Agent_Nothing
New Member
- Joined
- May 17, 2009
- Messages
- 2
- Reaction score
- 2
- City, State
- Coeur D'Alene, Idaho
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2000 Explorer Eddie Bauer
First and foremost, I want to say thanks to everyone in the SeriousExplorations community! Thanks to this site, I've solved many little issues that my Xplorer had. Now on to why I wanted to write this...
How to Install an Aftermarket Sub & Amp with your Stock Head-Unit
Now obviously, if you don't have the stock sub in the rear quarter panel, this guide won't really apply to you.
I'll just start at the beginning. Was watching Craigslist for a little while, and stumbled upon two 12" Rockford Fosgate Punch XLC Subs w/Box and a 250W x 2 Rockford Fosgate Punch XLC Amp for just $100!
So I went down to my local Aspen Sound and bought what I thought would be all I'd need.
1. Rockford Fosgate : 8 AWG Power Installation Kit
2. Peripheral By Stinger P50A 2 Channel Adjustable Line Output Converter
3. Two Speaker cables 2ft. long each
So after paying too much at the store (should have bought online), I went about installing it all. Now it had been a few years, so I was a little rusty, but I've installed stereo's before semi-professionally.
I started with my power lead. If you follow the "Hood Release" latch back to the firewall, that plug pulls out fairly easily.
Secured the power lead with inline fuse and made sure it wouldn't move around freely.
After this, I just released all the plastic door guards and tucked the power cable up underneath the carpet all the way back to the rear seat.
In the picture above, you can see where I brought my Power lead and Ground through to the cargo area. I connected the ground to one of the bolts underneath the rear seat flap. If sanded down real quick, it makes a great secure spot for your ground.
Now for the Remote cable, to power on the amp. One would think that the stock amp would have a remote as well. Well it does, but it's only 5.5V. Most aftermarket Amps will need 12V to recognize it's time to turn on. So after taking my multimeter to the wires, I found that the stock amp has a 12V constant power, and a 5.5V switched power. (Other threads in this forum have brought up this issue, I'll work on linking to those threads.)
So here's my solution:
What you're looking at is a Compact 5VDC/1A SPST Reed Relay. By connecting the highlighted leads to the necessary wires, I now have 12V switched power! The concept here is fairly simple: when the relay sees 5V, it flips a magnetic switch and connects my 12V to my remote. This part can be purchased for $2.99 at RadioShack, along with the little black case it's in and the waferboard to connect it all.
Here you see where the P50A 2 Channel Adjustable Line Output Converter comes into play. I decided to tap into the sub signal after the amp.
And there you have it! With this guide, you can install an aftermarket subwoofer and amplifier for under $90 after shipping. Here's the final look at my install:
If this guide helps just one poor soul, then it was worth it. Please say thanx if it was useful for you.
How to Install an Aftermarket Sub & Amp with your Stock Head-Unit
Now obviously, if you don't have the stock sub in the rear quarter panel, this guide won't really apply to you.
I'll just start at the beginning. Was watching Craigslist for a little while, and stumbled upon two 12" Rockford Fosgate Punch XLC Subs w/Box and a 250W x 2 Rockford Fosgate Punch XLC Amp for just $100!
So I went down to my local Aspen Sound and bought what I thought would be all I'd need.
1. Rockford Fosgate : 8 AWG Power Installation Kit
2. Peripheral By Stinger P50A 2 Channel Adjustable Line Output Converter
3. Two Speaker cables 2ft. long each
So after paying too much at the store (should have bought online), I went about installing it all. Now it had been a few years, so I was a little rusty, but I've installed stereo's before semi-professionally.
I started with my power lead. If you follow the "Hood Release" latch back to the firewall, that plug pulls out fairly easily.
Secured the power lead with inline fuse and made sure it wouldn't move around freely.
After this, I just released all the plastic door guards and tucked the power cable up underneath the carpet all the way back to the rear seat.
In the picture above, you can see where I brought my Power lead and Ground through to the cargo area. I connected the ground to one of the bolts underneath the rear seat flap. If sanded down real quick, it makes a great secure spot for your ground.
Now for the Remote cable, to power on the amp. One would think that the stock amp would have a remote as well. Well it does, but it's only 5.5V. Most aftermarket Amps will need 12V to recognize it's time to turn on. So after taking my multimeter to the wires, I found that the stock amp has a 12V constant power, and a 5.5V switched power. (Other threads in this forum have brought up this issue, I'll work on linking to those threads.)
So here's my solution:
What you're looking at is a Compact 5VDC/1A SPST Reed Relay. By connecting the highlighted leads to the necessary wires, I now have 12V switched power! The concept here is fairly simple: when the relay sees 5V, it flips a magnetic switch and connects my 12V to my remote. This part can be purchased for $2.99 at RadioShack, along with the little black case it's in and the waferboard to connect it all.
Here you see where the P50A 2 Channel Adjustable Line Output Converter comes into play. I decided to tap into the sub signal after the amp.
And there you have it! With this guide, you can install an aftermarket subwoofer and amplifier for under $90 after shipping. Here's the final look at my install:
If this guide helps just one poor soul, then it was worth it. Please say thanx if it was useful for you.
