Rockford Fosgate Series 1 2030 2-channel

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

Recently I happened across an amp that I am completely unfamiliar with.

As referenced in the thread title the amp in question is the:

Rockford Fosgate Series 1 2030

 

As pictured here ~

 

According to the specs printed on the label affixed to the underside of the amp output ratings are as follows:

Dynamic Power: 2 X 45 watts @ 2 Ohms

RMS Power: 2 X 30 watts @ 2 Ohms

 

There is no information given regarding output when shown a 4 Ohm load or what the amp might output when bridged though as the wiring configuration for bridged operation is printed on the backside label as well so apparently the amp is bridgeable. (I'll assume a conservative rating of 1 X 60 watts 'RMS' and 1 X 90 watts 'Dynamic' based on the 2 Ohm stereo ratings?)

An inquiry on RF's discussion boards yielded no help either as the only response I received there was someone asking me what the serial number is.

I'm no RF expert by any means but this is an amp that I've never before seen and to tell the truth I'm starting to wonder whether or not it's even genuine RF product! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

If it is an RF amp that I am simply clueless about I wonder if, like many of the older Fosgate units, is capable of considerably higher output levels than the factory-given ratings would imply.

If anyone has any experience with an amp like this or at the very least is in possession of more information that I currently have (which is limited to nothing more than what I've posted above) I'd be greatly appreciative. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

Click to read more...

 

[luvinthebass 5,000+ posts]

That amp is prolly underrated, i've owned many RF amps (the Punch series) and they were underrated by 100 watts or so and were great amps. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[wilzyx 5,000+ posts]

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/yumyum.gif.0556df42231b304b9c995aefd13928a8.gif old school amps bridgeable at 1 ohm are the ****

 

[ramos 5,000+ posts]

What you want to know about it ? I don't have any manuals anymore , but pretty familiar with them . They were sold as a 4ohm mono stable amp . We ran them at 2ohm mono with no problems. Trying to remember chronological order , I believe they came out after the dsm's , and before the silver and red cased series one models. Hit me up with questions my brother //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

What you want to know about it ? I don't have any manuals anymore , but pretty familiar with them . They were sold as a 4ohm mono stable amp . We ran them at 2ohm mono with no problems. Trying to remember chronological order , I believe they came out after the dsm's , and before the silver and red cased series one models. Hit me up with questions my brother //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Well, like I previously stated I was wondering what a reasonable expectation of actual output might be and my question as to whether it would run lower than 4 Ohms when bridged (not included in my thread OP) has already been answered.

Thank you, kind sir.

I'll take possession of the unit later today and let you folks know what I find out after tossing it on my test bench.

 

[diatribe 10+ year member]

The series 1 amps were RF's entry level amp around 10-12 years ago. I wounld not run it at 2 Ohms bridged, but what the heck, it's not like you would be wrecking an expensive amplifier.

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

The series 1 amps were RF's entry level amp around 10-12 years ago. I wounld not run it at 2 Ohms bridged, but what the heck, it's not like you would be wrecking an expensive amplifier.

I paid $30.04/shipped for it.

So, if both channels work it's worth what I paid for it IMO. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[ramos 5,000+ posts]

Oops

 

[ramos 5,000+ posts]

The series 1 amps were RF's entry level amp around 10-12 years ago. I wounld not run it at 2 Ohms bridged, but what the heck, it's not like you would be wrecking an expensive amplifier.

Yes sir series one back then is the equivlent of punch line now . Worst case it will shut down , they had protection built in //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

Thanks for the help, guys.

Fixing to go over to the 'rents (my Confirmed PayPal address is their house) and pick it up as well as the small mountain of other mail I have over there.

 

[IamDeMan 5,000+ posts]

Yes sir series one back then is the equivlent of punch line now . Worst case it will shut down , they had protection built in //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Thats hard to say. Back then it was 3 levels. They had series 1, PunchDSM, and Power. The series 1 had no offerings of extras sucj=h as XO cards and remained low wattage. Punch today at least has XOs and available in a fair amount of power.

 

[RSVCHAD 10+ year member]

Rated power is 15wx2 @ 4 ohms. My buddy had the 4060 (rated 30X4) version of that amp back in ~93/94 ish. It ran a Quart 6/4/tweet combo and a single JL 10W5 dual 4 wired to 2 ohms. It sounded great and got plenty loud. It would shut off from overheating when ran hard, but who could blame it. It was never designed to run a 2 ohm mono load. I do remember CA&E testing the 4060 (again rated at 30X4) at over 60 watts per channel 4 ohms, 12.5 volts and over 70 per channel at 14.4 volts.

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

I just got back from the 'rents house and cosmetically the little amp (and it is small) is in great shape so here's hoping that it works as well as it looks.

I have no express use for it but as it is something of a curiosity to me having never seen one or heard of this particular series of RF amps I bought it on a whim b/c it was cheap.

I'll let you guys know my impressions on how it sounds once I have a chance to put it on the bench. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

Got the little amp hooked up today and it works just fine. (thankfully)

Power source: Pyramid Phase III 35a variable voltage power supply

Signal source: My retired KDC-X679 HU

Signal path: StreetWires ZN2.0 interconnects

Test drivers: Pioneer Premier TS-E6990 three way ByNines in a set of prefab 6x9 enclosures.

Testing music:

Pink Floyd's Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts 1-6)

Pink Floyd's Another Brick In The Wall (Pt 2) This was a live cut from their album Pulse as there is some extraneous passages that are not contained within the studio version.

Steve Miller Band's Jungle Love

I didn't bother going with any super bass-heavy tracks as I was only using a set of ByNines for this low-wattage amp.

For a diminutive amp that from the information I have been provided was RF's entry-level stuff back when this series was first introduced it was surprisingly loud.

At any volume setting under where the HU's preamp outputs are driven into clipping (bearing in mind the only clipping detection device I own is my set of ears) this little guy sings pretty well. The only sonic weaknesses I really detected were more likely attributed to the limitations of the speakers I was using coupled with the crappy prefab enclosures they are currently in. There was some rather flat-sounding low-end bass that sounded like poo but the anomalies I was hearing were eliminated via a HP crossover setting to rid this test session of sub-bass these ByNines simply won't hit well (read that as: at all)

All in all a decent low-wattage amp for an application that just needs something with a bit more Oomph than their HU's internal amp and as it's something that isn't seen commonly due to its age and possibly its lack of popularity when it was new it's a curiosity to me and now has a welcome home amongst the other amps I currently own that I have absolutely no use for. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif