I have the same type of settings on an old amp. To extend the life of a given relay, you must keep them cold for as long as necessary. ## with amp on correct band, and tune and load set per the manual for aprx settings for the band in question, and with either a dummy load, or correct ant, hit the footswitch, and tweak tune 1st, then the load, for max power output. Fine-tuning – is not easy and requires a lot of experience or professional help. Amps-Check mini ammeter specifically designed for thermostat heat anticipator adjustment. Start off with xcvr on low power output, like 10-20 watts. -A multimeter with optional alligator clips-A set of plastic flat-head screwdrivers How To Proceed To ensure you get a proper reading, the amplifier must be on and warmed up. output and compare it against the ohm resistance you found. This mini ammeter gives precise amps readings in the 0 - 1.2A AC range. I have dual replaceable fuses in mine, one of them can only handle 500mA at 600v. Use this frequency because dmms are generally most accurate around 50-60Hz, and as long as your speakers are all disconnected they won't be damaged. I the adjusted the bias using a piece of Popsicle stick that I had trimmed to fit the bias adjuster. In conclusion, a multimeter is undoubtedly an essential tool and can be used for many other purposes, such as measuring amperage (How to Tune an Amp with a Multimeter), resistance, and capacitance (How to Test a Capacitor with a Multimeter) among others. Conversely, a relay that is in good condition should give a result of 0.5 or 0.7 depending on the type of relay. How To Tune A Car AMP For Mids And Highs. Set the multimeter selector dial to the Ohms readings and to the range which will include the desired resistance obtained from step one. He has had positions in both security and private investigation over the years. Record the voltage and multiply by .707 and then use this new number to adjust the appropriate filter until the voltage readout is the same as what you have calculated. On your amp, set the LPF (low pass filter) to around 80 Hz, and if your amp has a subsonic knob, set it to 30 Hz. About The Author. The reading on the multimeter will become steady after the amp is warm. As rudimentary as it sounds, by ear has been the most quick & pleasing way especially when it comes to subs if they're only to blend with the fronts, not overtake. Gain – This is the setting that adjusts the sensitivity the amplifier, meaning it sets the power coming out of the amplifier to a certain level that can be easily handled by the speakers. For some reason the front channels (or amp #1 on the key) clip 1kHz with the gian all the way down. When a relay is not working, then the meter will read zero or OL. You will be encountering quite some technical terms in this article, so you should familiarize yourself with them so you won’t get lost. This article explains how and why we fine-tune a room thermostat or wall thermostat by checking its heat anticipator using a mini ammeter. If you really want to do it right, you need to set your gains with a digital multimeter (DMM). after the auto tune finished i try to set my gians. u may likely have to turn the gain up on the amp a bit. Automotive multimeters are truly an excellent choice when it comes to measuring engine RPM, be it on your car on your motorcycle, if you know how to do it right, the results will be better than if you had seen the result on a tachometer, especially if you have had one of those tachometers that didn’t show the precise value, but had the rotating dial instead. So It’s usually best to use the other circuit with the 10 Amp 600v rating if your unsure. Unanswered Questions . Now moving on to our main topic, on how to adjust or tune the amplifier for a car audio system. The Ohms setting will look like a horseshoe or the Greek symbol for Omega. i can set the rear gains to about half way on their rotation. You can find the precise location of the amp from the manual. I seriously doubt you should be worried about exact voltages unless you are worrying about overpowering some subs with far less power handling. if u have your manuals you can see what the output low level signal is rated at then look at the low level input for the amp is, if the deck maximum is 1.5 v. and the amp has a maximum input of 3v. Set the filters using a digital multimeter set to measure voltage in AC, put the leads on the outputs of the amp. Play with it. Setting up the car amplifier for the subwoofer and the rest of the audio system can be confusing for a beginner. 5 years ago. I ran it like this a very simplified way to explain it) This is just to get you started. I've looked at the other threads but they don't really seem to cover how to do it or where to start. Not Helpful 3 Helpful 0. This was what I used and it worked really well. In addition, there is also a creative way of using a common DMM (Digital Multimeter) & Ohm’s Law to establish an AC Voltage Figure to aim for when adjusting the Gain; a quick search for this method will generate a lot of useful information. On the side bar (and I asked the same question as you), there's a guide to tuning your amps using a digital multimeter. Okay so i found out i can tune my aplifier with a digital multimeter, so i only give out the right amount of volts to my subwoofers so i dont bow them. The adjuster pot is plastic but there are high voltage connections around it so the homemade wooded screwdriver gave me peace of mind. Everything You … 4 - Unhook all speaker(s) from the amp, set the multimeter to AC voltage and hook up the leads to the + and - on one of the amp's channels. By then you're probably toning down your front … We first covered how to set your gains by ear in the article titled “How to Tune and Adjust Amplifier Gains and Bass Boost”, however this is not a great method to use because all of our ears are different and we often can’t hear the most deadly distortion. Using a multimeter to measure current is often discouraged due to the difficulty of disconnecting a part in the circuit then placing the meter in-line properly so that damage does not occur. What you're going to do is get your DMM and find the voltage thats optimal for your amplifier. He currently dedicates his time to security and in his spare time helps write and manage the Gadgets Spy blog. It can be easy to blow a fuse if the meter is placed slightly improperly. Then determine which terminal on the speaker is positive and which is negative. 2. Amplifier Settings – Basics. ROOT. A DMM (digital multi-meter) that is capable of measuring AC voltage (needs to be able to measure up to a range of 200V). TLDR: Today I was setting the gain on my with a multimeter, I calculated that to hit 50w rms I need to tune the amp to 14.1v I played a 200hrz sine wave and set both gains for the front speakers and the back speakers to 14.1v I changed the frequency and noticed that my front speakers seemed pretty normal and close to what I set them too when I was playing the 200hz, but my back speakers if … I'd just like to know that I'm not over powering my subs and it's about time I at least set the gain properly. Now use a calculator to find the square root of 1000, and your output voltage is supposed to be 31.62 V in case of a one gain control. Thanks! This only applies to the first time I tune the amp for a given antenna and band combination. Yes No. After I do the initial tuning, I label the positions of the Tune and Load knobs. I do not think you can tell if there is clipping with a meter and you may only find the output voltage of the signal. How To Make A Spy Watch. Never used a DMM to tune an amp. Related Posts . To QSY, I set the band switch and move the Tune/Load controls to the marked presets. Michael Davis hails from Tampa Bay, Florida. Setting the Gain(s) To set the gain(s), you need two things: 1. December 3, 2019. Seek more advice Rear= Low pass selector , then tune the filter frequency dial down to 95 to start. Next How to Tune an Amp with a Multimeter. I own a DS18 2000 watt peak, 800 watt RMS at 1 ohm (amplifier is 1 ohm stable) my dual 15" power acoustik subwoofers are 1600 watt peak 800 watt RMS, they are both wired up at 1 ohm. Say the amp provides 100WRMS into a 4 ohm speaker: Voltage = sqrt(100W X 4 ohms) Voltage = sqrt(400W*ohms) Voltage = 20V Again, that was only an example, use the ratings of your amp to figure that out. We describe the use of the T.D. Anything in a higher frequency (think mids/tweeters) will be cut out. Example: If the desired resistance for the antenna is 450 Ohms, then set the selector dial to read a range that includes 450 Ohms. First of all, make sure that everything is turned off. Surround yourself with the gritty music and enjoy the perfect distortion. However, for your ears tune it for your music that sounds good to you. We recommend waiting around 30+ minutes after the amp has been powered on before checking. Hey everyone so I want to tune my amp with my DMM I just don't know how to do it or where to start. This is a step-by-step guide, and our editors have explained the best methods that will help you adjust your car amplifier settings for a better sound. If the multimeter dosnt specify which types of fuses it uses your probably better of buying a new modern. When you have found it, you can check the wiring diagram to see which wires you should test and their characteristics. when calculating the voltage and gain control per channel. ( PO). This test is well suited for a 1000Hz correctly to the right terminals. Follow these steps: Check Car Stereo Settings. Michael Davis. The multimeter will read the voltage applied to the relay. I let the amp run it's auto tune with the gains all the way down and again using a pink noise tone over bluetooth from my phone. but the rears do not. Stop adjusting the knob as soon as the multimeter reads the target A.C. output voltage that you calculated earlier. 5 - Put on a test tone near 50hz for all amps. Your amp can be situated anywhere – under the dashboard, in the boot or behind one of the seats. "Properly set your gain" level 2. Turn the filters off (HPF down, LPF up) and play a test tone at the desired frequency that the filter will be set at. resistance. On your stereo, if there is a crossover menu, you can set it to play full range if you have your amp crossovers set. Clamp Multimeter has other names like current clamp, current probe, clamp-on ammeter etc as it used a pair of jaw which allow clamping around an electrical conductor to measure the current in a conductor without the need to make physical contact unlike a normal multimeter. You should see a rise on the built in pep wattmeter. Adding a 4-channel amp to your car stereo system — two channels to run the front speakers and two channels to run the rear speakers — not only raises the sound level, but also greatly increases the sound quality of your music.