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Amplifier Voltage Calculator
The purpose of this site is to take the guess work out of approximating the required voltage output that your amplifier
should be achieving, based on the overall configuration of the drivers that it is pushing.
I have been toying with car stereo systems for quite some time now. I am by no means an expert installer or source of
infinite wisdom on the matter. Until recently, I was actually quite befuddled by the exacting science involved in properly
tuning a system. So, in an effort to ease this, and overcome my inability to "wing it", I set forth to get some cold hard
facts. In doing so, I realized how vague this particular subject is. Sure there are theories in place and neat graphs that
require you to know more than they actually detail, but nothing was out there that really put it all together for the
common DIYer to get simple answers to "simple" questions.
There are other calculators out there that presume you know the load being put on your amp. The problem is, a lot of
people don't know this figure and have to search and dig and prod to figure it out. This little tool takes the guess work
out of the equation so long as you can supply some basic parameters. Really, the only figures you need to find out, are
the maximum wattage of the amp you are using, and the resistance measure of each sub that is being used and how
they are wired. Typically, they will be in Parallel, but in the rare case you have a Series setup, the options to calculate
voltage based on that are included. {Note: When ou click "Series" below, a diagram to assist in some additional Series
settings will appear). Series configurations should only be done on the voice coils of a DVC driver when necessary
depending on your amplifiers load tolerances. Series hook ups to the amp itself is never recommended due to variations
in speaker manufacturing, even if the exact same drivers are used, tolerances are never exact from one to the other
and series installations can cause undesirable or even damaging effects.
Perfect I am sure this is not, but it does work {as far as I knowl). If you have questions or problems, please feel free to
go HERE and fill out a help request, and I will respond as soon as I can. {I am not in the "biz" and lead a report
programmers dream life, so excuse any delays).
Changes are made on the fl. Click off an changed options to view updated calculations.
Amplifier Max. Watts: 900
# of Subs (Do not count
VC's):
1
Voice Coils per Sub: 1
Resistance of each voice
coil in ohms ():
4
Wiring Configuration:
Parallel:
Series:
Parallel figures are calculated the same whether you
have single or dual voice coils and the DVC's are wired
Parallel/Parallel.
With your speakers configured in the above manner:
Load on amp: 4 ohms
Current: 15 amps
Recommended
voltage:
60 volts
Adjustment Instructions:
Now that you have the voltage required of your system, here are some instructions on how to utilize it:
1. First, you will need a 50hz test tone. Get one HERE (mp3) and burn it to a cd that your deck can play. HINT: Set the deck to replay
this track when making your adjustments
2. Disconnect your sub-woofers from your amplifier
3. Set the gain on your amplifier all the way down
4. If you have a cross-over on the amp, set it to 50hz, low voltage
5. Turn all acoustic imaging functions on your deck to off or minimum (i.e. disable x-over, turn treble and bass all the way down, disable
BBS; SoundMX; parametric eq, etc)
6. If you don't want to piss off your neighbors, where applicable, disable the decks output to the rest of your speakers, keeping a
1/13/12 Waage
2/2 inme.com/App/adio/olagecalc/defal.ap
minimal leel on a lea one o o kno he e one i oking
7. Se he olme of o deck o 3/4 maimm
8. Uing a Digial Mli-Mee (DMM), e i o AC poe. Yo ma need o adj he cope depending on he model o i can ead a
high enogh olage, baed on o calclaion fom aboe.
9. Ine he poiie lead of he DMM ino he poiie peake op on o amp. Thi hold go in he ame lead o hook he
poiie ie of o b bo o.
10. Ine he negaie lead of he DMM ino he negaie peake op on o amp. Thi hold go in he ame lead o hook he
negaie ie of o b bo o.
11. Ine he CD and begin plaing i. A menioned aboe, e he deck o epla he ack.
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achieed hile he e one i plaing (No e one = no olage!)
13. Some gain conol ae e eniie. If o can' achiee he eac ale, ge a cloe a o can o i iho eceeding. Bee
o hae a och oo lile han oo mch o peen damage o o amp o b.
14. Once he gain ha been popel adjed, n he em off and econnec o peake.
15. Adj onal op of em b edcing he elemen ha ae oe-poeing he ohe, do no inceae he b gain an
fhe! If i oo mch, n i don...again a pecaiona meae (o inceae he ohe elemen if he can handle i)