CAR SOUND COMPETIONS

Car Audio Competitions VOL. 1

Often car audio enthusiasts are brought into the hobby by attending car audio competitions or seeing competition vehicles in the magazines. They see these beautiful installs and they want to have one that's just as good. This is exactly the reason that car stereo competition organizations exist, to bring in more customers to the car audio stores. This is why you'll see most shows in the parking lot of your local car audio shop. The competition brings in spectators and those spectators often become customers of the shop after seeing the work they can do on the vehicles being displayed. Many enthusiasts then get the mistaken impression that also want to compete when in fact what they really want is a "competition quality" audio system.

HOW TO INSTALL A IN DASH STEREO

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Screwdriver
• Wiring harness
• Wrench/socket
• Installation kit
• In-dash DVD player

Step1

Open the hood of the car and disconnect the battery. You can disconnect the negative cable only and still be safe, but it's best to disconnect both the positive and the negative cable.

Step2

Using the proper screwdriver, take out the screws holding the factory stereo in your car's dashboard, then remove the stereo from the dash. You may have to remove parts of the dash to take the stereo out.

Step3

Carefully remove the connectors from the back of the stereo. Check the connectors to make sure they're not broken or dirty.

Step4

You can buy a wiring harness designed for your vehicle at a car audio and video equipment dealer; these are intended for aftermarket installations. Connect the wiring harness to the car's connector. See the wiring harness instructions for the proper connection.

Step5

Insert the in-dash DVD player in the aftermarket installation kit head unit. All dashboards are different, so you must buy an installation kit that matches the make of car.

Step6

Connect the other end of the wiring harness to the back of the DVD player. Connect the antenna cable to the antenna input on the back of the DVD player.

Step7

Insert the DVD player and the installation kit in the car's dash. Put in any screws that are required and replace any dash panels that you removed.

Step8

Replace the battery cables and make sure they are tightened. Close the hood and turn on the car. The in-dash DVD player panel will light up if the installation was successful.

The Danger Of Current Over Voltage

The Danger Of Current Over Voltage
Electrical shock occurs when current flows through the body. Though a high voltage can overcome the resistance of the skin, it is the amount of current flowing that causes injury. The old saying is, "Current Kills". The worst case scenario is a shock between the hands. The current path from one hand to the other is across the heart, and as little as 100 mA (milliamps or 1/thousandths of an amp) can prevent the heart from beating properly. This can cause unconsciousness and death if sustained.

Here are some pointers that may help you get a feel for how to avoid getting shocked when working on electrical or electronic components.

1. Know Your Equipment
   Being familiar with the device being worked on, and with the test instrument being used, is a must. It is very easy to make a malfunctioning piece of electronic equipment into a permanently damaged piece of electronic equipment. Expensive meters and other test instruments can be damaged or destroyed with improper use as well.
   
2. Start Off Small
   Your first repair projects should not include things like TV sets or tube-type amplifiers. Both of these devices, though greatly different in design and complexity, have very high and potentially lethal operating voltages present! TV sets require isolation to prevent damage to some test instruments. Inadvertently touching the test lead of a voltmeter between the plate connector of a vacuum tube and a source of ground (which may only be 1/4" away) can have serious and permanent consequences!
   
3. Locate And Isolate Yourself From Ground Sources
   Use carpeting or a rubber mat under your feet to insure that you are not grounded through contact with a concrete floor when working around voltage. Being "grounded" means that a (low resistance) path for current flow has been created. If your body is not in contact with any object that is grounded, it is not possible to experience an electrical shock. You can touch a high voltage source with no shock or sensation if there is no path through your body for current to flow to ground.
   
   The metal chassis of an amplifier is usually grounded through the round pin on a "three-prong" plug. Ground or earth represents an infinite supply of electrons! Resting one hand on the chassis of an amp while reaching into the device with a test probe is inviting a nasty shock!
   
   Voltage measurements will usually be taken with respect to this ground. An alligator clip attached to the negative test lead and clipped to the chassis will free one hand while you use the other test lead to take measurements. Even if you should touch a source of voltage and current while reaching with a test lead, you will not experience a shock if you are not grounded.
   
   Electrical or electronic equipment should be serviced only after the device has been turned off and unplugged. On the other hand, it is often necessary to work on a piece of equipment with it powered up, depending on the problem you are looking for. Knowing this, you will want to make sure that you are not in contact with a source of ground (a place where electrons can come from or go to) while your hands are in close proximity to voltages. Never work on anything electrical while standing on a concrete floor! Use carpeting or a rubber mat under your feet to insure that you are not grounded in this manner.
   
4. Try To Test "Single-Handedly"
   Checking high voltage in a power panel or device that uses high voltage must be done with extreme care and forethought. Most electricians will place one hand in their pocket when reaching into a power panel where high voltage is present with the other hand. This habit precludes the possibility of placing the other hand on a grounded object and receiving a high voltage shock between the hands.
   
   It is still possible to get your hand or fingers between a voltage source and ground and receive a shock through your hand. The minor shock and surprise will cause many to "snatch" back their hand as a reflex, resulting in a scrape or cut .
   
   Impatience and carelessness causes most electrical shocks, and if you work with electricity and test equipment, sooner or later you will get shocked. The negative reinforcement leads most to adhere to basic rules of "do's" and "don'ts" when working around voltage of any kind. This also includes knowing when to admit that servicing or repair of a given device be left to someone with more knowledge or experience.

700 WATT 10 INCH SUBWOOFER

• Enjoy powerful, accurate bass in your vehicle with this powerful subwoofer from Audiovox®
• The Rampage® AVW111 10" subwoofer offers excellent power handling, high efficiency, and stellar bass all with a classy appearance which sets it apart from the crowd.
• This Rampage subwoofer from Audiovox® is engineered with state-of-the-art technologies, combining the best material available so you get top-notch performance and clean, smooth bass.
• The massive magnet cover keeps the sub's inner workings safe from the moisture and dust.
• This subwoofer works in both sealed and ported enclosures, so you can choose tight or boomy bass response.
• The Kapton voice coil form is vented so the sub stays cool when the bass gets hot.
• The cone is encircled by a tough Santoprene rubber surround that shrugs off the harmful effects of exposure to sun, moisture, and extreme temperature changes.
• This high performance sub will stand the test of time!
• Features:
  • 700 Watts Max Power
  • 3" High Temperature Kapton Voice Coil
  • 110 oz Strontium Magnet
  • Dual 6 Ohm Voice Coils
  • Double Layered Foam Surround
  • Santoprene rubber surround
  • Die Case Aluminum Basket
  • Chrome Plated Spring Loaded Terminals
  • Capable of 10 Gauge Wire
  • Patented Thermo-Cooling Motor Structure
  • Strontium Magnet
  • 6 Inch Mounting Depth

http://10inchsubwoofer.totalwarehouse.com

SPEAKER HOOK - UP

Speaker wire, fancy or expensive read this sheet before hooking up your amp. Some cases thick, high-end wire can cause MORE of a problem than the conventional skinnier stuff.

The term "amp" (short for amplifier) will be used to refer to any receiver, integrated amp or power amp.

Use extra care in hooking up any solid state (transistorized) amp. Make sure the amp is turned off before connecting the speakers. Next make sure your wires are long enough to reach the speakers in one piece - rather than splicing numerous pieces together. When connecting the wire to the amp and speaker, make sure you have the proper "connectors" on the wire to mate with their respective terminals. There are many types of plugs, jacks etc., used for this application. We can either supply you with these connectors or send you to a place that has them. Often connector plugs are not needed and simply "tinning" the stranded wire with solder is adequate. In general loose strands of wire are NOT good either at the speaker or amp!

WHAT ABOUT THICK, HIGH END WIRE?

Does this type of wire make any difference? If the length of wire is more than 50 feet, the light duty stuff that we give away with a purchase (18 gauge), may have some signal loss. Thick wire can present problems of its own.The main problem is that it is frequently too thick to cleanly attach to the amp or speakers. You MUST do whatever is needed to make the wire small enough at the end to make a clean connection. This can be done either with special connectors OR thinning down the number of conductors and tinning them.

Check the "phasing" of your speakers. In simple terms it means making sure the positive side of the amp goes to the positive side of the speaker and negative to negative as well. Positive and negative are marked in many different ways. Red screws, a plus sign (+), "8," etc., indicate positive; black screws, "0," a minus sign (-), "G," etc., indicate negative. Tie a knot in the negative side of the wire to make it easy to identify later. Transparent insulation showing different colored (usually silver and copper) wires make it easy to distinguish negative from positive, but all twin lead wire has some code, such as a ridge or a colored stripe to distinguish it from the other.

One final thing: If your speakers are less than 8 ohms ask us before you hook up another set of speakers to the same amp!