"The Sound of Liberty"

[jfortier777]

Maybe your thinking of my setup (speakers on the gate)

Lol forde you beat me to it.

 

[eddiev9]

Also make sure you have a good ground connection

Does bad ground cause headlights to flicker with the bass?
A cap and amp ground should be seperate, too, right?

 

[MoladoGuy]

Does bad ground cause headlights to flicker with the bass?

Someone's going Techno!!!

 

[eddiev9]

Does bad ground cause headlights to flicker with the bass?

Someone's going Techno!!!

LOL! I actually had someone ask me how I got the lights to 'flash with the beat' and wondered where I got the device to make it possible.

 

[MoladoGuy]

Haha! that is just plain crazy...I hope you played along!

 

[sqliberty]

Also make sure you have a good ground connection

Does bad ground cause headlights to flicker with the bass?
A cap and amp ground should be seperate, too, right?

I have a ground distribution block, so the amp and cap are grounded to the same location. I have the 160 Amp alternator and a yellow top optima battery and once in a while the lights will dim a little bit when the bass is up loud. I am in the process of upgrading the power wire from the alternator to the battery, this is supposed to help.

 

[MoladoGuy]

Sqliberty:

I just want to comment on how clean and great your system looks. Very nice job, and love the matching wheels/tires on the trailer.

 

[eddiev9]

I am in the process of upgrading the power wire from the alternator to the battery

Is this part of "The Big 3" power wire upgrade? I hear this solves a lot of electrical problems including dimming lights. Are you taking pics along the way? I'd like to see how it's done in a KJ. O

 

[MoladoGuy]

Wow, cool article until I read this:

When fusing your alternator to battery positive wire, fuse it toward the battery end of the wire. As IMTfox points out later in this thread, the battery will explode if it's overloaded, while the alternator will only burn out its regulator which won't cause much damage except to the alternator itself. Exploding batteries are no fun!

But then again I'm not expert in doing any car stereo installations haha.

 

[Marlon_JB2]

Either way, it's bad. Some alternators (not sure about the KJ's)... when the regulator goes out, the entire alternator has to be replaced. *****!

 

[jfortier777]

Wow, cool article until I read this:

When fusing your alternator to battery positive wire, fuse it toward the battery end of the wire. As IMTfox points out later in this thread, the battery will explode if it's overloaded, while the alternator will only burn out its regulator which won't cause much damage except to the alternator itself. Exploding batteries are no fun!

But then again I'm not expert in doing any car stereo installations haha.

Thats just plain unnecessary precaution. The power going through the wire is everywhere the same, (well traveling at the speed of light anyway), so it does not matter which of the two you fuse closest too, its just important that you do have a fuse in there just in case.
If you really want to get technical, you should fuse at the negative terminal since the electrons come out from the negative pole and travel to the positive.
But hey, no sense in stiring the waters with controversy.

 

[Se7enLC]

Thats just plain unnecessary precaution. The power going through the wire is everywhere the same, (well traveling at the speed of light anyway), so it does not matter which of the two you fuse closest too, its just important that you do have a fuse in there just in case. If you really want to get technical, you should fuse at the negative terminal since the electrons come out from the negative pole and travel to the positive.
But hey, no sense in stiring the waters with controversy.

I would think that typically, you want to fuse close to the source of power (the positive side). While it is true that the electrons are the particles that are flowing, it is the positive charge that is more dangerous (since the "negative" is really the ground plane for the entire vehicle). When you have a system that is drawing so much current that it is blowing fuses, it could very well be melting wires, too (especially if you fuse size isn't selected well for the gauge of wire or if connections are made poorly). If you have wires melting, you want as few of those melting wires to have a chance to contact a ground as possible, so you put that fuse real close to the source.

Of course, with a battery and an alternator, it's a little less clear. Which is the source? The battery is what is supplying the stereo with power, but the alternator charges the battery. Either one is effectively a dangerous source of current, so just put fuses all ova tha place, yo.

But you're right, so long as there is a fuse in there, that's good enough. Everything else is just convention, there really isn't a right or wrong until somebody comes up with a really good reason, like the "what order should I attach jumper cables in" question.

 

[jfortier777]

I re-ran my HU outputs and all of my interior lights. Doubled up on the lights under the rear seats and changed colors to green.

I'll be adding underbody LEDs this evening and Ill put up some pics of it in a new thread.

Hooray, too bad the jeep show this weekend isnt at night.

 

[jfortier777]

To those of you who care about this kinda stuff.


My SPL meter is en route via UPS. Should be here by the end of this week.

 

[eddiev9]

I re-ran my HU outputs and all of my interior lights. Doubled up on the lights under the rear seats and changed colors to green.

I'll be adding underbody LEDs this evening and Ill put up some pics of it in a new thread.

Hooray, too bad the jeep show this weekend isnt at night.

So when are you putting up your LED thread?

 

[jfortier777]

So when are you putting up your LED thread?

Ha ha! Sorry It totally slipped my mind.

I'll take some pictures tonight and start a thread for it.

On another note: My SPL meter will be waiting for me when I get home tonight.

 

[jfortier777]

So here it is, finally the results of this entire project boil down to this one test that will either justify or void all of the work I did on this project.

The SPL results are in and the proof is in the video



http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1649659543884259151





PS: no underbody light pics yet since the ground is not dry enough to lay down on.

 

[eddiev9]

Nice video! Must have really hurt your eardrums, though.

BTW, are you going to be taking pics while you install the underbody LED kit? I'm a little curious of how they are wired, etc.

 

[MoladoGuy]

PS: no underbody light pics yet since the ground is not dry enough to lay down on.

Put a blanket or matt down and get on it.

GEEETTT ERRR DONE!!! :-#

Can't wait to see it. Should cruise around Gratiot after you do it. haha.

 

[jfortier777]

Funny thing happened last night. I got an improved quality sine wav at 38.4Hz to test the port tuning..yack yack ayck blah blah.

So I went to a parking lot not too far from the house so I wouldnt drive my immediate neighbors crayZ. I proceeded to perform a few more tests, (which did not provide higher numbers).

So on my way back to the house I turned all my lights on and cruised down the side streets in STYLE.

Those of you in other states may not know this but in Michigan ANY aftermarket lighting is illegal on-road. Including most fog lights and offroad lights, but especially underbody lights. So I was rollin down these random side streets back to the house and I pull up to this 3-way stop. I stopped and looked to my right and the vehicle with the right of way just happened to be a cop.

He had apparently been waiting for me to notice him and when I did I stumbled around a bit for my remote control and quickly shut my lights off. He waved at me and smiled and continued on his way.

I was convinced that he would at least turn on his lights to compete. LOL.

Anyway, Ill take pictures tonight if it will satisfy the mob.