amp is on, but the subs dont work

it doesn't matter what the settings on the amp are right now.. (it worked with the portable remember?) .. the problem is with the signal coming INTO the amp. so it's either in the rca's or the deck itself..

try jacking your portable player into the rca's using some barrel connectors. so now the signal should go like this..

portable player --> mini-to-rca cable --> barrel connectors --> your already-run rca's --> your amp

if this works, your deck is the issue. if the above does not work , try the following..

take an extra set and just run them thru the interior and plug them in. no need hiding them right now as you're only using them for testing.. if the new cable works, then install it properly and yank the bad set.

hope this helps :)

zbig2187 wrote:

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Im pretty sure the rca's are good, i mean i did just buy them last week, is there something wrong with rockford fosgate patch cables? Besides that i tested them while they were still plugged into the deck, they had a reading of 30 to 40 plus on a digital multi meter. i'll be honest i dont know what that means, but the person showing me what to do said if it had a high reading than the cables were fine.

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Hmm, not sure what yu were reading, but if you read "30 to 40" ohms from one end of the cable to the other, then the cable is bad.  You should be able to use your deck with subs.  As has been said, if the subwoofers came on with a different input then there is simply something wrong with the cable or the deck.  Try a new set of cables first.

As far as settings on your amp, try this: subsonic filter OFF, LP filter ON and set to 80-100Hz.  Phase at 0, Bass EQ off or at zero.  Make sure your input gain is set correctly as well.

for the record, i have seen many issues with rf rca cables.. couldn't tell you how many times i've had to open a new package cuz the ones i was installing had a crap connection (i work at best buy.. )

it wasn't so common on the clear-jacketed cables they used to use, but these new fabric covered ones blow. very weak connections in the head of the rca that fall apart under any strain. it's gotten so bad that i check them on the test bench before i even think of running them in the car.. and even then i pray that i didn't put too much pressure on them when i was running them. makes me want to slap a fosgate exec in the face.. their build quality has been steadily slipping over the years. figure another couple years we'll be seeing them in walmart with all the other crap

edit.. and by the way, those barrel connections shouldn't cost more than like 2-3 bucks. not a bad thing to keep in your toolbox along with that mini-to-rca cable.. i even keep an old md player in my box that i use just for testing stuff like this

zbig2187 wrote:

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Tried out the portable player --> mini-to-rca cable --> barrel connectors --> already-run rca's --> amp and it worked so the problem is the deck, like Dyohn said earlier. Now i guess i am going to go get a new deck, oh well. I was thinking about trying one other thing, running the signal from the rear speakers, is this a bad idea? when i was buying the rca jacks from radio shack, the dude said some stuff about clipping and how running the low output from the reaer speaker will blow my amp because it needs a higher output? I have no idea what he was talking about but i hope he was wrong.

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A new deck is your best bet.  Get one with a dedicated subwoofer output.  Ignore the dude at Rat Shack, but at the same time don't try to hook your speaker outputs to the input of the amp. 

zbig2187 wrote:

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lets say hypothetically i did hook up the speaker output to the input of the amp, what would happen?

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If the amplifier has high-level inputs, nothing.  If you connect speaker-level signals to the low-level (RCA) input you will get pure distortion at best and blow the input section of your amp at worst.

zbig2187 wrote:

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Im pretty sure the rca's are good, i mean i did just buy them last week, is there something wrong with rockford fosgate patch cables?

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