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Date:         Wed, 29 Aug 2007 09:28:14 -0700
Reply-To:     David Kao <dtkao0205@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Kao <dtkao0205@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Elementary ? about Van sound systems..Long.
Comments: To: Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <000901c7ea50$3c9305e0$a7b2d8d1@dhanson>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Don:

Try to identify the 6 input sockets first. Your Sony Mini Disk has only a pair of output you so you need to find the correct pair of input for them on the aux. amplifier. You only need to connect to two (one left and one right). The others are for bridged mode I think.

Then try to identify the 4 pairs of output of your aux. amplifier. If it has 4 channels (2x left and 2x right, the left has f/r and so is the right). Aux. amplifiers mostly have differential output in order to achieve max power output. Single ended amp can have up to 36 watts max. But differential output amp can get 144 watts on 4 ohm speakers. But you can not ground any output wire (2 wires per speaker).

Do not use the bridged mode of your aux amp. Bridging means combining a pair of amp into one bridged one to quadruple the output power. Your 4 channel amp becomes 2 channel. I don't think that's what you want.

Once identified the 4 pair of output terminals just connect each pair to a speaker without ground any wire of the pair.

Your problem seems to be in the cross over circuit. Does it ground any of the speaker wires (both from the amp and to the speaker). Some cheap ones will assume that there is a common ground wire among the pair of wires to each speaker. it may connect them into one common ground. This may be why your amp is tripping. Basically make sure none of the speaker wires is grounded and no speaker wires are connected together. You have 4x channels so there are 8 wires to connect to speakers. All 8 of them should be independent of each other and no grounding of any.

Good luck.

David

--- Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET> wrote:

> I've just been messing with installing a sound system into my van. I am no > audiophile and my electrical circuitry skills are laughable, so I've been > dinking around with this for a week or so, but I am 'spinning my > wheels'..just too many possible connections, etc. > Could anyone clue me in on a few basics? > Background: The system is aftermarket, from my previous vehicle, removed > and boxed for about 5 years. I tried to mark all the wires as I removed it > from the 'soon to be' racecar, but obviously I didn't do a very good job. > This set-up was extra, up there in my barn loft, and the one in my van was > awful, so I thought it would be worth trying to re-install it. I do have it > working now, sort of, but I need help getting it right. In the previous > vehicle, it was very high-end stuff, sounded really super, in the van...not > so super, yet. > The hardware is a Sony MD (Mini-Disc) player/radio head, 11 speakers > (counting the big sub-woofer box) and an auxiliary amp..Pioneer 2,3,4 > channel, big. The aux amp has 6 co-ax plug sockets and 16 terminals for > speaker wire connections.. > So, what I've got, so far, is all the speakers mounted into the Van..A > couple of them in the doors (the same ones that were in the doors of the old > Porsche) and the rest under the rear seat/bed.. Before I mounted the > speakers, I had the whole mess on my worktable in the shop with many > alligator clips and some 12v batteries, trying to get it to make music..It > did, but with some 'faults'... > First, the speakers were/are wired into "cross-overs", in pairs, and then > attached to the auxiliary amp a bit oddly..The amp. terminals said "bridged" > and the left and right speaker wires were cross-connected oddly...I tried to > re-connect them according to the markings I'd put on as I removed them, 5 > years ago..but the markings were faded and I cut some wires during removal, > so I probably didn't get it right. 16 terminals with 4 "channels" make for a > lot of permutations.. > I got the whole mess working 'sort of properly 'in that the sound was very > good, but the aux amp began cutting out after about 2 mins..It was 'cycling' > off for a few seconds, then on, then off. It was getting quite hot to the > touch after about 5 mins also.. So I thought.."Ok, this is beyond my > capability to wire into the system properly, I will leave it out and just > use the Sony (the radio/md head unit in the dash) amp, alone...and perhaps > leave off the big bass.." Which I have done... > So now it all sounds pretty good, but it lacks power to make enough > volume for the noisy Vanagon when I am at speed with all the window down, > etc. > I would like to get the extra amp working, if I didn't "fry" it by > cross-connecting it, in my ignorance.. Is there a way to bench-test > something like that, so I can see if it works, still? There are two fuses > on the amp, neither one blew..but that 'cycling' of function and the heating > up didn't seem like a good thing... > I am also not comfortable with the capacity of the Sony head unit to power > all those speakers..Some of them are fairly big..(6" co-axials) and some > powerful. The Mini-discs are coming out of the player at quite warm > temps...making me think I may have too much load on the head unit (player) > or something else perhaps wrong.. > Is it possible that I've cross-wired the speakers, somehow, and am creating > heat that way? Is there a way to check the polarity (?) of the speaker > wires? I have a good (but simple) digital multimeter and I'm not 100% > positive that every connection ended up right, after a few days of trial and > error, routing under mats and behind dashes, connecting and disconnecting, > etc etc. Is there a way to check, somehow, that all the terminals are at > least + to + and - to - ? > Or should I just "punt" and take the van to some 'stereo-install' shop and > take my chances that I might get an honest tech to help me out? I can hear > em now..."Hey, this stuff is old tech, we can sell you a _____, for only > ______ that will be perfect in this van"...But as I said, up front, I am no > audiophile...I don't give a hoot about 'the latest MP3..or whatever" I had > this stereo and the matching home unit to cut mini-discs and I like the > 'format" so I want to make this one work for public radio and long trips... > BTW...The mini-disc format...It didn't seem to get much acceptance over > here in the USA, but I understand in Europe and Japan it was/is pretty > popular..The little discs hold about 1:20 of music/data and you can cut em > over and over. On my home machine a recording can be done at 4 times normal > speed...You can transcribe a CD onto an MD in about 15 mins...or erase the > MD in a second and re-record..The discs are about 2.5" square and enclosed > in a plastic case, so they are auto-environment friendly... > Anybody want to advise? Speaker polarity? Load on the Sony? Test for > the aux. amp? Dunce-do able? anything more? > Thanks, Don Hanson >

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