Do i have to go to car audio school to become an installer? I do not have the funds to go through car audio school but i do want to become an installer. I have been searching the web and found that i need to get certified and get some hands on exp. I have already ran several installs by myself that have turned out great I just want to be able to handle anything i might encounter in the trade. Which brings me to my question, through my searching i found books like Auto Audio, The Car Stereo Cookbook, and The MECP Study guides that i plan on purchasing to brush up on all the technical stuff and was looking at the Caraudiohelp.com DVDs to show me some install techniques and fiberglass. With these books and these videos do you think i would have enough knowledge to become a sucessful installer? Or do i need to go to car audio school?
Sounds like you have made a good start, id recommend reading as much as possible, the dvds are also good. You don't have to go to school to become an installer, you can buy the mecp study guide and take the exam yourself for about $100. I've been to a car audio school and although a lot of people say it is a waste of time I thought it was very good. I think though at the end of the day experience is what counts most so try get into a big box store to start with and after a few hundred installs there you will be better prepared for anything that you want to try.
wotugot4me pretty much nailed it. Schools can be very expensive and on the other hand becoming MECP certified is fairly cheap. The test is about $55 and the book is like $30. Try getting a job at a big retailer to get experience then you will be able to apply at custom car shops.
Most states and businesses do not require that you go to school, but many do require that you are certified. If you don't mind studying on your own you can pass and be certified. For experience I would recommend going to a larger business such as Best Buy (which requires you be certified) and/or Circuit City (certification required in certain states). They usually have at least 3 installers with a few years of experience to help guide you with in car work directly.
For your personal study, I highly stress you focus on the MECP book. HOWEVER, be aware that there are some slight misprints in the book (My teacher found 3 of them while I was in school) as they are not written by those with an english/gaff major. >.<; If you go to the MECP site, there are 2 additional books and a downloadable book. Get these books and download the eBook (free). The latest tests are now adding information from them and will make passing MUCH MUCH easier.
If you do want to go to a school, there are many schools nationwide. Most will have a scholarship/loan/grant system you can have access to so you don't have to pay as much (up front at least) and get specific training for you. I HIGHLY recommend Acoustic Edge Institute in Houston (hotels near the school are fairly cheap $600/month) and under strict regulations to maintain a certain quality of education by the state. California is also under such regulations. I do not recommend schools in states that do not have such regulations (like Arizona) since the quality of education can vary from season to season even. Also I recommend to stick to smaller classed schools. This will give you a more 1on1 training and a much better chance for hands on experience. Larger schools (such as UTI) tend to lean more on theory training (no hands on and it will vary from place to place) and you won't have the hands-on experience.
The test itself will consist of 3 parts with 50 questions each. Missing 15 in any of the 3 sections will result in a fail. The tricky part is that all 3 sections are now mixed together so you won't know what section of the test your question is from specifically.
Our prayers are with you and we wish for your success. BellsRacer(s)
-------------
Never send your ducks to eagle school.
The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.
The 3Ls of life: Learn from the Past, Live for the Present, Look to the Future.