Audioguru's have low sound from LOC with RF, Help.

tholmes · 02-21-2007, 07:24 AM

I installed the Walmart special LOC (scosche brand) and have a couple of quirks. I spliced in from wires going to rear speakers (tried the method of tapping factory sub, bad idea. Sounds like doodoo). First off, my sub is barely hitting. Seems like it is not getting enough power. Of course you crank the volue and raise the bass level, then you can hear it. But I want to add more bass at lower levels, not increase so it seems to seamlessly blend in and disappear (I wanna rattle some windows sometimes, so shoot me). So how do I get more gain to the sub inputs? Yes, the gains on both the LOC and amp are maxed out(I can probably forsee the answer, get a navone). Secondly, on the LOC, with both channels and the gain turned up, it seemed to not work great. But if I turn the one channel's gain all the way down, the volume increase's a good deal, not enough to solve my overall issue, but it helps. my wiring is correct, am I just suffering from buying Wally World parts? Thanks fellas.

**tech12volt** · 02-21-2007, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tholmes

I installed the Walmart special LOC (scosche brand) and have a couple of quirks. I spliced in from wires going to rear speakers (tried the method of tapping factory sub, bad idea. Sounds like doodoo). First off, my sub is barely hitting. Seems like it is not getting enough power. Of course you crank the volue and raise the bass level, then you can hear it. But I want to add more bass at lower levels, not increase so it seems to seamlessly blend in and disappear (I wanna rattle some windows sometimes, so shoot me). So how do I get more gain to the sub inputs? Yes, the gains on both the LOC and amp are maxed out(I can probably forsee the answer, get a navone). Secondly, on the LOC, with both channels and the gain turned up, it seemed to not work great. But if I turn the one channel's gain all the way down, the volume increase's a good deal, not enough to solve my overall issue, but it helps. my wiring is correct, am I just suffering from buying Wally World parts? Thanks fellas.

disconnect one side of the loc . its out of phase. it might be internally. when you disconnect . i bet it gets louder. or unplug one rca from the amp. it should get louder if its out phase. if it does . just change one side of the speaker inputs to the exact opposite of what you have.

woodside · 02-21-2007, 10:54 AM

Any idea why using the factory sub signal didn't work well? How about using an amp that will take speaker level inputs and using the factory sub speaker lines?

tholmes · 02-21-2007, 11:14 AM

The RF system sends a specific signal to the subwoofer (separate from what the rear speakers get) that is unlike anything I have heard. It sent a lot more gain (read voltage) to the preamp inputs and made the sub make some noise, but at the cost of a horrible frequency. The sound coming from the sub was awful, like your computer speakers trying to reproduce bass using the Windows Media Player WOW or SRS or Truebass feature (read like a huge pile of poo). Man it was bad. I don't know what frequencies levels the factory sub gets, but it wasn't pretty. Distortion everywhere.

I am using an amp that has that ability, but after hearing the LOC provide such weak signals, I am not sure it would be any better for to hook up the speaker level lines. Additionally, I would have to re-wire a bunch of crap and that would take time and irritate me. Everything is real clean and out of sight right now. I hate to have to pull some of those trim pieces back up to get back to them and redo them. The LOC is easily accessible though, so I figure I would attack from their first.

woodside · 02-21-2007, 11:30 AM

Thanks for the information. I'm trying to plan out how to add a new sub(s) to my CC. I think I am just going to build a box and put 1 8" under one of the front seats and see how that works out. I don't want to lose the underseat storage in the back but I may go that route if I'm not happy with 1 or 2 8's up front.

woodside · 02-21-2007, 11:34 AM

Quick question, when you are adding an loc to the rear speakers and passing that to the sub, how does the sound still get to the non-sub speakers? Is there a passthrough of some sort?

tholmes · 02-21-2007, 01:45 PM

you just have to splice into them. if you pull up the door sills on both the front passenger and driver side (very easy to do. just grasp them right before they meet the trim for the b pillar plastic and pry upward and into the cabin area. they will just start to pop up). You will see the wiring tunnel that is covering wires running along the cab (white plastic that is halfway clear). You have to get a flathead screwdriver to pry it up. there are clasps on the sides that I brok while prying that had no effect on it's ability to go back together.) in the bundle of wires, you will se a pair that are twisted together. These are the speaker wires for the rear (one pair on each side, one being blue and black and the other is red and orange). Just cut them, add your own set of wires to tap into with, and then reconnect them to gether with wire connectors. Run your wires you attached to the LOC to have a signal for the amp. Pretty easy, hardest part is hiding the wire.

woodside · 02-21-2007, 02:37 PM

Thanks a lot, I think I now have it all sorted out in my head.

eakes · 02-21-2007, 02:56 PM

For information: On the RF system the factory sub is fed by the Nissan amp in proportion to what is coming from the front speakers. The rear speakers are fed by themselves and are intended to only supplement the front speakers. Tapping the rear speaker leads (after the Nissan amp) for an aftermarket anp/subwoofer will not work very well because very little low frequency information is fed to those speakers - most everything goes to the front speakers/factory subwoofer. Tapping the factory subwoofer should, theoretically, work best. Apparently, the factory amp is so underpowered it sends primarily square wave signals to the subwoofer. Adding an external amp and additional subwoofer at this point results in garbage out.

The best result would probably be obtained by connecting the LOCs on the front speaker outputs of the HU (ie, before the factory amp). For the best possible sound scrap the entire system and add new HU, amps and speakers. The next best is to scrap the factory amp and add new amps and speakers.

**t22a80** · 02-21-2007, 03:35 PM

Yes it would be best to go before the factory amp however that is such a weak signal you will need a line driver. I know because I tried it.

**tech12volt** · 02-21-2007, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t22a80

Yes it would be best to go before the factory amp however that is such a weak signal you will need a line driver. I know because I tried it.

memphis makes a clean but powerful and inexpensive line driver.