mrToester 10+ year member
Member
A few checks...
(1)Make sure the amplifiers have a good audio ground reference. In order for the amps to function properly, the audio ground must be referenced to chassis ground at the source unit. If it is not, the amplifier could oscillate. To check for a good ground reference, take a volt-ohm meter (VOM) and measure the resistance between the chassis of the radio and the shield of the RCA line level outputs of the radio. This reading should indicate a direct short. (2)If this is not the case, grounding the shield of the RCA line level outputs to the chassis of the radio will probably be necessary. Keep amplifier power ground wires as short as possible. The longer a wire, the more resistance it has. When a current flows through a resistance, a voltage drop is produced. Because of this, the ground reference at the amplifier's circuit board is no longer the same as that at the chassis of the vehicle. This ground potential differential can lead to noise and improper operation of the amp. This is the same between amps and other stereo components. All should be nearly the same resistance back to the negitive terminal (yes I know - not easy to obtain).
1) so all i need to do is take my volt meter and stick 1 side on the HU chassis and then the other ( either neg or pos) to the RCA? and i should get a reading?
2) Does this mean that i will need to connect a wire from the chassis of the HU to the output of RCA, in my case the MTX ReQ5? My two are about 5 feet from each other, do i still need to do this?
Im just a slow one when it comes to wiring, that is why i am asking this all back to you in dumb format but your reply will be greatly appreciated!
mr.toester