Wiring help for 3 12s

[magplad95 10+ year member]

I need some help wiring my system, I have 3 alpine type Rs that are dual voice coil, 4ohms + 4ohms each. I have a profile california 1200, that is 300 watts RMS x 2 at 4 ohms, 450 watts RMS x 2 at 2 ohms, 900 watts RMS x 1 bridged output at 4 ohms. I'm not sure what the best way to wire the subs is, its going to have to be a combination of series and parallel, but i'm not sure how, need some help please....

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[pavengmike6 10+ year member]

There are a few things you can do. I will put name your subs as 1, 2, 3. I would do it like this. Take one side of the #2 pos, and neg and put it in parrallel with one side (only one side) of the #1 sub, and hook that combo on one channel of your amp. Now take the other side of the #2 sub and parrallel it with one side (one side only) of the #3 sub. Now hook that combo to the other channel of the amp.

This combo with give you a 2 ohm load on each channel of the amp. You will not be using one of the Voive coil on the # 1 and #3 sub. There should be nothing connected to the pos and neg on one side of those 2 subs. As long as you are not trying to hook the amp up in stereo the #2 sub should not have a out of phase problem.

Like I said the #1 and #3 sub should have only one side of the V/C being used and the #2 sub should have all four.

Depending on your HU and how you hook up the amp you might need to get a y splitter for your RCA and use the same signal for both the Left and Right side of the input. This will keep the out of phase problem from comming up. But try and hook it up like this and see how it does. If you do not feel like you are getting a good amount of sound, or it sounds distorted you are having a phase problem, and you will need the Y splitter.

 

[magplad95 10+ year member]

alright thanks...but if i'm only going to be using one coil on 2 of them, and not using the other coils, won't that be about the same as just having 2 subs? I'm probrably wrong....

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

This combo with give you a 2 ohm load on each channel of the amp. You will not be using one of the Voive coil on the # 1 and #3 sub. There should be nothing connected to the pos and neg on one side of those 2 subs. As long as you are not trying to hook the amp up in stereo the #2 sub should not have a out of phase problem.

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif Phasing might not be a problem but power distribution will be. The #2 sub will be getting twice as much power as the other two. With that setup he would be better off just running two subs.

I can't think of a way to get that amp to run those 3 subs well. You will probably be better off just running two of them. Series the voice coils and then parallel the subs for a 4 ohm load. Sell the 3rd or keep it as a spare.

 

[pavengmike6 10+ year member]

I understand he would get a power difference, but that is the only real way he would get it to work. Power is not as big a problem as phasing. I have done this set up before, and it worked fine. Only because the individual did not want to buy a new amp and wanted 3 subs. If you are dead set on running 3 subs you can hook it up that way, or buy another amp.

You could run them in series, but you would be at 100 ohm, and you would not get any power. (100 is only an example so do not quote me).

 

[magplad95 10+ year member]

alright thanks guys...I have 2 hooked up right now and their pumpin hard enough anyways, so i'll just sell the other