Anyone using a radiator?

[Intercooler 10+ year member]

I can't find good info on it in the archives. Seems nobody really has one up and running. The guy at TC Sounds said they are the shit but I would need a whole new box and the radiator... $340 plus shipping. Are they all that?

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[loud-n-low 10+ year member]

they drop off very quickly below tuning...but you can tune them very low so it doesnt really matter....have a nice sound

 

[Intercooler 10+ year member]

they drop off very quickly below tuning...but you can tune them very low so it doesnt really matter....have a nice sound

So is it worth all that?
My dilemma is I have a 1.5 cube sealed box where the 3000 calls for a .75 for optimum. How will it play with that large of box? Guy at TC said the radiator would play better than anything.

 

[loud-n-low 10+ year member]

its probably playin lower in what you have vs the radiator...the radiator should give you more volume

 

[loud-n-low 10+ year member]

what are you tryin to accomplish...louder? lower?

 

[RAM_Designs 5,000+ posts]

I've got a couple for sale if you're interested, BNIB.

They work as if they were a port, using the back wave of the sub(pressure inside the box) to add output. They're "better" than ports because they have ZERO noise, and are easily adjustable.

 

[Intercooler 10+ year member]

what are you tryin to accomplish...louder? lower?

Louder but lower would be nice and a little cleaner.
The SE plays nice IMO but needs a little more output. I didn't realize I am 1.5X the box spec'd for it but it plays pretty good.

I started out just wanting to upgrade the sub to put out more and be a little cleaner using what I had in a box plus maybe an amp upgrade. Now it turns out most of the HD 12's take a deeper mounting box, less air-space, etc...

I mainly wanted to work with what I had for a box. Now it looks like I may just have to get a different box which ever sub I get.

Can you not hit lows with a sealed box or is a radiator > sealed?

 

[T3mpest 10+ year member]

A sealed box will actually play lower than a ported one, you just won't get the boost at the lower frequencies as you will with a ported one. In terms of SPL yes, ported>sealed. For anything else, especially in a car, I'd say sealed>ported.

 

[Decipha 10+ year member]

i had an old kicker dual 8" hatch loaded box with 2x 6" (I believe) radiators on the bottom of it... that think pumped off a rockford 40 back in 93...my dad had it installed in his camaro... was the first 'system' i ever heard... i was sold at that moment

 

[Warbleed 10+ year member]

I love passives in certain situations, especially with small vented boxes where a port chimney isnt desireable, nor is increasing the box size to accomodate a slot vent.

I still say that for most subwoofers in a car, sealed is the way to go. About the only exception to that rule is subwoofer that have a 30ish Fs and a very low Qts, has in sub 0.3.

 

[Octavio 10+ year member]

anyone have a picture of a Radiator looks like?

 

[Intercooler 10+ year member]

anyone have a picture of a Radiator looks like?

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

That's not a passive radiator, that's a rebuild kit for a regular sub.

I really see no need for a fancy (and expensive) cast alum frame on a passive radiator. The vast majority of them Ive seen have simple stamped steel frames. And they certainly dont have the T-joint connected to them. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

Here's some passives: http://www.parts-express.com/webpage.cfm?&Webpage_ID=3&CAT_ID=48&ObjectGroup_ID=527&raid=1&rak=passive_radiators

 

[Immacomputer 10+ year member]

Umm, that is a passive radiator. Notice the threaded rod for adding mass? Why make a new basket just for radiators when you have a ton just sitting around?

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

i had an old kicker dual 8" hatch loaded box with 2x 6" (I believe) radiators on the bottom of it... that think pumped off a rockford 40 back in 93...my dad had it installed in his camaro... was the first 'system' i ever heard... i was sold at that moment

I had something similar from Kicker 'back in the day'. IIRC it was called the Super II and had a pair of 8s forward-firing then a pair of 10" passive radiators downfiring. I ran mine off of a 75w X 75w Yamaha amp and it pounded pretty good in a 2-door Nissan Sentra (GAWD I hated that car...)