K here goes, going to require everyones help!
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Bronze Member Username: Kevbo887Post Number: 51 Registered: Sep-05 | Hey all, hows it going. I recently just finished up my time in the service and now have entered my civilian career. Im currently working at Best Buy (yah yah i know i know) in the Car Audio Sales department. Good pay, good benefits ect...., and the one I work at is the highest rated car audio deptartment in any Best Buy in the country. Good job to maintain while going to college if you know what I mean. Anyways, I hate to steer people in the wrong direction, or get asked a question I dont know the answer too. I want to help the customers out when they want to buy a product, and want to steer them in the correct direction. I DONT want to be your typical Best Buy Car Audio salesman who doesn't know whats going on. I was taught to be the best that I could be at my job, and want to continue doing so in the civlian world, with this being my new job, I would like to be the best possible. I know a decent bit about car audio, and have been reading a lot of stuff on it. I have about 27 pages worth of printed information from various websites explaining how stuff works, what to look for ect. Anyways, I want to ask you all for some tips on some stuff, and how, when you know what you want or have a question, how you want to be approached by myself. To start off here a few quick questions (I know hardly anything about installation of amplifiers just to let you know) - What does it mean to hardwire an aimplifier or a dvd screen in your car? Compared to what, whats the pro's/ cons of doing so? - When selling an amplifier and subwoofer, whats the best combination? Should the amplifier RMS be lower then the subwoofer RMS? Or the other way around, to avoid unneccessary blowing? - What gauge wires are the best to use? - If you have a 10 gauge wire installed, can you split the wire threads into twos and hook up two seperate amps (one for subs and one for speakers) without having to buy a 4-channel amp? - Factory speakers are paper correct? Aftermarket are usually some sort of rubber? - What exactly does "bridging" an amplifier mean/do? Thats about all I can really think of right now, any other input would be great. I thank all of you who contribute to this, as I don't want to be just another crappy audio person who doesn't know what they are talking about. I really want to help out people who are in need (specially for this upcoming holiday season haha) Thanks all I truely appreciate it. |
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Gold Member Username: Chaunb3400Huntsville, Alabama U.S. Post Number: 1092 Registered: Jul-05 | Look here they have tons of info http://www.bcae1.com/ |
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Bronze Member Username: Kevbo887Post Number: 53 Registered: Sep-05 | Thanks man. |
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Silver Member Username: JoebruceKY U.S.A. Post Number: 248 Registered: May-04 | Best buy must give the car audio jobs to any one. Maybe i should go there and apply for manager!! No offense kevin but dont u think u should have at least the basics of car audio down before they hire u? I guess its best buys fault tho. |
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Silver Member Username: JoebruceKY U.S.A. Post Number: 249 Registered: May-04 | Oh yea this post is exactlly y i do all my own installs. |
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Bronze Member Username: CadillacdbHouston , TX Post Number: 38 Registered: Aug-05 | Thats SO Fu**ing Sad Man ..Best Buy gives the Car Audio video jobs to any one an then they Mark all the items up past there Value, Goood thing ive never bought from Best Buy ..Lots of guys are always saying theyre stuff isnt working right yet they had it installed by Pro's then you ask Where at did they get it installed an they say best buy an now we all know why there stuff is always malfunctionin ...I thought they atleast required you to have some backround in the department that they threw u in |
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Gold Member Username: RovinTrinidad & T... Post Number: 2156 Registered: Jul-05 | @ least he has a good heart -lol Kevin : also read here www.the12volt.com http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/S-ymhkeYjMfQy/learningcenter/car/ wiring sizes http://www.the12volt.com/info/recwirsz.asp Do read www.bcae1.com as CB said , its alot to digest so u will want to read it over a few times ....  |
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Bronze Member Username: Kevbo887Post Number: 54 Registered: Sep-05 | First off, no reason for some of you to be acting like jerks. No reason whatsoever. I came on here asking to further my knowledge (and yes, I do know the basics of it all and can certainly steer people in the right direction) that can be improved upon. But, of course, there are some people that dont like to contribute or just like to bash. Hmmmmm. I figured I would come on here since a lot of you are so called "experts" at car audio and know what you are talking about. Big deal, I know jack squat about installing a system, hence why I work in the sales department and not the installation service department. Also, just to let you know, all of the guys in the installation department are certified installers and have worked at previous car audio installation shops/car audio producing stores. So yah, these guys at least know how to do it somewhat good. Anyways, not a big deal, I get over insults easily. If you dont want to contribute then dont, if you want to bash me, private message me, this post wasnt intended for people to be clowns in, it was intended to help me be better at my job, and not be your sterotypical Best Buy car audio salesman, alright? That simple. PS: Thanks for the people who have helped, and havent gone into a fit of online rage over something so meticulous. |
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Gold Member Username: RovinTrinidad & T... Post Number: 2163 Registered: Jul-05 | Some ppl tend to over-react so just let them be ...  |
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Gold Member Username: CarguyPost Number: 5024 Registered: Nov-04 | You know what can overcome skills/talent? Passion/desire. It's good to see people wanting to improve themselves. The problem with most mass chain stores like Walmart/Circuit City/BestBuy is, lot of the workers don't take their job seriously. Kevin, as long as you don't become complacent, I'm sure you'll go far. |
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Gold Member Username: SouthernrebelMonroe, Louisiana USA Post Number: 1495 Registered: Mar-04 | ^i agree w/ issac 110% kevin, www.the12volt.com has lots of info too. if you have any specific questions, feel free to drop back by this forum and ask...most of us are more than willing to lend a hand. |
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Silver Member Username: ScubasteveCollege Park, MD Post Number: 773 Registered: May-05 | way to be a$$holes guys. I'd personally love to see more people like Kevin working at Best Buy. |
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Bronze Member Username: Terry6405Sullivan, IN US Post Number: 67 Registered: Sep-05 | i wouldnt worry about them kevin, most the kids that mouth on the internet are about 5 foot nothin at about 110 pounds... anyone can type tough. you dont even need wit to mouth on the internet, you have all the time in the world. |
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Bronze Member Username: Kevbo887Post Number: 55 Registered: Sep-05 | Thanks guys. Anyways ive been really reading a lot of stuff and asking a lot of people. I honestly feel as though my knowledge has increased 2 fold on a lot of unclear or hazed information that I had before. By no means am I an expert, but I feel as though I can now accomplish my job without having to worry about stumbling on some serious questions that may be asked. Now, my main question! I get a discount on stuff I buy (car audio is about half price on everything) and Im trying to determine if I want to buy a new amp and subs, or to upgrade my speaker setup even more. Hmmmm, toughy, I think im going to go with new amp and subs. Im running a bazooka 50wattrms 8" amplified bass tube. It sounds decent, but nothing compared to what I had before (got stolen.) Heres actually a quick installation question I guess you could say. If I buy 2 4 ohm subwoofers, would parellel wiring put them into a 2 ohm state? Thanks guys. |
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Silver Member Username: Robert_dMIA, FL USA Post Number: 341 Registered: Sep-05 | not everyone is born knowing everything about there desired jobs most people learn most things from first hand experience ... and to have the motivation kevin has in a job especially of one which most people dont take seriously is great i been trying to get a job at a car audio place and the managers dont want to hire me since they think im retarted cause i stutter but sad thing is i prove to know more about car audio them some of them and most of there employees |
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Silver Member Username: Robert_dMIA, FL USA Post Number: 343 Registered: Sep-05 | if they are svc (single voice coil) then yes if there dvc (dual voice coil) no (will go into a 1ohm load) you can find all the configurations here http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/ISEO-rgbtcspd/learningcenter/car/subwoofers_wi ring.html |
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Bronze Member Username: CadillacdbHouston , TX Post Number: 43 Registered: Aug-05 | Man, you cant have learned 2 times what you knew if you couldnt even figure out the answer to youre own Question ( even youre commen newbie would know the answer to that one )... Go to the link below it should help u out with youre question http://www.rockfordfosgate.com/rftech/wiringwizard.asp?WoofQty=2+woofers&WoofImp =Dual+Voice+Coil+-+4+ohms+x+2&image.x=17&image.y=3 |
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Silver Member Username: SolacedagonyNew Jersey US Post Number: 591 Registered: Oct-04 | Kevin, one thing that helped me immensely was just coming on here and reading everyone else's posts, and when I had something specific I didn't understand, I would post my own. But key thing, read everyone elses posts like everyday and pay key attention to replies to questions from Issac, Glasswolf, Jonathan and a couple other guys who know their stuff. |
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Silver Member Username: Infinity_addictSanta Rosa, California USA Post Number: 198 Registered: Jul-05 | -What does it mean to hardwire an aimplifier or a dvd screen in your car? Compared to what, whats the pro's/ cons of doing so? i'm not sure really, but i'd assume it means that all the power wires are connected directly at the battery, rather than splicing power leads found around the car. assuming that's what you mean by hardwiring, the pro's would be: instead of sucking power directly from another component (cuz you spliced it's power lead) the voltage drop (power loss) would be equally distributed to every component of the car. splicing a power wire may damage whatever yer stealing power from. another pro: if you ever return the car to OEM (stock status), it's easier to disconnect power lines at the battery rather than having to desolder spliced power lines, it'll be quicker, easier, and look better. - When selling an amplifier and subwoofer, whats the best combination? Should the amplifier RMS be lower then the subwoofer RMS? Or the other way around, to avoid unneccessary blowing? the amp's RMS power should match the combined speakers' RMS wattge for safe performance. you CAN underpower speakers, but you should let the customer know that doing so won't give them the power and performance they want out of their speakers. and while you can (many people do) overpower high wattage speakers by 50W up to 200W RMS, only GOOD QUALITY BRAND speakers can handle it. but NEVER let the customer know this because over time it will cause damage to the speakers, the speakers will live shorter lives, and overpowering voids any sort of warranty. - What gauge wires are the best to use? the size depends on how much current will be drawn. to figure that out, amps(current) = power (total system RMS wattage) divided by voltage (use the number 12.6, that's how many volts a battery produces at full charge when the car is not running). what to look for when selecting wire. the wire should be labeled OFC (oxygen free cable). this will prevent internal resistance by preventing corrosion (oxidization) of the cable. - If you have a 10 gauge wire installed, can you split the wire threads into twos and hook up two seperate amps (one for subs and one for speakers) without having to buy a 4-channel amp? you'd want to split the wire using a distribution block. remember, the current (amperage) of the 10AWG will be shared (split in half). which means that each amplifier combined cannot draw more amps than the 10AWG wire can handle. if the combined amperage of the amplifiers exceeds the draw limitations of 10AWG wire, you will get a voltage drop. the amps will be underpowered, and may go into protect mode (won't function) due to insuffiecient power. also remember that if this is to be done, you'll need to fuse each of the wires (not the original 10AWG wire - cut it should be fused at the battery) at the distribution block. - Factory speakers are paper correct? Aftermarket are usually some sort of rubber? factory speakers are generally made of some sort of paper pulp, yes. aftermarkets are made up of many different things, such as kevlar, titanium, aluminum... etc. - What exactly does "bridging" an amplifier mean/do? you can bridge an amp when it has two or more channels, and the amp states that it can be bridged. essentially, it combines the power of the channels (generally two) into one (a mono channel). the man asked some simple questions, just help him out. don't hate on him just cuz you don't know the answers either. |
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