LOC help

[brandinooooo 10+ year member]

I installed an LOC in a 03 Ford F150 and everything works fine. Only problem is, that it cuts out at half volume. Meaning the amp signal pops/stops until I turn the volume back down then it comes back on like nothing ever happened.

Both LOC settings are at half, amp gain is at 1/3 roughly.

LOC is a cheap Fierce Audio from bestbuy (didn't buy it). Amp is Alpine mrp-M500 which I've tested and it works perfectly fine off of a aftermarket headunit.

Should I buy a high end LOC or is there something I'm missing? What would be a good LOC I could set and forget about?

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[daboyfrumdabx 10+ year member]

Working at Best Buy, those LOCs are the most readily available and inexpensive for me, so I use them often. They're identical to one that PAC makes (inside and out). Of course this is only visual inspection and I have no idea if the quality of the internal components are equal. Fact is, I've had no issues. Not saying a more expensive one is a bad move necessarily, but if by chance yours is defective, most LOCs would suffice as a replacement, including another of the same.

Does your truck have a premium sound system and if so, where did you tap the LOC? (behind the HU, at the rear speakers, etc)

 

[brandinooooo 10+ year member]

Not my truck. No premium sound system. Tapped at rear of deck to rear speaker wires and grounded to radio ground.

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

Likely your wiring is causing a slight short. The speaker wire inputs maybe.

 

[brandinooooo 10+ year member]

Likely your wiring is causing a slight short. The speaker wire inputs maybe.

I can go back over it. I disconnected the speakers that I connected the LOC to. I'll check in the morning and see if I can find anything out of place. Its always at the same volume level though.

 

[destined2race 10+ year member]

ya ive had multiple brands over the years and ive never had any problems with LOC's there pretty straitforward. you shouldnt even need the brown wire or whatever color the ground is unless it didnt work with it disconnected

 

[brandinooooo 10+ year member]

Didn't try it without the brown wires not connected. Habit grounding all electronics. I guess I'll try it without it

 

[_S7V7N_ 10+ year member]

Do you have a Y-Adapter laying around for your RCA's. If so i'd try running it on one of your RCA's and see if you can turn up the volume. If it works you have more than 4V going to the input of your amp from the LOC. What subs are you running with the amp ?

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

How did you tap into the wires behind the HU?

 

[brandinooooo 10+ year member]

Do you have a Y-Adapter laying around for your RCA's. If so i'd try running it on one of your RCA's and see if you can turn up the volume. If it works you have more than 4V going to the input of your amp from the LOC. What subs are you running with the amp ?

Na I don't. I'm on vacation and I don't have most of my tools. Ill equipped you could say. That's the only reason I'm having this problem.

How did you tap into the wires behind the HU?

Split, stripped, connected, secured with wire nut and electrical tape. On rear speakers.

LOC Level - L & R at half, gonna try less in the morning

Amp Gain - 1/3 roughly

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

for the record: twist-on wire nuts are not acceptable in a car. Pic of how you tapped the wires at the speakers?

This is a good LOC

N-RHL2 - BEST LOC IN THE WORLD!! - $24.95 : Zen Cart!, The Art of E-commerce

 

[brandinooooo 10+ year member]

for the record: twist-on wire nuts are not acceptable in a car. Pic of how you tapped the wires at the speakers?
This is a good LOC

N-RHL2 - BEST LOC IN THE WORLD!! - $24.95 : Zen Cart!, The Art of E-commerce

Ok I needed a suggestion on a good one since I'm replacing this one no matter what.

What would be a good replacement and why? Because of added resistance?

I'll post pics in the morning

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

twist nuts are not suitable for a car. neither is tape. i could pull the wires apart with minimal effort. tape loses adhesion in hot and cold temperatures, twist nuts can be pulled off. it's usually fine - till it matters and someone snags the wire. a trunk is a place of chaos.

and yes, there is some added resistance. but the wire nuts are not likely the source of your issue. if taped separately - they should be sufficiently insulated. i'm just trying to picture what you did - did you cut the factory wire, and splice 3 wires in each nut (from radio, to speaker, to LOC)? and you have 4 separate wire nuts - two for left and two for right?

 

[brandinooooo 10+ year member]

twist nuts are not suitable for a car. neither is tape. i could pull the wires apart with minimal effort. tape loses adhesion in hot and cold temperatures, twist nuts can be pulled off. it's usually fine - till it matters and someone snags the wire. a trunk is a place of chaos.
and yes, there is some added resistance. but the wire nuts are not likely the source of your issue. if taped separately - they should be sufficiently insulated. i'm just trying to picture what you did - did you cut the factory wire, and splice 3 wires in each nut (from radio, to speaker, LOC)? and you have 4 separate wire nuts - two for left and two for right?

Exactly

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

that should be just fine.

then we are back to the LOC itself.

That amp DOES have high level inputs. why use an external LOC at all? just use the one in the amp.