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Inline fuse keeps blowing..

Alright ive ordered my new sub and adjusted my amp to what i think is right for now... I looked up my headunits preamp output and adjusted my amp to that spec (2.2amp??) and i would really like to not have to buy another speaker in the future.. So how can i make sure that i do not "clip" my speakers and still make good sound???
 
TK95Contour said:
Alright ive ordered my new sub and adjusted my amp to what i think is right for now... I looked up my headunits preamp output and adjusted my amp to that spec (2.2amp??) and i would really like to not have to buy another speaker in the future.. So how can i make sure that i do not "clip" my speakers and still make good sound???
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The preamps are probably 2 or 2.5 and its in volts not amps. Like a bunch of people have said, get it professionally adjusted if you feel uncomfortable about clipping them.
 
Arnt many places around me for tuning and id like to learn it myself , ive been wiring systems in my cars since i started driving.. I try to learn all that i can so to make the best of what i have..
 
I'm interested in this as well...I've tuned home stereos, but haven't gotten that involved in the car audio other than the gain and crossover frequencies...and this is mainly by ear. I have a multimeter and the Radio Shack digital db meter...
 
i too am curious about this. i have a DMM and might even be able to convince me dad to bring to home an o-scope to borrow.
 
CSVT_2004 said:
Need something like a JL Clean sweep I believe or an Alpine Imprint system if you want to be really hardcore SQ and tune.... Rockford makes a 360.2 piece for tuning as well...
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I have not used either of these products, and I don't think anyone on here has spent more time tuning to a high level of performance than I have.....
 
A scope is utter overkill for all but the most finicky of listeners. Setting gains with a DMM is nice, but not necessary either. Anyone who can hear can set a gain with plenty of accuracy to keep their speakers safe and get good sound.

It sounds like your amp is the p1100.2. That is a 550w amp, optimally, and bridged to 8 ohms it will be around 1/2 that much (<150w per sub). IF you DID blow a sub and you WERE wired to 8 ohms it was not due to clipping or too much power. It would have just been a defective sub. However, the fact that you were blowing the fuse makes me think you weren't wired to 8 ohms.
First thing I would do is put in a bigger fuse on the 8 ga wire. If it's 10-12' 60A is okay. If it's longer use a 50A.

Hopefully your subs were/will be wired something like this:
2_2ohmDVC_8ohm.gif


To set the gain set all your HU controls to the middle of their range -- bass/treble/sub output. Turn EQ's/filters/bass boost off.
On the amp set the gain (level) to 5v, the x-over to lpf, lpf dial to about 10 o'clock, bass eq at zero. HPF dial will be inactive. Mode switch to mono.

Put in your favorite CD - it should have at least SOME bass.
Turn the HU up to about 3/4 volume.
Turn the amp's level dial up until the subs get sloppy. Always nice to have a 2nd person nearby to get their opinion too. Missing a little one way or the other isn't a big deal.
That's all there is to it.
 
Liquid_force said:
A scope is utter overkill for all but the most finicky of listeners. Setting gains with a DMM is nice, but not necessary either. Anyone who can hear can set a gain with plenty of accuracy to keep their speakers safe and get good sound.

It sounds like your amp is the p1100.2. That is a 550w amp, optimally, and bridged to 8 ohms it will be around 1/2 that much (<150w per sub). IF you DID blow a sub and you WERE wired to 8 ohms it was not due to clipping or too much power. It would have just been a defective sub. However, the fact that you were blowing the fuse makes me think you weren't wired to 8 ohms.
First thing I would do is put in a bigger fuse on the 8 ga wire. If it's 10-12' 60A is okay. If it's longer use a 50A.

Hopefully your subs were/will be wired something like this:
2_2ohmDVC_8ohm.gif


To set the gain set all your HU controls to the middle of their range -- bass/treble/sub output. Turn EQ's/filters/bass boost off.
On the amp set the gain (level) to 5v, the x-over to lpf, lpf dial to about 10 o'clock, bass eq at zero. HPF dial will be inactive. Mode switch to mono.

Put in your favorite CD - it should have at least SOME bass.
Turn the HU up to about 3/4 volume.
Turn the amp's level dial up until the subs get sloppy. Always nice to have a 2nd person nearby to get their opinion too. Missing a little one way or the other isn't a big deal.
That's all there is to it.
Click to expand...

I have DVC 4ohm speakers...so i had them wired to 8ohms at one speaker and then bridged them for a 4ohm load at the amp...would that be ok? Ive replaced the sub and turned my amp gain to what i estimate is 2.2volts which is what the stereo puts out...
 
TK95Contour said:
I have DVC 4ohm speakers...so i had them wired in series to 8ohms at one speaker and then wired them in parallel for a 4ohm load at the amp...would that be ok? Ive replaced the sub and turned my amp gain to what i estimate is 2.2volts which is what the stereo puts out...
Click to expand...

Fixed....
 
ah, bridged to 4, that makes more sense.
I could definitely see that blowing a 30A fuse, but still not a 400w sub, especially considering the amp is only going to give each one 250-300w if it's tuned properly. You'd REALLY have to clip it bad to even get something close to rated power to them.

IMO it would be more accurate to set your gain by ear than just trying to guess where 2.2v is.
 
iBrent said:
just curious, what gear do you use?
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SoundQ SVT said:
For tuning or in my system?
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iBrent said:
for tuning.
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1. My ears (to get gain levels close)

2. True Audio RTA (http://www.trueaudio.com/) - it has an ociloscope I use to make sure I'm not clipping the signal

3. Digital Multi-meter - to get left and right output levels identical with seperate gain controls for each of 4 channels. A single gain control for multiple channels can provide different output levels for left and right... I've seen it several times.

3a. A CD with a 1 kHz tone for use in items #2 & 3

4. My ears for listening and tuning to get best crossover points and slopes for the particular system

5. My ears for listening and tuning with 1 band parametric eq (plug-in module inside my amplifier) to help mid-bass output from midrange drivers

6. My ears for listening and tuning with 30 band eq (for several 2-3 hour sessions over 3-5 days)

7. My ears for listening and tuning with 30 band eq (for several more 2-3 hour sessions over 3-5 days)

8. True Audio RTA (http://www.trueaudio.com/) to find peaks or valleys that I just can't seem to fix by listening alone

9. My ears for listening and fine tuning with 30 band eq (for several 2-3 hour sessions over 3-5 weeks)

10. My ears for listening and enjoyment (and additional minor tweaks to the eq over time)
 
Liquid_force said:
ah, bridged to 4, that makes more sense.
I could definitely see that blowing a 30A fuse, but still not a 400w sub, especially considering the amp is only going to give each one 250-300w if it's tuned properly. You'd REALLY have to clip it bad to even get something close to rated power to them.

IMO it would be more accurate to set your gain by ear than just trying to guess where 2.2v is.
Click to expand...

So should i put a higher wattage fuse in it? It doesnt blow it now and its still hooked up the same way with the gain turned further down.. Sounds pretty clean but now i worry about blowing another sub.
 
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