2000 Chevy Silverado project "Charlie Murphy"
07-23-2012, 06:28 AM
#81
All of the power and speaker wiring is done. So I started building RCAs today. I found a pretty good write up here:
Low Cost DIY Interconnect Details, a How To Photo Gallery by shinjohn at pbase.com
What's funny is I actually found that website after I had already ordered all the pieces. I first got the idea reading on diyma. That guy in that link does a pretty good job explaining the process, so I won't go into any crazy detail.
The first thing I did was run my wire from point a to point b to get the appropriate length.
Then I cut another wire the same length and put them both inside some techflex.
After that, I scored the wire and pulled the housing off exposing the red, black and drain wire.
I learned it was best to do it this way to ensure that the RCA ends are the same length. Otherwise, if they're different lengths, it'll end up pulling one connector out.
I stripped the black and red wires. The red wire gets soldered to the center, the black to the outside. My connectors didn't have holes in them for the black wire, so I folded the wire over and crimped it down. Then I added a bit of solder to hold it into place.
One thing I wanted to mention is to connect the drain wire to the ground with the black wire. I've read that you only do this on the signal source end. I don't think it matters what end you connect it to though as long as you don't connect the drain wire on both ends.
The reason for this is because if you were to connect the drain wire to both ends it would no longer act as a shield and instead be a conductor.
So since I didn't buy left and right connectors, I bought red and black shrink wrap instead.
So, RCAs built and ran for 2 of the 4 amplifiers and from head unit to sound processor. I haven't organized the lower part there yet.
Hello old friend.
Low Cost DIY Interconnect Details, a How To Photo Gallery by shinjohn at pbase.com
What's funny is I actually found that website after I had already ordered all the pieces. I first got the idea reading on diyma. That guy in that link does a pretty good job explaining the process, so I won't go into any crazy detail.
The first thing I did was run my wire from point a to point b to get the appropriate length.
Then I cut another wire the same length and put them both inside some techflex.
After that, I scored the wire and pulled the housing off exposing the red, black and drain wire.
I learned it was best to do it this way to ensure that the RCA ends are the same length. Otherwise, if they're different lengths, it'll end up pulling one connector out.
I stripped the black and red wires. The red wire gets soldered to the center, the black to the outside. My connectors didn't have holes in them for the black wire, so I folded the wire over and crimped it down. Then I added a bit of solder to hold it into place.
One thing I wanted to mention is to connect the drain wire to the ground with the black wire. I've read that you only do this on the signal source end. I don't think it matters what end you connect it to though as long as you don't connect the drain wire on both ends.
The reason for this is because if you were to connect the drain wire to both ends it would no longer act as a shield and instead be a conductor.
So since I didn't buy left and right connectors, I bought red and black shrink wrap instead.
So, RCAs built and ran for 2 of the 4 amplifiers and from head unit to sound processor. I haven't organized the lower part there yet.
Hello old friend.
07-23-2012, 07:04 PM
#84
LOL. Thanks guys.
It might look complicated, but it really isn't. I don't have tons of cash into all this gear either, relatively speaking. Everything I bought secondhand and all my wiring came from eBay.
After digging into wiring information, I don't understand how brands like Monster stay in business. Electrically, my RCA cables will shield just as well as the Monster brand cables and they ended up costing me around 4.00 each, instead of 50.00.
I guess that's the nerdy in me.
Be patient fellas, the boring stereo install is nearing completion. Then it'll be onto NP149, and 4L80E. Woot!
It might look complicated, but it really isn't. I don't have tons of cash into all this gear either, relatively speaking. Everything I bought secondhand and all my wiring came from eBay.
After digging into wiring information, I don't understand how brands like Monster stay in business. Electrically, my RCA cables will shield just as well as the Monster brand cables and they ended up costing me around 4.00 each, instead of 50.00.
I guess that's the nerdy in me.
Be patient fellas, the boring stereo install is nearing completion. Then it'll be onto NP149, and 4L80E. Woot!
07-23-2012, 09:25 PM
#85
I agree on the monster thing....I read an article, several years ago, and they were comparing brands of RCA cable (shows you how long ago). The guy had a bunch of his friends sit and listen to his $10,000 home theater setup using the different cables in a blind test; a super expensive monster cable, a mediocre walmart cable, and a damn coat hanger untwisted.
No one in the audience could tell a difference between a $120 monster cable and a $0.10 coat hanger....
No one in the audience could tell a difference between a $120 monster cable and a $0.10 coat hanger....
07-24-2012, 01:27 AM
#86
LOL, that's halarious. As long as its a good conductor, and is shielded properly, what difference could it possibly make? Especially in car audio! With all the road noise and irregular seating positions, how could you possibly hear a difference?
I cleaned up the drivers side amplifiers a bit.
I finished building my RCAs and got them all hooked up to the MS-8.
So I went to turn the system on...nothing. I started chasing down wires and found out that my cd player's remote turn on output isn't functioning.
After messing around with that for a bit, I disconnected it and soldered the remote wire to 12v+ on ignition. Not ideal, but it'll work.
I was running out of time but I wanted to hear it play. I put on the headset microphones and let the MS-8 do it's sweeps.
I did get to hear music, it sounded alright until I turned it up. There's a weird clicking that sounds like it's coming from the right tweeter. Every time I hear the click, the lights on the head unit would dim.
I pulled the RCAs out of the MS-8 that fed that amplifier. Still heard clicking. I'm going to mess around with it more when I have more time. From what I did hear, it sounded great. I have a spare amplifier so hopefully it'll be as simple as swapping them out. If not, I'm going to have to run one amplifier 4 way (1" and 4") and the other 2 way (6"). I wish I had more time.
I cleaned up the drivers side amplifiers a bit.
I finished building my RCAs and got them all hooked up to the MS-8.
So I went to turn the system on...nothing. I started chasing down wires and found out that my cd player's remote turn on output isn't functioning.
After messing around with that for a bit, I disconnected it and soldered the remote wire to 12v+ on ignition. Not ideal, but it'll work.
I was running out of time but I wanted to hear it play. I put on the headset microphones and let the MS-8 do it's sweeps.
I did get to hear music, it sounded alright until I turned it up. There's a weird clicking that sounds like it's coming from the right tweeter. Every time I hear the click, the lights on the head unit would dim.
I pulled the RCAs out of the MS-8 that fed that amplifier. Still heard clicking. I'm going to mess around with it more when I have more time. From what I did hear, it sounded great. I have a spare amplifier so hopefully it'll be as simple as swapping them out. If not, I'm going to have to run one amplifier 4 way (1" and 4") and the other 2 way (6"). I wish I had more time.
07-29-2012, 05:02 AM
#89
So after a lot of digging, testing and diagnosis it turns out 3 of my 4 PQ10 amplifiers don't work. One cuts out at loud volume, one doesn't turn on and only the right channel works on the last one.
So some rewiring was in order. What I did was power the tweeters off of the MS-8 and power the 4" and 6" off of the one PQ10 that works.
My install just became a lot simpler. LOL.
I'm going to have to tear apart the PQ10s and see if I can figure out how to repair them. Or find someone that can repair them for me.
My stereo install is just about finished. There's a lot of tuning and tweaking that's left to do.
So, what's a guy to do if he has an incredible SQ deck that he's in love with from 1996 but wants to listen to mp3s on an iPhone or iPod?
Simple. You tear apart the cd changer's 13 pin cord.
After ALOT of testing and experimenting I finally got it to work properly, sort of.
I found out what pins carry the audio signal and I found out how to get the receiver to switch over and play that signal. The problem is once its switched over, you can't switch back.
To remedy this, I'll need to install a switch as well as the aux input. Flip the switch and listen to aux in, flip it back and the cd player and radio function again.
I'm going to look into a different style headphone jack. Maybe there's one that when you put the headphone cord into the jack it switches on and when you pull it out, it switches off. Circuit closed with the cord plugged in, open when removed.
So some rewiring was in order. What I did was power the tweeters off of the MS-8 and power the 4" and 6" off of the one PQ10 that works.
My install just became a lot simpler. LOL.
I'm going to have to tear apart the PQ10s and see if I can figure out how to repair them. Or find someone that can repair them for me.
My stereo install is just about finished. There's a lot of tuning and tweaking that's left to do.
So, what's a guy to do if he has an incredible SQ deck that he's in love with from 1996 but wants to listen to mp3s on an iPhone or iPod?
Simple. You tear apart the cd changer's 13 pin cord.
After ALOT of testing and experimenting I finally got it to work properly, sort of.
I found out what pins carry the audio signal and I found out how to get the receiver to switch over and play that signal. The problem is once its switched over, you can't switch back.
To remedy this, I'll need to install a switch as well as the aux input. Flip the switch and listen to aux in, flip it back and the cd player and radio function again.
I'm going to look into a different style headphone jack. Maybe there's one that when you put the headphone cord into the jack it switches on and when you pull it out, it switches off. Circuit closed with the cord plugged in, open when removed.
07-30-2012, 03:35 AM
#90
I managed to repair one of my PQ10s so I rewired everything again. Now I have 1 PQ10 in 4 way mode powering the 4" and 1" and the other in 2 way mode powering the 6" drivers. I'm getting some small vibrations in the door panel at high volumes.
So far it sounds pretty good. I can't make the subwoofer distort no matter how hard I try. lol There's still a lot of tuning and tweaking to do, but I should finally be nearing completion.
I wired in a switch with my headphone jack. So that seems to be working now. I also ordered some abs plastic from parts express. I'm hoping it will be in tomorrow. Then I can start messing around with how I'm going to mount the switch.
So far it sounds pretty good. I can't make the subwoofer distort no matter how hard I try. lol There's still a lot of tuning and tweaking to do, but I should finally be nearing completion.
I wired in a switch with my headphone jack. So that seems to be working now. I also ordered some abs plastic from parts express. I'm hoping it will be in tomorrow. Then I can start messing around with how I'm going to mount the switch.