I have a rockford p3001 and a power cap to power 1 10" woofer. Would it be possible to set this up to the stock headunit? or what mods will i need to set this up?

peace

 

Line out converter(LOC) or an amp with high-level inputs.

 

exactly like he said, the p30001 I believe has High Input connections, and that's where you plug in/splice into the existing speaker setup.

 

hey thanks guys, so is the dash dificult to take apart? how do I access all the wiring for the headunit? Anyone who has installed their own system maybe i could just get the details of what wires are important and how to splice my amp ..? any help would be awesome, thanks!
peace, zac

 

try looking at through the ICE section, as that's what the ICE is for, ICE = In Car Entertainment

 

Just my own two cents on this subject - a power cap is really no substitute for a secondary battery. You'd be better off ditching the cap for an optima or similar deep cycle heavy duty battery.

I have tried running capacitors in several previous setups and saw negligible difference between with or without the capacity running a diehard gold battery. However, adding an optima red top battery eliminated any the nuisances of running a car stereo system (ie headlights dimming, etc.)

just my own opinion. Just don't think power caps are all they're cracked up to be, but there's probably a thread somewhere for and against it, just like grounding kits and voltage stabilizers.

 

with the power levels he's running? you think he needs a second battery? and with the questions about how to remove the dash, you think he's experienced enough with electrical systems in automobiles? your two cents seem dangerous for his health and the reliability of his vehicle.

 

hah, thanks cuteboi

I have had minimal experience when it comes to installing subs, yes this is true. They were much easier to install when i had an aftermarket headunit in my neon. Just dealing with the factory head unit is where im most concerened. I found some good threads in the fit ICE section - but where can i find a converter/adaptor? and does "tapping in" mean stripping the wires and conecting them to the adaptor?

 

Sorry - I re-read my post an I definitely wasn't clear. What I meant is that from experience, power capacitors don't add anything substantial to a system, especially a small one, and thus, in my opinion, a waste of money. Plus they are very touchy - you have to charge it properly before connecting it to the rest of the system, meaning it has to run first in line from the battery, be grounded, then charged by turning the car on. Thus, turn the car off and connect it to the rest of the system - next amp, then amp to sub. If this isn't done, as I learned early on, it basically becomes a shiny tube that is in line with your lead from the battery, nothing more.

So, to re-word my "two cents" just eliminate the power cap from the equation all together - it'll save you time and wiring. Then, if you're like me, turn around a sell the power cap on ebay or some classified ad or at a local high school because these things are all the rage for bling'd out systems. Then take what cash you earned from selling it, and invest in an optima or similar deep cycle battery - it'll help balance out the extra power being consumed by the amp/sub, and it'll effectively prevent your lights and accessories from dimming.

You're right CuteBoi - adding a second battery for a single amp with 10" sub is not only dangerous and bad for the health of a DIY car audio guy, but also ridiculous. So my apologies, and I hope I've cleared things up a bit.

Recap: Power cap, no good. Replace your OEM or existing battery with a deep cycle or heavy duty use battery, very good.
(I also think Odyssey makes a tiny compact heavy duty battery that would be perfect for the fit, since typically deep cycles are heavier)

 

Kinetik's HC800

fits great in the fit

 

no prob, I'm glad you pointed that out.

I currently don't use a capacitor on my 400watt 4channel system because it isn't really needed, the power usage I need isn't that great, and I don't have the fading effect like I do when it's a sub amp.

switching out the battery is a great idea for a DIY audio guy, and the cap is a decent idea if it's a high enough cap charge. Currently I am planning on getting a 600watt mono amp for my two twelves in my back, and that will require some charge to maintain the sub frequencies.

Either way your second 2cents are better than your first.

 

thanks for the info guys,
I never knew all that was involved just to get the cap ready to go, so I will probably invest in a new battery..how much do deep cycle batteries go for?

Also does anyone have a link or something for the converter that i would need if I use the rca cables currently hooked up to the amp? that would be cool.

Thanks again
peace

 

the one that I used is the Stinger SLOCII. here's what I think about line out converters (LOCs) -- they're all pretty much the same EXCEPT for the uber-cheapo stuff you can buy for $5-10. those kinds are usually only for low-power head units (less than 15w per channel). if you search for line out converters on the internets all sorts of stuff will pop up, but just remember to get something that'll handle a decent amount of power.

 

another term for the Line Out Converters is the "Hi-Low converters" which you will find at radio shack and all bestbuys that have car stereos, it's a standard item. anyways, off to bed for me, good luck finding the parts, the links to the deep cycle have been posted before, look up that stinger, I have been told those are awesome.

 

will changing the battery and getting rid of the power cap have any affect on the cars alternator?

When i had the system setup in the old neon the guy at best buy told me that basically if i dont use a power cap the alternator will need to be replaced within a couple of years..?

thanks for all your help guys I probably wont have my system installed untill sometime after christmas (when i have more money), and ill be sure to post some pics when its all done.

peace

 

wait till xmas then, other than that, I have no clue what your BestBuy tech means by replacing, as I've been known to use 2 12"s and a 600w system on my integra 89 LS, that thing thumped for 4 years.... on stock alternator and battery, of course I had fading, but hell, no such thing as having a dead alternator due to overusage.. it only gives out as much power as it can, at a constant rate.

 

At the risk of offending any reliable best buy employees - because I know there are some for sure - that particular guy has no idea what he's talking about. Chances are he was trying upsell a power cap maybe.

I had a 91 explorer - I purchased in 99, ran without a power cap a single Memphis Studio DVC 15" with a class-d MTX amp. the explorer only had a diehard brand deep cycle battery - stock alternator, and the car is still running perfectly nearing 200,000 miles...

Deep cycle batteries, like optima run around the 125 to 150 range, but it's a worthwhile investment.
There are other brands, Odyssey for example, that run a little less, just under the 100 dollar ceiling. They also make designs optimized for little cars, so weight isn't an issue. I believe they run in some GT cars actually.

 

yeah that BB dude was a bit...misinformed. caps only offer a very narrow slice usefulness to a small set of sound installations. your amp only putting out 300w will in no way damage or affect the battery, alternator or electrical system. I'm running a 400w 2ch amp for my subs off stock battery and wiring, and all is fine. no dimming of lights, no battery drain, nada!

 

ohh man, is it ever? I was trying to do my own sub install, but gave up because I couldn't pull the head unit out. I've done all the removal up to that point, but for the life of me, I just couldn't get it out! To my dismay, I've decided to just have it done by the Circuit City guys. I told them what happened and I offered to take the dash apart since I've already done it. They took me up on my offer thinking that it maybe faster than them trying to figure it out themselves. anyway, the guy was having a hard time pulling it out as well. I was giving up hope, when their main installer decided to give it a try, and used a tool with a hook on it and pulled really hard. then - voila! the radio poped out! it took a lot of tugging and pulling hard before it came out!

so to all of you trying to pull out this headunit, know that it doesn't pop right out after removing the screws. you really have to tug on it, and it's helpful to use this hook thingie that these guys used. good luck!

 

Caps are the most unnecessary and overused item in car audio. A good current flow from alternator to battery then from battery to the rest of the electronics in the vehicle is the most important thing, the big 3 upgrade (alt to batt pos, batt neg to chassis, and engine to chassis) is the first thing to do, as well as upgrading the stock battery. A capacitor stores less than a tenth of a second worth of power potential and works more like a shock absorber to the electrical system and at consistent high volumes can put more of a strain on the vehicles electrical system than not having one at all and hinder the power the amp see's which is why you do not usually see capacitors in vehicles that are purely built for SPL (show circuit) but rather multiple battery setups with high output alternators.

A simple battery upgrade from stock should be enough. Your local Autozone dealer carries Duralast Gold top. Comes with 3 year warranty. I've had problems with Optima Yellow top in the past b/c their batch of D51R versions were recalled. So i went with Duralast and never had issues.