque required to haul heavy things requires an alternator larger than 90A. And, as always, to keep your car's electronics in working order, use fuses or breakers that will keep the amplifier from pulling too much while at the same time protect your amplifier from spikes.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 If you want your bass to hit hard, use a power cap. For systems up to 500 watts use a .5 Farad cap. For systems 500-1000 watts use a 1 farad cap. Using a cap will protect your alternator from going.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Never mount your amplifier onto your woofer box. I learned the hard way. Because of all the vibrations from the woofer, in time the small components in your amplifier become loose. I lost 2 amplifiers that way before I realized the problem.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 When installing your amp, be aware that where you place it is important. You must place it in an area where there is an air flow. Many people place it on the back of their subwoofer box. I believe it is best under a passenger seat so that it's hard to steal and gets good air flow. The shorter the power cable is, the more power you get.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Keep in mind that people are bad. Hide, hide, hide. Your 1989 Corsica is NOT a show car, so don't pretend it is. Put amps where they won't be seen. They are easy to take and even easier to sell afterwards. Keep in mind that glass only keeps honest people honest. And you may want to reconsider putting the amp on the back of your sub box...If they are going to steal your stuff, you might as well make them work for it! Plus, don't assume that if you bolt something to plastic, it will stay there. They are animals. They'll rip it apart. It's a great hobby with much risk and little reward, but that's what it is. A Hobby. Have fun!
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 FUZZ in your speakers with a amp make sure that you run your rca cables away from your power wire cuz the power wire produces a frequency that screws with the rca frequency.. NOTE rca + and - are low voltage (just a sound frequency)
the amp makes it louder,,,