Grinning from ear to ear

lucifer919 · 14th October 2008, 19:54

Hey guys,

Got my new Palio 1.6 delivered on the 11th of this month.
Headed straight to the installer the next day and man is it worth the money.

The Gear:
Pioneer 6090
Blaupunkt Velocity Vc542 Components up front
Blaupunkt Velocity components at the rear (forget the model)
JBL 60.4 amp to drive the front and rear components
JBL 300.1 amp for the Sub
JBL 1204xx SUB with the enclosure (dont remember the entire model number)

3x Scoche RCA
Scoche Wiring kit

The Install:
Arrived at the installer as soon as his shutter went up (Bafna Auto). I had spoken to him about the stuff I wanted so he had most of the gear ready.

The install was under way immediately and a very clean job done. the power cables were given a seperate covering (whatever its called) from the battery to the amps. The RCA and speaker cabling was put together well and was installed such that the wires are not visible at any place in the car. Just the wiring took from 10.30 am to 5.00 pm. then just plugging the wires together took another hour or so. The goys asked me to just use the system as it is for a day to get a feel of the system. He was going to tune it the next day.

Left the place a happy camper. Initially, the tweeters were too bright for my likingd the mids were lost among the bass.

So the first thing on my list the next day was to get the tuning done. The Bafna guys had some Blaupunkt DEMO CD which they used to tune the system. A job well done in the end. Now, it all sound just so sweet.

A completely satisfied customer if you ask me.

P.S.: when i crank it up, the headlamps tend to dim out when the bass hits hard. just wondering if i need to make any changes with regards to the power cabling or add something else to maybe sort this out. any help would be much appreciated.

cheers:
Kiran.

lucifer919 · 14th October 2008, 21:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by vebmetal

PICTURES!!!

sorry, was not carrying my camera so could not get any pictures of the install.

will try and get pics of the stuff as it is right now.

DjNik · 14th October 2008, 21:07

Congrats on your setup!!
The dimming issue may be because of one of the following-
1.The gauge of the power cable isnt enough.Recomended is 8awg for mono and 8awg for 4 channel.
2.If the cable is distributed make sure a distributor block is used and not distributed by a joint. Make sure that if there is a distributor block used the cable running from the battery to the distributor block is of a thicker gauge then the ones from distributor block to the amps.(i.e if you are using a 4 gauge wire from the battery to the distributor block then the cables from the distributor block should be 8awg.)
3.If you are using two cables make sure both of them are connected to diff fuse boxes and not just attached to one.
4.If all the cables and stuff are fine then your best option would be to use a capacitor-[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial]of 1F in parallel to the amplifier.
P.S-I am no guru and I may be wrong. just given my suggestions.The gurus here will be able to help you better.

Enjoy.

karankapoor · 14th October 2008, 21:24

congrats! kiran.

post the pics pics.

nitrous · 14th October 2008, 23:06

EFX 400 ie. 6.5 mm.sq should be enough for one amp.
For both the amps, you would require 10-12mm.sq with a distribution block splitting the power.

lucifer919 · 15th October 2008, 02:28

i dont know much about this stuf but let me try and summarize what's ben done.

the amps are using the power cables that came in the scoche wiring kit. and as far as the connection goes, the amps are running in series, i.e. the power cable goes from the battery to the four channel amp and from there it is again routed to the mono block. the point where the power cable connects to the 4 channel amp has been connected with 2 cables basically. one from the battery and another to continue the power to the other amp.

please let me know if this is OK or if i need to get the distribution block. also, plz let me know how much the distribution block would cost.

i was also considering getting a capacitor for the setup but was not sure of it till i asked you guys. plz enlighten me

DjNik · 15th October 2008, 10:25

Certainly you need a distributor block.get one from scosche itself.Even make sure that the cable from the battery to the distributor block is 4AWG and it splits into 2 8awg for your amps.
This should solve your problem.If it dosent your best option will be to add an capacitor.

navin · 15th October 2008, 10:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucifer919

i was also considering getting a capacitor for the setup but was not sure of it till i asked you guys. plz enlighten me

why do you want to add a capacitor?

Sam Kapasi · 15th October 2008, 13:37

The power for the amplifiers are connected in parallel, not series.

lucifer919 · 15th October 2008, 16:48

@navinji: the capacitor was suggested by a friend of mine who seems to know somthing about this stuff (his brother drives around in the mkraft cars). i wasnt so sure so wanted to know what to do from you guys.

@sam: my mistake. the amps are connected in parallel.

considering the size of the power cables, they are 4awg AFAIK, and they dont split into 8awg but the same 4awg cable is used to reroute the power to the second amp. but i think i have to get the distribution block now or alteast first thing next month (pockets dry as the desert itself).

navin · 16th October 2008, 11:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucifer919

@navinji: the capacitor was suggested by a friend of mine who seems to know somthing about this stuff (his brother drives around in the mkraft cars). i wasnt so sure so wanted to know what to do from you guys.

if your system is working fine without a cap why add one? The cap is most useful if the dimming of your headlights is disturbing or if you want to see your battery voltage at all times. Your system wont play louder or clearer with a cap.

hrsraghav · 16th October 2008, 13:19

Isn't Dimming of light a normal thing? I suppose the alternator is not desgined for Amplifier and Subwoofer loads. So whatever exceeds the load, will cause in dimming of light momentarily, then the voltage regulator will take care to compensate for the increased load. Gurus please correct me if i am wrong.
Try one thing, put on the lights, press the accelerator of your car so that it reaces sifficient rpm of 2000 or 3000, then switch on the load for Amp and Sub with keeping the rpm high. If there is no dimming of lights then the alternator can handle the load.

lucifer919 · 16th October 2008, 16:20

the dimming of headlights happens no matter what rpm the engine is running at. even if i am on the highway at 3000-4000 rpm in 5th gear, the headlights tend to dim out as in not for a long period of time. but it happens when the sub kicks in and when the beat passes, the lights are back to normal. maybe i can try some song like Bass Test by the Chemical brothers with some constant low freqs. to check if the issue is just momentary or actually coz of something wrong with the wiring/install.

Technocrat · 16th October 2008, 16:21

Lucifer you had similar setup in your Marina too, right?

DjNik · 16th October 2008, 18:14

I think your best deal would be to add a capacitor as the amp is drawing a lot of power from the battery hence all the electronics in your car are not being powered adequately.This problem is only going to increase as your car gets older and your battery starts getting weaker.So better to add it now only to avoid trouble later.Even dont forget the distributor block(fused) you ll be Happy in the long run.
Happy Listening.

14th October 2008, 19:54	#1
lucifer919 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 240 Thanked: 307 Times View My Garage	Grinning from ear to ear Hey guys, Got my new Palio 1.6 delivered on the 11th of this month. Headed straight to the installer the next day and man is it worth the money. The Gear: Pioneer 6090 Blaupunkt Velocity Vc542 Components up front Blaupunkt Velocity components at the rear (forget the model) JBL 60.4 amp to drive the front and rear components JBL 300.1 amp for the Sub JBL 1204xx SUB with the enclosure (dont remember the entire model number) 3x Scoche RCA Scoche Wiring kit The Install: Arrived at the installer as soon as his shutter went up (Bafna Auto). I had spoken to him about the stuff I wanted so he had most of the gear ready. The install was under way immediately and a very clean job done. the power cables were given a seperate covering (whatever its called) from the battery to the amps. The RCA and speaker cabling was put together well and was installed such that the wires are not visible at any place in the car. Just the wiring took from 10.30 am to 5.00 pm. then just plugging the wires together took another hour or so. The goys asked me to just use the system as it is for a day to get a feel of the system. He was going to tune it the next day. Left the place a happy camper. Initially, the tweeters were too bright for my likingd the mids were lost among the bass. So the first thing on my list the next day was to get the tuning done. The Bafna guys had some Blaupunkt DEMO CD which they used to tune the system. A job well done in the end. Now, it all sound just so sweet. A completely satisfied customer if you ask me. P.S.: when i crank it up, the headlamps tend to dim out when the bass hits hard. just wondering if i need to make any changes with regards to the power cabling or add something else to maybe sort this out. any help would be much appreciated. cheers: Kiran.
	() Thanks

14th October 2008, 21:07	#3
DjNik BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Kolkata Posts: 340 Thanked: 3 Times	Congrats on your setup!! The dimming issue may be because of one of the following- 1.The gauge of the power cable isnt enough.Recomended is 8awg for mono and 8awg for 4 channel. 2.If the cable is distributed make sure a distributor block is used and not distributed by a joint. Make sure that if there is a distributor block used the cable running from the battery to the distributor block is of a thicker gauge then the ones from distributor block to the amps.(i.e if you are using a 4 gauge wire from the battery to the distributor block then the cables from the distributor block should be 8awg.) 3.If you are using two cables make sure both of them are connected to diff fuse boxes and not just attached to one. 4.If all the cables and stuff are fine then your best option would be to use a capacitor-[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial]of 1F in parallel to the amplifier. P.S-I am no guru and I may be wrong. just given my suggestions.The gurus here will be able to help you better. Enjoy.
	() Thanks

14th October 2008, 21:24	#4
karankapoor Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: in the car!!! Posts: 1,675 Thanked: 6 Times	congrats! kiran. post the pics pics.
	() Thanks

14th October 2008, 23:06	#5
nitrous Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: UAE/Lon/Madras Posts: 6,965 Thanked: 325 Times View My Garage	EFX 400 ie. 6.5 mm.sq should be enough for one amp. For both the amps, you would require 10-12mm.sq with a distribution block splitting the power.
	() Thanks

15th October 2008, 02:28	#6
lucifer919 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 240 Thanked: 307 Times View My Garage	i dont know much about this stuf but let me try and summarize what's ben done. the amps are using the power cables that came in the scoche wiring kit. and as far as the connection goes, the amps are running in series, i.e. the power cable goes from the battery to the four channel amp and from there it is again routed to the mono block. the point where the power cable connects to the 4 channel amp has been connected with 2 cables basically. one from the battery and another to continue the power to the other amp. please let me know if this is OK or if i need to get the distribution block. also, plz let me know how much the distribution block would cost. i was also considering getting a capacitor for the setup but was not sure of it till i asked you guys. plz enlighten me
	() Thanks

15th October 2008, 10:25	#7
DjNik BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Kolkata Posts: 340 Thanked: 3 Times	Certainly you need a distributor block.get one from scosche itself.Even make sure that the cable from the battery to the distributor block is 4AWG and it splits into 2 8awg for your amps. This should solve your problem.If it dosent your best option will be to add an capacitor.
	() Thanks

15th October 2008, 13:37	#9
Sam Kapasi Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mumbai (but wat Posts: 6,997 Thanked: 2,378 Times View My Garage	The power for the amplifiers are connected in parallel, not series.
	() Thanks

15th October 2008, 16:48	#10
lucifer919 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 240 Thanked: 307 Times View My Garage	@navinji: the capacitor was suggested by a friend of mine who seems to know somthing about this stuff (his brother drives around in the mkraft cars). i wasnt so sure so wanted to know what to do from you guys. @sam: my mistake. the amps are connected in parallel. considering the size of the power cables, they are 4awg AFAIK, and they dont split into 8awg but the same 4awg cable is used to reroute the power to the second amp. but i think i have to get the distribution block now or alteast first thing next month (pockets dry as the desert itself).
	() Thanks

16th October 2008, 13:19	#12
hrsraghav BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 292 Thanked: 24 Times	Isn't Dimming of light a normal thing? I suppose the alternator is not desgined for Amplifier and Subwoofer loads. So whatever exceeds the load, will cause in dimming of light momentarily, then the voltage regulator will take care to compensate for the increased load. Gurus please correct me if i am wrong. Try one thing, put on the lights, press the accelerator of your car so that it reaces sifficient rpm of 2000 or 3000, then switch on the load for Amp and Sub with keeping the rpm high. If there is no dimming of lights then the alternator can handle the load.
	() Thanks

16th October 2008, 16:20	#13
lucifer919 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 240 Thanked: 307 Times View My Garage	the dimming of headlights happens no matter what rpm the engine is running at. even if i am on the highway at 3000-4000 rpm in 5th gear, the headlights tend to dim out as in not for a long period of time. but it happens when the sub kicks in and when the beat passes, the lights are back to normal. maybe i can try some song like Bass Test by the Chemical brothers with some constant low freqs. to check if the issue is just momentary or actually coz of something wrong with the wiring/install.
	() Thanks

16th October 2008, 16:21	#14
Technocrat Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: GTA Posts: 14,813 Thanked: 2,700 Times	Lucifer you had similar setup in your Marina too, right?
	() Thanks

16th October 2008, 18:14	#15
DjNik BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Kolkata Posts: 340 Thanked: 3 Times	I think your best deal would be to add a capacitor as the amp is drawing a lot of power from the battery hence all the electronics in your car are not being powered adequately.This problem is only going to increase as your car gets older and your battery starts getting weaker.So better to add it now only to avoid trouble later.Even dont forget the distributor block(fused) you ll be Happy in the long run. Happy Listening.
	() Thanks