DIY Tips list

[William from NOLA]

I created a page for the DIYer's out there. This is version 1 so help me add anything or change anything. Comment on it!

Click here to view Tips for the Car Audio D.I.Y.'er (http://megahurts4.servebeer.com/cac/caraudiotips.htm)

:sub:


PS: yes I know i posted it at 3 am central time

[Justin from Detroit]

It’s a bad idea to mount them on top of a speaker’s enclosure (subwoofer box)

Excessive vibration can casue amplifier damage over time.

# When removing power cables, ALWAYS unhook the negative/ground cable FIRST.

Just unhook the negative wire from the battery.

i. Use this also for sealing the box; spreading a bead along all of the inside where the boards meet

A silicone sealant is FAR better then liquid nails for sealing it air tight.

It's a good start, but tehre is a lot more you could add.

[William from NOLA]

Thanks. I'll add/change those.

I used liquid nails as a sealant and it worked well for me. The best part about it is that it dried much faster.

[William from NOLA]

Can anybody think of any more additions? Of course you will be credited.

[William from NOLA]

Is this yet worthy of being posted in the FAQ? We can test out the Voting Booth :D

[High Society]

hmmm, I'll bring back a very old thread because I didn't mean to click this, I'll vote to be put in the FAQ, unless it already is?

[Jonathan]

As far as installation technique, there are a ton of points to be made (which I know you realize). I'll type a couple to add to your list if you wish, but I don't know how specific you want this tutorial to be.

Speakers:

1. Tweeters in the A-pillar or sail panel of the vehicle tend to do best when crossed over above 6khz. Around this frequency range, our heads provide an acoustic shadow, which is referred to as Head related transfer function. Past this point (6k), it is volume that dominates our perception of imaging instead of pathlengths. Another reason is because this is range is outside the critical vocal range and past the fundamental frequency of most instruments, leaving the tweeter to produce harmonics more than anything.

2: Midbasses may or may not be best in a kick panel. One reason kick panels may not be desirable is because you have to give the driver sufficient airspace for solid midbass and midrange reproduction. The other is that a vehicle can make good use of reflections off of the dashboard to help raise the soundstage, especially with side to side imaging. Most kick panels are located past the dashboard, so in many vehicles this can give the "rainbow effect" (high center image, progressively lower to the sides).

3: Reflections have to be dealt with one way or another. Some people work to use reflections to their benefit, while others dampen panels in order to prevent reflections. Both methods can give good results, they just have to be approached correctly.

4: No matter the install type, one of the most critical things to improve speaker performance is a solid mount. This means ditching the resonating ABS spacers that your car manufacturer thinks is sufficient and replacing them with a good MDF or Plywood baffle. It is also important to pay attention to sound deadening and mounting this baffle to the door solidly.

[Jonathan]

Oops, didn't pay attention to how old this thread was :D Sorry.

[William from NOLA]

It isn't in the FAQ.

I can add those Jonathan. How do you want to be credited? Just "Jonathan from Car Audio Central.net"?

I won't be able to add this in until tomorrow night.

[High Society]

Oops, didn't pay attention to how old this thread was Sorry.


It's all about old school in today's world :)

[Jonathan]

You don't really have to credit me, it's pretty common knowledge in the car audio world. If you want to credit it, you can just use that. It's not like I'm a famed professional in the industry or I have a lot of accolades.

[William from NOLA]

Oh but you will be now! :D

[Jonathan]

Yay!

I'll probably get bombarded with emails and PMs now :D