Another Rookie Question...real quick
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Gold Member Username: MgbcsLincoln, Nebraska Post Number: 1302 Registered: Dec-06 | I bought a Electro-Tek DMM from Walmart. Anyway, I was trying to set my gain. 1)I diconnected the speakers 2)Turned off the bass and treble on the head unit 3)Turned the gain and bass all the way down on the amp 4)Played a test tone of 50hz with the volume 3/4 of the way up When I did this, I was getting the volts to increase as they are supposed to when I increased the gain, but it only went from 0-4.0 volts. Am I not picking the range right on the DMM? There is a 2V, 20V, 200V, and 750V function. I had it on the 200V since my target voltage was 42.1. What am I doing wrong? This is a stock HU with a LOC, so is that part of the problem? Thanks guys. Ben |
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Gold Member Username: Extrmndor3IF U HEAR ME... crazydbs.com Post Number: 4845 Registered: Feb-06 | YEAH.. THE LOC USSUALLY PUT OUT .2 VOLTS RMS... SOME DO .5 RMS AND THE GOOD ONES WILL DO 2VOTLS RMS.. BUT IF UR ROLLING WITH AUDIOCONTROL OR JL AUDIO OR A HIGH END BRAND THEY WILL USSUALLY PUT OUT 4 RMS... WELL DUDE CHECK FIRST THE DMM AND SET IT FOR EVERY FUCTION AND SEE IF U CAN GET THE TARGET VOLTAGE... |
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Gold Member Username: MgbcsLincoln, Nebraska Post Number: 1303 Registered: Dec-06 | Alright. It's a sh*tty LOC. Pretty much the whole system is but it's temp so whatever I guess. Either way, I should still be hitting 41.2 tho? |
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Silver Member Username: SkiesCourtenay, British Colu... Canada Post Number: 684 Registered: Aug-05 | Use the 20V setting. |
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Gold Member Username: AdddisorderWest palm, Florida Post Number: 4283 Registered: Jan-06 | honestly the easiest thing to do is set the gain by ear cheap DMMs arnt very good for setting the gain anyway. |
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Gold Member Username: Extrmndor3IF U HEAR ME... crazydbs.com Post Number: 4846 Registered: Feb-06 | SOME AMPS WELL USUALLY ALL THE AMPS THE MAX GAIN ITS SET AT .2 RMS THAT THE USSUALLY LOC PREOUT VOLTAGE... SO TRY TO TWEAK YOUR DMM AND TRY USING THE GAIN KNOB ALL THE WAY TO SEE IF THE PROBLEMS SOLVES... MY AMPS HAVE FROM 8 VOLTS-.2RMS AND I HAVE TWO THAT GOES FROM 4-.2 RMS THEN I HAVE ONE THAT GOES FROM MIN-MAX BUT ITS THE SAME SHYT.. |
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Gold Member Username: MgbcsLincoln, Nebraska Post Number: 1306 Registered: Dec-06 | I understand that Mat, but I end up blowing fuses before I can tell the difference. All I understand is that as I increase the gain, the sub gets louder. I can't tell when to stop. I know that's aweful, but it's the truth. |
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Gold Member Username: Extrmndor3IF U HEAR ME... crazydbs.com Post Number: 4850 Registered: Feb-06 | OK BEN WAT WIRE GAUGE DO YOU HAVE??? AND WAT SIZE OF FUSE DO YOU HAVE??? ALSO WATS THE AMP?? |
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Gold Member Username: MgbcsLincoln, Nebraska Post Number: 1307 Registered: Dec-06 | OK...well I will go out and try tweaking, but approx where should it be set. It is an 850RMS amp with a sh*tty LOC. Should the gain be set more towards the .2 or 4? Thanks again man. |
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Gold Member Username: MgbcsLincoln, Nebraska Post Number: 1308 Registered: Dec-06 | It's 4 guage with 100 amp fuse. It's that Kenwood 9102D or something like that. 850RMS at 2 ohms |
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Gold Member Username: Extrmndor3IF U HEAR ME... crazydbs.com Post Number: 4852 Registered: Feb-06 | TRY TO SET IT BETWEEN 1.4 VOLTS-2 VOLTS TO MAKE SURE U DONT CLIP IT ... U ALWAYS BLOWN THE KENDWOOD FUSES???? CHECK YOUR GROUND MAN.. TRY TO GROUND IT DIFERENTLY AND MAKE SURE THE GROUND ITS REALLY SHORT... IN THE SHOP THAT I USED TO WORK ALL THE KENDWOODS HAD THAT SAME PROBLEM BUT WE ALWAYS FIX IT WITH GOOD GROUNDS... TRY TO GET A DIFERENT GROUND... AND DO YOU HAVE A PIC OF THE LOC OR MODEL NUMBER LOC THAT U HAVE NOW?? |
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Gold Member Username: MgbcsLincoln, Nebraska Post Number: 1309 Registered: Dec-06 | http://www.crutchfield.com/S-GVd4CQEapxi/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=721&I=142SLC4&se arch=LOC Thanks Rob, I will look at that ground. I was pretty sure it was solid, but I will check it out. |
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Silver Member Username: SkiesCourtenay, British Colu... Canada Post Number: 687 Registered: Aug-05 | Rob, are you just pulling sh!t out of your azz? Explain to me how you think you know what you're talking about. |
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Silver Member Username: SkiesCourtenay, British Colu... Canada Post Number: 688 Registered: Aug-05 | Also, in English, and without caps lock on. |
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Gold Member Username: Extrmndor3IF U HEAR ME... crazydbs.com Post Number: 4854 Registered: Feb-06 | YEAH CHECK YOUR GROUND... YEAH THAT LOC LOOKS VERY CHEAP WE HAD SCOSHE BUT THE GREEN ONES AND THEY NEVER SAID THE VOLTAGE... WE ALWAYS USED TO SET THE GAINS AT AROUND 1.5 VOLTS IT SOUNDED PRETTY CLEAN.... U CAN GO LOWER BUT NOT LOWER THAN 1 VOLT... TRY TO USE 1.5 OR 2 VOLTS IF U WANT TO GO FOR IT 1 VOLT IF U REALLY NEED IT |
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Gold Member Username: MgbcsLincoln, Nebraska Post Number: 1310 Registered: Dec-06 | Alright. Thanks again man. |
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Gold Member Username: Nd4spd18Southeast PA Post Number: 2243 Registered: Jul-06 | That LOC could well be the problem..... but first, are you sure you set the meter to AC volts? (200 is the correct range) |
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Gold Member Username: MgbcsLincoln, Nebraska Post Number: 1314 Registered: Dec-06 | haha yeah it is on AC MS |
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Gold Member Username: Nd4spd18Southeast PA Post Number: 2255 Registered: Jul-06 | Then there are only two more thing I can think of: A) that LOC is P.O.S. or B) the stock HU has some sort of non-defeatable equalization and/or crossover built in (very likely if there is a stock amp). If B is the case, you gotta get a new HU. |
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Gold Member Username: MgbcsLincoln, Nebraska Post Number: 1317 Registered: Dec-06 | I can't get a new HU. It's a 2000 Mercury Sable with that all in one radio and climate control. There are no adapters or anything to put in an aftermarket or else I would have long ago. Plus the LOC is a POS |
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Gold Member Username: Nd4spd18Southeast PA Post Number: 2260 Registered: Jul-06 | Ben: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-iU344XNVhBB/cgi-bin/prodview.asp?I=142FD1380B |
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Gold Member Username: MgbcsLincoln, Nebraska Post Number: 1319 Registered: Dec-06 | No mine is electronic climate control. Sorry, I forgot to mention that. There is nothing out there that I have found, |
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Gold Member Username: Nd4spd18Southeast PA Post Number: 2261 Registered: Jul-06 | WTF, could I possibly get a pic of that? (doesn't have to br yours, if you can find one on the web?) Also is that car LS, GS, or GS premium? |
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Gold Member Username: MgbcsLincoln, Nebraska Post Number: 1322 Registered: Dec-06 | It's the LS Premium...no such thing as the GS Premium. I'll look for a pic and post it. |
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Gold Member Username: MgbcsLincoln, Nebraska Post Number: 1323 Registered: Dec-06 | Here is one...  |
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Gold Member Username: Nd4spd18Southeast PA Post Number: 2263 Registered: Jul-06 | Damit that's what I meant, LS premium. I have seen that exact car before. And you're right, I think that's one of the only vehicles that doesn't have a dash kit in existence. However, if you REALLY wanted a new radio, a good shop could handle that problem by custom fabricating it somewhere, maybe below the real radio if there is an ashtray or something there. That's the route I would go if faced with that vehicle. Another option may be to custom fab it where the real radio currently is, but that could only be done if the radio and climate controls are separate units behind the panel (I've never seen it so I don't know, but I would bet that it's one unit). I'm guessing you don't want to spend that much though. Does that car have a factory amp? If so, a JL cleansweep would probably allow you to interface with the factory system without any problems. |
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Gold Member Username: MgbcsLincoln, Nebraska Post Number: 1327 Registered: Dec-06 | Yeah I have thought about all that. However, I do not plan to keep this car too long. I just want to make it bearable for now. It was my first car and I got it like 3 years ago. I want to get an SUV or Magnum. Knowing what I know now, I never would have bought the car. Oh well, it's all good. |
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Gold Member Username: Matt12490California USA Post Number: 2361 Registered: May-05 | Ben, when you were trying to set the gain, you put the two wire leads of the DMM on the speaker terminals correct? |
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Gold Member Username: Wolfman1966Http://www.realmofexcu..., And Shepher... USA Post Number: 2815 Registered: Jan-06 | ha ha I was about to ask the same thing. from what he said, it sounds like he's putting them on the rca's |
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Gold Member Username: MgbcsLincoln, Nebraska Post Number: 1331 Registered: Dec-06 | No they were on the speaker terminals. I think it is a combo of cheap amp/DMM/LOC. It just doesn't make sense that it won't work. It's registering and the voltage is rising as I set the gain higher, but no where near the voltage it should be. |
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