sandt38

Is the amp even coming on? I saw no mention of any LED indicator, or mention of the amp in protect mode, or any other such thing. This is such a simple thing to look for I can't believe no one even asked. I see you have 2 amps. I assume the front stage amp is coming on. How are the remote turn ons wired? Do you have a relay or did you daisy chain them, or did you run 2 separate leads from the HU? Does the sub work when you have the radio turned on? Not the CD player or what not, but the FM radio...

Fuck that. What happens when you die the day you retire? What happens if you travel too much and get to be 65 with no retirement fund? Hope the Democrats are still in office, duh. On a more serious note, I believe in investing in my future. I work for myself and have a savings account. Got any suggestions for investment? Cause buying a house is starting to seem like a joke. If you're one of those contrarian-types though, now would be the best time to buy a house. Mortgage rates are the lowest in 50 years, plus home prices are better for the buyer now. On a $200,000 house 1 percentage point on the loan interest translates into a difference of about $120 per month, which translates into $86,400 over the life of a 30 year loan. I don't know about you, but that's a really good chunk of change and can make up for quite a bit of stagnant home price years in which the value of the home does not go up. Plus you have to ask yourself, if you're going to live in this house forever, who cares about resale value? All you're doing with a lower valued home is saving property tax each year. That sounds good to me. And how long do you expect this housing crisis to last? 30 years? I doubt it. Even 5 or 10 years? As for where to invest, it depends on your timeline IMO. But you can always just go back to the old mix of stocks and bonds. China is expected to have explosive growth for the next couple of decades, they've already started. They had something like 8% growth last year while the US was still marred in recession. If you think the US will be stagnant for the next 5 years, don't be afraid to look at emerging markets and countries. But IMO, if you're an active investor, there will be plenty of opportunities to make money in the US market yet. Just stay away from penny stocks. Don't get caught looking for the quick 10-bagger as it will ruin you. I just figured up last night that if I wasn't stuck with the three penny stocks that I have that are losing money for me, I would have earned 19% since I began investing last January, which rapes the market return of about 7% when adjusted for market value when I added money to my account a few times over the last 1.5 years. Instead, I'm stuck at an 8% loss and just hoping these pennies will go back up just so I can break even. My boss has recently advised me on the value of doing covered calls with dividend-paying stocks. You not only get dividend, but get money from writing call options. It may limit your upside to 10-20% if the stock gets called away, but don't be greedy. It also protects you for about 5% to the downside just because of the income you get from the dividend and writing the calls. Plus if the stock stays put, you can continually write calls every month if you want and just keep garnering the money from it. Just gotta have a long term approach and not worry about day-to-day or even month-to-month fluctuations. As far as the house is concerned KU is dead on. While it is tough to get a loan in todays market, the rates and the drastic drop in pricing make it worthwhile to do it NOW. My son just bought himself a condo in Orange County CA. He has been looking for 5 years. The boy just knew what he wanted. He looked at a condo when he first started 5 years ago that was 1200Sq feet that went for $420,000. He bought the exact same condo 3 months ago (it sold to someone else in the interim) for $186,000. Not only did he save ~$235K, he also got a better interest rate by almost 2 points. As far as investing, as someone who made a fortune in the 90s in the stock market and lost a fat wad in the early 2000s I can tell you one thing... don't ever take anyone else's advice. Everyone is so quick to tell you to do this and do that, but if it really were making them money, I am not sure they would be telling you much about it. Do the smart thing and get dialed in with a financial adviser. They can sit down with you and develop a plan that will work best for you with your specific goals in mind. But you really need to get on the stick with it. Retirement isn't far away for any of us... time flies. As for me, when I am ready it will be golden. Sell my rental houses and my house, take all my money and buy a villa in Italy... 10 years to go and i am on the right track.

Please broaden your veiws on the statement in red. Most people prefer distortions in these ranges as the seem louder because of the distortion. The drivers tend to provide more of a presence. Ask many people who have heard a Brahma MKII what they thought about it. Being super linear many people felt it was non-existent in the system, or too laid back not enough impact.

Fuck that. What happens when you die the day you retire? What happens if you travel too much and get to be 65 with no retirement fund? Entitlement programs FTMFW!

For any vehicle bearing an average load I always fill to 32 PSI, with the understanding that friction from the road will cause the air in the tires to expand and actual moving pressures should maintain roughly 35 PSI due to expansion. We don't have a nitrogen pump at my shop. If we did, we would set the tires to 35. On vehicles that bear heavy loads, like the local news vans with the microwave masts, I fill them to 65. On the big satellite trucks for them I go 85. Keep in mind that the recommended pressure is pretty much universally 35 PSI. By increasing the tire pressure to 40 you effectively increase it's stability with an added load, but when you run a standard load with higher pressure you reduce tire/road contact surface and therefore also reduce braking and acceleration efficiency. Also, the tires make the ride more rough. Another thing, by increasing the pressure that significantly you will see more wear in the center of the tires to the outer edge (assuming a common toe-in setting). TBH, the nominal gains in fuel economy will not outweigh the wear on the tires when it all comes down to dollars and cents.

What was your favorite amplifier you have ever owned, and why was it your favorite? Just a fun topic that involves some retrospect. I was listening to my system, just taking it in today on the way home from work. I had to do too much thinking about my favorite comp set ever and still haven't really nailed down my fave, my favorite sub was simple, but the amp took a little thought. I had to weigh out a few, but the top few were definitely easy to recall. So give it up... The favorite you ever owned and why.

I know you meant to say it is a shame when your hobbies and lifestyle takes away from your car audio...

Is that NET volume or gross volume? How much port areea, and to what is it tuned to? Because the BTL doesn't sounds loud enough to you doesn't means it's not getting the 1700 watts. Actually, as stated above by KU40 and myself, the sub will likely never reach it's full output potential. However, that is not an issue with the amp, it is simply how dynamic impedance functions in a loudspeaker system. The bottom line is, the amp is set with the DMM and is showing the proper voltage. This being the case, we can rest assured the amp is set up to deliver the proper power. Now he needs to focus on the real reason for it not being as loud as he thinks it should be... Install

This is purely an SQ install, right?

Those are some damn fine terminals.

Hoho... nice movie. Pretty decent story line, lots of effects etc. And words cannot express what I will do to Gemma I was disappointed in it. I saw it at the show and wish I had waited 'till it came out on BluRay. While the special effects were sweet, I liked the original better.

They are called torx. The ones in the pics are called tamper proof torx, or security torx, or safety torx. You need to be careful because they do make 5 sided "star" drive screws as well.

FWIW it is really best to model the system in an enclosure program, check the impedance graph, find the lowest impedance by frequency and run tones at or around this frequency. The point at which the dynamic impedance is lowest is the point at which the amplifier will be delivering the most power. Also, it is worth noting, the sub will typically reach it's lowest dynamic impedance at or around the enclosure's tuning frequency in the case of a ported box. But it must be stressed that just because the system is not putting out the birthsheet power of 1700 watts doesn't mean you can turn up the gains any more. Dynamic impedance will actually never reach the manufacturer rated RE... or I should say, I have never seen a case where it has. But just because the system will not make the rated 1700 watts, doesn't mean you can turn the gains up to that point. If you turn the gains up beyond the point where clipping occurs, it will clip no matter what the measured output actually is.

I do woodworking as a hobby. I recently built a new workshop, and have been kicking around a more solid entryway then the cinderblock steps I have been using. A forum I frequent is a woodworking forum, and I asked some opinions from guys who woodwork professionally as well as just guys who have been around it a lot longer then i have about what entryway they would choose, albeit a ramp or stairs or what have you. The resounding reply was a ramp. But we started debating the fact that wood gets slick in the rain, and I don't want a steel grate that will allow grass to grow under it. A few guys said that they have just used bedliner on their ramps with great success. These are guys wheeling equipment, and wood, and large products in and out of their shops. I would say if it can stand up to that kind of abuse, it could stand up to subwoofer enclosure duties. For those of you who care, I am doing a 4X12 landing and a front ramp, with steps on 1 side and a "loading dock" on the other, as it is almost the exact height of the gate on my PU there.

The wattage will not change. The load will be the same no matter what, unless you buy different subs. The installation issues at hand could be sunwoofer placement, firing direction, a poorly designed or constructed box, box flex, vehicle panel flex, the trunk being too sealed off, poor crossover settings (including but not limited to SSF settings), among many, many other variables.

Not anymore: congrats on the new subby

As was already stated, if you have achieved the recommended voltage, the gains are set. The amplifier is delivering it's output voltage, and the sub is providing the required load. The electrical demands have been met. End of story, period. Every install has different variables that will affect the sound quality and output of it's components differently. If not, every competitor with a BTL would have the exact same score every time. You just expected too much... Start working on other install variables and stop, stop, stop with the gains before you have a dead BTL and an even more dissatisfied friend. There is more to installation then just putting an amp in, building a box and tossing it in a car.

DUDE! Don't look now, but someone stole your seats!

Bree Olsen, Sasha Grey, Jenna Haze, Faye Reagan, Asa Akira, Jessica Bangkok, Zoe Britton, Nautica Thorn, Bobbi Star, Penny Flame...ok I'll stop now... MMMmmmmMMM. I like Jena Haze.

Discount tire has a good description of siping Tire Siping - Discount Tire My understanding is it is great in ice and wet weather conditions, although usually proponents of it don't discuss snow. I assume that is because it isn't really great in the snow. I grew up in Buffalo NY, so I know snow, but I left years before siping became an option with tires. We used to do a lot of mudding down the old logging roads in southern NY. We had big old jacked up trucks with monster mudders and super swampers on them. These tires worked great, but in the snow they collected every bit of snow in the treads making them horrible to get around in the snow. I suspect sniping the tires today has a similar collecting affect. We found that by taking off the big mudders and sticking little cookie cutter car tires on the trucks we could get around better. We just used car M/S tires with great success... We even used to drive around and pull people out of ditches.

What's funny is the kuhmo MT tires get great snow reviews. They are siped, no wonder A friend of mine has KL71's on his Defender, only good things to say about them in snow. I can't complain with the Bighorns either. But the Bighorns are a soft compound. Can't wait to get a set of rims and get some street rubber. SOrry I meant these. No sipey sipey. Small cuts in the outer lugs, isn't that what siped means ? They are lines cut into the rubber at 90 to the base tread, and they are cut all the way across the tire tread, not just the outer lug. It creates a more flexible, easily conforming tread, and also aids in gripping during braking and acceleration.

Michelin FTMFW! I only put Harmonys on my cars. On MY GN I have to put BFGs just because only them and Kelly makes tires to fit the rear on it. But I go through tires on that car quick.

I shit you not. My youngest son came home last year with an E on his test I needed to sign. I asked the teacher what an E was and she told me that... needs more effort. I said, "Oh, so you mean he failed?" She said, "Well, yes but we aren't allowed to tell them that". So I told him that. "This isn't needing more effort, you failed. You didn't meet the minimum requirements showing that you studied for this test. You are, basically, a loser. Grab a mop and start learning how to use it boy, because you are heading straight for an employment opportunity in the custodial arts". Then I beat his butt. He hasn't brought home an E since. The same thing could be said about Bree Olsen, yes?

And exactly how loud is that supposed to be? Every install has different variables that will affect the sound quality and output of it's components differently. If not, every competitor with a BTL would have the exact same score every time. Perhaps you just expected too much... Perhaps it is just an average install and you are expecting a competitor's install type output. If the output voltage is reading correctly, the amp gains are set right, period. It is now time to focus on the installation.

Basically why I don't think I could ever own a business. All the things that make good money are things I wish Americans would stop doing. I wouldn't cut corners which would cut my profit and people don't want to pay higher prices for the better quality so I lose money. To make big money you have to sell high volume. It's easier to sell high volumes of turds than it is to sell high volumes of good American made stuff. I have a feeling Aaron may feel the same way... The only way I've seen something good quality sell a lot of is when the company pushes the product as something that its not, claims that its more than it really is, and it usually is just a mark up because of the brand name when their is a product just as good for less available elsewhere. Some people pay for quality still. But the businesses you need to be in for that are along the lines of home theater/audio (I mean like high end stuff, not Joe Schmo off the street Best Buy crap), custom home design, like cabinetmaking, etc., and performance automotive for example. When I was working at a performance shop in So Cal it was not unusual to have a $20,000 ticket. Typically we would get a GN in there that needed to be brought up to snuff. Maybe $4-5K to get the car back to normal, then we had certain grades of performance mods. For $4K we would modify the intercooler, put a solid MAF Pipe on it, put a TA49 turbo on it, chip it, and a cat back hooker system. This would net them a second easily. Add a nice 3 inch downpipe to the mix with a better wastegate for another grand. Then we would offer other upgrades for better times, like Bilsteins, variable rate rear coils, new front coils, new sway bars, and adjustable trailing arms, along with a resetting of pinion angle for more traction for another $4K... But simple packaging like that in a niche market where people have play money makes it work. But you need to target people with extra cash doing things they really want, not things they have to do. Even in the performance shop you would see it, a guy would spend $10,000 on a motor and the 1sec upgrade I listed above, but he would shit a pickle sideways if you told him he had to fix something that was broken on the car.