Help with my setup.....

[CP3]

Ok so I want to add two 12's with 800w amp to my current setup.

In my current setup I have two 1600w 4 channel amps with a clarion head unit. the first amp goes to the 4 interior speakers. On the second amp two channels go to the tower speakers and channels 3 and 4 are bridged to the 12 sub that I have in my boat now. all run off the rf outputs of the clarion.

When I went to hook up the 800W amp. I just connected the power wires from the second amp to the 800w. then I used a splitter for the rf cables.(are they called rf cables of something else?) anyways.

I turn on the power and everything works fine and then when I go to turn it up or increase the bass, 1 of two things happen. first the sterio cuts out completely like it can supply the power. or one of the set of subs will lose the amount of input it is getting.

so Is there too much draw from the head unit? how do I fix this? what is wrong?

[Moki]

CP3, I am no expert like Spharis and Phil, but I am splitting my RCA outputs as well with no problems. Here are the two areas that I would look at:

1. I would run a large power line (at least 2 or 4 gauge) directly from battery to a distribution block and then run the power to the 2 subs. My first guess is that you are not getting enough power to your amps by the way you have them connected.

2. Check how many volts your Clarion head unit puts out in the pre-amp rca line. I believe my Alpine puts out either 4 or 5 volts, the cheaper head units will only put out around 1 volt or even less.

[dogbert]

I'd trace the power supply from the amp back to your battery to see if there's a circuit breaker.

The real concern I would have is the draw, as you said. You need to find out how many amps each of your amplifiers draws. Then you need to make sure your power/ground cables and any circuit breakers are sufficient for that kind of load.

The other thing I'd check is if your amplifiers have a line out. On my Kenwood amplifier, I can chain it several amplifiers together by connecting the line out on one to the line in on the other. That's probably a better solution than RF splitters.

[philwsailz]

Moki makes valid points re: power cable and output on the RCA cables.
I want to point to your remote turn-on as well.


For test purposes, remove the remote turn-on lead from Amp 1 and see if the problem remais, or goes away. Your head unit only puts out about 300 milliamps of current at the remote turn-on lead. With three amplifiers connected, you may not have enough juice to turn all of the amps completely on.

If by chance that remedies the problem, you will need to install a relay for the turn-on of the amps. I won't go into wiring details yet, try the test first, and let us know.

Regardless what you find, you definitely need to run new power wire fof the 3rd amp.


It is early and I have only had one cup of coffee, so I may think up something else, or someone else might have other suggestions. Hang in there, it will be figured out!

[spharis]

Are you saying you jumped + and - from the second amp to the new one? That is going to be the problem if so.

[CP3]

Are you saying you jumped + and - from the second amp to the new one? That is going to be the problem if so.

Yes I only did it temporarly. I am going to best buy and getting power blocks and see if that fixes the problem. then Ill go on to to the rca cables.

any suggestion for getting a box for 2 12's in the storage commpartment under the glove box?

[da.bell]

Yes I only did it temporarly. I am going to best buy and getting power blocks and see if that fixes the problem. then Ill go on to to the rca cables.

any suggestion for getting a box for 2 12's in the storage commpartment under the glove box?

No, but I bet you wish you had a 24 foot boat right about now.

[CP3]

No, but I bet you wish you had a 24 foot boat right about now.

Its not that. It will fit in there but the problem is getting it in there.

[da.bell]

Its not that. It will fit in there but the problem is getting it in there.

You know Razz isn't going to give you any sympathy with that comment.

[Razzman]

You know Razz isn't going to give you any sympathy with that comment.

AMEN brother!

[philwsailz]

Its not that. It will fit in there but the problem is getting it in there.

ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!

[CP3]

thought yall would like that.

ok so I hooked up the power directly to the battery and hooked the remote lead to the first amp. so all three amps run off of the remote hook up off the first amp.

guess the next thing I will try is unhooking the remote from the second amp and see if that is it. If not it is deffinatly the rca cables.

how do I fix that? amps 1 and 2 dont have lines out for the rca cables but amp 3 does

[philwsailz]

thought yall would like that.

ok so I hooked up the power directly to the battery and hooked the remote lead to the first amp. so all three amps run off of the remote hook up off the first amp.

guess the next thing I will try is unhooking the remote from the second amp and see if that is it. If not it is deffinatly the rca cables.

how do I fix that? amps 1 and 2 dont have lines out for the rca cables but amp 3 does

CP3-

My point is this: only connect two amps to the turn-on lead. Since the problem was showing up in the woofers, I recommended disconnecting the turn-on lead from amp1, the amp which is driving the cockpit/cabin speakers. That way, we can test with the new amp and the amp that the subs are connected to, so we can see if the woofers start behaving normally...

[CP3]

ok so I hook everything back up regular and its doing the same thing. I think the battery is low. so Ill have to take it on the water and try it out