Car Audio Amplifier Advice By Brandon Noe

After you've got your subwoofers picked out it's time to look into something to power them.

Amplifiers:
The first thing to consider is how many speakers will be hooked up to the amplifier and how much space you will have to work with. If you're going to be hooking up an amplifier to your mids and highs, which are generally your front and rear 2 speakers, then you might want to consider a four-channel amplifier. If you're adding subwoofers into the vehicle it can become more pricey because subwoofers generally require more power than just your mids and highs. Four channel amplifiers are not too extremely expensive because by using them for your mids and highs you won't need hundreds of watts to produce a great sound quality. Subwoofer amplifiers are usually 2-channel amps and produce a fairly good amount of power. For the more avid car enthusiast that wants to go to competitions there are even mono-block amps which are a single-channel amplifier. They generate more power and are designed specially for competitions.

Buying a car audio amplifier is just like buying any component for your vehicle, have a good idea what you're looking for and which price range fits then do some research for prices and availability in your general area. You don't need to buy the most expensive amplifiers on the market to get great results, but if your goals are to compete then you already know you will need to spend the extra money to get better quality components.

Getting into the power scales for amplifiers:

Amplifiers are usually rated by either RMS or Peak Power rating. RMS is basically the amount of power the amplifier will produce per channel consistently. Peak Power is the amount of power the amplifier is capable of producing before it cannot produce anymore. After these points are looked into there is not too much else a general car audio buyer will look into (unless you want to get into even more details like frequency, response and many more other technical terms involved into amplifiers).

http://mobileaudiohelp.blogspot.com

Basic CD Player Install Guide By Brandon Noe

Now that you have picked out your CD player it's time to decide whether to install the unit yourself or have it done professionally. If you have never installed one before and you have the extra money, having it done for you would be the best way to do it. If you are doing it yourself then here is a basic overview of what you will need and a simple walk through of the process.

You will need to purchase a few items to make the install easier and more professional. The first thing is a mounting kit, basically this is the kit that's used to mount an aftermarket CD player into a stock radio location. They come mostly assembled and ready to install directly into the stock radio location, but some kits will require modification. Make sure you purchase the correct kit for your vehicle! You don't want to try to put a 03 Chevy Cavalier kit in a 03 Ford Focus.

The next thing you want to get is a wiring kit. This is a set of wires and connectors that plugs into your stock connectors allowing you to add aftermarket CD players into your vehicle. Once these are connected to your factory wiring harness they are basically color coded for aftermarket CD players so when installing the CD player just match up the colors. There are some wires that aren't used though and you will need to be aware of these. Research your particular vehicle for specifications.

In some cases you may also need to purchase an antenna adapter to hook up the stock to aftermarket. A good example of this is my '03 Ford Focus. I had a European antenna plug and had to get the domestic adapter for this particular install. Do a little research on your make and model of your vehicle before you start the installation process because there may be something extra you need to purchase.

After you have purchased all the necessary components needed to get the install going time its time to take a little look into some basic tools needed for the install.
- Electrical Tape
- Wire cutters, strippers and crimpers
- Power drill with a Philips and flathead tip
- Allen keys
- Dremil (best tool ever for making modifications)
- Factory CD player removal keys (most common for Ford )
- Assortment of wire connectors
- Test Light
- Multimeter
- Soldering Gun (not in all cases but good to have just in case)

Now that you have your tools and components you are ready to begin your install!

Don't be afraid to ask for help from friends, family or even your local installer for tips if you run into something unfamiliar during the install. You can even post questions here if you need for general help and expertise. With the right tools, research and advice, installation should be quick and painless

http://mobileaudiohelp.blogspot.com