Pro-Installation vs. Do it yourself

Home / the12volt's Install Bay / Car Audio / Pro-Installation vs. Do it yourself (

Topic Closed)

Welcome Guest :)

Members

< Prev Page Next Page > < Prev Topic Next Topic >

MBZ oe

Silver - Posts: 385

Joined: December 18, 2003

Posted: August 15, 2004 at 11:38 PM / IP Logged

Theres no reason you shouldn't try and learn how to do it. You need the experience. Besides, instruction manuals are pretty darn good and you always have THE12VOLT Pro-Installation vs. Do it yourself - Page 2 -- posted image.

Pro-Installation vs. Do it yourself - Page 2 -- posted image.

boom, boom, boom boom....

/r7

Silver - Posts: 340

Joined: July 30, 2004

Location: Canada

Posted: August 16, 2004 at 1:13 AM / IP Logged

i'd rather do it myself, i may not be pro, and my radial arm saw may make un-even cuts, and im sure 95% of population on this board could do better installs then me, but doing up box's and putting my gear into my ride is just as much fun as hearing the music play through the s*** i put in.

Theres a level of satisfaction i get hearing something that sounds better than before, and knowing all the trouble and hassle gone through with installing it is well worth it.

kfr01

Gold - Posts: 2,121

This member has made a donation to the12volt.com. Click here for more info.

Joined: April 30, 2003

Posted: August 16, 2004 at 1:43 AM / IP Logged

Be careful about the quick "professional" installs. I took my car to a shop that carried decent equipment and went ahead and paid them way too much for a head unit install. This was fine with me as I realized I was simply buying the warranty from Eclipse. However, for $75 from a decent store, I expected the job to be professional. When I removed the deck to do the rest of the system a few weeks later I learned they did a quick and dirty install. It was messy, the deck wasn't very secure, and they didn't even bother to put electrical tape on the ends of the rca outs.

Years ago, when I had another install done at another shop, I popped off the doors to examine the speaker install. They didn't create a seal between the speaker and the door metal and barely crimped the speaker connectors on.

Having said that, I went to another guy years ago that was excellent. I was a repeat customer and gladly referred others to him.

The moral of the story. What's the best way to ensure your stereo is getting the care it deserves? Do it yourself.

The second best way for the diy weary? Ask around. A LOT. Ask about stores and specific installers. Inspect the install before you leave or right when you get home. Don't be afraid to bitch when you didn't get what you paid for.

Many employee installers suffer from the same problem many other employees all over the world from. They simply don't care if they don't think it will matter to their reputation, jobs, or pockets. It is the same reason the girl at McDonalds doesn't care if your burger is burnt. In my opinion the chance of this lack of care happening is greater when you go to the mass install stores (best buy), but it can certainly happen at the small businesses too as my first example demonstrates.

New Project: 2003 Pathfinder

Alpine Guy

Platinum - Posts: 2,478

Joined: October 18, 2003

Location: Canada

Posted: August 16, 2004 at 8:31 AM / IP Logged

The right , and the only right way to install any deck is to solder and tape the connections, ,this way they wire becomes one with the other. Crimping is sloppy, and creates a big clump of un trustworty plastic that you have to cram in your already tight opening, ,if you tug hard on a crimped connection it will break where it was crimped, , , if you tug hard on a soldered connection, , it will definately not break at the connection, it will take about 10 times the tug to break the wire iteslf, but if you had that kind of force, you would break the connector right out of your deck before that happends.

Definately stay away from the big stores, , there basically the back yard kids with tax deductions, theres a few pro's there. Mostly the real pro's are the guys that are installing 1or 2 brands of products and are certified by those brands.

2003 Chevy Avalanche,Eclipse CD7000,Morel Elate 5,Adire Extremis,Alpine PDX-4.150, 15" TC-3000, 2 Alpine PDX-1.1000, 470Amp HO Alt.

Ravendarat

Platinum - Posts: 2,806

Joined: February 23, 2004

Location: Canada

Posted: August 16, 2004 at 12:04 PM / IP Logged

I knida have to take offense to that. I work at one of the "Big Boys" (Future Shop) and I sure the hell am not one of the backyard boys. My other installer is a 13 year vet and has done some amazing stuff. Tim, who also post on here worked for the same company up until a month ago and his install could be seen in magazines almost monthly. hzlemail.com I think is his web site. I have also seen some great installs come from various bays in my company that are quite amazing. I think that kinda generalization is unfair. For every bad installer in a big company I am sure you can find one just as bad in a smaller company in the same area. I know around here I have seen some real piece of sh*t installs come out of the independant bays that always claim they are miles bettter than me. I generally just laugh about it.

double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer

gumbi_12

Copper - Posts: 53

Joined: May 19, 2004

Location: United States

Posted: August 16, 2004 at 12:27 PM / IP Logged

I just did my current install by myself because when I first got a system I went to a shop and this is what happened

http://wwwstu.tcu.edu/~baborthwell/pics.html

Those cords would be my rcas and remote turn-on wire...after they snapped while I turned left one day. Before I did my install I read this forum left and right, and it helped out alot.

Ravendarat

Platinum - Posts: 2,806

Joined: February 23, 2004

Location: Canada

Posted: August 16, 2004 at 1:09 PM / IP Logged

Its a damn shame that some people get paid to do stuff like that.

double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer

Sweekster

Silver - Posts: 481

Joined: May 13, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: August 16, 2004 at 1:30 PM / IP Logged

Well..here's my 2 cents on this...

The "Professional" way to is to use the right tools for the job. For example: Use an interior panel remove tool to remove door panels instead of screw drivers. And using the proper connectors and wire harness adapters and not just cutting off wires harness plugs and things of such. I'm not a professional installer (yet) but when I do an install for myself or for someone else I make sure it's done right. Which means soldering and not using those stupid crimps (after a while they get expensive-I can do 20 or more cars before I need more solder), running and hiding all the wires properly. And I stand behind my work!!! If it doesn't work the way you want it too...bring it back to me and we'll see what other options there are. I've also had to clean up a couple of messy insatllations from places like best buy and fye's electroncis. So I'd also suggest not going places like best buy, circuit city, fye's electronics, or Future Shop (which Best Buy now owns) because there really isn't the experience there when it comes to this stuff.

Like someone else mentioned, one of the benefits of going to a shop (a good, clean, and experienced one) is the manufacturer warranty along with the installation warranty and you'll also have the oppurtunity to be exposed to alot of the higher end brands of equipment such as Zapco, Memphis, or Audison.

All in all, if you're gonna do it yourself make sure you know what you're doing. If not, then swallow your pride and ask questions (or post it on 12 volt!!!) or take it to a shop or to someone more experienced than you are.

At least that's my opinion about it.

Duane...

If you think you're confused, imagine how you feel. Pro-Installation vs. Do it yourself - Page 2 -- posted image.

Ravendarat

Platinum - Posts: 2,806

Joined: February 23, 2004

Location: Canada

Posted: August 16, 2004 at 2:35 PM / IP Logged

Once again I have to point out that those generalizations are not fair. Instead I would like to suggest that you seek the opinion of other people in your area that have gotten installs done at professional shops and find out what their experiences have been. If they went to a big box store and had a bad experience then your suggestion of avoiding them is valid, but if not than givem a shot. Also you have to understand that the install teams at most of the futureshops were put in place well before best buy bought them. Best Buy has been trying to adjust there american install bays to run more the way the Future Shop bays are. Most Best Buys work by doing simple deck and speaker installs where as FS does the custom side as well. The Big shots at Best Buy didnt even know it was possible to turn out the kind of work some of our bays do in a big box enviroment. Im not saying that FS has the best bays out there because I dont honestly believe that. I do however believe tha we have some very solid workers who can do good quality work. Now obviously you will hear alot more stories about a big chain like FS or Best Buy because they cover alot more territory and deal with a much larger volume of customers. Unfortunatly the large volume of both bays and customers means that they do sometimes hire people who have no buisness in the buisness. I like to think that we weed those people out when we find them but I cant speak for 100 stores.

double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer

Alpine Guy

Platinum - Posts: 2,478

Joined: October 18, 2003

Location: Canada

Posted: August 16, 2004 at 2:54 PM / IP Logged

i didn't mean offence revendarat, i believe i said theres a few pro's in the big box store's, and you are probably 1 of them.

2003 Chevy Avalanche,Eclipse CD7000,Morel Elate 5,Adire Extremis,Alpine PDX-4.150, 15" TC-3000, 2 Alpine PDX-1.1000, 470Amp HO Alt.

< Prev Page Next Page >

Printable version

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

Search the12volt.com

Follow the12volt.com

Disclaimer: *All information on this site ( the12volt.com ) is provided "as is" without any warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to fitness for a particular use. Any user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and use of this information. Please verify all wire colors and diagrams before applying any information.