Custom amplifer rack
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 433
Likes: 0
From: South Florida
Originally Posted by Paul350Z
That little fan even at 20 dBA can still be heard between tracks of the music. 
If the Fan noise is still an issue, check out Icelink fans ... you can find them online at most Aquarium/Fish Stores. They're SUPER SUPER quiet, and they're variable speed (they come with a temp probe). They're also designed for Saltwater environments -- they should be able to handle an amp rack ...
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 4,704
Likes: 2
From: Riverside CA
Originally Posted by jdg345
Paul,
If the Fan noise is still an issue, check out Icelink fans ... you can find them online at most Aquarium/Fish Stores. They're SUPER SUPER quiet, and they're variable speed (they come with a temp probe). They're also designed for Saltwater environments -- they should be able to handle an amp rack ...
If the Fan noise is still an issue, check out Icelink fans ... you can find them online at most Aquarium/Fish Stores. They're SUPER SUPER quiet, and they're variable speed (they come with a temp probe). They're also designed for Saltwater environments -- they should be able to handle an amp rack ...
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 841
Likes: 9
From: indiana
Paul,
Go to www.davidnavone.com and see if he still sells an alternator whine book for troubleshooting as it's about 40 pages long full of grounding information and tests to perform. If it's not on the web site, e-mail him and tell him what is going on with your system. You should not have to do any filtering if the installation is corrected. If you have dealt with it this long you might as well track it down and fix it right IMO. Good luck.
Go to www.davidnavone.com and see if he still sells an alternator whine book for troubleshooting as it's about 40 pages long full of grounding information and tests to perform. If it's not on the web site, e-mail him and tell him what is going on with your system. You should not have to do any filtering if the installation is corrected. If you have dealt with it this long you might as well track it down and fix it right IMO. Good luck.
David Novone! Certainly a legend.
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: euless, tx [dfw]
4 simple tasks to help reduce/prevent engine noise:
1) make sure you have a good ground - paint completely removed, wont wiggle, etc.
2) "return ground" - basically you just take some primary wire (22-16awg) and run it along with your RCAs and connect 1 end to your radio ground and the other to your amp ground. it helps prevent floating ground issues.
3) no cheap rcas - spending 30-50$ for a set of 2ch RCAs is not horrible at all. sometimes it is okay to skimp on the RCAs for your subs, but if you are running an amplifier on your highs, don't skimp, you'll just kick yourself later.
4) when running your cables to your amps, run them on the opposite sides of the car (or at least 18" apart). meaning run your RCAs on one side and your power wire on the other. which side your remote turn-on and return ground are on isnt that big of a deal. if you do have to cross paths with your RCAs and power cable, try to make it a 90 degree overlap (like an 'X')
as far as the fan issues, keep in mind that a LARGER fan moves MORE air with LESS rpm, so is much more quiet. the fan i saw in the picture looked to be an 80mm at the most. cross-flow fans are also a good idea as they move even more air, but im not sure how loud they are...
1) make sure you have a good ground - paint completely removed, wont wiggle, etc.
2) "return ground" - basically you just take some primary wire (22-16awg) and run it along with your RCAs and connect 1 end to your radio ground and the other to your amp ground. it helps prevent floating ground issues.
3) no cheap rcas - spending 30-50$ for a set of 2ch RCAs is not horrible at all. sometimes it is okay to skimp on the RCAs for your subs, but if you are running an amplifier on your highs, don't skimp, you'll just kick yourself later.
4) when running your cables to your amps, run them on the opposite sides of the car (or at least 18" apart). meaning run your RCAs on one side and your power wire on the other. which side your remote turn-on and return ground are on isnt that big of a deal. if you do have to cross paths with your RCAs and power cable, try to make it a 90 degree overlap (like an 'X')
as far as the fan issues, keep in mind that a LARGER fan moves MORE air with LESS rpm, so is much more quiet. the fan i saw in the picture looked to be an 80mm at the most. cross-flow fans are also a good idea as they move even more air, but im not sure how loud they are...
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 4,704
Likes: 2
From: Riverside CA
Originally Posted by vipor
4 simple tasks to help reduce/prevent engine noise:
1) make sure you have a good ground - paint completely removed, wont wiggle, etc.
Three heavy screws clamping a ground block into the vertical structure inside the stock subwoofer cavity - bare metal and very tight.
2) "return ground" - basically you just take some primary wire (22-16awg) and run it along with your RCAs and connect 1 end to your radio ground and the other to your amp ground. it helps prevent floating ground issues.
Heavy 8 gauge wire runs back from the ground block to the back of the radio. From there I've added a second ground run to the radio's brain.
3) no cheap rcas - spending 30-50$ for a set of 2ch RCAs is not horrible at all. sometimes it is okay to skimp on the RCAs for your subs, but if you are running an amplifier on your highs, don't skimp, you'll just kick yourself later.
The first set were the bottom end $30 a set Monster Cables. The set I have in there now - AND SOLVED the problem - are a purple set from Wal-Mart
4) when running your cables to your amps, run them on the opposite sides of the car (or at least 18" apart). meaning run your RCAs on one side and your power wire on the other. which side your remote turn-on and return ground are on isnt that big of a deal. if you do have to cross paths with your RCAs and power cable, try to make it a 90 degree overlap (like an 'X')
The RCA cables went down the transmission hump and the DC power went down the passengers side. 18" is a bit much but seperation is good. Crossing at 90 degrees is aways good as the cosine of 90 is 0 meaning no coupling of the two conductors inductively.
as far as the fan issues, keep in mind that a LARGER fan moves MORE air with LESS rpm, so is much more quiet. the fan i saw in the picture looked to be an 80mm at the most. cross-flow fans are also a good idea as they move even more air, but im not sure how loud they are...
I went with the quietest fan avaible from a computer mod'ing web site which rated their fans in dB for me.
1) make sure you have a good ground - paint completely removed, wont wiggle, etc.
Three heavy screws clamping a ground block into the vertical structure inside the stock subwoofer cavity - bare metal and very tight.
2) "return ground" - basically you just take some primary wire (22-16awg) and run it along with your RCAs and connect 1 end to your radio ground and the other to your amp ground. it helps prevent floating ground issues.
Heavy 8 gauge wire runs back from the ground block to the back of the radio. From there I've added a second ground run to the radio's brain.
3) no cheap rcas - spending 30-50$ for a set of 2ch RCAs is not horrible at all. sometimes it is okay to skimp on the RCAs for your subs, but if you are running an amplifier on your highs, don't skimp, you'll just kick yourself later.
The first set were the bottom end $30 a set Monster Cables. The set I have in there now - AND SOLVED the problem - are a purple set from Wal-Mart
4) when running your cables to your amps, run them on the opposite sides of the car (or at least 18" apart). meaning run your RCAs on one side and your power wire on the other. which side your remote turn-on and return ground are on isnt that big of a deal. if you do have to cross paths with your RCAs and power cable, try to make it a 90 degree overlap (like an 'X')
The RCA cables went down the transmission hump and the DC power went down the passengers side. 18" is a bit much but seperation is good. Crossing at 90 degrees is aways good as the cosine of 90 is 0 meaning no coupling of the two conductors inductively.
as far as the fan issues, keep in mind that a LARGER fan moves MORE air with LESS rpm, so is much more quiet. the fan i saw in the picture looked to be an 80mm at the most. cross-flow fans are also a good idea as they move even more air, but im not sure how loud they are...
I went with the quietest fan avaible from a computer mod'ing web site which rated their fans in dB for me.
I had tried everything else but swapping out my "wonderful" Monster Cable RCA jacks. Bummer. I had grounded, re-grounded, filtered, ran a second ground wire from the dash ... all to no avail.
Last night I connected my iPod to the amplifier directly with a long lenght of RCA cable and no whine - the darn Monster Cable RCA cable is acting like a freaking antenna and sucking in some whine from along the transmission hump. I ran the Wal-Mart special line along that same transmission hump path and no whine.
Happy happy joy joy. The while was way down in amplitude and you could only really hear it when the music was potted all the way down. Constant amplitude meant that it wasn't a result of the head-end's amplifiers. I now have more grounds then I know what to do with ... at least I'm safe if I get hit by lighting.
vipor is right ... I'm kicking myself. Never trust Monster Cable (or Bose) again ... now repeat after me ...
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
350Z_Al
Exterior & Interior
133
Oct 29, 2020 07:44 PM
ars88
Zs & Gs For Sale
18
Apr 4, 2016 07:52 AM
