Help with chosing a system, been a while since ive been into systems

[daledealedaledeal 0]

Im not totally new to systems but i am fairly new to this site and ive looked at some of the forums. I have an s10 with an ex cab, and i was wanting a system that would hit hard but at the same time not sound really bad. From what i have read is that a BL is what im looking for, i was thinking 2 BL 12s in a ported box. Im not too sure on the amp or if those are the subs that i would want for sure. Some feedback would be pretty nice. its also been a while since ive hooked up a system if somebody could refresh my memory

I do want about 2000 watts of power, and i dont want my lights dimming all the time like i had the problem in my car, i hear capacitors help with that but i havent heard of anything on them on this site.

[jcarter1885 995]

Im not totally new to systems but i am fairly new to this site and ive looked at some of the forums. I have an s10 with an ex cab, and i was wanting a system that would hit hard but at the same time not sound really bad. From what i have read is that a BL is what im looking for, i was thinking 2 BL 12s in a ported box. Im not too sure on the amp or if those are the subs that i would want for sure. Some feedback would be pretty nice. its also been a while since ive hooked up a system if somebody could refresh my memory

I do want about 2000 watts of power, and i dont want my lights dimming all the time like i had the problem in my car, i hear capacitors help with that but i havent heard of anything on them on this site.

Welcome and glad you could join us , as long as the install and enclosure is right then the setup will slam and sound good regardless the equipment usually. Dont get a capacitor, you will need to get a good sized secondary battery, an HO Alternator and do the Big 3 for starters. If you want two BL's then either amp that does 2000 watts or 3000watts at 1 ohm will do fine, just make sure you order your subs to D1 ohm so they can be wired down to a final 1 ohm load.

[daledealedaledeal 0]

Im not totally new to systems but i am fairly new to this site and ive looked at some of the forums. I have an s10 with an ex cab, and i was wanting a system that would hit hard but at the same time not sound really bad. From what i have read is that a BL is what im looking for, i was thinking 2 BL 12s in a ported box. Im not too sure on the amp or if those are the subs that i would want for sure. Some feedback would be pretty nice. its also been a while since ive hooked up a system if somebody could refresh my memory

I do want about 2000 watts of power, and i dont want my lights dimming all the time like i had the problem in my car, i hear capacitors help with that but i havent heard of anything on them on this site.

Welcome and glad you could join us , as long as the install and enclosure is right then the setup will slam and sound good regardless the equipment usually. Dont get a capacitor, you will need to get a good sized secondary battery, an HO Alternator and do the Big 3 for starters. If you want two BL's then either amp that does 2000 watts or 3000watts at 1 ohm will do fine, just make sure you order your subs to D1 ohm so they can be wired down to a final 1 ohm load.

So what am i going to be looking at if im going to be buying a new battery and alternator. Also what is the big 3? and how do i put in another alternator, im pretty mechanically inclined and i kno about an alternator but i dont kno much about putting another one in. thanks

[jcarter1885 995]

Basically when it comes to an alternator look around at different companies who make them, check under the Amplifiers/Electrical and HeadUnits section and look at previous posts about this to see what are good companies (try to find a nice size one or get the biggest one available, 200A or better).

The Big Three is upgrading these wires to 1/0 AWG wire:

1. Battery Negative to cars frame

2. Alternator Bolt (negative) or Engine Block to cars frame

3. Alternator Positive to Battery Positive

[bigrank916 72]

Im not totally new to systems but i am fairly new to this site and ive looked at some of the forums. I have an s10 with an ex cab, and i was wanting a system that would hit hard but at the same time not sound really bad. From what i have read is that a BL is what im looking for, i was thinking 2 BL 12s in a ported box. Im not too sure on the amp or if those are the subs that i would want for sure. Some feedback would be pretty nice. its also been a while since ive hooked up a system if somebody could refresh my memory

I do want about 2000 watts of power, and i dont want my lights dimming all the time like i had the problem in my car, i hear capacitors help with that but i havent heard of anything on them on this site.

Welcome and glad you could join us , as long as the install and enclosure is right then the setup will slam and sound good regardless the equipment usually. Dont get a capacitor, you will need to get a good sized secondary battery, an HO Alternator and do the Big 3 for starters. If you want two BL's then either amp that does 2000 watts or 3000watts at 1 ohm will do fine, just make sure you order your subs to D1 ohm so they can be wired down to a final 1 ohm load.

So what am i going to be looking at if im going to be buying a new battery and alternator. Also what is the big 3? and how do i put in another alternator, im pretty mechanically inclined and i kno about an alternator but i dont kno much about putting another one in. thanks

You mean how much for all that? The alt you have to get a quote on because they arent all the same price per vehicle. They are generally easy to change also. Batteries can be as cheap as $100-200 depending on size. The big 3 is adding larger wire than stock to important places. Alt pos to batt pos. Alt ground to chassis. Battery neg to chassis. You will want to use 1/0 wire.

[bigrank916 72]

Here are a few sites to get quotes from on alts. They are quality alts so they will be expensive.

mechman

dc power

ohio

iraggi

[daledealedaledeal 0]

Basically when it comes to an alternator look around at different companies who make them, check under the Amplifiers/Electrical and HeadUnits section and look at previous posts about this to see what are good companies (try to find a nice size one or get the biggest one available, 200A or better).

The Big Three is upgrading these wires to 1/0 AWG wire:

1. Battery Negative to cars frame

2. Alternator Bolt (negative) or Engine Block to cars frame

3. Alternator Positive to Battery Positive

so for the alternator, is it just switched out with the old one? cuz i have seen some where they have to get the belt system changed and somehow do some weird shit to get another one. im figuring u just replace the old one. and for those big 3 things, are they already done when u get a car or is that something u do just to ground it even better? i know the parts of cars/trucks but im still young so i have only learned what i have had to do to my own, if it wasnt raining i would go out there right now and check out what im looking at with bettery/alternator wise cuz i havent had my truck long and i always had a smaller car.

[daledealedaledeal 0]

Here are a few sites to get quotes from on alts. They are quality alts so they will be expensive.

mechman

dc power

ohio

iraggi

i expect many of these things to be expensive, all systems ive had up to this point were cheap (trying to look cool) systems, so i plan on putting around 1500 but not more then 2k into this system. i have aftermarket door speakers and i have 6x9s that i wanna take out of my old car to put in this

[bigrank916 72]

Here are a few sites to get quotes from on alts. They are quality alts so they will be expensive.

mechman

dc power

ohio

iraggi

i expect many of these things to be expensive, all systems ive had up to this point were cheap (trying to look cool) systems, so i plan on putting around 1500 but not more then 2k into this system. i have aftermarket door speakers and i have 6x9s that i wanna take out of my old car to put in this

Well $2k for 2k rms is gonna be tight. Will you be building the enclosure yourself. I know shops always want way too much. You will save a lot that way.

[daledealedaledeal 0]

Here are a few sites to get quotes from on alts. They are quality alts so they will be expensive.

mechman

dc power

ohio

iraggi

i expect many of these things to be expensive, all systems ive had up to this point were cheap (trying to look cool) systems, so i plan on putting around 1500 but not more then 2k into this system. i have aftermarket door speakers and i have 6x9s that i wanna take out of my old car to put in this

Well $2k for 2k rms is gonna be tight. Will you be building the enclosure yourself. I know shops always want way too much. You will save a lot that way.

thats where i was going to have to put some thought into, i have an ok box already from my bros old system. im a pretty good carpenter so i could build my own, i just kind of dont feel like it. i wouldnt go to a shop for an encloser tho. im just interested in the wiring, sub, amp, and alt/+ battery.

[bigrank916 72]

Here are a few sites to get quotes from on alts. They are quality alts so they will be expensive.

mechman

dc power

ohio

iraggi

i expect many of these things to be expensive, all systems ive had up to this point were cheap (trying to look cool) systems, so i plan on putting around 1500 but not more then 2k into this system. i have aftermarket door speakers and i have 6x9s that i wanna take out of my old car to put in this

Well $2k for 2k rms is gonna be tight. Will you be building the enclosure yourself. I know shops always want way too much. You will save a lot that way.

thats where i was going to have to put some thought into, i have an ok box already from my bros old system. im a pretty good carpenter so i could build my own, i just kind of dont feel like it. i wouldnt go to a shop for an encloser tho. im just interested in the wiring, sub, amp, and alt/+ battery.

You should feel like it. These drivers deserve their own boxes. Whats the dimensions of the old enclosure you have already?

[daledealedaledeal 0]

Here are a few sites to get quotes from on alts. They are quality alts so they will be expensive.

mechman

dc power

ohio

iraggi

i expect many of these things to be expensive, all systems ive had up to this point were cheap (trying to look cool) systems, so i plan on putting around 1500 but not more then 2k into this system. i have aftermarket door speakers and i have 6x9s that i wanna take out of my old car to put in this

Well $2k for 2k rms is gonna be tight. Will you be building the enclosure yourself. I know shops always want way too much. You will save a lot that way.

thats where i was going to have to put some thought into, i have an ok box already from my bros old system. im a pretty good carpenter so i could build my own, i just kind of dont feel like it. i wouldnt go to a shop for an encloser tho. im just interested in the wiring, sub, amp, and alt/+ battery.

You should feel like it. These drivers deserve their own boxes. Whats the dimensions of the old enclosure you have already?

ok ill look into making my own, any tips on size and type of wood and whether it actually needs carpet or not (although ill probably put some if it doesnt make a difference cuz i prefer the look) for the box?

and when hooking up the battery, is it just positive to positive and negative to negative? or do i ground the negative and do positive to positive? do i split at the alt. or do i split from the original battery?

[jcarter1885 995]

When you hook up another battery you usually do

bat 1(+) ---fuse----------------------------------------------------fuse--- bat 2(+)

For the negative you can either go to first battery but since it is in the front in most cases you can find somewhere in the trunk to ground it.

When it comes to a box it is up to you to if you want it carpeted or not, thats a personal preference. If you need some help in designing then go outside when you get a chance and measure the max dimensions you have available (height x width x depth). Also remember to make some room for your battery, amps and airflow when taking these measurements into account.

[bigrank916 72]

Here are a few sites to get quotes from on alts. They are quality alts so they will be expensive.

mechman

dc power

ohio

iraggi

i expect many of these things to be expensive, all systems ive had up to this point were cheap (trying to look cool) systems, so i plan on putting around 1500 but not more then 2k into this system. i have aftermarket door speakers and i have 6x9s that i wanna take out of my old car to put in this

Well $2k for 2k rms is gonna be tight. Will you be building the enclosure yourself. I know shops always want way too much. You will save a lot that way.

thats where i was going to have to put some thought into, i have an ok box already from my bros old system. im a pretty good carpenter so i could build my own, i just kind of dont feel like it. i wouldnt go to a shop for an encloser tho. im just interested in the wiring, sub, amp, and alt/+ battery.

You should feel like it. These drivers deserve their own boxes. Whats the dimensions of the old enclosure you have already?

ok ill look into making my own, any tips on size and type of wood and whether it actually needs carpet or not (although ill probably put some if it doesnt make a difference cuz i prefer the look) for the box?

and when hooking up the battery, is it just positive to positive and negative to negative? or do i ground the negative and do positive to positive? do i split at the alt. or do i split from the original battery?

Always use at least 3/4" wood when building an enclosure for a subwoofer. For the type of wood, you have a couple choices. Plywood can be used and is the cheapest but the weakest of all. MDF is the norm and it provides excellent results. Very sturdy product when built right. Birch is stronger than MDF but more expensive. Moving away from wood you can get into plexiglass. It is sick to look at and very, very solid to build with. Only drawback is it is about $250-300 for a 4x8 sheet!

Yes, it is pos to pos and neg to neg. You can ground the neg in a proper area when it doesnt make sense to run a long wire.

[daledealedaledeal 0]

so what size fuse should i be looking at buying for all of these different places? im not too good with fuses, i only kno the ones that my truck tells me i need in my book lol. im figuring the amp i want is going to be 2000 watts? im still not sure on what type of amp i should be looking at

so lets recap what ive learned; extra battery, aftermarket alt., how to hookup the battery, suggestions for an enclosure

im still needing to kno; the fuses to use, amp to use, if 2 btl 12s are good, and thats all i can think of right now

thanks for the help everybody by the way

[jcarter1885 995]

so what size fuse should i be looking at buying for all of these different places? im not too good with fuses, i only kno the ones that my truck tells me i need in my book lol. im figuring the amp i want is going to be 2000 watts? im still not sure on what type of amp i should be looking at

so lets recap what ive learned; extra battery, aftermarket alt., how to hookup the battery, suggestions for an enclosure

im still needing to kno; the fuses to use, amp to use, if 2 btl 12s are good, and thats all i can think of right now

thanks for the help everybody by the way

No problem man that is what we are here for. Usually you fuse the wire so if you hook the batteries up using a 1/0 awg wire then you will be ok with a 300A fuse.

Are you going for BTL's or BL's about a 1000 watt difference or more between the subs.

[bigrank916 72]

so what size fuse should i be looking at buying for all of these different places? im not too good with fuses, i only kno the ones that my truck tells me i need in my book lol. im figuring the amp i want is going to be 2000 watts? im still not sure on what type of amp i should be looking at

so lets recap what ive learned; extra battery, aftermarket alt., how to hookup the battery, suggestions for an enclosure

im still needing to kno; the fuses to use, amp to use, if 2 btl 12s are good, and thats all i can think of right now

thanks for the help everybody by the way

The fusing will depend on whether or not the amp you are using has onboard fusing. Also fusing right after the first battery, under the hood. I fuse this for the wire itself and generally use a 250-350 amp fuse on 1/0 ga. I personally use 350 and have used 250 in the past but you can surely get by with less. With multiple batteries, you want to fuse after the last battery close to the batt like under the hood.

The amp really depends on your budget to give some suggestions. For 2 BLs I would be looking for an amp that does 2k rms at 1 ohm.

Of course BTLs are good but thats pretty subjective. A lot of drivers can be good.

[daledealedaledeal 0]

i looked online through a few amps, http://www.amazon.com/Hifonics-Brutus-BXI2010D-D-Class-Amplifier/dp/B001R7S9DK, hows that one look?

and so from what im understanding, my hook up should go like this:

-altenator to battery#1 positive

-fuse between alt. and battery#1

-battery#1 positive to battery#2 positive

-fuse between 2 batteries

-system (amp and subs) to battery positive

-fuse between that (whether in amp or not)

Is that how it should go? and only one fuse between each or 2 inbetween certain ones?

and if so would i be able to hook the amp up to the second battery? the second battery is going to be in the extended cab of my truck so it would be less wiring if i just hooked it up there

[bigrank916 72]

i looked online through a few amps, http://www.amazon.com/Hifonics-Brutus-BXI2010D-D-Class-Amplifier/dp/B001R7S9DK, hows that one look?

and so from what im understanding, my hook up should go like this:

-altenator to battery#1 positive

-fuse between alt. and battery#1

-battery#1 positive to battery#2 positive

-fuse between 2 batteries

-system (amp and subs) to battery positive

-fuse between that (whether in amp or not)

Is that how it should go? and only one fuse between each or 2 inbetween certain ones?

and if so would i be able to hook the amp up to the second battery? the second battery is going to be in the extended cab of my truck so it would be less wiring if i just hooked it up there

If your budget is around $300, try looking at this which is only $50 more. Audioque 2200D It is widely considered of much higher quality. I wouldnt buy a BXI to pair with Fi drivers but thats me. I have one now but am waiting to change it out.

No fuse is needed between the alt and the first batt. The fuse from batt #1 should be no more than 8-12" away from the batt.

The last two, I am confused by what you are trying to say. Lets just decide on what equipment you will be using and go from there. It will clear some of that up.

Yes it makes more sense to wire the amp to the batt in the back.

[jcarter1885 995]

Big 3 Wiring:

Alternator Positive-------------Battery Positive (you can put a fuse less than 12 inches after alternator if you want to but dont have to).

Alternator Bolt or Engine Block--------------------Car's Frame

Battery Negative----------------------------Car's Frame

Battery 1 to Battery 2:

Bat 1 Positive-----(fuse within 12 inches)-----------------------------------(fuse within 12 inches)----Bat 2 Positive

Battery 2 Negative-----------------------Car's Frame

Amp Hook-up:

Battery 2 Positive-----(fuse within 12 inches)------------------Distribution Block (if more than one amp, dont have to use one can just wire each amp individuallly to battery)------------------Amps Positive Terminal

*Some big amps dont have an onboard fusing so you can put one within 8 inches before the Amp's positive terminal.

Amp's Negative Terminal----------------Battery Negative Terminal

I personally wouldnt use one of those amps, what is your budget for an amplifier?

[daledealedaledeal 0]

i looked online through a few amps, http://www.amazon.com/Hifonics-Brutus-BXI2010D-D-Class-Amplifier/dp/B001R7S9DK, hows that one look?

and so from what im understanding, my hook up should go like this:

-altenator to battery#1 positive

-fuse between alt. and battery#1

-battery#1 positive to battery#2 positive

-fuse between 2 batteries

-system (amp and subs) to battery positive

-fuse between that (whether in amp or not)

Is that how it should go? and only one fuse between each or 2 inbetween certain ones?

and if so would i be able to hook the amp up to the second battery? the second battery is going to be in the extended cab of my truck so it would be less wiring if i just hooked it up there

If your budget is around $300, try looking at this which is only $50 more. Audioque 2200D It is widely considered of much higher quality. I wouldnt buy a BXI to pair with Fi drivers but thats me. I have one now but am waiting to change it out.

No fuse is needed between the alt and the first batt. The fuse from batt #1 should be no more than 8-12" away from the batt.

The last two, I am confused by what you are trying to say. Lets just decide on what equipment you will be using and go from there. It will clear some of that up.

Yes it makes more sense to wire the amp to the batt in the back.

well im thinking about getting BTLs now instead, so i was thinking 2 12" BTL in (most likely) one of my own boxes. I'll check out that amp, but since u suggested it then ill probably go with it. i havent decided on an alternator yet or a battery, but its all going to be hooked up with the 1/0 wire like suggested

so from those how do i hook it up to the battery?

[bigrank916 72]

i looked online through a few amps, http://www.amazon.com/Hifonics-Brutus-BXI2010D-D-Class-Amplifier/dp/B001R7S9DK, hows that one look?

and so from what im understanding, my hook up should go like this:

-altenator to battery#1 positive

-fuse between alt. and battery#1

-battery#1 positive to battery#2 positive

-fuse between 2 batteries

-system (amp and subs) to battery positive

-fuse between that (whether in amp or not)

Is that how it should go? and only one fuse between each or 2 inbetween certain ones?

and if so would i be able to hook the amp up to the second battery? the second battery is going to be in the extended cab of my truck so it would be less wiring if i just hooked it up there

If your budget is around $300, try looking at this which is only $50 more. Audioque 2200D It is widely considered of much higher quality. I wouldnt buy a BXI to pair with Fi drivers but thats me. I have one now but am waiting to change it out.

No fuse is needed between the alt and the first batt. The fuse from batt #1 should be no more than 8-12" away from the batt.

The last two, I am confused by what you are trying to say. Lets just decide on what equipment you will be using and go from there. It will clear some of that up.

Yes it makes more sense to wire the amp to the batt in the back.

well im thinking about getting BTLs now instead, so i was thinking 2 12" BTL in (most likely) one of my own boxes. I'll check out that amp, but since u suggested it then ill probably go with it. i havent decided on an alternator yet or a battery, but its all going to be hooked up with the 1/0 wire like suggested

so from those how do i hook it up to the battery?

You want BTLs but do you have the room for them? You said you have an s-10 ext cab but can you get a 6ft3 enclosure to fit? Thats the optimum size enclosure to build when running rms or under wattage. If so, you will be wanting a different amp. The BTLs are 2k rms each.

[daledealedaledeal 0]

do u mean a enclosure thats 6ft 3in squared? i cant fit a 6 foot box but i can fit a 6ft^2 box

[bigrank916 72]

do u mean a enclosure thats 6ft 3in squared? i cant fit a 6 foot box but i can fit a 6ft^2 box

Three cubic feet for each driver. Six cubic feet total. Not squared.

[jcarter1885 995]

There is no square when doing boxes its cubes, so go out in the truck and measure your max dimensions you have for an enclosure (height x width x depth); then give us the numbers.