Botched Install Blew The Amplifier! Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi

[@RainmanRaysRepairs]

This whole comment section is completely savage today, so I’ll answer a few things. Yes, there is a fuse on the power wire, yes the ground cable has a good connection to the seat bolt. Yes, it’s a one channel amp running two subs and 1ohm, that’s what the owner wanted. Personally I would have run a two channel. I’m aware that impedance and DC resistance is not the same thing. DMM‘s are not made for measuring audio equipment however we got a visual example of what I was talking about, I even had to help. No, I do not like the speakers touching the back seat, No I didn’t sell any of this equipment so the fitment issues are not an issue. Yes the amp has enough air round it to cool itself. No I didn’t bolt it down, I’m not going to blindly run self tapping screws through the man’s floor and carpet. 👍😎

[@ydonl]

I think you’re smart. I think you do pretty well with electricals, maybe great compared to many mechanics. I also think you would not only benefit, but actually *enjoy*, digging deeper into electrical theories and electronics… if you had the time and inclination. Not from “auto” electronics courses, and not from “car stereo” folks, but from actual electronics courses. I’m pretty darn sure you’d enjoy it, because it lines up with the way your brain works. Not the whole (time consuming) college program, just getting the… flow of things. The first and middle bits.

[@clbcl5]

It was way too easy for dad jokes on this one.

[@techone72893]

@@ydonl in one of the shops I worked in we had an ITT graduate come to work for us. Within three days he had already broken a windshield and caused other damages to vehicles. As installers, we didn't just know 12v electronics and were not just "car stereo folks", we were also mechanics, carpenters, metal fabricators, upholsterers, and much more. We took pride in excelling at what we did. We studied hard to get certified and we earned our right to say we were experts in our field. Many of us did take traditional electronics courses so we knew what we were installing and how to repair everything without having to send it back to the manufacturers for repairs. Knowing electronics IS a huge part of what we did, but we also had to know so much more to be successful.

[@techone72893]

Only once in my entire career did I make the mistake of blindly driving a screw though a vehicle's floor. It was the first week I was an installer, when I was 18, and I managed to drive the screw though a fuel line. I never made that mistake again. We never blindly drive screws, we confirm that we're driving through a safe place and won't hit anything vital either under the carpet or under the floorboard. Mounting an amp is a safety issue. Letting it move around freely is just simply dangerous. Also, I would never suggest grounding to a seat belt bolt. Best practice is to go straight to the chassis or frame. It's not just about getting the best electrical contact, it's also about avoiding noise from ground loops and other issues. The bigger issues these days are all the vehicles that have aluminum chassis and frames. They require you to use a factory supplied ground point and make mounting the amps more difficult. Trust me when I say, you do NOT want to run a steel screw through an aluminum body or frame. At one company I worked at, and installer grounded a device to the chassis of an Audi A8. Within three months the ground screw had corroded and the corrosion spread across the panel, which also happened to be a structural panel. The company had to buy the customer a new car because the original vehicle had to be scrapped.

[@ydonl]

@@techone72893 Sounds great! I just have an impression you may have been “above average.” You have to specialize when you want to dive *really* deep, but if you’re curious or otherwise motivated, you can mix up a lot of different areas.

[@legogummybear5]

Back in the old days we had sub woofers and dedicate equalizers. Cassette players and radios. It was all wired up on the fly and shoved into the dashboard. If it worked you were a legend! Pity it's all vanilla now. The youth of today will never experience pulling a dash apart or laying on your back for an hour under the steering wheel re-wiring the radio. Simpler times!

[@kurtisstutzman7056]

Yep, but you forgot about the part when you come out in the morning and find your windows broken and all your boom-booms stolen...! When you drive around 'advertising' your boom-booms all over town, for everyone to hear, you shouldn't be surprised...

[@eugenealbrycht2132]

No doubt, taking all the lower trim off to run the wires to the back. Screwing the speaker box through the floor and into the gas tank. Man I miss those days, we sure did learn the hard way.

[@rztrzt]

I was the kid that did all the audio installs back in the day. I won't be able to contort my body that way today.

[@24blade00724]

Yep been there done that. 58 years old now.

[@tomblobasjamesc.mccollum1740]

I used to install car stereos.....now I just pee-a-lot😂😢😢😢

[@paulwisdom5383]

Hey dude. Free tip for you. Dedicated Mono amps with 4 terminals for speaker connections are internally paired. So both positive outputs are just 1 connection, same for negative. So you could've wired each sub to it's own single terminals and internally they would be wired together. Same as when you spliced them together 😉

[@bradhumphrey5223]

He obviously doesn't do (or know) audio systems. It just a friend doing something for a friend - you know how that goes.

[@harrygroen69]

@@bradhumphrey5223 it's in the manual but who reads manuals. 🤣

[@SeanOMatic]

Dude doesn't know audio and it's obvious.

[@bobbg9041]

With my 17 years high end car audio exp I will watch this before making remarks but to let you know I am MECP certified installer that sold Alpine, Kenwood, Kicker, JL Audio and so on. One point I would like to make, the seat can not rest on the drivers like it is that slows down the motor and overheats the voice coil restricting its movement. That sub extruding up to 3/4" not all subs move that much but slowing or stopping it movement can melt the glues the speaker is made with it also blocks the sound. Then you have to set the amp up correctly.

[@techone72893]

Like you, I am a MECP certified installer (both audio/video as well as security specialist), though I left the business in 2014 after 25 years due to physical pain caused by getting under too many dashes, and I totally concur with your assessment. Also, I have stopped the video at the point he is getting in the truck and listing the customer complaints. The first thing I noticed was Ray saying that series wiring lowers the impedance and parallel raises it, which is totally backward and incorrect. The two 2ohm speakers he showed, if wired in parallel, will drop the impedance seen by the amp to 1ohm, which he mentioned is what the amp is built for. I will play the video momentarily to see if Ray catches this. The first thing, though, that comes to my mind, is NEVER take a vehicle to a mechanic to get the audio system repaired. No offense to Ray, but we are specialized experts in the field of automotive electronics. Mechanics do not do on a daily basis, or even weekly or monthly, what we do daily and for years. We have studied our craft and we know the details. We have been specifically tested in our knowledge of automotive electronics. Ray knows far more than I do about automotive repairs, and I would be happy to have him work on any of my vehicles at any time, but I guarantee you that we know more, by a factor of 10, about automotive electronics than he will ever know. If you want expert advice and proper installations of automotive electronics, take your car to an MECP certified installer.

[@Nichols_Santa]

@@techone72893 not to mention that he needs to measure impedance not resistance. Impedence is the measure of a coil's opposition to alternating current. you cannot measure it properly with a DC Multimeter

[@Gizmetti]

Hey Ray. Don't listen to any of these comments. I've been an audio engineer, master audio tech, inventor of speakers and I was there when the first sound wave was created. I have over 420 years of experience and everything you did was right.

[@robertkwit8506]

@@techone72893 it was rough to watch ray do this install.

[@HaraldBergTechTv]

@@techone72893You have a Good point, but there are a ton of people that are excellent installers but is not certified.

[@emmettturner9452]

A crimped on ferrule is what you need for those bare stranded wire ends. It’s like the cap at the end of your shoe laces. :)

[@JessicaFEREM]

yea a ferrule is the correct way but solder works too.

[@xuser48]

@@JessicaFEREM - Solder is a no-go. When you tighten a soldered wire you start a deformation that continues even after you have stopped tightning it and making a bad connection as result.

[@General-Eclectic]

Right. Solder does NOT work because of cold flow and oxidation problems. DO NOT USE SOLDER IN ANY KIND OF SPRING OR CLAMP CONNECTOR!!!

[@General-Eclectic]

@@JessicaFEREM No it doesn't.

[@themadhippy6911]

​@@xuser48 it dont matter on the speaker connectors,the clamping force is always trying to tighten,

[@billkeith2266]

Hi Ray, a quick note on DMM's. To accurately measure a small resistance, like 2 Ohms, you would normally connect the leads together first to see what your DMM lead resistance is, then measure the small resistance, it is probably near 0.5 Ohms depending on the condition of the leads. It would then have shown closer to the actual 2 Ohms the spears are rated for. Secondly, how a DMM measures resistance. A DMM outputs a small current from the positive to the negative and measure the corresponding voltage. It knows the current it is generating and measure the voltage and does a quick calculation to get the resistance. When connection it across a live voltage, it will skew the reading and that will depend on a lot of factors.

[@TellNoL437]

The resistance will read through the body and cause wrong readings. I use alligator clips to preventthe false readings.

[@pusikuracsnickom]

I believe speakers use ohms for impedance, not resistance :)

[@victorthomas9461]

Impedance is AC signal and resistance is DC signal. Speakers are DC signal so speakers use resistance.

[@TH-en9fl]

@@victorthomas9461 Incorrect, amplifier output is AC not DC. Ohms is impedance

[@pheelix-]

@@victorthomas9461 No, speakers are AC so Impedance is correct. The amp may be powered by DC, but the signal to the speakers is AC.

[@victorthomas9461]

@ thank you

[@petercornish9903]

@@victorthomas9461 Audio is an AC signal

[@kd6aaj]

Great video! I also like to "repurpose" ring lugs as "pin terminals" or "ferrules". The 2 Ohm value is AC Impedance (Z), not really DC Resistance (R), so the reading of 3+ Ohms is okay. Those are solder tabs. I would use ring lugs instead of the push-on connectors on solder tabs. I also like to take off those plastic insulators and just use heatshrink, sometimes with a sliver of hot-melt glue inside for some applications. Also, if you touch the wires you are testing, you are also measuring some of the resistance of your body., with some stray Voltages on our bodies absorbed from the environment from power lines, radio transmitters, etc (including fluorescent lighting) ;-) Love your video, very informative and I learn a lot of good things from them. And I don't want anyone to burn down my city either.

[@allans-workshop]

A note about the negative resistance on the multimeter today... I rarely comment on KZbin videos but I have an urge right now. I have been watching and following ever since you were at the previous shop. Your videos are always wonderful to watch and very informative, keep it up! It has encouraged me to start sharing some of my work/hobbies on KZbin too. I posted a video with soldering in too… I hope it doesn’t backfire! Below is something I was taught about the resistance/ohm/continuity/diode check feature when I was a child. The multimeter outputs a small voltage, then senses the return voltage (and current) to determine the resistance. When using this feature there should never be power applied to the circuit being tested, it is possible to damage the multimeter. However, the Fluke multimeter that you have is a really nice one (with protections built in), excellent choice! They are very well built. Resistance can only have a positive value and a negative value is not possible, I am surprised the multimeter actually displayed it! I can only conclude that external voltage was fed into the meter and effected the reading (it can damage the meter in the resistance measure mode). The circuit being tested should always have power removed before resistance/continuity testing, a friendly reminder/note. Thanks for the content you have been generous to share with everyone, it is always a highlight of the day to see a new video!

[@MrLeavemikealone]

Diddo..You beat me to it. NEVER CONNECT an ohm meter to a power source. Also I noted Ray was assuming resistance and impedance can both be measured with an ohm meter. Dc resistance will only be measured but... we also have inductance to factor in, which is why the speakers dc resistance didn't jive with the ratings listed by the manufacture.

[@leosmith848]

@@MrLeavemikealone Well never say never, but you won't get a meaningful result if you do...

[@stevereimer5254]

I accidently connected an old Radio Shack meter to 240V in resistance mode. The resulting hole in the circuit board told me I didn't have a fuse in the system. It was repairable with precision resistor. Oh, the days of being broke. Those Fluke meters are great.

[@General-Eclectic]

Negative resistance is possible, but only in active circuitry. There is no such thing as a "negative resistor", though some materials demonstrate a negative coefficient of resistance as they heat up. i.e. apply a slowly varying voltage and you can observe a "negative resistance" as the temperature varies. Also, switching power supplies will exhibit "negative resistance" in that the input current decreases with increasing supply voltage. Same thing with induction motors with fixed loads, such as some a/c compressors.

[@leecampbell9498]

​@@stevereimer5254that must have been an OLD meter where the leads had to be in different positions.

[@jmurillo0317]

Pay no mind to the haters. One of the best step by step tutorials of how to do a clean install on KZbin hands down. Liked and subbed. Keep up the awesome work!

[@tomfrank2707]

Thanks for this one, Ray! As someone who appreciates good audio, I appreciate you for tackling this diagnosis and repair. It's nice to see this kind of content on your channel that goes beyond the normal automotive electrical problems.

[@chuckfrankenstein7396]

I think he did a great job ive been installing car audio for 30 years. He took the time to insure good connections and tested everything. Im sure the customer wanted to tune it too his/her tastes. It you all in comment land have installed car audio you know the customers screw with everything in terms of gain setting and lp frequency.

[@CliffAdams-r3i]

As always ray when you do electrical work on cars, it's not always how it's supposed to be done, but it's definitely good enough. Bit of advice: When you torque down on terminal screws it is best to wait a bit (5 or 10 minutes), then give it another 1/4 turn. Copper has a tendency to settle a bit after you crush it, and if you don't do that, you could get a loose connection eventually especiallyif you have vibrations like in the back seat of a truck. It's probably fine, though. I'd certainly let it eat. Great work, as always.

[@petercornish9903]

You need 20mm of clearance between the seat bottom and speaker. This assumes the seat base does not sag when sat upon. Even then this is hopeless location for subs, there ain't no replacement for displacement!

[@108gk]

Too bad there is not enough room to horn load that displacement.

[@rickydonahue1586]

The first thing that I learned how to do on a vehicle (besides change a tire and check the oil) was the stereo system! I think it was a right of passage for a teenage boy back in the day.

[@ScottMay-m1g]

Replace radio and speakers and crank 80"s hair band music. Come on feel the noise!

[@rickydonahue1586]

@ScottMay-m1g Yes sir!😁👍

[@maddog2010p]

a little trick we used to do for tinning wires, is to take a whole spool of soldering wire and melt it down into a metal bowl. and when you want to tin something reheat the bowl and you can dip the wires in and it helps a ton.

[@imthestighonest3437]

Also use a spade tip for tinning spreads the heat more evenly

[@donwyoming1936]

I just quit soldering all together in stereo installs. We used aircraft grade heat gun solder joints in the military everywhere. I use them everywhere in stereo installs. So easy compared to soldering.

[@uncleAndyismyname]

thats a cold solder not good for adhesion

[@williamjones4483]

In the meantime, what about the flux that WAS in the solder? It got burnt up from the heat. If you all really did that it was to get high off the smell of the bruning flux.

[@maddog2010p]

@@williamjones4483 thats if you buy the cheap solder. you can get flux free solder and then flux the wires before you tin them. btw did this stuff for a living. im a certified class 3 electronics repair tech.

[@Blackbeardyo]

So 30 years in the car audio installation industry I'll say you did your best and appreciate what you did right. A few remarks though I would not use spade connections on the speaker cup only solder on the wires secondly there's 4 speaker connections on the app to allow 2 2 ohm speakers to create a 1 ohm load and please don't let the speakers hit the bottom of the seat

[@broken1965]

Way under powered amp for2 subs Look like SVC😢

[@Blackbeardyo]

If you noticed the birth sheet said 978 watts at 1 ohm that's about right for those subs

[@leecampbell9498]

Yes grills on those woofers to keep the carpet off of them to prevent damage

[@COUNTRYANDY65]

My 2010 ram has the original alpine system 10 speakers with 10 inch sub in the back love it and powerful and all the bass you need!! If ihad more power it would smash my back window and that was factory installed! And it still works fine till this day in 2024

[@fredlendzian7082]

you made my day posting this video thankyou

[@jamesstarnes311]

Thank you very much to Ray and Lauren for another awesome service and video starring "Ramicus". I am very blessed to have Ray as my mechanic!!! Also thank you very much to the commenters who have given constructive advice for improvements. Once again, Crutchfield for the win with two new subwoofer grates. No more worries about the subs having breathing room! I also used some velcro to secure the amp better versus just leaving it set loosely. There really is no way to really secure it otherwise. I really appreciate all the kind words about my truck, it is a definite labor of love. Stay tuned to Rays channel for more videos on "Ramicus" in the future, not sponsored... lol!!!! Hope everyone has a great day and a happy holiday season!

[@proudcanadian5713]

After looking through more than a few comments on here I would say you've opened a can of worms with this one, Ray. The one thing I will say to all of your critics in the comments is: "Please be aware that EVERYTHING we do can be improved upon in hindsight." Please keep that in mind before critiquing somebody's work.

[@davidsato8756]

Love how you work on customer cars like they are your own.

[@melissathompson7229]

As a professional installer since 1998 speakers and subwoofers almost never going to measure what the speaker states, especially with the speaker upside down and anything pushing on the cone. Take your hand and push the sub in and out a few times and itll change the value significantly. Just like any profession, you wouldnt believe some of the stuff I've seen people and other shops do. Unfortunately many customers go to the cheapest price, and this is often what happens.

[@baduridgeback4926]

Excellent job, great improvisation on the 12V main ‘lugs’. I made it a habit to solder all connectors to audio or electric cable. Remove original isolation on crimp connectors, install/crimp, solder and use new heatshrink tube for isolation. The chain is as strong as the weakest link. Love your puppies; my RR is 8y age.

[@billkunert7281]

I would suggest you get a small tin of rosin core flux. When tinning wires like today just dip the wire in the paste fliux and when heated it will draw the solder and make a very nice tin job. Flux will also help clean the wire strands. Try it - you'll like it.

[@nonotthatoneguy]

Plus, rosin flux smells good.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

I have used flux-core solder, but that tends to be for sweating plumbing, and in a larger diameter. Not so good for micro-electronics.

[@williamjones4483]

There is flux in this solder already, that is what created the smoke when heat was applied. Truthfully, I've never heard of any solder for electronics use that didn't have a rosin core.

[@nonotthatoneguy]

@@MonkeyJedi99 I believe you're thinking of acid-core solder, which is terrible for anything electronic. Most electronic solder has a core of rosin flux.

[@williamjones4483]

@@MonkeyJedi99 Flux core? No such thing. It's ROSIN core for electronics and electrical and ACID core for plumbing although plumbing tends to use other stuff. Most plumbing is also plastic now. Think pex.

[@thebulltoo2875]

That truck is unbelievably clean for that age/miles. Nice job.

[@leosmith848]

The speaker connectors are designed for stranded wire. There is not enough spring pressure to 'bite into' the solder. They will still work but be slightly higher resistance than ideal. Those are in fact typical readings for 4 ohm speakers, not 2 ohm. Perhaps in parallel they are 2! 🙂 That wire looks like silicone covered wire. It is extremely flexible and almost never fractures (if its not soldered) it is an SOB to strip... I always use it for speaker wires if I can.

[@nunya2814]

Those wire terminals are exactly why I avoid prefab qbomb boxes, they're also usually made with thinner than ideal MDF, custom boxes built correctly always sound better.

[@leosmith848]

@@nunya2814 Yup. I have them on some of my big speakers. They are better than DIN sockets! The pro audio boys used XLRs But they are too bulky for car or home usage. On the drive units I prefer spades or soldering , on the boxes I like binding posts - banana plugs or crimp a C terminal on the wires. Car audio is littered with utter shit mostly. Ray made the best of a bad job according to his knowledge and his skills and it was serviceable and robust. The customer won't know. Hifi in a car is a contradiction in terms...you juts make it as good as you can, and that was not a bad solution. Myself I'd have done it a bit differently, but that's because years building PAs disco kit and music amplification kit leads to practices that ensure they don't break THAT way again...in the middle of a performance!

[@russellyurkovich1296]

On the mono system. The bass knob under dash should be set to max then adjust the bass volume on the amplifier. This is to prevent too much bass and damaging subwoofers.

[@kerrypence4201]

Been doing Car Audio for 40 years and I have a small suggestion. Dip that wire in flux before you put the tip on and then flow the solder from the top down and it will fill it up quick and you won't heat that wire up as bad. Also I always double check where they have grounded the wire to. I cannot tell you how many systems I've had to fix the wiring on and the grounds were absolutely horrible. Quick tip, never ground to a seat bolt because they use a sealant on them and they do not get a good ground. Oh and for God sake mount your amplifiers do not let them float around! Honestly the whole backseat should've came out and a small amp installed with the amp. Also I would've checked the fuse to make sure it was connected properly no more than a foot from the battery and all connections tight

[@fastwheels2010]

One more thing looks like he has CCA wire, not OFC

[@patrickchavez3848]

System sounded awesome, with an awesome install! I also liked how that Dodge Ram sounds. It's got a good deep sound! Love it. Everyone at the RRR garage have a great fun day and an even greater funner tomorrow!!

[@bobpowers4454]

A little trivia, the plural of octopus is actually octopuses. A common mistake is using the Latin plural "octipi" but octopus is actually Greek and if you want to use the Greek plural it would be "octopodes".

[@randallscott4094]

Ray, an Ohm Meter, uses an internal battery for power when measuring resistance. If you connect it set at OHMs to a power source, or anything powered up, you will not get resistance readings and potentially damage your meter. In the old days for beginners, never set the OHM meter to Rx1 and measure something with power supplied. The meter usually smokes. But, they don't make them that sensitive for damage anymore.

[@pyro323]

This audio repair video is a nice change!

[@petercrasher504]

Great detail and the extra's to make sure no future issues for the owner. Keep up the great work Ray!

[@larrykittell726]

I miss the simple days of imstalling a Sparkomatic 8-track under the dash with two Jensen triaxial 6X9s in the back deck of my 72 Plymouth Fury. I had the best sounding stereo in the auto shop!

[@MaxVaughn-h9s]

Thanks Ray! I like that you played your intro through the speakers at the end. Hopefully another satisfied customer! Giggity

[@carsparks1980]

Dubstep would be epic with this setup.

[@williamduhamel7726]

I have the same Rockford pushing a single 10” Rockford sub in my Trans Am. Velcro on the bottom would keep it from bouncing

[@Carl09of09]

Reminds me of my younger days I installed many many sound systems in my vehicles and my friends vehicles too! ✌☺

[@Taillighttim26]

Same here that owner of that Dodge ram keeps that truck in really great condition it's a really nice looking truck it's not too excessive it's enough to make it a good looking truck

[@melissathompson7229]

On a mono amp the reason they give you the 2 sets of speaker terminals is for your exact purpose, which means the (+) are connected inside the amplifier as well as the (-), so that you dont have to shove 2 10 gauge wires into one terminal

[@bblod4896]

If I double the speed of the video when you double the speed, you sound like a Chip and Dale character 😂 That seat is going to give the occupant sitting there good vibrations 😎

[@LawnMawson]

Way back in the mid 70's I did a NASA certified high reliability soldering course, the instructors that taught us all went on a junket trip to NASA to do course to learn how to teach us. So as a certified expert I'd like to critique your soldering/tinning of those wires: Yeah, it's pretty good.

[@theclockmaker633]

I was secretly hoping to hear Scarlet fire blasting out of these subs. Fantastic work as allways Ray and dont forget to have a nice day.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

It is hard for me to judge the sound quality from that install on my $25 desktop speakers. But it looks cool!

[@108gk]

I don't know if many people here get the Grateful Dead reference, but yeah most any good Dead recording would be cool. I have a friend here in S Georgia that has a huge collection of Dead bootlegs. Like 200 to 300 performances. A couple of years ago he told me he has organized all of them and they all fit on a 1tb drive. I'm sure that terabyte has been shared with a lot of people. RIP Phil

[@rwamchubb7977]

Yes, I want you to work on my vehicles. You are so meticulous, just so clean and tidy.

[@mr_ice117]

Yay I love crutchfield, they have a lot of audio goodies

[@volvo09]

Yep, back in the day I mailed them a check to get my first head unit, a sony tape deck that I loved.

[@ScottMay-m1g]

I go there, find my car and what fits, and then buy it much cheaper some where else.

[@JohnADoe-pg1qk]

You were speaking about a/the fuse for the amp but at least I didn't see one when you reconnected the cable to the battery. 🤔

[@allanransby7119]

No need for complain. That soldering is as good as it can possible be. The only thing that matters is to keep the connection and provide short circuit. Job done. A+ from me.

[@TX-biker]

Thank you for color coding the wires😍. It drives me insane (a short trip I admit) when everything is the same color

[@americanvikinggsd4631]

I love RainMan Ray's repairs channel. I live too far from Florida to take my cars to him. But I sure would trust him all the way.

[@johnmason-smith]

Crutchfield rocks. The best supplier ever for this stuff. Great Customer support.

[@johnhpalmer6098]

Agree. I got my current head unit, a JVC double DIN unit there in 2012 and it still rocks to this day. I put it in myself, though it already had an aftermarket single din head unit, but no USB/BT features. It was replacing the original double DIN unit in a 2003 Mazda Protege 5 wagon. Got all the parts needed to do the connection and it plugged into the stock head unit plugs and has been a solid unit for 12 years, so far... Using the stock factory speakers even.

[@ericknutson602]

So.. How Loud Are They Ray ...What???! 😊

[@InsideOfMyOwnMind]

I can vouch for the preponderance of the comments here. Ray there is a ton of great advice here. They know WTF they're doing As was referred to before, the reason we don't solder wires that go into a spring loaded connector is with solder the contact surface area is severely compromised and the bare copper wire can conform to the connector making a much better connection. Low voltage high current systems require these considerations to work great and last long time.

[@Psichlo1]

I have seen tons of people that don't connect the remote wire and the amp draws down the battery. It is also a good idea to have a beefy in line fuse for the power wire and a capacitor so that when you're really bumping it isn't spiking the draw on your battery. Nice clean install Ray.

[@realcdcruze3558]

That Hemi is beautiful. It’s well looked after.

[@bigdog8302]

The seats setting on the subs is a big issue. Also, I hope there is a fuse close by for the amp's battery connection. A big no no if the fuse is missing. You can download some non-copyright infringing tunes from KZbin for testing.

[@Taillighttim26]

That's what I was thinking the subs should be facing forward not up under the seat the only person that is going to benefit from that is the one whose ass will be vibrating

[@v12alpine]

I cringed at that... those subs are going to take a beating. I hope he checked the amp ground connection off camera... 99% of botched installs have sketchy grounds which can blow the amp and sometimes the head unit too when it finds ground thru the RCA's.

[@imrf]

Exactly what I thought. He needs a lift kit for the seats

[@Taillighttim26]

@@bigdog8302 no fuse on the amp power cable and the position of the subs with the seats right on top I don't think that is going to be any good for the subs they should be facing out not up even the power wire from the battery looked undersized and no fuse. It a really nice truck but it's sound system is a little bit of a poor design I've done a bunch when I was younger and never seen that type of placement of the amp and subs

[@SilvieFox]

and another thing because you soldered, for fire ends, dip soldering is life changing. just get a small metal vessel (i use a socket i welded the hole up) you can heat with a torch, make solder liquid and dip your wires. and as for crimp on ends you can buy small copper pipe and cut it to the lengths you need and crimp on

[@timfrancis6774]

Ray, would take passenger seat out, get a amp rack, put amp on board. Then run audio on 1 side power on the other. And up through the kick panel of passenger side

[@108gk]

And a pair of 2X15 sugar scoops in the bed.😊

[@letsgopedal4249]

Semi pro-tip. Instead if soldering just the straight wire for the push connects theres two options. Banana plugs, or furules. I have good luck in the past however, using copper tubing of snug diameter. Slip the wire into it, fill with solder. Cut to length. Install.

[@keithcoburn8027]

Hey Ray. Pro tip on soldiering. Dip the exposed wire in flux. Then get the soldier melted on the soldiering iron. Then, touch the pool on the wire. It will tranfer in seconds. That way, you don't overheat the wire. Try it. Love the videos.

[@mistereeize]

Also, make sure you're using electrical solder and not plumbing solder. Huge difference in the melting point

[@gammagonad1657]

@@mistereeizeto add on top of that…LEADED SOLDER is the only way to go. Places like Walmart only sell lead-free(due to environmental bs) but makes soldering 5x harder, and you will never get the same results

[@patricklunn3210]

I would suggest placing the iron (nice and hot, read the specs of your solder for temp) towards the end of the wire, and then touching the solder to the end with the insulation, that way the solder flows toward the heat through the strands.

[@leecampbell9498]

Actually best to use rosin core solder. That's what I've used for almost 35yrs as an installer. Flux paste is for bench work pcb stuff and plumbing

[@leecampbell9498]

And now that I've seen his soldering it's fine that IS rosin core solder or it would not flow like it did

[@SilvieFox]

for those pass thrus i always do ring connectors and get rid of the spade connectors. And for tightening then if you stick a pick in where you put the wires it will keep them from spinning instead of using pliers. then once all hooked up and bolted back together a glob of hot glue will help hold it all together like lock tight as well as keep moisture away

[@golf25radioman]

I"ve never hooked up an amp or subs, interesting for me to see it done. Thanks for an informative video. I like the way you made all the connections and tested the wiring. The ohm stuff has been foreign to me along with much electrical but it's getting more familiar thanks to you. 😊

[@bm03431]

Ray, I used to use a w-crimper to pack stranded wire back together. You can start big and then work down to pack the wires tightly together to get into terminals.

[@kevinbarry71]

Ray will have that guy out and irritating everybody in short order

[@vincentgotter4669]

Meema taught me this tip, when soldering, always place the soldering iron underneath the part you're trying to heat, heat rises.

[@Z01nk]

the seats sit directly on top of the speakers you can see the marks on the seat bottoms, doesn't seem a great idea?

[@roelofbeukes6242]

Depends on who sits in the back 😏

[@haroldjones12]

it’s not the actual seat itself, it’s just the carpet

[@JacGoudsmit]

42:21 The "male fitting connector type of deal" is called a ferrule. You can get them in lots of sizes, even big enough for those power cables. And if you also get the crimping tool for them, you won't spend so much time trying to solder them. Loved the video, keep them coming!

[@1DarkStorm]

Welcoming back!

[@leonardhirtle3645]

Thanks for showing us how to correct a previously botched installation.

[@jbell987]

From a Jeeper prospective - if you can hear your radio, your tires aren’t aggressive enough.

[@FollowingtheCliffNotes]

I beg to differ you need more tower speakers

[@robertkwit8506]

oh... don't forget to add a little death wobble, for those bead balanced 37's.

[@jbell987]

@ on a Dana 30, of course

[@robertkwit8506]

@@jbell987 of course! my yj has leaf's all the way round, with no sway bars or track bars front and rear. she'll flex like crazy, but doesnt like driving on pavement over 42 mph.. but i made a custom 3.25qft enclosure tuned at 32hz for a single 10 dual 2ohm coil's, that snaps in where my rear seat mounts. everyone thinks im rocking multiple sub's but are suprised to find out it's only a single 10" driver. hit 138db's with that setup, 2 yellow tops and a 200amp nator. the amp i used was a California profile 1200d and was stable at .5 ohm

[@FollowingtheCliffNotes]

@ Willis comes with 44 rear 35 front

[@coolimpala71]

great job on that finding loose connections and crossed over connection.

[@PatrickJMele]

A Jak of all trades RAY I like it CONGRADS

[@gregjohnson2073]

Master of none

[@JamesTrigg]

resistance in parallel reduces the resistance in the circuit. resistances in series increases resistance thus 2 2 ohm speakers in parallel gives 1 ohm . 2 2ohm resistances in series gives 4 ohms

[@jimmyhsv7791]

Ray, I feel that this video is SUB-standard.. 😂

[@clbcl5]

Dad jokes must come with a warning and a grone factor.

[@rkeirle1]

You will get some resistance for jokes like that😊

[@clbcl5]

The OOOHHHMMM'SSS of resistance to dad jokes will be high

[@jimmyhsv7791]

@@rkeirle1 I appreciate this ‘feedback’!! 😆

[@jimmyhsv7791]

@@clbcl5 😆 👏

[@jamesbaker9477]

When you hold the leads to the wire with your fingers, you can read body resistance.

[@techone72893]

Where do I start? That was a mess from beginning to end. I installed automotive electronics for 25 years and that system would never have left my shop like that. First, tinning the wires is a huge no-no, it provides nothing to the overall quality of the wires, in fact it hurts more than it helps, and that soldering job on the power wires was just bad in every way. Terrible penetration of the solder due to using the wrong tool for the job. Second, the amp MUST be mounted solidly to a flat surface, either the floor or the back wall, it can't be left free floating like that as it's a danger to do so and will void the manufacturer's warranty. We didn't see where and how the ground wire was attached to the vehicle, but for sure you don't just use some random bolt in the car to ground an amp, you must bolt directly to the chassis or the frame using a dedicated bolt or screw and a proper connector. You also want to make sure that whatever metal you ground to is bare steel in order to guarantee the best possible connection, and even in the highest powered systems you very rarely have to run a ground wire all the way to the battery. As for the power wire, it should never be run next to the signal wires (RCA cables coming from the head unit) as it will cause inducted noise over the signal wires. Preferably, you would run them separately down opposite sides of the vehicle or run the power down on side and the signal wires down the middle. One thing I didn't see in the video is whether there was an inline fuse on the power cable at the battery within 18" of the battery post. This is done for safety as that cable is capable of carrying high amperage from the battery. Another thing we didn't see is how the power lead was run through the firewall. Hopefully it was run through a grommet of some kind to keep from shorting on the chassis and causing a fire. Others have also pointed out that the speakers WILL burn out prematurely due to their location under the seat. They are too close to the seat and their travel is being hampered, It for sure will burn out the coils and the cones. Finally, the amp input needs to be set to match the incoming voltage. There's an adjusting knob on the amp for tuning this, but it was left untouched, so the amp may not even be tuned properly to match the head unit's signal voltage. This is all why it's best to leave this kind of work to folks who specialize in automotive electronics such as stereos, video, alarms, etc. The best shops have MECP certified installers who have studied the science and mechanics behind the installing of this kind of equipment. Not going to a pro shop is a recipe for disaster from both a safety standpoint as well as from a sound quality and longevity standpoint.

[@davidwashburn6388]

Yeah some of the things he was doing was driving me nuts. And why would you hire a mechanic to install subs and an amp?

[@maddog2010p]

actually tinning does help with the wires, keeps them together and keeps them clean looking. can tell you're "old school" with that comment. and youre wrong. now the penetration of the solder is not great but it will do just fine. as it will allow the connection to run through all the wires slightly better. btw certified class 3 electronics repair tech. so i do know what im talking about. stay with the crappy class 1 crap you spew out.

[@miketdavies]

Soldering on the internet - there's a wrong way, and then there's a wrong way. Not sure there's a right way. I also don't really understand the value of any of the solder in this case - the built in speaker/amp connectors to fine copper should be more than sufficient for the current, and are not going to get brittle/break strands if the equipment is mounted sturdily. Crimped ferrules on the power leads might be OK, just kind of pointless IMO.

[@tirefryr]

@@maddog2010p You are correct for when you are soldering electronics or wire to a PCB, but in the instance of this video, you are incorrect. A direct wire to connector crimp is stronger, allows for expansion and contraction, and allows for bending. It's also a direct copper to copper connection. The infiltration of solder, which is a POOR conductor, hinders connectivity, weakens the joint, and does not allow for expansion and contraction. I won't throw out my certifications as others have done, but I can tell you that the engineering world of the whole of General Electric will never use or recommend solder on anything aside from through-hole PCB joints.

[@maddog2010p]

@@tirefryr solder is not a poor conducter. and that statement alone shows your ignorance. damn...

[@xuser48]

If you're having trouble heating up the parts for soldering, make sure you have solder on the tip of the soldering iron. Heat transfer is done by melted solder and nothing else.

[@Jackhole_Cat]

As soon as you turned the radio down and said, "I need to turn that down so I don't get copyright shut down" (or something simular)... The sirens in the background made me think, "Wow! The copyright police are ON TOP of violations today!" 😆😆😆😆 "Go get Ray!" "You sure did it this time, Ray!" Always watching Rayzowski... Always watching!

[@marcdrouillard4055]

Hi Ray. I see evidence that the carpet material on the bottom of the seats you lifted up to gain access to the bass box is coming into contact with the surround of the bass drivers! That means the movement of the the bass drivers is being restricted. There needs to be most likely one full inch of clearance between the carpet material on the seat bottom and the bass driver radiating surface or cones.

[@jeffreylane7647]

HI Ray: It's good to see there are still people in the country that really care about their jobs enough to go the extra steps to give their customers a quality job. That goes a long way to keep customers coming back. I learned that a long time ago a a young toolmaker. Good works means happy customers. Nice work as always.

[@MrCooklw]

I recommend using flux on the end of your wiring. It allows the solder to draw in and adhere much better and faster.

[@johnellis9147]

I’m hoping that the initial install was done by the customer. I’d hate to think an actual shop did that. Looks like an install I did in my teens.

[@oldbatwit5102]

I thought the same thing.

[@williamjones4483]

Yeah. I wouldn't use those feed-thru connectors. Just something else to add extra resistance. I'd run wires directly through holes drilled into the cabinet then use silicone adhesive to seal those holes.

[@billchessell8213]

Dang! I WISH i could do the installs I did in my teens! Mad Man Muntz would have been proud!

[@rickfearman6827]

Ray excellent workmanship, very happy to see you're using a fluke meter. I've been doing electrical work for many years. Both in the telephone industry and in the healthcare industry and the fluke is the only meter people should use again. Great workmanship.

[@philipparana9225]

Resistance is dc impedance is ac. sound is ac. 2ohm wired parallel is 1 ohm, 2 ohm wired series is 4 ohm. You cant get those readings on a typical multimeter

[@leosmith848]

typically the DC resistance of a typical large loudspeaker is around 0.8 of its rated impedance, Very small ones can get a bit less than that. Over the years I must have stuck several hundred loudspeaker drive units across resistance meters. They all read about 0.8 of what is written on them. Which is why I conclude that what is written on those units is a lie.

[@rippingandflippingcards4135]

I suggest that he puts a 3/4" spacer strips of plywood painted black on both sides of each sub so the sub can move freely not heating up the coil and glues. Let her breath = let her eat.

[@johnkendrick7304]

I think that knob is so if you start listening to Lil Wayne you will drive off the bridge immediately

[@10100rsn]

I know that is probably flux core solder but flux is your friend on those larger connectors. Dip the tip of the wire in a puck size container or spread some on the inside of the connector and the solder will flow much better once it heats up. It will smoke but just don't breath it in and you'll be fine.

[@wirdy1]

I know it was somebody else's work, but a circuit breaker or a fuse in the 12v supply to that amp is essential.

[@SeanBZA]

Fuse would be a good thing, 60A will do for this, as that power output is not exactly a full time rating, which is probably what actually killed the previous amplifier, high power constantly, and nicely swaddled in carpet and foam, cooking it to death.

[@davidbrown8230]

I found that for the purist transfer of audio signals from the wire to the components is silver solder. If soldered properly, those connections won't be able to loosen either. On the woofer box. I would also add some form of deadening, like acoustical foam or just polyfill. That will limit unwanted vibrations and will add PUNCH to the subs.

[@AV-sm5ir]

The sub surround imprint on the fabric of the seat is definitely not desired...

[@SeanBZA]

Either needs to add spacers, or mount those speakers under the box top, which means stripping the top cover (likely held on anyway with either pins and hot melt, or screws) and screwing them in from behind with a foam gasket. Probably double the volume that way, and get rid of the buzz.

[@dg8863]

I like this I haven't seen you do this kind of stuff I figured you wouldn't do stereo work for a customer I thought you would have referred them to a stereo place. Thank you

[@dhgodzilla1]

Listening to crappy Music with the Bass turned all the way up will do that. I cant stand excessive Bass (meaning that's all you hear)

[@robertsaathoff9481]

When soldering, wet, damp, a small sponge and clean the tip on the sponge each time you go to solder. Also use a flux if desired. Learned this doing stained glass work.

[@TsunauticusIV]

Steve Meade is crying with this install 😂

[@danwhitaker9168]

So are Dean and Fernando.

[@johnhancock8552]

Hey ray I love your videos and lessons. I’m not going to criticize your work but just share my experience with those lugs you turned into wire ferrules. If your going to use them in a manner where you are not going to crimp them put a bunch of solder into the wire cavity and heat the fitting with a torch to make a molten pool of solder inside the lug. Apply some flux to the wire then jam it into the fitting and molten solder and let cool. That’s how we do large welding leads for stick welders. It obviously only works if your lug wire cavity has closed ends. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[@talis84]

I like how Ray does better audio install as a mechanic, than an audio specialist.

[@leosmith848]

Well although I know what you mean, that installation was NOT done by an audio specialist. Merely by someone 'self identifying' as an audio specialist !

[@ericrouse6745]

The guy just wanted all extra screws where he could find them so when the base makes the ones holding the speakers in come out from all the rattling he knows where to find more !! Smart man

[@robertsnyder7735]

That's a beautiful Mopar. Now give it some beautiful jams.

[@joeythedime1838]

Ray's a brave guy doing car audio on KZbin! BTW - Crutchfield is awesome - I have been a customer since Bill Crutchfield started the company in 1974.

[@stormyrain995]

It's multiple connections for multiple speakers on a single channel. That's why it had 4 terminals. You should have read the connection guide in the manual that came with it.

[@strobelightaudio]

Got a chuckle seeing the solder splash, been there done that. Another tip, move the iron and let the solder flow toward the heat.

[@robertlloyd2436]

While crimping lugs on is exactly how I was always taught, and correct, there is no need for the soldering, that's a no no, but you do want your heat shrink, but to each their own..I worked with electric engineers and when I would solder something, they would lose their minds, while in this application probably doesn't matter, it's a bad habit...They make ferrules for how you attached your wiring to the amplifier.. Nice job.. You do need a fuse on that positive line, it's the most important step.. Get yourself a ferrule kit.. You'll never go back to not using them. Guaranteed.

[@leosmith848]

+1. I was taught to solder in aerospace companies. Soldering *stranded* wire is regarded as less reliable than crimping under high vibration. The solder stiffens the cable leading to an abrupt transition at the end of where the solder is. Forming a stress concentration. We would solder solid core wire though, and lace it into looms and support it everywhere. Stranded wire is for flexibility, but soldering turns it locally solid..