creedin

after running new rcas and taping off my power cables, i have touched my amplifier for the last time


but in my method of doing the setting of the gain, i did 1500 (watts rms) x 2 to get 3000 and did the square root of that. so about 54.7 volts (ive found that value two places now, so im pretty sure it's okay) but for where its easiest to set my bass control, straight 90 so i get the same everytime) i could get it at about 58-60 volts, no matter how i adjusted the gain, so my question is is that going to be okay at +4-6 volts?

also i tested it at about 30/34 on my volume and it was 60 and at about 26, my normal volume, it was at about 59.5 or so... should i be okay?

all was tested with a 60 hz tone

Cougarguy

i like your style dude, i personally recommend an oscilliscope. watch the sine waves, when they flatten then distortion is occuring. flat spots are damage in due time. make it perfectly round and complete.

creedin

but arent oscopes expensive? thats why i didnt get it, i looked and theyre like 1.5 billion dollars

Cougarguy

lol...no idea i used lincoln techs and then my crap ass MA audio HK series started smokin

creedin

anyone else

EmperorJJ1

iTrader: (5)

yes they are

raptors_67

That's just one aspect of using a scope to set gains and a pretty small part of what they are useful for but certainly a huge help. It's always assumed that by finding peak amplitude before clip nets peak power but is not always the case.

Why are you taking the square root of supposed combined wattage of 3000 to obtain an RMS voltage? Just curious where you heard this formula for finding RMS volts. Did you use a multimeter or something?

EmperorJJ1

iTrader: (5)

sry guys went to a local "comp" in what ended up to be basically mexico and it was pretty ghetto so i was useless when i came back

Setting your gains with a DMM sorta half works and sorta doesn't. I haven't read up on the correct formula because honestly i've never done it. I would think rms watts/ amp draw= VAC but like i said i don't know. Now the reason people set the gain with a DMM is because it theoretically would allow you to play a sine wave without clipping. Now the only problem with that theory is a sub is a variable load meaning the resistance changes with different frequencies and with the heat of the coil. Hence why competitors run their stuff at .5 or .35 ohms most of the time it rises to 1 or 2 ohms in those competitor situations and seeing 10+ ohms on a street setup isn't surprising. So since the resistance is so variable setting it with a dmm doesn't allow you to get the max unclipped volume. You can often have a higher gain setting on music and be fine.

85% of blown equipment is either user error, install error ect ect
the other 15% is actual manufacture error

creedin

i read on two different sites that a good way to figure out the proper voltage is from doing that... and then i used a multimeter to read how much was going to it

raptors_67

what kind of multimeter?

EmperorJJ1

iTrader: (5)

lol what kind of multimeter? as long as it works its all gravy

Spun

iTrader: (1)

Oh I beg tio differ.
The first one I ever bought did not have an audiable tone for the Continuity test
It just gave you the readings. This was not cool, makes alot of things a pain in the ass.

Just make sure it has digital display, and "Buzz" feature.
Auto power off is a good feature to have too.

EmperorJJ1

iTrader: (5)

i agree there's nicer ones out there but its not really "necessary"

I have one of the nicer craftsman ones...

raptors_67

RMS meters work a little better when trying to approximate output like the OP is.

Spun

iTrader: (1)

I guess my post was a little deceiving, I wasn't really disagreeing with you but trying to warn about the non buzzing multi meters.
I actually have a craftsman too, I'm sure not as high tech as yours, but it does what i need it to do. But I betcha my sodering iron is better than yours (I'm so just kidding).

Any multimeter will do what you need from it, should only cost you $30.00 to $50.00 for a decent one. I find that if you go to with the really cheap ones ($19.99 at Walmart) there not accurate, not even close. Just buy the cheaper line from a good name brand, like craftsman, ect.

I find the RMS ones a little more complicated, I think just a basic one would better suite the OP, better to work your way up to something like that rather than dive right into it.

EmperorJJ1

iTrader: (5)

**** the RMS bull ****. my add doesnt keep up with that speed

lol jk but hey spun u didnt respond to my question about the Piaas in the hid/halogen thread

Sry back on topic. Um at the shop we have every meter known to man and i honestly like my craftsman one the best bc its the most user friendly (plus it was on sale along with my drill at the time) but like i said we have the cheapo ones for 2.50 an rms meter an analog meter some craftsman ones ect ect and everyone at the shop agrees craftsman ftw

Oh and i actually dont own a soldering iron so you have me beat. but my boss has not one but 2 crazy ass ones that **** **** up literally. That **** don't play games

blissmaster13

Holy crap!!! I have nothing helpful to contribute to this thread, but you guys are speaking a foreign language to me. I just thought it was funny. I was trying to read the first post and was like.............WHAT!!! Just goes to show that each person has their trade or hobby. Anyway, continue as needed.

EmperorJJ1

iTrader: (5)

lol if you want me to decode it for you i can