subs off and on

[Mitsu]

i read some of the other threads on the blown speakers and stuff, but my problem is a little different i think. So i turn on my car and the subs still hit like they normally would, then all of a sudden it stops, and this happens all the time, sometimes it stays off and sometimes ill hit it and it will turn on again, i checked the connections and they seem alright, oh and i dont know if this has anything to do with it but when i change the bass or sub W level sometimes the deck goes off and on once really quickly. Anyone know the problem.


What i have:
i have a sound storm labratories Force F200.4 200W x 4-channel amplifier
and 2 C4 12" subs 700W 4 ohm in a enclosed box
plus a separate 12 aluminum eclpise sub
And a older Alpine HU
I have the subs hooked up so that channel 1 and 2 is bridged wit 8 ohm load

[William from NOLA]

Strange. I know for sure it is either your amp or the head unit, which one, is a different story.

I'm leaning toward the head unit, but...

Has it always done this? Have you reconnected everything to both the head unit and amp?

[spkrman]

i'm curious...

how is this setup wired???

is it cutting off @<hidden> high volume, or is it just random.

[Mitsu]

i think that i have everything connected, and it has just started doing this, it randomly goes on and off, but most of the time it is off, i dont even have to turn up my volume, sometimes it just doesnt work.

I wired it with the 8 ohm load here, (option 2)
http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/learningcenter/car/subwoofers_wiring.html?subs=2&impedance=SVC4

[6three6mafia6]

well you got 2 difirent subs, you probably screwed up the wiring somewere, are ALL the subs the same independence?

[GlassWolf]

I think he meant impedance

[spkrman]

I think he meant impedance

since I don't have anything to really add to this topic.

I'd just like to say that we all need to celebrate impedence day on this july 4th. :cheers:

[GlassWolf]

I dunno, I think you may get a lot of resistance at first... before it becomes an accepted holiday.

The post office would love it though. they love any reason to avoid work for a day.

[Fishy]

you may get a lot of resistance at first...

Eww, thats awful Kiki.

:embarrass

-Fishy

[Mitsu]

ok so i figure that the settings on my amp were the problem i set the bass boost up quite a bit, then the subs only worked when i set the frequency almost the highest i could, what should i set these at?

[JeremyC]

Mitsu, Start with the crossover set at LPF and about 80 herts. Be sure to turn the gain down, and the bass boost off, on the amp and your headunit. That will give you a good starting point. I would adjust the gain till it matches the voltage output of your decks rcas.

I have a feeling its either your settings being to high, or your running 2 ohm instead of 8 and your amp doesn't like it.

[Mitsu]

well, i am running 8 ohm right now, and i know how to set the crossover like u said, but how do i adjust the gain? and, what is the subwoofer setting on my head unit, is that the gain or the bass boost.

[JeremyC]

Ok on your head unit make sure your LOUD, or bass boost is turned off, and your bass adjustment is turned around zero.

On your amp there should be turn knob. (I can't find a pic of your amp online so I can't tell you exactly what it looks like. When you turn it down the subs will get quiter, and when you turn it up they will get louder. Keep in mind this isn't a volume knob. The gain function on a amp is to set the amps input stage to match the output of your headunits RCAs. (Look in the faq section if you want more info on how that works) I am guessing you have the gain turned up quiet a bit. For starters turn it down a ways and see if your amp stops turning on and off like it is. If it does then you need to find out the RCA output of your headunit, and set the gain to match it. Something to keep in mind, when you turn up the gain you are turning up how hard the amp looks for a signal. So it you have a deck with a 8 volt preout you will have the gain turned really low, since the amp doesn't have to look hard to find a signal. If your deck only has a 1 or 2 volt rca output, you will want the gain turned higher since the signal won't be as easy for the amp to see. Like I said the FAQ section has a very good breakdown of how this all works. The reason I explain it like this is so someone who is new to car stereos can have a basic idea of what the GAIN does, and how to set it to match your headunit.