Dupuius - please read.

[baja_stx 10+ year member]

Nice install... very clean and professional looking. Good job on the box too. I have a couple questions for you.

1) In your opion. Do you think the two RE8's are a better choice than the RF10 HX2? Did you use the 8's because you already had them or did you prefer two 8's over one 10?

2) How do you like the Infinity's? I haven't decided on what door speakers to use yet.

3) For your 4 channel amp. I see you used RCA's. Do you have an aftermarket HU or did you use a speaker to RCA converter? If you still have the stock radio why didn't you use the high/speaker inputs on the amp?

4) For your 2 channel amp. Did/do you have the Ford Audiophile system? If so, did you use any of the factory wiring that was running to the factory sub amp?

5) I was planning on running/extending the factory speaker wires from the HU to the speaker/high inputs on my 4 CH amp and then run new speaker wire to each of the 4 door speakers. I then plan on hooking up my mono amp to the 4 CH amp's pre-outs. Does this sound ok? Any recommendations?

6) Is your passenger seat power? My passenger seat is power and it doesn't look like I have as much room as you do. I made an aluminum rack to stack both my amps where the spare tire jack was. I used the two jack bolts and the right front seat bolt to secure the rack. I left 1" between the amps and have two 80mm computer fans blowing across them. Yes I have the amps already... they've been sitting next to my desk screaming to get hooked up, but I can't decide what to do about the sub box.

Sorry for all the questions. You're system is the first I've seen in a 04 F150 and it's very similar to what I want.

Again... Very clean job on your system.

Click to read more...

 

[Dupuis 10+ year member]

Man, sorry I missed this post. I have answers to all your questions. It would be alot to type. Call me at 337-654-5826 and I would be happy to talk about everything. Believe me I have been through it all with this install.

Look at this site, it also has pictures of my jack that I relocated under the hood.

http://www.f150online.com/galleries/mygallery.cfm?gnum=3850

 

[Dupuis 10+ year member]

Nice install... very clean and professional looking. Good job on the box too. I have a couple questions for you.
1) In your opion. Do you think the two RE8's are a better choice than the RF10 HX2? Did you use the 8's because you already had them or did you prefer two 8's over one 10?

2) How do you like the Infinity's? I haven't decided on what door speakers to use yet.

3) For your 4 channel amp. I see you used RCA's. Do you have an aftermarket HU or did you use a speaker to RCA converter? If you still have the stock radio why didn't you use the high/speaker inputs on the amp?

4) For your 2 channel amp. Did/do you have the Ford Audiophile system? If so, did you use any of the factory wiring that was running to the factory sub amp?

5) I was planning on running/extending the factory speaker wires from the HU to the speaker/high inputs on my 4 CH amp and then run new speaker wire to each of the 4 door speakers. I then plan on hooking up my mono amp to the 4 CH amp's pre-outs. Does this sound ok? Any recommendations?

6) Is your passenger seat power? My passenger seat is power and it doesn't look like I have as much room as you do. I made an aluminum rack to stack both my amps where the spare tire jack was. I used the two jack bolts and the right front seat bolt to secure the rack. I left 1" between the amps and have two 80mm computer fans blowing across them. Yes I have the amps already... they've been sitting next to my desk screaming to get hooked up, but I can't decide what to do about the sub box.

Sorry for all the questions. You're system is the first I've seen in a 04 F150 and it's very similar to what I want.

Again... Very clean job on your system.

O.K. here we go.

#1: Yes I do. Because of more cone area and out put from the 2 RE8s. I bought them just for this install.

#2: I like them alot. I'm an Infinity guy from way back. Your door speaker will have alot to do with your own taste. Go around to shops and listen to all the brands you can and pick the one that sound the best to your ears.

#3:I still have the factory 6 disc HU. I used a high to low converter that you can pick up at most audio shops. I don't rec. you use the high level input on your amps. They are known to be noisey. The high/low con. have bare wires on one end that you hook up to the factory speakers wires and female RCA jacks on the other. You will need 2 of them. One for the front and one for the back speakers. I installed them right in back of the stock HU. Than ran RCAs to my 4 channel amp. I split one set of the RCAs with a splitter. One (L&R) to the 4 channel amp RCA inputs and one (L&R) to the inputs of my sub amp. Than run new speaker wires to your door speakers from your 4 channel amp and run your speaker wires to you subs from you sub amp.

#4: I did not have the factory sub. See # 3 on how I wired my sub amp.

#5: No, I do not rec. that way of wiring. Read #3.

#6:My drivers seat is power but not my pass. I had the room to put my 4 channel amp under there. I plan on upgrading my 4 channel amp and putting it just as you are doing at the jack location. I don't know if you need a fan blowing on them though. They are inside the truck and enough are can get to them to keep them from over heating. What I do is point my rear A.C. duct at that amp location. Works great.

Let me know if you need anything else.

Thanks for the good words.

Dupuis

 

[baja_stx 10+ year member]

Dupuius,

Thanks. I really appreciate the time you took to answer all my questions. What you said in the other post about thinking I was settling with RE's was correct. The difference in price, size, RMS, etc. just seemed too good to be true, but I think I'm going to try a pair of those.

I have one more question.

My truck did come with the factory 8" sub and amp mounted under the rear seat. Obviously I'm not going to use either of these, but I'm wondering if I can use some of the wiring. The factory amp has the typical power, ground, remote, and pair of signal wires. They all appear to be about 16-18 ga. wire. So for sure the power and ground wires are not suficcient, but what about the remote and signal wires? I don't see any problem with at least using the remote wire, but are the signal wires big enough? If they are... would I still need the high/low converter or could I just connect them directly to RCA connectors to plug into the amp?

Hmmm... there's only one pair of signal wires running to the factory amp, but there is no loss of sound from the sub when I balance L to R. I guess the factory HU somehow picked up both L and R through this one pair of wires.

Again I thank you for your help. If you need any type of Ford OEM electrical connectors or an extra F150 side emblem or grille/tailgate Ford oval emblem just let me know.

 

[baja_stx 10+ year member]

Ok 2 more questions.

1) Can you recommend a program or site where I can learn how to properly port my box?

2) I went to a local shop (Truck Trendz) today and heard a 8" JL W0 and W3. In your opinion... how do these compare to a RE8?

 

[Dupuis 10+ year member]

Dupuius,
Thanks. I really appreciate the time you took to answer all my questions. What you said in the other post about thinking I was settling with RE's was correct. The difference in price, size, RMS, etc. just seemed too good to be true, but I think I'm going to try a pair of those.

I have one more question.

My truck did come with the factory 8" sub and amp mounted under the rear seat. Obviously I'm not going to use either of these, but I'm wondering if I can use some of the wiring. The factory amp has the typical power, ground, remote, and pair of signal wires. They all appear to be about 16-18 ga. wire. So for sure the power and ground wires are not suficcient, but what about the remote and signal wires? I don't see any problem with at least using the remote wire, but are the signal wires big enough? If they are... would I still need the high/low converter or could I just connect them directly to RCA connectors to plug into the amp?

Hmmm... there's only one pair of signal wires running to the factory amp, but there is no loss of sound from the sub when I balance L to R. I guess the factory HU somehow picked up both L and R through this one pair of wires.

Again I thank you for your help. If you need any type of Ford OEM electrical connectors or an extra F150 side emblem or grille/tailgate Ford oval emblem just let me know.

I guess you could try to tape into that sub signal wire. You would still need a line convertor though. That would be 3 of them you would need. The bass signal that comes from the HU is mono, so there is no L & R. It would be much easier to just spit your RCAs that you would be running already to your 4 channel amp and used your low pass filter on your sub amp to run just your lows. The amps will be right next to each other. Will be real easy.

I would try to tape into that remote on wire. You could just jump from one amp to another with it. That would keep you from having to run one.

 

[Dupuis 10+ year member]

Ok 2 more questions.
1) Can you recommend a program or site where I can learn how to properly port my box?

2) I went to a local shop (Truck Trendz) today and heard a 8" JL W0 and W3. In your opinion... how do these compare to a RE8?

Here are a couple.

http://www.linearteam.dk/default.aspx?pageid=ventcalculator

http://www.bcae1.com/

Not really sure. I have not heard them. Depends on price and mounting depth. I'm sure either of them would be fine. Just check out the spec. of them vs. the RE.

I can tell you this, $95 for 2 RE8s shipped is one hell of a deal. And these things are great.

 

[Dupuis 10+ year member]

bumped for baja

 

[baja_stx 10+ year member]

Thanks man. I just got off the phone from ordering two RE8's.

I also have a bid on and am currently winning a pair of JL W3v2's on ebay. Oh well. If I win them I'll be able to compare for myself.

 

[Dupuis 10+ year member]

Sounds good. Congrads. Let me know if I can help with anything once you get them in. :thumbsup

 

[baja_stx 10+ year member]

To figure out the "acoustic power of the driver" do you use RMS or max watts for "Pe: ___ Watts"

Did you use 3" or 4" PVC? I'm going to keep reading, but I may have trouble calculating w/ a bend in the port. I'd guess that if the ID of the elbow is the same dia. as the straight tube that you just measure distance from the end to where the centerlines meet at the elbow.... yes no?

Oh and what is "Vent Mach"?

 

[baja_stx 10+ year member]

Ok I'm coming up w/ some high numbers for port length. I may have figured out why you have "WOW" in your signature. The lengths I'm coming up with are nearly 5".

Unless I need to do something different for two speakers.

 

[Dupuis 10+ year member]

To figure out the "acoustic power of the driver" do you use RMS or max watts for "Pe: ___ Watts"
Did you use 3" or 4" PVC? I'm going to keep reading, but I may have trouble calculating w/ a bend in the port. I'd guess that if the ID of the elbow is the same dia. as the straight tube that you just measure distance from the end to where the centerlines meet at the elbow.... yes no?

Oh and what is "Vent Mach"?

You use RMS

I used 3'' thin wall PVC from Lowes

You are right, that is how you measure it.

Not sure what it is, but I believe it's 12 on the RE8s

When you have your box built let me know what the internal volume is. I have software that is much easier to use. I can get you your port lenght with a 3'' round port for which ever fz. you want you box tuned to.

 

[Dupuis 10+ year member]

Ok I'm coming up w/ some high numbers for port length. I may have figured out why you have "WOW" in your signature. The lengths I'm coming up with are nearly 5".
Unless I need to do something different for two speakers.

1' cu internal volume with 2 RE8s using a 3'' round port should have a 13.06'' long port to have a box tuned to 35 hz.

Because I only had .05 after displacement for both I had to go with a 3'' port 25.5'' long to get a 35 hz tuned box. That is why I have a turn it the port and went with thin wall PVC to take up as little internal volume as possible.