Help! 3rd System Same Truck.

[Mesto 0]

Hey Guys I'm some what new to car audio so please bear with me and be easy on me (I have searched and still cannot find the answer...)

well to clarify my case even further I'm an car audio enthusiast but I've never done my *OWN sub and amp install and stuff i only put in my deck,cd changer,etc etc.. so yea =/ still novice at this!!)

(first 2 system installs amp, and subs were done by a local shop big ass rip off I paid more than 900.00 Each time, I Want To Try Setting Up, And Installing My Own System (amp/subs) so i can save some money...)

Replaced My Battery...and (attempted to do a BIG 3, found the thread and all but got confused so Chickened out :'( was trying to view the photos but eh no luck i'll try again later though..)

I replaced my Alpine CDA-9820XM deck with a Alpine IVA-D100 Got a Great deal on it locally so i snatched it up.....

Anyways Back To My Confusion!!! My Friend offered to build my box tuned at either 35hz or 37hz... so immediately I said yes sweet build my box.. made the proper measurements based on the subwoofer and this website here.. then he popped the most random question ... "Do You Want Two, Or Just One Speaker Terminal Cup?" I didn't know what to tell him so i told him to hold off on the box until i figure out so this is my problem do i need one or two? I attached an image hopefully it will explain my confusion and bring forth the answer clearly..

Is my wiring even technically correct?

Edited July 20, 2007 by ProFiMesto

[Mesto 0]

LOL i ok i think i figured it out... since my amp is a MONO amp... therefore both Setups are exactly the same.. if that's the case...

Can anyone help me with the BIG 3....

[mrray13 30]

the big three is easy enough...

what kind of truck do you have?

but basicly, you run an extra wire from the alternator to the positive battery post. you run an extra ground from the negative post to the chassis and another extra wire from the negative post to the engine. if you're game enough, you can also chase down the factory engine to chassis, and upgrade that one as well.

wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[Jmac 24]

I just woke up, but the wiring looks right. I'd go with a single terminal cup since the terminal cup is usually the weakest point on the enclosure.

How much enclosure design experience does your friend have ? The reason I ask is that everyone and their dog seems to be an "expert" enclosure designer lately ... I hate to see people drop thousands of dollars on equipment only to have it sound like crap because they trusted an amateur designer.

Oh and this isn't a plug, I don't design enclosures for the general public anymore ...

[Mesto 0]

I just woke up, but the wiring looks right. I'd go with a single terminal cup since the terminal cup is usually the weakest point on the enclosure.

How much enclosure design experience does your friend have ? The reason I ask is that everyone and their dog seems to be an "expert" enclosure designer lately ... I hate to see people drop thousands of dollars on equipment only to have it sound like crap because they trusted an amateur designer.

Oh and this isn't a plug, I don't design enclosures for the general public anymore ...

to be honest i really dont know.. if i could design and make boxes myself i would do it on my own but i lack experience in the technicals of building boxes and stuff i know where to get the stuff from just yeaaa i can see it falling apart very quickly...

the big three is easy enough...

what kind of truck do you have?

but basicly, you run an extra wire from the alternator to the positive battery post. you run an extra ground from the negative post to the chassis and another extra wire from the negative post to the engine. if you're game enough, you can also chase down the factory engine to chassis, and upgrade that one as well.

wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

I have a 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 Pickup Quadcab.. im removing the Cab back seat trying to wall or have the box built to fit in there....

[sqguy 0]

Some people are just putting bolts through the box for terminals, no issues with sealing them and they are very HD. The advantage of dual terminals is you can wire them to different ohms outside the box, should you change amps/wiring/drivers/etc. I wire each voice coil out of the box normally, but it is your preference what you want. Often I reuse boxes that is why I do it.

I don't see how making boxes is that hard, winISD will get you close and there are others. You do need to build it stout and seal it properly...construction...and there are other issues with proper mounting of the subs and port shapes and locations. If you get it all perfect it will perform very nicely, if you don't use flared ports for example you might get a little noise depending on size and location, etc....but it will still work. Anyway, it is always nicer to have one made for you if you are not into doing that, and yes they should know what they are doing or what you get will be questionable. And if you are really serious about max output or competing/SQ/etc you should have a really nice box properly made for you. Another issue is if the box is inside the vehicle with you not in a trunk, then any noise the box makes (like port noise) will be a problem where in the trunk it is not as much of an issue for casual use. Then there is the appearance of the box; how it looks. I've made a lot of bare ply boxes full of drywall screws that hammered, but they were ugly. It takes a lot of work to make a nice box that works well, looks well, is durable, and fits the application. Just my .02.

I just mounted 4 12s IB and it was a lot of work, and I didn't even carpet it yet. The frame is angled to fit the car, I have lots of hours into it and a box would have been a lot easier. But I have a fairly empty trunk now, just waiting to finish wiring to see how it pounds. I have built most of my boxes because I like to do that stuff...when I have time. The ones I didn't I only bought because they were cheap and about half of those I didn't like. They worked like they should, just were not what I wanted in sound...I like big boxes that go low and most bought (factory made) ones are small. That is the main reason I build my own.

[Mesto 0]

how exactly does the bolts work as terminals?

[///M5 2,833]

You just need a conductive piece of metal to carry the voltage signal through the wall of your box. If you bolt the wire to the subs on teh inside and bolt the wire to the amp on the outside it will have a clear path without the acoustic losses of the little plastic cup.

[Mesto 0]

Thank you!