New Box Wiring

[paulmarsh1222]

And you can run most amps from 12 volts all the way up to mid 14s so I'm still not sure what you're trying to get at with battery voltage.

 

---------- Post added at 01:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:06 AM ----------

 

Basically wired like this diagram, but with one terminal post each(2 Ohm Replaced with 4 Ohm)

Also, no external fans running and is located in trunk of sedan behind speaker box.

UPDATE: Earlier I had them at a high volume level while I drove with back seats and windows down for air flow. Amp was not very hot, rather than too hot to touch without anything down.

That's good. It seems a good amount of airflow will keep the heatsink fins cool enough to protect it from overheating.

 

[BigBearAl]

And you can run most amps from 12 volts all the way up to mid 14s so I'm still not sure what you're trying to get at with battery voltage. 

---------- Post added at 01:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:06 AM ----------

 

That's good. It seems a good amount of airflow will keep the heatsink fins cool enough to protect it from overheating.

So I wired correctly? I do not believe that the sealed enclosure caused as much heat, so I'm not sure what's up with that. What could I use for airflow? I'm afraid of melting the insides of my amp.

 

[paulmarsh1222]

So I wired correctly? I do not believe that the sealed enclosure caused as much heat, so I'm not sure what's up with that. What could I use for airflow? I'm afraid of melting the insides of my amp.

OK so on the sub, is the switch on 2 or 8? I assume each sub has its own divided chamber in the box. So then you have the two connectors on the outside of the box, one for each sub. Then you took one subs connectors and put it on one channel and wired the other sub to the second channel?

 

[paulmarsh1222]

I can't tell you fir sure what your overheating issue is yet without knowing for sure what your final ohm load is on the amp and what your gain is set at. Those are very important variables.

 

[BigBearAl]

I can't tell you fir sure what your overheating issue is yet without knowing for sure what your final ohm load is on the amp and what your gain is set at. Those are very important variables.

-Both switched to 2 Ohm

-Speaker One Bridged with Speaker Two Positive

-Speaker One Bridged with Speaker Two Negative

- (+)Bridged Wire from Speaker Two goes Channel 1 (+)

- ( -)Bridged Wire from Speaker Two goes Channel 2 ( -)

-Gain at 75-80%

UPDATE: I can post pic later if needed, thanks for your help.

 

[paulmarsh1222]

-Both switched to 2 Ohm
-Speaker One Bridged with Speaker Two Positive

-Speaker One Bridged with Speaker Two Negative

- (+)Bridged Wire from Speaker Two goes Channel 1 (+)

- ( -)Bridged Wire from Speaker Two goes Channel 2 ( -)

-Gain at 75-80%

UPDATE: I can post pic later if needed, thanks for your help.

Okay so it sounds like you're wiring both of those subs in parallel which is producing a one ohm load because each sub is already switched to 2 Ohm so then combining them like you are at the amp brings it down to 1 ohm. The amp can only handle 4 ohms bridged or 2 ohms per separate channel. That's why you're overheating so fast and so much. Also gain is not a percentage. You match the gain voltage to your headunit preout voltage so if your preouts are 2 volt your gain would be set to 2 volt. But that gets complicated with clipping and such so we won't go there. You need to use a dmm to calculate how much power the amp will put out. You should separate the wires and just take one positive and negative from one speaker and put it on channel 1 and the other 2 wires on channel 2. Each channel will be a 2 ohm load which will give you about 400 watts rms to each sub. Try all that and see how the amp performs and how hot it gets

 

[BigBearAl]

Okay so it sounds like you're wiring both of those subs in parallel which is producing a one ohm load because each sub is already switched to 2 Ohm so then combining them like you are at the amp brings it down to 1 ohm. The amp can only handle 4 ohms bridged or 2 ohms per separate channel. That's why you're overheating so fast and so much. Also gain is not a percentage. You match the gain voltage to your headunit preout voltage so if your preouts are 2 volt your gain would be set to 2 volt. But that gets complicated with clipping and such so we won't go there. You need to use a dmm to calculate how much power the amp will put out. You should separate the wires and just take one positive and negative from one speaker and put it on channel 1 and the other 2 wires on channel 2. Each channel will be a 2 ohm load which will give you about 400 watts rms to each sub. Try all that and see how the amp performs and how hot it gets

Ok that makes sense, I will try the rewiring.

I based the gain by how much I turned it, giving a percentage. Also, I have an import headunit, using a High Low Converter. Will this change anything? I have no experience with a DMM as well.

 

[paulmarsh1222]

Ok that makes sense, I will try the rewiring. I based the gain by how much I turned it, giving a percentage. Also, I have an import headunit, using a High Low Converter. Will this change anything? I have no experience with a DMM as well.

The gain on a LOC isnt the same as the gain on an amp. The gain on the LOC is to adjust the output signal to best match up with the amp where the gain on an amp is to adjust the input signal from your head unit.

The best way to set gains is with an osciliscope to make sure you're not clipping from the headunit or from the amp.

Another subjectively reliable way is to go about it like this:

Grab a CD that is very well recorded and best represents the type of music youll be listening to most. Set ALL the gains on the amp to zero. Turn the volume up to 75-80% on the CD player.

Turn the gain up slowly until you hear distortion. Listen not only for the speaker distorting from being pushed too hard but also distortion from the amp being pushed into its high THD range. Once you reach this point, back the gain down to just below the distortion.

Remember, the gain is not a volume. It only matches up the amps input with the HU's output. This way when the head unit is at 60% volume, the amp is at 60%. If you set your amps gains too high, when the HU is at 60%, the amp could be at 100% so if you nudge the volume up any more the amp will overload, clip and send out a highly distorted signal limited only by its input voltage.

Btw what's the make and model of your loc? I need to know the voltage range of the loc in order to set your amp gain voltage correctly.

 

[BigBearAl]

The gain on a LOC isnt the same as the gain on an amp. The gain on the LOC is to adjust the output signal to best match up with the amp where the gain on an amp is to adjust the input signal from your head unit.
The best way to set gains is with an osciliscope to make sure you're not clipping from the headunit or from the amp.

Another subjectively reliable way is to go about it like this:

Grab a CD that is very well recorded and best represents the type of music youll be listening to most. Set ALL the gains on the amp to zero. Turn the volume up to 75-80% on the CD player.

Turn the gain up slowly until you hear distortion. Listen not only for the speaker distorting from being pushed too hard but also distortion from the amp being pushed into its high THD range. Once you reach this point, back the gain down to just below the distortion.

Remember, the gain is not a volume. It only matches up the amps input with the HU's output. This way when the head unit is at 60% volume, the amp is at 60%. If you set your amps gains too high, when the HU is at 60%, the amp could be at 100% so if you nudge the volume up any more the amp will overload, clip and send out a highly distorted signal limited only by its input voltage.

Btw what's the make and model of your loc? I need to know the voltage range of the loc in order to set your amp gain voltage correctly.

Is the LOC the High Low Converter?

 

[paulmarsh1222]

Yes the LOC is your line out converter. You don't have rcas going to the amp correct?

 

[BigBearAl]

Yes the LOC is your line out converter. You don't have rcas going to the amp correct?

I have a thin RCA wire running into the amp. I will check LOC model and make later.

 

[paulmarsh1222]

I have a thin RCA wire running into the amp. I will check LOC model and make later.

I meant you don't have rcas coming from the headunit to the amp, just from the LOC to the amp. If you want turn the "gain" up all the way on your LOC and then slowly turn the gain up on the amp until you hear distortion.

 

[BigBearAl]

I meant you don't have rcas coming from the headunit to the amp, just from the LOC to the amp. If you want turn the "gain" up all the way on your LOC and then slowly turn the gain up on the amp until you hear distortion.

Ok I will try that, thanks! Also since I changed enclosures, the ported does not give the same vibration and kick everywhere like it did sealed. It used to make it so I can't see through my mirrors and made it hard to breathe. Although, the travel distance increased and a lot boomier.

UPDATE: Box seals broke, making the quality not so well. Resealing with caulk.