I'm an idiot and you can help

[Andrizzle 10+ year member]

Okay.. so i was outside trying to set my gains... did the whole voltage calculations etc....

My target is 89.4 v

I have an MM4000.1

So i played the 50Hz tone speakers disconnected etc....

put the DMM in the outputs on my amp...

And i get readings all over the freaking place...

With volume low it is steady @ around 30.0ish

Then when I increase volume the voltage is like 106.4-43.7-58.3-35.3 (you get the idea... it never stays remotely close to one area.)

Maybe I have my DMM on the wrong setting?

I was having it measure in XX.X volts.... is this wrong????? On the DMM in the volts settings its like (200m V) (2 V) (20 V) (200 V) (600 V with a lightning bolt) lol

I dunno if t hat helps.. i just bought this DMM and am probbaly not using it right since i have little experience with them.

Also on my amp... The gain is like 0.2V-9V... this IS my gain right? And bassboost is the one that goes from 0dB-18dB? Or am i wrong.

Any help would be very appreciated.

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[denim 5,000+ posts]

If you are having sporatic readings, there could be a faulty connection or some weak link in the electrical that is not keeping up.

 

[tcguy85 10+ year member]

make sure the dmm is on a/c volts.

 

[TWOJZ]

you have the meter set to DC volts, not AC volts, the AC settings will normally only have two voltage ranges, 200volts, and 600 volts.

 

[shortyg83 10+ year member]

Yea I was gonna say make sure its on AC. Do you have the electrical system to keep up an amp that big? Make sure your test tone is steady somehow.

 

[AudioXtremes 10+ year member]

Are you playing a constant tone? Or music?

 

[Andrizzle 10+ year member]

its a 50hz testtone - And i had my DMM on AC... :[

And yes my electrical can keep up. 200amp Alt - KHC 1800 and two KHC2400s

im going to try again later .... i am confused as f***

 

[djman37 5,000+ posts]

use clothespins, aligator clamps, or something to make sure you have good contact to the wires and check again.

 

[luvinthebass 5,000+ posts]

just hook up the leads to the speaker terminals just lik you would speakers and the voltage won't jump around.

 

[TWOJZ]

pics of the meter?

 

[donpisto 5,000+ posts]

Could be the meter. Make sure batteries are good on it. Also could be a cheap one. I got one from WalMart and it sucked, readings were .6V off when measuring voltage at the amp. Tis why I invested in a Fluke.

 

[luvinthebass 5,000+ posts]

Flukes are to expensive

 

[ThatChevyGuy 5,000+ posts]

uh just do it by ear??? keep it below half, always works for me....

 

[ultimate157 5,000+ posts]

uh just do it by ear??? keep it below half, always works for me....

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif Gain isn't linear at all. It varies based on the amplifier's internal components as well as the RCA input voltage.