95Honda

The RMS rating of the sub has absolutely nothing to do with how loud it will get. It the absolute last specification you should ever look at.

^^ Her next post will probably be SPAM.

I have a pair of 18s with those motors for my H/T.

One of the best motors ever designed...

My Tumults both had shifted motors, you could see the gap differences. Eventually the coils started rubbing. I sent the motors to RE in Vegas, they threw them away and put new motors on completely new drivers for me. You can't really fix the motors when they are out of alignment. If you remember there were alot of people complaining about early gen Tumults (same motor as XXX) making clanking sounds at lower power levels, I think there were definetely issues with the way those motors were so heavy and the way they were built. Alot were either built wrong or knocked out of alignment in shipping. If yours weren't rubbing, there is probably still enough clearance in there to run just fine. If there isn't, there is not much you can do.

Looks real good!

CA glue can be a little brittle, but for cone to dust cap there isn't a ton of stress and flex and it will work fine. If you can get Loctite 410 that is best, it is thicker, gap filling and black. Places like Fastenal usually have it. Look for a Loctite dealer in your area. You only get white marks if there are oils for the CA vapors to solidify on. Clean everything well (with something that won't melt your surround, I use Windex) and you won't have any white marks.

Also, don't look at anything on You Tube as reference. It makes about as much sense as listening to Elton John talk about how to pick up chicks...

You can't base enclosure size on cone size.

^^ Meaningless for them to tell you that, especially not knowing your wire gauge. This type of advice is geared twards keeping a moron from running a 20' ground with 10 awg wire for a 3Kw amp... Your ground can be as long as you want. As with (+) run of your cable, it all adds up total restance. So a 4' ground and a 16' (+) is no different than a 1' ground and a 19' (+).

If the factory ground is good not really a reason to run a separate one unless you encounter a ground loop (alternator AC component that is audible due to different ground potential between equipment).

Honestly, you have to model to find out. If you can't do this and interpret the results, stick to the recommended volumes and tuning. Normally, there isn't too big. You just get to the point of diminishing efficiency returns are more and more ripple in response if you tune in the same area.

The bigger box will increase your efficiency, and in some cases increase your overall SPL potential.

There is no such thing as proper gain setting. Something threw way to much power at your subs. It could be a bad amp like ^^ said or anything else down the signal chain...

The gains DO NOT set how much power is going to the sub. You can fry that sub with that amp at any gain setting with the right H/U. The gain setting only sets the voltage sensitivity of the amp. It does nothing else. You need to use your senses to tell if you are going to fry the sub...

The bigger box will increase your efficiency, and in some cases increase your overall SPL potential. Model and see the difference between 4 and 5.5 cubic feet. Purposely building a box smaller to increase mechanical power handling is not only pointless, but can decrease overall output potential.

Please stop telling people about their gain settings and protecting their drivers. Not only is it completely technically wrong, but you are leading people into false security.

You can smoke that, or any driver, with an amp that will do 2000 watts RMS. There is no gain setting that can keep you from doing this. You need to use all your senses to make sure you don't overpower the driver.

2nd the used Adcoms. I bought 3 of them used from Audiogon for the Zone 2 portion of my inlaws whole house audio system. 2 of them running parrellel sets of 8 ohm speakers. Great little amps, sound good too... BTW, Audiogon always has Adcom gear on there. Check out Parasound, Rotel and Acurus too... Great used bargains...

Get out and meet people.

Like I said, get to know some local guys. That will probably be your best bet. Do you live off post?

I got in good with our town's Burgermeister and then had him introduce me to a few of local carpenters. A few cold beers and T-bones from the commisary later and I had access to a wood shop and built maybe 10-15 speakers during my few years at Ramstein. That was how I got things done why I was there... DIY it. Or have someone teach you. Don't know where you are at, but Ramstein had a pretty nice self help wood shop also...

A zero reading would indicate a short. An high or infinite reading would indicate a torn lead or cooked coil... (assuming the coil didn't cook into one blob of copper shorted on the former)

Model the Dcons vs the Kickers in your current enclosure and you will get an idea of output and extension difference. You already know how your cabin gain is behaving, so a comparison of the two response curves will be meaningful to you.

Something sounds like it is broken somewhere...