# Car amp died



## Sicklyboy (Aug 31, 2012)

So my car's amp has been dead for about a week.  It's a Lanzar OPTS 650.5 model.  Rated at 1360w max (I think it was like 150w x4 and 300w x1 RMS) 5 channel amp with subwoofer remote level control.  It had stopped playing anything through channel 5 (the sub).

I took it apart, I see nothing wrong with the board.  When I initially got it I had taken it apart and flipped and pasted all of the heatsinks because they were ridged-side down with no paste -_-.  Heat shouldn't be an issue due to that and I also have a direct shot into my trunk for airflow - I always drive with the windows down or the AC on.  Looking at it again now, I noticed that some solder joints were half-tinned, but I tested each with a voltmeter and they all showed continuity.  For the hell of it, I went and filly tinned all of them.  No cold joints on it.

I've ruled out the RCA cables and speaker wire.  I've never seen a speaker go dead to the point where it makes NO sound, so I doubt that the sub is the issue.

The only thing, other than the sub, that I haven't tested is the head unit itself (specifically the sub outputs).  I plan to hook one of the speaker channels to the sub channel on the amp and drive an old door speaker with it to see if THAT works.

Does anyone have any ideas?


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## DinohScene (Aug 31, 2012)

It could be that a resistor has blown.
Or any other component has failed.

I also once tought my amp was dead cause it kept blowing fuses.
Turned out a little strand of copper wire was making a short between the + and -


First off.
Rule out the possibility that it's not  the sub.

Then you can always hook the left and right parallel and the sub on another channel until you get a new Amp.

Fixing amps can be a major pain in the bum.


Edit: do you have a powercap hooked up to the system in parallel?


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## Sicklyboy (Aug 31, 2012)

Already tried the source.  Not the issue unfortunately :\ went from Pandora on my phone to my iPod to terrestrial radio.  Nothin.

No, I don't have a capacitor in my system.

I know it's a cheap-o amp (I got it off of Amazon for like $80), but this thing worked DAMN well while it lasted.  I hope it's fixable because I can't afford a new one right now, but I also want the satisfaction of fixing it.

Maybe I should cry more. 

Edit - also, both 25A fuses in the amp as well as the 80A fuse in the line are good and show no damage.


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## DinohScene (Aug 31, 2012)

Hmm.

I think that something must have shorted on the sub line.
Maybe you can grab a magnifying glass and inspect every single component of the Amp.

I still go with getting a new one or just applying a crude kludge to it to make it work for the time being.
It's just not worth it to trying to fix it since there are an extreme amount of components.

Heh.
I currently have a Spectron amp I believe....
Thing works freaking perfectly (4 channel and has some 300 watts of RMS idk really) in parallel with a new heavy duty 1F powercap (yeh my lights started to flicker ;p)

(Jealous? cry more.)

But I stll want a Rockfort Fosgate amp.
Things are the top of the line.
But if I do that I might as well ditch the Sony sub and go for an MTX Jackhammer if I really want to upgrade.
Maybe even a 5F+ powercap.


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## Tom Bombadildo (Aug 31, 2012)

As Dinoh suggested above, check every little nook and cranny for something that could cause a short. Most Amps will go into protective mode if they detect even the tiniest of things and I know on some of the cheaper ones they don't have any indication other than no sound output if it's in said mode. I assume there are no LEDs or anything on it? 

It could also be the headunit, as you've mentioned, so make sure you check that as well. My Amp was cutting out a lot recently and the RCA cables weren't snuggly anymore, so once I fixed that issue I had nice clean sound ever since. 

Lucky me I managed to get a $150 amp for $90  
Got a Kenwood 8105D connected to my Dual Bandpass 12" x2 Sound Ordnance subs


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## Sicklyboy (Aug 31, 2012)

It does have two LEDS - "Power" and "Protection".  Power is on when the amp is powered on (as it should).  Protection, to my understanding, only lights up when there is a fault in the protection circuit in the amp - such as a fuse blowing or a short somewhere.

It does product sound on channels 1-4.  My speakers drive fine, but my subwoofer isn't driven at all.  No lows, not even any quiet highs.

Tomorrow (or saturday if I can't stay awake long enough tomorrow) I'll test it.


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## DinohScene (Aug 31, 2012)

It also should light if it's overheating and shutting itself down to prevent damage.

Hmm.
You could hook up 2 speakers to channel 1 and 2 to channel 2 (if you got 4 speakers)
Then bridge the 3 and 4 for the sub.

Anyway, keep us noted on your findings and the eventual solution.


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## Tom (Aug 31, 2012)

I've blown fuses before that showed continuity but didn't work FYI


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## Sicklyboy (Aug 31, 2012)

tom10122 said:


> I've blown fuses before that showed continuity but didn't work FYI



Just checked em with my voltmeter, they *are* continuative.  If nothing else though I can replace em.  Thanks for the idea


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## Sicklyboy (Sep 2, 2012)

Played around with it today and I think it's the sub.

Did what Dinoh said and used ch 1 and 2 for front and back, running in parallel, then bridged 3 and 4 for the sub.  All 4 speakers worked, but the sub didn't.

Hooked my rear out to the sub channel on the amp and hooked up my old JVC door speakers.  Played music for a few seconds - heard nothing but buzzing, then the speaker seized and started smoking furiously.  WHOOPS 

Anyway, did the same thing with the sub, and nothing.  Then hooked the sub to channel 1 with channel 1 hooked in and nothing.

I never did like this sub much anyway.  I'll start looking for new ones, and go from there.  If it still doesn't work, I'll throw my old radio in and test that out.


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## DinohScene (Sep 2, 2012)

So it's not only the Sub that's dead it's also the other speakers?
Damn xd

Anyway now you know that your Amp still works fine.

So what sub/speakers are you looking to get now?


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## Sicklyboy (Sep 3, 2012)

Ah no the speakers still work fine. If I have time tomorrow between getting home from the farm and going to work at Target I'm gonna re mount my amp and hook the speakers up. The speaker I fried was the old jvc door speakers I had. Sucks a little because they were pretty good speakers, but they were cheap too - about 37 off of amazon when I got them, so I'm not to disappointed. My Polk speakers still kick. 

The sub makes zero sound, just like the speaker I fried. The box it came with isn't vented which might be why I never smelled anything. I'm gonna try running it off of my pc's HTIB to check it one last time.

As far as a new one, I'm not sure. I still want a 12,and I might try using the same box, but I'll end up venting it. I'd love to get a Rockford Fosgate, because from what I've heard they're beautiful, but they're so expensive. I also wouldn't even dream of this amp being strong enough to drive them. I'm probably gonna get a Sony Xplod, they're pretty good; I'm gonna see if I can find anything in my area as well on craigslist. After I got my setup (btw, my sub was a Pyle PLBS12. I've never been super happy with it) I looked on craigslist a few weeks later and found a guy selling 2 10" Rockfords and a box for 70 bucks. I was so jelly.


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## DinohScene (Sep 3, 2012)

I still "rock" with standard door speakers from 1996 ;p
Cba to upgrade them since pretty much all of my sound is in the back.


Ouch.
Large speakerbox or small one?
Since it's always way better to vent large sub boxes/compartments.
They move a big volume of air so they could blow themselves out ;p
Not only that but it also gives a much clearer sound.


Get an Xplod yes.
I also got a Xplod Sub and I'm incredibly satisfied with it.
It has the power to let my whole car visably vibrate ;D
Best bang for your buck.

Damn ;o
Neighbour of a friend of mine was also selling a custom made box once.
It had 2x a Rockford Sub + 2x Mid+high freq speakers, 2000 Watt RF amp + 2 F RF powercap.
He sold it for ~700 quid as I recall.

Reason was that he didn't felt comfortable anymore having that kind of expensive audio in his car, in a crime ridden city ;p

edit:
Mind to share a pic of your setup (old pic or once it's finished)
I'm pretty interested in what you got in the back ;3


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## tueidj (Sep 3, 2012)

Just check the resistance of the sub itself, should be around 4 ohms (might be 2 depending on the model). If the resistance is very low, it's good. If it's high, it's probably bad. If there's no continuity at all, it's blown. Try to check as close to the actual coil terminals as possible to rule out faulty wiring. Most speakers won't do anything when they blow (like smoke or smell) since they're mostly just a wire coil inside a magnet - a tiny part of the coil burns out and it's game over. It's only when the coil shorts itself instead that things get interesting...


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## Sicklyboy (Sep 3, 2012)

[member='tueidj'] - Man, I would have never thought of checking that if you hadn't posted it.  I checked on the terminals on the speaker, it's showing infinite resistance (no continuity).

Thank you 

And for reference, I checked the other speaker of that JVC pair that I blew, and it's showing ~4.5 ohms resistance on the terminals.


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## DinohScene (Sep 3, 2012)

@tueidj 
It never even occured to me.
Damn I feel derpy xd


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## Sicklyboy (Sep 3, 2012)

http://www.amazon.co...=pd_sim_sbs_e_3

I might buy that and a cap to drive whatever new sub I get, keep my current amp for the door speakers.

Edit - because yeah, I drove my system pretty hard on pretty cheap equipment, but I'm afraid if I get something _nice_, something even higher powered than my current sub, I'll end up under driving it and fry that.


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## DinohScene (Sep 3, 2012)

New sub should be vented then ;p
800 watt ish should be difficult to blow up.

Also don't forget to charge the cap first (if you get one with a remote),
If you forget to charge it there is a very big chance that it'll blow out the fuse in the 12+ line from your battery to your powercap.
And be very careful not to short it.
Those things are nasty nasty buggers since their infact a secondary battery, but more powerful.


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## Sicklyboy (Sep 3, 2012)

I've read all about the type of stuff they can do when mishandled XD

So I set everything up again, sans subwoofer.  Working great and sounds pretty good too.  I really miss the extra bass kick, but my in-dash equalizer adds a bit more in the rear.  So for now, I'm satisfied enough.  I need new shocks for my car before I can get anything else.


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## DinohScene (Sep 3, 2012)

Nasty things indeed ;p
But a sweet addition to the total setup and they prevent battery damage from the fluctuating voltage line.


Good luck on that ;o
Those are quite expensive.


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## Sicklyboy (Sep 3, 2012)

The shocks?  They're about 50 a piece for my car.  Not too bad.


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## DinohScene (Sep 3, 2012)

That's not bad ;o

Mine would probably come in at ~100 a piece.
Fortunately mine aren't worn out yet ;p


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## Sicklyboy (Sep 4, 2012)

I'm toying with some options right now.  I'm looking at this Rockford Fosgate dual 12" + box setup on amazon.  As far as another amp, I'm not sure what I should get.

Anyone have any recommendations on any front?  I need new subs (I want to go with dual 12s) and a box (not sure whether I should go ported/vented or not), a cap, and a power distribution block.


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## DinohScene (Sep 4, 2012)

If you make a dual sub box then place a bassport in both compartments. 
As for the amp, yeah you know my answer ;p
Rockford Fosgate ftw.

That or get an Xplod amp if you get 2 Xplod subs.
As for a powercap.
Any one will do, rule of thumb is 1F per 1000 watts


Personally I think you should get the dual RF box.
If money allows it.


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## jimmyemunoz (Sep 4, 2012)

It sounds like your on a low budget, so definitely look into Kicker CompVR subs. Their decent subs. I have 3 15" Kicker Solobarics but before that a while ago I rocked Kicker CompVR 12's. They are a great budget speaker.


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## Sicklyboy (Sep 4, 2012)

I'm on a low budget right now, but I'm also not buying them yet. I just planned my first trip to Pittsburgh to see my gf for this semester. Once that's over, I'll have plenty of money to play with. 

This is gonna be sick when I get all of it XD


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## DinohScene (Sep 4, 2012)

I demand pics when you're done with everything~


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## Sicklyboy (Sep 5, 2012)

DinohScene said:


> I demand pics when you're done with everything~



No pics of the setup yet.

But have this to hold you over.

Blown subwoofers make some good fucking hats.


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## DinohScene (Sep 5, 2012)

Awesome!

So do empty KFC buckets


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## Tom Bombadildo (Sep 5, 2012)

plasma dragon007 said:


> DinohScene said:
> 
> 
> > I demand pics when you're done with everything~
> ...


I will keep this in mind


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## Sicklyboy (Sep 6, 2012)

@[member='DinohScene'], @[member='Suprgamr232'], I just got together what I think I want on Amazon.

http://amzn.com/w/19SFVEC8DD0Z5

Thoughts?

Also, only going with a 10F cap because the price isn't that bad on it, but it also has 4 terminals instead of 2 (not that I'm REALLY gonna need 10F, lol).  I think it would be better to have both amps behind a cap instead of just the sub, given the possibility.  What do you think?

Edit - Also, I think I'm gonna run a small 40mm fan into my Lanzar amp soon, probably run it off of the remote lead, just to keep everything nice and cool.


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## DinohScene (Sep 6, 2012)

10F is really overkill xd
But it can't hurt of course.
Anyway be extremely careful with it cause it'll surge power from your battery like fuck.
So you might want to install a heavier alternator.


Anyway the rest seems pretty fine!
A 2F cap would suffice for the Amp+ subs.

Just hook the + from the battery to the + of the cap and the + of the cap to the amp, same with negative and you might need to split your remote (if it's a cap with remote)
This will prevent power surges in the battery and flickering dashlights.


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## Sicklyboy (Sep 6, 2012)

Alright, if I go with a smaller cap, should I put it in front of the distribution block so it can run to both amps, or should I put it behind the block and in front of the Sony amp only?

Also, I just found a good vid on youtube on what the Rockford P1's can do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHycKytyosE&hd=1

HOLY.  SHIT.


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## DinohScene (Sep 6, 2012)

That's pretty much what my rig also does xd
Only slightly worse xd

Erm.

You should hook the cap up in parallel (with a short distance to the amp)
Ideally it's  Battery (+)  ----------  cap (+) -- Amp (+)  then Amp (-) --- cap(-) -------- central GND point/battery (-)

But yes you can split the + and - wires from the cap to 2 amps or more (just take 1F per amp)


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## Sicklyboy (Sep 14, 2012)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005HF96IA/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00

Just ordered this for the time being to run behind the lanzar.


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## DinohScene (Sep 15, 2012)

Not bad.
Pretty cheap to.

However since this is a paper cone sub, you should be a little bit more careful with them.

They tend to break quicker then plastic/alu ones.


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## Sicklyboy (Sep 15, 2012)

I'm just buying it as something temporary until I can get the Rockford Fosgate stuff. The lanzar is fairly low powered, even wiring the sub as a 2 ohm load I shouldn't be over driving it. I - may- run it in conjunction with the RF stuff when I get it. Probably not though. 

Can't wait to see how a DVC sub works over a SVC one. 

In other words, if it breaks after a while, it was cheap enough.


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## DinohScene (Sep 15, 2012)

Heh.

Test it out! 
How much abuse can you give them before they blow apart ;p

+ you'll have a new hat then xd


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## Sicklyboy (Sep 15, 2012)

I'LL HAVE TWO HATS. 

VICTORY.


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## Sicklyboy (Sep 15, 2012)

Welp.  That Rockford Fosgate box is out of stock, unavailable, and most likely discontinued.  And I'm not surprised, those were the P1s, and the P3s have been out for a while.  That set was from 2009.

Sooooo... Now I'm looking at two of these 

http://www.amazon.co...s=kicker+square

Edit - I have to do some serious planning to see if my car can handle both amps.  I'll probably be getting this amp for the sub(s).  I'll upgrade all of my wiring to 1/0 AWG as well because I have a feeling I'm gonna need it... I realllllly don't want to have to put in a high output alt.


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## DinohScene (Sep 15, 2012)

Those aren't bad~

It's going to be a neat setup ;D

Hmm
What fuse do you have currently for the amp?


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## Sicklyboy (Sep 15, 2012)

I'm running 4 awg wire with an 80a fuse right now. It's what came in the kit.


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## DinohScene (Sep 15, 2012)

Hmm it should pull it without any problem.

I've currently have a 30a fuse on a 10 AWG iirc.
Planning to upgrade it to a glass fuse 50a plus on a thicker one.
Got a 3 AWG for the negative from the amp to the cap and cap to the central GND of my car.


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## Sicklyboy (Sep 24, 2012)

Uuuuupdates!!1one1

My Crunch sub came yesterday.  Ran it parallel (it's a DVC) to a 2-ohm load, which my Lanzar amp is stable at.  Used the old box, and the thing sounds like shit.  The PLBS12 Amazon listing doesn't list the box size, but Atrend makes an identical box.  Newegg lists the box as 0.9 ft^3, sealed.  The Crunch sub calls for 2 ft^3 sealed, or 2.5 ft^3 ported.  Looks like I'm building a box now!

On the plus side, this thing hits low bass notes like nothing I've heard before, it's fucking ridiculous.  Higher bass notes though it can't do, presumably because of the small sized box, or...

BUT WAIT.  THERE'S MORE!

Driving home from work today, playing music at a socially acceptable level for 11:00 at night, when suddenly the music stops, and my subwoofer makes a low humming noise.  Thinking I blew the sub or my stereo froze/fried (The Parrot Asteroid makes how often Windows 98 crashed look like a joke).  Rebooted my stereo, nothing.  Turned my eq off (which turns my amp off) and the humming stopped.  Turned the radio off and the amp back on, humming.  Got home and popped the trunk to look at it, my amps "Protection" light is on.  So yes, as true to the title FINALLY, my car amp died.  

(Edit - for clarity, I looked it up online, when that light comes on an internal circuit fried in the amp from overloading it.  I checked my fuses, they're fine.)







Gonna have to order a new something.  Maybe something a little more quality than my $80 Lanzar.  (I did like it a lot while it worked though  )


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## DinohScene (Sep 24, 2012)

My protect light also comes on if it shuts down from overheating.

It might be the thing overheating????

Anyway if you really killed it then it's a good time invest in some better things ;p


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## Sicklyboy (Sep 25, 2012)

I'm gonna try it again tomorrow, but I don't think it was overheated.  Maybe, though.  *shrug*


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## DinohScene (Sep 26, 2012)

And?

Any wiser yet?


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## Sicklyboy (Sep 27, 2012)

This is why I shouldn't do things when I'm tired.

I didn't even think to test it again, I derped and just took it out of my car.  Tomorrow I'll try it again (hopefully).  Looking at it though, I see nothing wrong.


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## DinohScene (Sep 27, 2012)

xd

I know that feel.

Anyway keep me posted ;D


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## Sicklyboy (Sep 30, 2012)

Haz update:

Hooked it back up with only the ground, hot, and remote.  Put the hot fuse in, turned my EQ on (which powers the remote), and no speakers or RCA hooked up.  Ground light came on, and I immediately heard the same hum I head before, except it was definitely slower and more of a rapid clicking.  It sounded like it was coming from my power antenna motor, but I heard nothing on the outside of the car near the antenna base.  Little brother stuck his head in the trunk, said it was definitely coming from the amp.  Flipped it over (cover is off), put my ear to it, and the sound was definitely coming from this cluster of caps (the three silver topped ones on the left of the coil).  The top one was actually getting hot, the left one warm, and the right one stayed cold.  In hopes of saving a few bucks, I'm gonna go order three of those caps and replace them and see if I can fix it.


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## DinohScene (Sep 30, 2012)

As far as I can tell there's nothing wrong on the picture.

I see no swollen or leaking caps.
But it might be minor whats causing it.

I'd say give it a try ;o


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## Sicklyboy (Oct 5, 2012)

Looking at this to drive the speakers: http://www.amazon.co...49418256&sr=1-9

Need to choose something to drive the sub(s).  I think I'm gonna order another Crunch sub (I really liked how the lows hit on it, despite the box being WAY too small) and wire them down to a 1ohm load, hopefully nudging me to get an amp that's 1 ohm stable and powerful enough to drive bigger stuff in the future.

I can't wait to build the boxes for those Crunch subs.  I already have a paint design figured out, and I am going to make each sub its own separate box so I can remove a single one should I need to (for trunk space reasons).

Edit - oh shit, that RF Punch PL1 dual sub+box set is back in stock.  I still don't know if I am gonna get it at this point.  Now that I decided on those Kicker L7s (for the future, eventually), I don't know if I want to go to anything lower.


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## DinohScene (Oct 5, 2012)

That for the normal speakers or??


Yeah I also made my rig so that if I have to take it out I can just disconnect the + and - from the Powercap and the remote from the central remote.
2 handles on the side of the rig the pull it out.
Imho it's better then fixing it into place.
Then if there's something wrong with it your setup you can always pull it out without any problems indeed.


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## Sicklyboy (Oct 5, 2012)

Dinoh, I just ordered everything.  I applied for the Amazon store card today because for orders over $149 they give you 6 month 0% financing with it.  I got approved with a $700 limit.

Ordered the following:

Stinger Shoc-Krome 4 / 8 Gauge Power and Ground Distribution Block x1

Round Speaker Terminal Cup x2

Kicker GR120 12" Subwoofer Grill x2

Crunch P1-12D4 Power One Series Woofer x1 (another because the amp for the subs will over-drive one of these by so much it'll likely blow)

Monster 200 Amplifier Barrier Spades 1 pr. pack 8 AWG (MPC P200 PBS1-8) x2

Hifonics Brutus BRZ1200.1D D-Class Mono Block 1 x 450 @ 4 OHMS, 1 x 900 @ 2 OHMS, 1 x 1200 @ 1 OHM x1 (amp for the subs)

Monster 200 Crimpable Ring Terminals -4-gauge, 5/16-Inch stud x2

Cadence 8G75M-BLACK 8 Gauge 20 Foot Black Amp Power Wire w/ Cool Cable Technology (Cut from a 246 Foot Spool) x1

Cadence 4G150-BLACK 4 Gauge 12 Foot Black Amp Power Wire Spool w/ Cool Cable Technology (Cut from a 150 Foot Spool) x1

Cadence 8G75M-RED 8 Gauge 20 Foot Red Amp Power Wire w/ Cool Cable Technology (Cut from a 246 Foot Spool) x1

Pioneer GM-6500F 4-Channel Bridgeable Amplifier x1 (amp for the speakers)

And then unrelated, but also needed:

Valeo 600-21 Series Wiper Blade, 21" (Pack of 1) x1

Valeo 600-20 Series Wiper Blade, 20" (Pack of 1) x1

New BrightChoice 10-Watt Color Changing LED Light Bulb with Remote Control. Powered by 3 Vibrant LED's and 10 Watts of Power, its the Brightest Multi x1(been wanting to try an LED lightbulb, and it's an IR remote which I can program to my Logitech Harmony 700)

Came out to... a lot.  $493.07

I gotta build two boxes now.

Question, also.  Like I said, that one sub by itself will likely be blown when it's wired as a 2 ohm load.  What do you think will happen though if I add switches to the side of a box to switch the sub between a 2 ohm load and an 8 ohm load, even though the amp doesn't specify a rating for driving an 8 ohm load?


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## DinohScene (Oct 5, 2012)

Heh sweet.
I never ordered anything from Amazon tbh.
Might be due to ebay being a tad more popular here ;p

Those distribution blocks do make it a bit neater.
I just went cheap on it and fixed it off with simple screw terminals (only for the remote and speaker cables)
I've also left out the crimp-able terminal spades (just stuck the bare copper in it)

It does give a nicer finish if you use the terminal spades but yeah ;p
Also I'd recommend at least a 1F powercap (since you're prolly going over a 1000w with both Amps)

As for the sub.
I have no idea what would happen.
I'm personally not willing to risk it but subs are pretty sturdy from my experience.


Oh on the windshield wipers.
I got Asuka (something similar)
Cheap Japanese brand but does the job better then most expensive ones on the market.


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## Sicklyboy (Oct 5, 2012)

Right now I'm just using the bare copper instead of spades as well (technically right now I'm not using anything...) 

Figured I might give Em a shot. Stuff already started shipping :3 the terminal cups so far are the only thing though. Tomorrow I'm gonna buy the mdf and a few cans of spray paint and painters tape (I'm gonna paint it up nice)


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## DinohScene (Oct 5, 2012)

As you know ;p
Post pics when done ;3


I also wanted terminal cups but I only had one and couldn't be arsed to wait any longer.
So I just fitted a screw terminal strip for the remote+speakerwires


I personally would go for special speakerfabric.
I personally think it's better then spraypainting it.
Besides MDF soaks up water like newspapers.
And when it gets wet it starts to expand.


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## Sicklyboy (Oct 6, 2012)

Pics? Man when this is done, there are gonna be a lot of pics. 

I think the spray paint is gonna turn out nice, so long as there isn't a huge chance of the mdf absorbing astronomical amounts of the paint (and I'd expect it to absorb the wood glue to a dangerous extent then as well). My trunk doesn't leak, and I plan to put a few clear coats on it to seal it.


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## DinohScene (Oct 6, 2012)

Awesome ;D

Mine did soak up some of the woodglue.
I still need some sprayglue for the fabric to vasten the edges but I hardly cba to do it.

Hmm
Matte or glossy?
Now I'm actually interested in how it'll look ;3


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## Sicklyboy (Oct 6, 2012)

Gloss, angled red stripes on black on box 1, angled blue striped on black on box 2. A few nice coats of clear spray or lacquer to seal it. May at some point run some leds to light the insides (gotta see how easily light penetrates the cone when the extra sub comes in). 

Probably gonna add a drawer handle to each one to make it easier to pick up and move (I can also secure them with bungee ties that way) 

Have all the dimensions and everything drawn out already, just gotta finalize the color design.


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## DinohScene (Oct 6, 2012)

Neat~

I was also thinking of installing some LEDs in mine but scrapped the idea.
My current powercap already has 2 blue LED's that are pretty bright.
Including the voltage display that is wildly bounding between 14.1v and 10.7v xd

I'm really glad that I decided to get a more heavy duty one cause this would be a serious punishment on my cars battery.


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## Sicklyboy (Oct 6, 2012)

I plan to hold off on getting a cap until I see how my car fares without one. Everything I can find on that cable I ordered points to it being ofc instead of cca which should help any dimming issues. Probably will use it to replace my alt cables and battery ground too, next is the cable to the distribution block.

Edit - I need to take a new picture for my avatar.


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## DinohScene (Oct 6, 2012)

Powercap isn't needed but it's recommended.
Dashlights could flicker ;p

That + it'll help with feeding a steady current to the Amps.
Great if you want to play your music loudly over a longer period



I think you should leave yours the way it is.
I like it ;3


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## Sicklyboy (Oct 7, 2012)

Picked up a 4 in 2 out toggle switch at Radioshack yesterday, it'll give me a very clean cut way of doing what I want to do. As long as it doesn't introduce much/any noise to the speaker (I really hope it doesn't), I'm gonna have the speaker leads in, and then depending on whether I want the 2 Ohm or 8 Ohm load, have the switch dictate what wiring scheme it outputs over (output the coils in parallel for the 2 ohm load, in a series for the 8 ohm one).  Doing that should keep the sub from blowing if I ever need to take the second one out of my car (and I looked it up, sounds like running an 8 ohm load on a 4 ohm rated amp is supposed to be perfectly fine, you typically get a touch over half of what the 4 Ohm RMS rating is on the amp).

Picked up the paint, handles, a switch, and these two pvc cap sort of things that are gonna stick out on the outside of the ports (they're 5.7" round ports).  Gotta pick up the pvc pipe still, probably tomorrow while my dad takes me to get the MDF (I need his pickup for it).

The half-order with the sub, ring terminals/spades, lightbulb, and grilles shipped.  This is gonna be so awesome :3


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## DinohScene (Oct 7, 2012)

As long as the amp doesn't heat up badly then it should indeed be fine.

Mine... heats up a lot ;p
Had a thermal shutdown 3 times so far iirc.

Might be due to the thing being modified + it has to drive both the speakers + sub.


Hmm
I have a vague idea of what you mean with the PVC pipes.
Btw what thickness MDF are you going to get?
I've took 18mm so that it'll have more strenght in the cut out sections of the speakers and sub.


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## Sicklyboy (Oct 7, 2012)

18mm roughly equals 3/4" which is what I am getting.  I'm gonna brace it with 3 1"x1"xwidth or height wooden rods for safetys sake.  I gotta re-draw the blueprints for it tonight so I know exactly how I want it to be.


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## DinohScene (Oct 7, 2012)

Metric system user over here xd

Adding wooden support struts is indeed not a bad idea.
It can never hurt to add them but don't stuff the compartments full with them xd
It'll have a negative impact on the total sound (although 1 centre rod won't make much of a difference)


Oh.
You're not lining the walls with absorbtion foam?


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## Sicklyboy (Oct 7, 2012)

Nope no foam. And I worked the dimensions of the box to compensate for the extra support beams.


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## DinohScene (Oct 7, 2012)

Hmm I've lined mine with foam (just the walls) to reduce the "woody" sound of it.

Aye sweet~


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## Sicklyboy (Oct 8, 2012)

Sub amp and wipers shipped now too. Everything that shipped ought to be here around the 9th. Just waiting on the speaker amp, distribution block, and power wire. 

I really hope that cadence wire is true OFC. Everything I've found says it is, but it's relatively cheap. Having OFC instead of CCA would be great.


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## DinohScene (Oct 8, 2012)

Aye neat!

Hmm
As I have no experience with Amazon I also hope it for you.


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## Sicklyboy (Oct 8, 2012)

I'm playing with the sub for my home theater setup in my bedroom, I just figured out how to remove the speaker grille a few days ago (thought it was glued on until I tried to pry it off, it was just held in place extremely well).  Watching the excursion of the cone while I play my stereo really high and the sub turned all the way up.  It's a little 8" sub in a Yamaha box (no idea who makes the sub), thing moves like hell, but I ran it so hard it actually overheated the amp in the sub enclosure and shut itself off XD

(I was afraid for a minute that I released the magic smoke D: )


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## DinohScene (Oct 8, 2012)

AHAH sweet xd

Always fun to watch xd


Try blowing up a small speaker with it ;3


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## Sicklyboy (Oct 10, 2012)

Time for some pics.  I got three of my six shipments from Amazon today.





Kicker grille on a Crunch amp.  #IdowhatIwant  Those grilles are nice quality though, my only complaint is that Kicker screw holes are turned a bit more than standard speakers, so that cross in the center of the grille is turned oddly.  Oh well.













Let's hope so.





They're a little smaller than I had expected, but they'll be just fine.





Switch I got from Radioshack.  Really hoping this adds no noise into the speaker line.





Spades and ring terminals.  Two of each.

Wipers and the LED lightbulb came too.  Putting the wipers on tomorrow morning, using the bulb now, it's not as bright as I had hoped but it's still really neat.


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## DinohScene (Oct 10, 2012)

Power from the gods LOL xd

Hifonics aren't bad so you got a pretty sweet Amp then ;]

Where are you going to place the switch?


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## Sicklyboy (Oct 10, 2012)

I don't know how I pulled it off,but within a minute of waking up the idea of the switch popped into my head and I gave it some serious thought.  Its a mono amp with two sets of outputs. If I wire each sub with the coils in a series but both amps connected,which is essentially in parallel but over two sets of interconnected outputs, I won't need the switch to drop a single sub down to an 8 ohm load.  Gonna return it today.


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## DinohScene (Oct 10, 2012)

Hmm I see.

To prevent loss of quality it's better to wire them up parallel to each other indeed.


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## Sicklyboy (Oct 11, 2012)

I was planning on coils in parallel and subs in a series, originally.

Building it now. All of the fiber board is cut, probably gonna nail and glue it tomorrow.

I'm not gonna do the carry handles like I had said I would. I picked them up but I'm just gonna return them.


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## DinohScene (Oct 11, 2012)

Sweet~

Bummer.
I got 2 handles from old worthless speakerrigs you can get at any audioshop xd
Just screwed them off since the speakers where useless anyway.

I have to say that it's better then carrying a 20 KG speakerrig without them xd
Or maybe more the 20 KG idk.. it's heavy I know that xd


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## Sicklyboy (Oct 12, 2012)

First box is together.  Sitting in the shed, glued and nailed, clamped for compression while it dries.  Have some spaces I'll need to fill with glue/ sawdust+glue because I am horrible at cutting (it was my first time using the circular saw, don't laugh  ) and some edges I'll have to shave down with the hand planer a bit as well.

Second box going together in the next few days.

Gotta paint them and put the PVC pipe for the port in.

Decided I'll still use the handles.

Pioneer speaker amp came in today.  Installed it, something sounds off.  It doesn't like bass *at all* on my speakers, and its RMS rating is higher than my speakers (Only by about 10w).  I suppose it won't make a difference when I get the subs in, but... man, it sounds like crap compared to that Lanzar piece of crap.  Only thing I can think of is that on this amp, since it's a bridageable sub or a speaker amp, each channel has a switch allowing you to choose between LPF, HPF, or Full Range.  The Lanzar amp specifically designated a HPF to the speaker channels.  I have both the front and rear set to Full Range and I'm controlling the frequencies with my in-dash EQ.  I suppose it's possible that any song with bass might have notes too low for the speakers to handle, so they get distorted, but enabling the HPF and filtering out the lower notes may fix it.  I'll play with it tomorrow, but for now I'm just happy to have music back.

Opened the Pioneer amp (no warranty stickers), very pleased with the internal construction as opposed to the Lanzar one.

Here's the kicker to the whole situation - I, for some *brilliant* reason, decided to not realize until now that my current in-line fuse wouldn't be nearly strong enough to power both amps (it's an 80a glass tube fuse).  Sooo... I had to order a 200a ANL fuse + a holder off of Amazon, and to take my order to $25 for the free shipping (I would have been paying $15 in shipping anyway + $10 for the items) I ordered a 12 pack (6 pair) of speaker wire spades as well.  They're very nice looking.

Lights dim when I turn this up a lot (while bass distorts).  Never did with the Lanzar.  Either it's improperly set or it is illogicaly more powerful.  I'll look into upgrading all of my power cables to the amp/distro block when it comes in, battery -> engine, and alternator cables.  That Cadence wire IS supposed to be pure OFC... I'll probably need some more if I'm gonna do the big 3, then I'll start looking into a power cap. May just go with that 10F one I had linked in the beginning _"because why the fuck not?"_.

Was a little amused at the fact that the remote for the Hifonics amp uses RJ45 wire, the Lanzar used a measly RJ15 lol.

(Ok, long post is done).


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## 431unknown (Oct 12, 2012)

I've been following your thread for a while now. Can you make a video once your all done and hooked up? I gotta see this shit!


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## Sicklyboy (Oct 12, 2012)

I'll definitely put a video up.  I'll probably need to break out the ol' Kodak (and by old, I mean like a year) because my Galaxy Nexus unfortunately doesn't like bass too much.  Downside is my Kodak only records in 480p, but does handle bass pretty damn well (I took a very nice quality video of a rave I went to with it)

Edit - lol, just remembered, I had to drill new holes in the ceiling of my trunk to hold my speaker amp, I ended up pushing the drill too far and drilled straight through my parcel shelf at one point >:|  Luckily it was a fairly small drill bit, so I pushed it back together pretty well with my thumbnail (it's carpeted 1/8" MDF)  Still frustrating.


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## 431unknown (Oct 12, 2012)

I'd love to get back into having a nice sound system in my vehicle and I might eventually. I'm just not sure how big of a one I'll be able to put in. S10 regular cab doesn't provide much room. 

When I was young, dumb, and full of cum I'd drive around with that shit thumping all the time, but back then I was driving an old BMW, and. VW Jetta.


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## DinohScene (Oct 12, 2012)

Sounds like you've been busy plasma.

Yeah mine also isn't perfect ;p
Bloddy circular saw is kinda off center and I'm no good at carpentering.


Anyway your dimmed lights is a sign that it's pulling a lot of power.
It should be fixable with a powercap.
But if it still dims then you should look into upgrading your alternator. 


@431unkown
Thank god I still have this time xd
I prolly won't give it up that easily.
It's not only loud music but it's also the quality which is MUCH better then stock car speakers.


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## Sicklyboy (Oct 13, 2012)

Power wire and ANL holder came today (not the fuse yet).  Still waiting for just the fuse and distro block now.

The Cadence wire does appear to be pure OFC which is great.  I'll have to order another 20' length to replace the power wire to the distro block (I got 8 gauge for the block to the amps, and a 20' length of 4 gauge to ground the block, but I don't think it'll be enough to replace the CCA going to the block from the battery yet.  I'll have to see.  (CCA is rated at 250A as opposed to the 300A that OFC is though, and the CCA to the block from the battery is gonna be fused at 200A anyway, so if I pull more than that I'll have other things to worry about.)

I'll definitely be replacing the battery ground and alt cables with this stuff though 

Edit - Or, hell, if I can, maybe I'll do some 1/0  gauge stuff.


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## DinohScene (Oct 13, 2012)

I think you should make a video dairy of it.
Titled, the humble beginnings of a serious speakerrig.


300A damn xd
Your main electrical fuse is like... 80A?
Atleast mine is.

Oh mind snapping a pic off the glass fuse?
I'm quite curious about it ;p


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## Sicklyboy (Oct 13, 2012)

The ANL fuse that'll be replacing the glass fuse is rated at 200A.  The glass tube one I'm using is rated at 80A (not those from Crutchfield though, it came with my wiring kit, but they look identical).  My Pioneer speaker amp runs 2x 25A fuses, and the Hifonics sub amp runs 2x 70A fuses :x	 Equals 190A  minimum I would need to fuse, 200 is the closest.

Also, played with the Pioneer amp yesterday.  Can't get it to put bass out of the speakers still.  Regardless, mids and highs are just fine, so once I get a sub or both in I won't be worried about it.

Edit - headlights no longer dim, either.  *shrug* wait for my to put in the Hifonics one as well and I am sure that'll change.

Edit 2 - I'm not much of one for videos lol :x


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## DinohScene (Oct 13, 2012)

Hmm I see.

Mine is 2x30A fused, cable itself is fused with a 50A glass fuse, I'm planning on replacing it and giving this one to a friend of mine.


Are their specific high range speakers or mid range?
Midranges ones can but out a little bass but high range can't.


Best to stick in a powercap ;p
It protects your battery from powersurges + it looks badass.
Atleast mine does when it's jumping voltages xd
Lol the video diary was a joke anyways ;p


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## Sicklyboy (Oct 14, 2012)

I hadn't picked the box up by myself prior to tonight - my dad and I both picked it up since it had the clamps on it and moved it into the shed to dry, he put it in my room tonight and I had to move it. This thing, un painted and with no components, easily weighs 35 or 40 pounds, if not more. Was so not expecting it to be THAT heavy. Monday I might actually weigh it lol.


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## DinohScene (Oct 14, 2012)

MDF is heavier then one would think.

I also experienced it ;p
That's the primary reason I added handles to it.


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## Sicklyboy (Oct 16, 2012)

Todays progress:

-Built second box on my own (yay me!)
-Drilled all holes in the first box except for the two for the rear handle (front handle is drilled)

Tomorrow, time permitting (I'm getting up at 8 AM to begin) I plan to:

-File down and sand edges of both boxes
-Seal box 1
-Seal box 2
-Drill holes for box 2
-Drill rear handle for box 1
-Paint inside of PVC pipes
-Attach PVC pipes
-Begin black coat
-Put distribution block in my car
-Upgrade replace some of the wiring in my car
-Run the RJ45 cable for my new subwoofer remote

Yes, the distribution block came today, looks sick (since it handles both power and ground in one package)

AND PICTURE TIEM!!1one!





Second box clamped after being glued and nailed with brads (that's the completed first box in the background)





How first box will look (plus 2 handles), just without the paint





There's my Crunch woofer with Kicker grille.  I gotta screw it down tightly into the foam cushion on the woofer for it to stay in place.





Amp on top.  Power of the gods mothafucka.





Even Metal isn't this metal.

Also, I designed them so I can use them as an impromptu bench/table/stool if needed.  The top and bottom rest on the sides for vertical support, and laterally everything is held in place by the front and rear pieces.  They're solid as hell.

ALSO I weighed the box this morning, with no components or anything in it.  30.5 pounds (13.83Kg).  It feels a lot heavier than that though ._.


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## DinohScene (Oct 19, 2012)

Sorry for the late response btw ;p

Looks pretty neat!
Yeah it's also heavier then I though when I made mine.

The other compartments are going to look the same or?


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## Sicklyboy (Oct 29, 2012)

Dinoh I don't know what the fuck happened.  I hooked everything up.  Speakers were being driven in parallel with the coils in each woofer being driven in a series at 8 ohms/speaker for a total load of 4 ohms.  With that load I was under driving the speakers by 250w which shouldn't have damaged them.  No sound was coming out.  Everything was hooked up right.  Leave my car for a minute (running) to ponder it, come back, smell burning, take apart the boxes and I released the magic smoke on both fucking speakers.

What.  The.  Fuck.

And my rear speakers are knocked out now.  I think I damaged the RCA cables.


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## DinohScene (Oct 30, 2012)

That...

The only thing I can think off is that you've either put way to much voltage on them.
That's the only thing I suspect that could've killed it ;s

Did the coils fuse together or?


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## Sicklyboy (Oct 30, 2012)

Not sure how I would tell.  The terminals show very, very high resistance.  Anywhere from 16 to 26 Ohms per coil, per sub.  They smell of fried electronics.


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## DinohScene (Oct 30, 2012)

That is really really strange ;s

I have no clue on what it could've caused it.

Maybe if you'd went to a car parts dealer and ask for info there? 
To me it seems that you've hooked it up without a problem (theoretically)


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