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  1. about to try to give away a $300 amp that came directly outta my pocket....can i get a like?
    72 points
  2. Time to have some fun. About to close the deal on a '98 Astro Van (cargo) very similar to this one. Can i get a like, for encouragement? LOL >>
    61 points
  3. I am getting so tired of this shit. I can go to any forum, lots of channels on YT, even my own.......FB and other sites, and see people talking shit. I see people all the time talking about how "i asked a simple question and steve blocked me, he is an asshole" and other things like that. Totally making themself look innocent. Then i pull up the log of what they said to me and its usually a Vial, HATE FILLED, asshole, dickhead or just plain rude ass comment. I might be guilty of responding back in kind, i can't help it depending on what is said. Then when i do that, i am an even bigger asshole so now the guys who talked major shit FIRST, hate me. Now they post on YT, FB or wherever else, that I was an asshole and they are just so innocent. Now all their friends, and anyone else reading it, hates me too. Its fucking bullshit. I give the last dollar in my pocket to anyone who needs it. I give the shirt off my back to someone who is cold. I feed people that are hungry. i give 20's to bum's and don't talk about it online because its just what i do. (until now). i am OK with people who don't like my ride, just don't be a fucking dick about it. I give away my used, but EXPENSIVE amps to people just because (and have yet to get a thank you) I buy amps from the store, make video's of them, and give them away (and didn't get a thank you) I give 10's of thousands of dollars worth of stuff on SOTM away every year. I share my massive audience with others who deserve the limelight. I know for a fact i am a cool motherfucker...i laugh and have a GREAT time with anyone who is cool to me. NOBODY is innocent. If i blocked you, you were a dick. No doubt about it. Nothing bothered me more then that motherfucker JP going to his FB page and telling some asshole (that came crying to him about me) that "steve does all his fans like that"....when i read that, it was over for that guy. this happens over and over again....i get no break from the shit talkers. One and ONLY one person i know of has ever met me and went home talking shit. Its that loser who owns that shop in Salinas. He came to my house for 4th of July, drank my Patron, laughed his ass off with all of us, and shook my hand on the way out. Then went home and instantly started talking shit online. i get a bad rap but i NEVER EVER have done someone wrong, who didn't do me wrong first. why am i ranting? because i am getting majorly tired of this crap. There is more but my hands hurt.
    39 points
  4. just like it says.... you got one of those garbage volt meters, with the adjustment screw on the back? Chances are, it will break soon. Even if it doesn't, how can you trust a volt meter, that you get to choose the reading? How ridiculous is that? If you had a DMM with an adjustment screw, would you trust it? For voltage? how about impedance? If you had 4ohm speaker reading 3.6 ohms, should it be ok to adjust it to read 4? How about if you were checking a diode and it said the electronic flows from A to B......but you didn't agree, so you switched it so now it reads B to A? would you trust that? Forget reliability, any "meter" that can be adjusted to your taste is really nothing i want to rely on. anyway, that being said, if you have a working or NON WORKING volt meter, of any kind, you can send it to me and i will give you a $25.00 coupon code towards purchase of an SMD VM-1. Our product is MADE IN AMERICA by the best engineers in the 12v business (IMO), highly reliable (should last a lifetime), very fast and highly accurate. You cannot adjust ours to suite your needs. It is what it is right out of the box. here is how you do it. Send Volt meter to: Steve Meade Designs, Inc. 2160 Bell Ave Suite C Sacramento, CA 95838 please put a note with your name, email addy, phone number or contact info of some sort and when i receive it, i will send you the coupon code. don't know what the VM-1 is? here is a link to more info: http://www.wccaraudio.com/smd-12v-volt-meter-smd-vm-1.html ok now who is in? NO LIMIT either! If you have 5, i will give you that discount on all 5. If you like, you can email us [email protected] and let us know your's is on the way so we will look out for it. Promise to make a youtube video and after i see it uploaded, i will return ANOTHER $5 bucks to your paypal accnt. How is THAT for a deal? or, if you would just like to buy one, and don't have a trade in... use SMDVM1 (coupon code) and save $10 bucks off listed price. thanks everyone!
    34 points
  5. guys, these are in full production mode right now. I am hoping to have them within a week, week and a half......maybe 2. I know i said March but i waited too long before dropping the cash to get it started. Its a pretty expensive piece to build and a heck of a check to write to get the process started. The first phase of the release is as follows: just a raw unit like the ones you saw online. Adjustable, everything else, a really cool piece.....but you will have to get creative on your install to make it look right. We are in the process of having a smoked faceplate tooled for it to make install a little easier and look a little nicer right out of the box rather then having to fab up your own faceplate. The price of the raw unit will be $119.99 I am guessing it will be another $10.00 for the faceplate once they are ready and that will be phase 2. I will sell them separately in case you buy raw now but want the plate later. i know it sounds expensive but you would shit if you saw how much each one was to manufacture, let alone the million other things that go with bringing a new product on the market. Also, keep in mind, we are a small 3 man (and a few helpers) army so when/if business picks up to the point where we sell VOLUMES of products, we can more easily reduce prices. At this stage, this product here is still DAMN close to being a 1-off still. I know its not, but this is a BIG planet and the first run of 100 is still a small batch. (in the big picture) so grab up one of the "100-off's" should i start a presale? Maybe i will set one up and reduce the price a few bucks just to see who really wants this. Remember, it is a fun light show but becomes functional if you use a DD-1 to set it up. I'm just sayin! hit the "like button" if you think i should start a presale. Its a headache to take money before the product is here but if you want to reserve one of 100, i think i might be able to set that up. I need to see some support or i will just quitely put it on the www.wcCarAudio.com site and call it a day instead.
    34 points
  6. a few months back, one of my youtube buddies got his shit stolen and when i saw the video it really bothered me to see someone go through what i have gone through a few times in my life. Getting your car broken into, even if they just rifled through your glove box and took nothing, is a terrible feeling.....but losing an entire system is the worst. So i thought about it for a while, what can i do to help this guy. I made a few phone calls and arranged getting him at least some of his stuff back. He was running JL Audio but i don't know anyone at JL so i called my boys at Rockford. Now keep in mind, RF didn't give me anything but they did give me a nice discount. In other words, nothing you see in this video was free (on my end). I paid a decent chunk (not to mention shipping). Why would i do that for someone i only know on youtube? I guess you can call it paying it forward. Actually, its just me being me - but i have to say, when i got my shit stolen out of my honda (like 7 years ago) and David from RE Audio (now PSI) sent me 2 brand new MT 18's, i never forgot that. I think about that all the time. I still have those and i will probably never get rid of them because they are special. So shots out to some of the people who have helped me and in turn, i ALWAYS help others when i can, because of people like that. Anyhow, thats just the short story of why i would do something like this. i can't wait to see it all installed, but he did say it might take a few months first. It don't matter, he has the gear and he can move on now
    30 points
  7. are you guys ready? oh, there is a TON of numbers so if i can get a hand finding out who the winners are, i would HIGHLY appreciate that! The video is processing now and results in about 5 minutes or less. thanks for playing! hit the "like" button if you like these little games, because to me, it is a blast - i hope you all agree
    30 points
  8. 24 points
  9. guys, this site is supposed to be a friendly place to hang out. Everyone isn't always going to get along, some people are way overly sensitive.... but for real, some of you are straight up assholes towards each other. This IS NOT the place. Go to some other shit forum where the admins and mods don't care but don't do it here. I am getting tired of reading the most terrible posts and for what? for nothing. I am just going to ban any and all who think this is a place to start some shit with the next man. I will also personally go into your settings and block you from being able to see whoevers post you have a problem with. I have instructed my admins to do the same thing. 1. I don't care if you are a friend of mine. I will ban you. I have before and i will do it again. 2. I don't care if i game with you. I will ban you. 3. I don't care if you don't like me going into your settings and adjusting it accordingly. Stay off the radar and nobody will EVER touch your profile. I am sure i have more "numbers" to add but this is the basics of it. Stop the bullshit arguing, it's old and it's for those other forums, not this one. thanks.
    24 points
  10. So since DC is a build house and not a retailer its really odd for someone to knock on the office doors but last week thats what happened, The man on the other side said he drove 4 hours because of a woofer issue that the 2 different shops he had working on it could not figure out. They both had blamed the subwoofer for it not being able to handle 2000 watts. He explained to me he had spent a lot of money on our product and was really unhappy with it. its rms is at 2200 so he would expect it to take the 2000 watt amp he had it hooked up to. He explained he had purchased a DC XLm2 12 from a retailer and it was getting stinky quick and could not keep up with the rest of the system. He explained the system sounds great at low volume but there is a point on the volume knob that the bass stops getting louder but the rest of the system keeps going. I knew right then what was going on and said OK lets go take a look at it. His bass section of his system was a 4 volt headunit that feeds an EQ with high voltage outputs that then goes into a 2000 watt amp thats wired at 1 ohm. Should be an easy task for a XLm2 right. Just glancing at the settings It appeared it was probably all too high. I had just the tool to show him what was going on. I could have explained it to him but this guy didnt really know me so I could be some guy working at a shop just pointing the finger in a different direction. The better way is to get out the DD-1 and explain how it works, So thats what I did, I explained what a gain on an amp is for and how deck/eq voltage works. How over gaining an amp will cause an amp to run out of useable power before you run out of volume knob and how it will produce dirty power and how that effects the operating temp of the sub. He tells me he normally runs his deck at volume 22. So we hook up the DD-1 to the outputs of the headunit and its well within his clean useable volume clicks. What was good about doing this first is now he understands the way the DD-1 works, He was able to see how about 95% of the deck volume was all clean and how only the last couple clicks were dirty and lit it up. When we got to the outputs of the amp we were able to get to volume 12 when the distortion light came on, because he understood the way it works from the previous settings we went through, it clicked right away what the issue was for the guy. I think he was just relieved to understand car audio better and to also know exactly where the problem was, not just guess work and finger pointing. So basically we got a guy that rolls at volume 22 but gets dirty at 12. We adjusted his settings on the 2000 watt amp so that he could get the most clean power out of it at the volume he listins to. No more subwoofer heat issues and the sub now continues to get louder in a linear way with the rest of the system all the way up through the volume clicks, no more leveling off early and smelling. Huge thanks to steve, awesome job on the tool. from a manufacturers stand point, if that customer had not come out and got dialed in with the DD-1 he would just be a guy out there unhappy with his system, that includes being unhappy with us. But because we were able to tune his system and show him where the real issue was I think we have made a happy DC customer for life.
    24 points
  11. this month we are giving away some awesome Sundown Audio subs and a nice Sundown amp to go with them. I want a lot of contestants this month! So my plan is to do a REVERSE system of the month this time! Basically I HAVE the "System of the Month" in my hands and it will be shipped to the person who wins. Here is what you need. A Car. A Picture of you by the car you would put the system in if you win the prize. A membership to this forum, even BRAND NEW FRIENDLY MEMBERS are welcome! No post count required. Hopefully you will see this is a great place to hang out and you will stay! So join now, it is easy! use your facebook account to sign up in seconds If we reach 50 contestants, i will toss in $200 Store Credit out of my own pocket to any of the partners on this board for you to pick out a deck, crossover, or whatever else you need to enhance the already great prize (which you will soon see). Can someone with an already great system enter? YES! It can be the car you already have or maybe you standing next to your pop's car because you want him to have a system! So i am trying to reach my admin Nick aka Chode to get SOTM set up within the next day or so. I will post links here once he has it up and running. At the end of the month i will draw the winner! Does this sound like fun or what? STAY TUNED!!!
    22 points
  12. I can't believe it has been 7 years and not showing any signs of slowing down! Happy Anniversary to US! Lets play a game. I want to see how many originals, or even just '06ers we have still currently posting. Believe it or not, i am member #4, people were already signing up before we announced it LOL. June 2nd is the day we started but June 6th is when i actually cracked the Champaign bottle on the side of the ship Shot's out to Dave Cope for helping me launch my ship! I know it doesn't seem that great, it's just a website, but 7 years is a LONG time. To put it in perspective, my daughter was 13. She is now grown up with a son and i am a grandfather now. My oldest son, was 9. He now DRIVES me around town, and is a senior in High School. My youngest son, he was 6 and now he is about to be in High School this year. I have had pets come and go . I have had members die, i have seen members lie. Ive seen members be REALER THEN REAL and some i trusted, try to steal....and never heard from again. I can go on and on! Feel free to post up whatever memories you have, i will PROBABLY remember them too! Some of us been FRIENDS for years and i never seen your face in person. That's ok though! thanks to everyone for a GREAT 7 years and here's to 7 more. THANK YOU.
    22 points
  13. I got into Car Audio in the 1980s, long before the Internet. Obviously, the Internet is the largest free exchange of knowledge our world has ever seen. However, with fact also comes fiction. The following, are all Myths - no matter how much you'd like to believe in them. Inconveniences such as the Laws of Physics prevent a myth from ever becoming a fact. 1. "Clamping" is an acceptable way to measure the power output of an amplifier. By far and away, this has to be the biggest myth ever purported in the history of car audio. Quite simple really - the laws of Physics don't permit it. As others have said countless times, one cannot measure the output of a power amplifier in this fashion as the current and voltage are out of phase with one another, unless of course, you've got the amplifier connected to a large resistor and not a loudspeaker. Now, before you argue that "it's good enough for . . . " realize that incorrect data isn't good enough for anything. Any data obtained via incorrect analysis is flawed and therefore useless. 2. "Oversize" cable exists. It doesn't. No more than an oversize inch, an oversize gallon, or an oversize decibel exists. Long ago, standards were put into place to ensure that cable was manufactured to an agreed upon specification. These specifications are outlined fully by the American Wire Gauge (AWG) standards. They are intended to be used to quickly determine how large a cable is required for the task given the current and length of the circuit. Now, this doesn't prevent the terminology "oversize" to be used in product marketing. But, marketing is just that - marketing. Most of it is designed to confuse you into believing that one company has something special that another doesn't. Cable does certainly exist today that is specified to be one "gauge" when it really is the next gauge larger. This doesn't mean it's better. It's simply mis-labeled. 3. CCA is just as good. CCA, or Copper Clad Aluminum, was intended to be a deception from the word GO. Companies entered the cable market with an intent to take a slice of the pie owned by the main cable suppliers. The easiest way to do this is to come to the market with a lower price. As copper is a commodity, its costs are clearly defined by the market. Larger companies that have greater buying power have the ability to purchase cable (copper / jacket / mfg) at a lower price than smaller companies with less buying power due to economies of scale. So . . . if you want to enter the cable business, offer product at a lower price than the big guys, and don't have the buying power they do, the way to accomplish this is to purchase lower quality goods and then market it as a lower priced alternative. So, yes that's exactly what CCA is - a lower priced alternative to standard copper cable. That would make OFC a higher priced alternative and tinned OFC an ever higher priced alternative. So, what's wrong with the below line of thinking? - CCA - lower priced alternative - Copper - the reference - OFC - better alternative - tinned OFC - best alternative The answer is simple. CCA isn't copper, it's a copper alternative. Copper, OFC, and tinned OFC all offer the same conductivity while CCA has 30 - 40% greater resistance than copper cable. OFC is a process done during the annealing of the copper to remove the oxygen in an effort to prevent it from turning black when it's exposed to oxygen. Tinning the copper strands adds an additional layer of protection against corrosion and oxidation. Some industries - the marine industry for example - mandate the use of tinned copper cable in the construction of vessels. On average, tinning copper cable adds 7% to the raw materials cost of the cable - not insignificant by any measure. The rule of thumb when running CCA has been to use two AWG sizes larger than what the AWG charts specify for copper cable. So, then really, you're comparing 1/0 AWG CCA to 2 AWG (standard) copper cable - is the cost savings really there? Now, comparing 1/0 AWG CCA to 1/0 AWG tinned OFC and they saying - Holy Cow! Look how much money I'm saving by running CCA . . . well, that's just being naive. The other "marketing" benefit has been weight. No doubt, copper cable is heavy. If I were building a race car and wanted to go faster, one of the best ways is to reduce weight. So - using lightweight cable is a good alternative, right? Not really. The only time this would be acceptable would be if there was indeed a weight savings when comparing two cables of identical conductivity and this isn't as cut and dry as you may think given the different ratios of aluminum and copper used in different offerings of CCA. Many reputable companies have entered the CCA business out of necessity as this is the way the market has gone. I don't see that changing anytime soon. When shopping for CCA, you definitely should consider the ratio of copper to aluminum that the cable consists of as this affects conductivity. 4. Science has no place in Car Audio Every amplifier, subwoofer, enclosure, speaker, cable, etc. operates based on the Laws of Physics. If you consider yourself a die-hard car audio dude (or dudette for that matter), then you pride yourself in your strength in science, physics, and mathematics. Science permits you to form a hypothesis and then prove or disprove it. We all learned this in 7th grade physical science (likely earlier now). Every single thing that you read on the 'net can be proven as fact or disproven as fiction. For example, let's say that your buddy tells you that his system is louder than yours. Easily proven / disproven with the assistance of an SPL meter. Now, let's say that the same buddy tells you that his woofers handle 5,000 Watts. Well, this isn't so easy but with the correct equipment and procedures, the exact power handling of these woofers can be ascertained. Most mis-information on the 'net spreads by folks repeating stuff others have said without doing any research. Study hard. Arm yourself with knowledge. Speak less and listen more. Recognize that your opinion is just that - an opinion. We all have them. Rarely are they the basis of fact. Summary If you desire to have the best performing system, then you owe it to yourself to set out on a path of success that is based within the laws of physics. Otherwise, you'll spin your wheels and spend triple the money redoing things along the way that didn't work. Some of you here are capable of turning your passion into a career within the Car Audio Industry. The Car Audio Industry is always looking for that next great mind. Whether it be an installer at your local shop, a salesman on the floor at said shop, an engineer with a manufacturer, etc., educated people are in demand. The Car Audio Industry is and always has been a function of the many great minds and personalities within it.
    21 points
  14. Possibly.I'll guinea pig that idea (since im doing a blowthrough with pvc ports enetering the cab soon) if you guys send me some to try out Never hurts to ask...and you are in luck today!!!! PM me your address I will send you out a test roll tomorrow as long as you send us pics of the project you work on it with. Second Skin For The Win!!!
    21 points
  15. So since I found it funny And since someone thinks they can make demands I'll answer his demands. No. The links stay. Everythign stays. You should be proud that your mom is a standup woman who understands the right and wrong. Its just too bad you didnt Stephen. Its also too bad you didnt think about what mail fraud felonies would do to your poor little young life. I am surprised by the audacity you have by making demands after trying to screw someone over on a deal you should have never been doing. In case you didnt notice. you are now in bright pink. You also have no rights on the forum. You are blackballed. oh and in case you didnt notice. I also added your real name to the title? Want to know why? When someone googles your name trying to find some back history out on you guess what comes up? This thread. Get mad. Get upset. There was nothing non factual posted. It can not be used as slander or as libel. I guess thats what happens when you try to screw people on the internet. Have a nice day
    21 points
  16. alright, So after pages of suggestions heres what I got for a concept woofer for ya, This will be The 8 m3 Its subject to me making some changes here or there if I see its needed but the concept is here and Im now starting the toolings to build the parts for this driver. Dont ask me for specs, Im still working out some details that answers to questions like that will all depend on how certain parts of it turn out. Time for some eye candy.
    20 points
  17. Isn't it nice when everyone is cool, getting along and barely any attitude in the air? The wave of fucktards has subsided and everything is back to normal, just like i knew it would. Sometimes we gotta play "whack-a-mole" to get rid of trouble makers, even when those trouble makers are long time members. True colors ALWAYS eventually show through and it is no skin off my back to get rid of them and quickly forget they ever existed. After a few days, their tirade and attempted attacks on this forum settle down....but in the end, they are still gone, i am still here, and the place becomes nice again. In 8 years of owning this board, i have seen it before and i will see it again and the results will be the same each time. thank you to all you people who iv'e made E-friends with over the years here and also to those who have made friends with each other. Countless members here have connected with each other though this forum. I love to see that! When we are all kicking it, cursing like sailors, posting pics and basically just being civilized friendly people, i truly enjoy it (owning this site). I consider a lot of you better friends then people i know in real life, even if i have never met you in person. That's some pretty legit shit! cheers to all who make this a fun place to be
    19 points
  18. your personal experience has nothing to do with my personal experience....lets just leave it at that. i don't give a shit about a hater. They are all mad as FUCK but can't stop watching. They are my biggest fans. thanks
    19 points
  19. well its a long story, no need to tell it.....but lets say this. Your boy JP was done a lot of shit to piss me off as well as a lot of others before me. I have every reason not to like the guy. BUT. I am never mad at anyone forever. I feel that karma kicked in hard with that horrifying install and the hundreds of shit talking comments that followed. I feel like the guy has had enough. I think he got his payback and i didn't even have to dish it out, someone else did it instead. That being said, i don't feel like being mad any more. I doubt he can read this since the account is probably banned.....which i will undo in a few minutes. I just wanted to do something nobody thought i would do and attempt to forgive and forget. I actually wish the guy luck on the 4th (or 5th) attempt as i know the newest installer will probably kick some serious ass!! i sure hope i don't regret this post. Its not easy to type and put out there like that. flame on.
    19 points
  20. -Resistance is NOT Impedance. -Volts * Amps does NOT equal Watts in AC land -You can NOT use an AC voltmeter and AC current meter to get true power unless you are powering a resistor and are using a scope or clipping detection device. I don't care what your friend the "electrician" said. -You can NOT use a DMM to measure impedance -Clipping is NOT DC -There is NO SUCH THING as Watts RMS (though we use it in audio) -WTH is "Box Rise" -The word "subsonic" to describe low frequency audio is TOTALLY incorrect -CCA wire is NOT OK -Class D is not better, it's cheaper WTH is Class D? D'Amore Engineering will be launching a FREE education section on it's website in the next few days. There will be a series of videos and demonstrations to prove all of the above statements and more. This sport is more full of bad information than the gossip mags at the checkout stand. Something needs to be done. This bad information continues to get passed on, and our hobby continues to be degraded. I'm still paying on my student loans, but it doesn't mean you have to. Stop by www.DAmoreEngineering.com soon, watch some vids, buy a t-shirt.
    18 points
  21. Still around... Long story short I was hanging around the wrong crowd and got addicted to heroin. Tried getting help and ended up relapsing. Then got arrested and did 6 months in county. I've been out for a month now and don't plan on ever going back to that chaotic lifestyle. Currently just trying to get back on my feet. No car and no job but I am clean! I also would like to apologize to anyone that I have hurt or fucked over in the process. Those were never my intentions and it will obviously take some time to gain some trust back but the SMD family is worth it Swung by Steve's shop today to say what's up and let's just say some habits never die... Car audio being one of them. Hopefully soon I'll have a new project to work on but for now I just wanted to check in
    18 points
  22. i can understand people might be upset but i think the biggest thing that drives me insane is those fucking thieves stealing shit....they don't care about the dead guy they are just looking for a reason to steal and get a free come-up. Disgusting.
    17 points
  23. Let me start out by saying this. I have NO CLUE what is going on with the AA SMD woofer. Every 3-6 months i hear "its going to come out". Lots of silence in between. I have a Van which needs woofers and a Civic which is almost done but needs the RE MT's replaced. I was planning on the v2 SMD subs for those projects. As of right now, i have no idea if that is ever going to happen. Any Joe off the street knows as much as i do. Nothing. That being said, while i wait to see what's going to happen, i have this 91' Toyota Tercel sitting there, with 2 cylinders still pumping out about 20hp of pure get up on a trailer power. I decided, i want to try something different. I am thinking i will wall this bitch all the way to the B-Pillar with a huge port and have some dont-give-a-shit fun with this car. In other words, its no Lexus ISF, i can do what i want, even if that is cut a hole, break glass, put sheet rock screws through the roof (with silicone for extra seal) (jokes ). This project is going to take some time. I wan't to do a 160 or better with it. I plan on using DC Audio Amps, possibly 2 or 4 9.0k's. I am going to focus on the enclosure first and use the entire trunk to power the beast. Now for my disclaimer. I have NO IDEA how the Tercel will meter. Some cars (CRX for example) are natural SPL number machines. They just WORK. The Tercel MIGHT do a big number, it might not. I can only try. So if i do all this work, and the number sucks, then ill just have to keep trying. I plan on showing just about every step and there will prob be some bumps in the road. I am willing to do whatever i gotta do though and i hope it at LEAST breaks the windshield :D Thanks to RUSTY at DC - i ordered up the Level 5 15's, and they were here in 3 days. And they are GORGEOUS. Just some early rough measurements to see what kind of space i have to work with. Not totally accurate but close enough to let me know my options.
    16 points
  24. 16 points
  25. Today, me and Brandon were out front of the shop having a morning cup of coffee like a normal day, when we noticed a puppy across the street. Normally it isn't even that out of the ordinary to see dogs on the loose in my area as there is a neighborhood right down the street. Pitbulls, Chihuaua's are the usual street runners. I CRINGE when i see this because the street is pretty busy. I always hope they will just go home. This time it was different. A little Husky just sitting by himself. We slowly walked up to him, expecting him to run (like they usually do), but he didn't. So i scooped him up. He felt very emaciated and looked sick. Then the neighbor (tenant next to my shop) says "look, i think he got hit by a car". I look down and see his guts hanging out of his behind. I seriously went into panic mode. I didn't know what to do so i grabbed a towel from the shop and rushed him out to the nearest vet. The doctor wasn't in yet they told me and that i should go to the emergency pet center in Roseville. So i took him another 10 miles to Atlantic Street Pet Emergency Center. Seemed like the longest drive EVER! He was in my Lexus, on my suede seat wrapped in a towel and screaming like an injured animal would. Why is his name Baby? because i must have called him that 1000 times in that long trip to the vet. So when i got there they told me that since he didn't have an owner that someone had to claim him or they couldn't work on him. So i signed the papers. He is now my responsibility. I said "do whatever you gotta do". The main thing i was worried about besides the prolapsed rectum (which was almost as long as his tail it seemed), was Parvo. I have 4 dogs so i can't bring Parvo home. After leaving him there all day, they called and said he was negative for diseases and all put back together. I was EXTREMELY excited. So i went and got him
    15 points
  26. well "Change his life" might be a little exaggeration......but you know what i mean. Especially if you have what this guy has and I (Me) come rolling up on you. LOL I was on my way to get some chlorine for my pool, and on the way home i spot this guy hauling ass down the street. Not a care in the world. Smiling ear to ear. I nearly cut off a few people trying to get back to the parking lot to catch him. I wanted to see this thing. So i stop him and ask if i can take some pics, maybe a video. He is just happy as can be to show off his stuff. Naturally it sounded terrible, but that's ok, it SOUNDED! He had one channel on the amp running everything. The other side blows a fuse if he tries to hook up that channel LOL. The battery is like a piece of hazardous waste riding down the street. Smallest power wire i have ever seen. I do have a little video clip of it....about to upload. I think i can VERY EASILY make this dudes year. Should i?
    15 points
  27. guys, keep in mind this is directly out of my pocket, it is not endorsed by RF at all. I just wanna have some fun on a Sunday and try to make some winners on Tuesday! Hit like if you like when i do this! I work for likes you know! :D
    15 points
  28. Wow... of ALL the topics I said I was going to talk about, this is the one that got you guys all fired up? Oh man.... just wait until we talk about clamps and how AC power is measured. Let me get something out of the way, when I said it CCA is "not okay", I am not saying your car is going to burn to the ground like all of the houses built in the 70s that used aluminum wire. I'm saying it is one more thing in our hobby that we don't need. Here is the indisputable fact, not opinion: You need roughly twice as much CCA and it costs roughly 1/2 as much, and gives you twice the number of terminations (which is CCAs downfall). So what is the point? Why it is "not okay": It is not okay because IMO you are getting ripped off. Same problem I have with overrated equipment. CCA costs roughly 1/2 of OFC, yet aluminum costs 4 times less than copper. Hmmmm. Someone please explain to me how that math works out. Yes someone is cashing out at your expense, and since the manufactures of this wire (China) are ca$hing out, of course they look for ways to cash out even more. Example: Once I was asked, at a previous employer, to test 3 different CCA cables all 1/0 AWG. 1 of them was the current one we were selling, the other 2 were cost saving versions. What? Isn't CCA, CCA? Nope. Of the 3 I tested, the worst one had DOUBLE the resistance of the best one, and saved us 30% on cost. Can you guess which one that company started to sell? The numbers I used in Video 1: DC, were numbers I looked up for "standard", "legit" CCA, not numbers I tested. The worse of the 3 I tested had double the industry standard resistance. That being said I'm guessing the situation is even worse that what I said. But I only talk fact, so I used the industry standard resistances. Don't worry real testing is coming, I'm just waiting for the cable I ordered to arrive. Side note: the "lanes" are not a magical place, and I have been in the lanes plenty of times myself. I'm not sure everyone is understanding the conservation of energy here. If you lose 500 watts in a cable, that's it, it's lost, gone. Well where did it come from? Your alternator(s)... and 500 watts/14V = 35.7 amps. So if you are cool with losing 35 amps per each run of cable that is losing 500W, then ok. Fine with me. Seems like you probably spent some hard earned cash on those high output alts to just throw away 35 amps, but whatever makes you happy. I know the guys "in the lanes" do some extreme work to their vehicles. I've been there, I've done the 3 AM builds the night before. Some of these extreme vehicles use multiple high output alts, custom built mountings, 1000s of pounds of MDF, metal, batteries, etc. You guys go ALL OUT on these vehicles. It's awesome. But then you don't on the wire? Ok 5 runs of CCA is less resistance than 2 or 3 runs of OFC. But 5 runs of OFC is way better. I just don't get it. Let us also note that less than 1% of people with systems compete. So what about the other 99%? I am going to try to hide 2 or 3 runs of CCA under the carpet of my Jeep when I could use 1 run of OFC? Hell no. You already bought a mile of CCA and you are running it? That's fine, it works. Make sure it's terminated good and run it. It's just not as good as it could be, and it is just one more thing in our industry that has gone the way of quantity vs quality; and that is the most disturbing part for me.
    15 points
  29. 15 points
  30. First off, my name is Nick Wright and I'm the owner of Incriminator Audio. I would like to say it is great to be here and it's been a very long time coming. I personally love the fact that all of you are enthusiast about car audio. It makes me feel right at home. Second, some of you might not know the background of Incriminator Audio and how it all started. For fun one year two friends and I went to SBN. Randomly I met Paul Nelson who was an Extreme 2 competitor. He was having a lot of issues keeping his subwoofers together that year. So I volunteered to help, I guess in Paul's mind he had nothing to lose. Luckily with my recone methods and MacGyver skills I pieced together a set of recones that helped Paul put up a huge 173. I said to Paul joking "Man, any retard can do this and make it work, so why don't they?" and he flat out said "Why don't you then, Mr. Fix it?" and me being me said I will to which a bet was made. We left that show and I thought I will show him someday. Five months later I'm riding in the car and a few of us are talking and someone just blurts out Incriminator. In response to my comment of it can't be a a real word. I had the idea it had to be something that people couldn't easily spell so it didn't need to be a real word, as I wanted it to be unique. A month or so later we are in a college history class and I can't get it out of my head. It was like Paul's words were mocking me. I passed a note to my friend Josh, who was just as bored as I was. He started drawing logo's, he drew several, all of them were very close and finally by the end of class it was decided here is the logo we will use. I stuck the logo in my book and walked to my next class. Several months later I was in a car wreck and I was laid up for about 4 weeks. Nothing too serious just me in my bed all day watching TV trying to be as still as possible so I could heal and move on. During that time Paul's words keep coming back to me. His challenge wouldn't go away. I gritted my teeth and said now is the time to get to work. The only problem is....I know nothing about car audio..... Sure I did those recones, but that was easy as I had something to work with and used a little common sense. Starting with nothing was going to be much harder. By the end of 2002 the DP was born and we never looked back. I won! The method of we will find a way was adopted and we pushed forward. To this day I still talk to Paul and I let him know it's all his fault. Paul just laughs at the idea and is just as in love with car audio now as he was then. Sometimes I wonder if I hadn't randomly met Paul how things would be different. The list would be long and hard to believe. For example: I would have never meet my wife. As I met her through a friend that helped me machine the very first Warden before neo was even thought about like it is today. I would have never meet Scottie Johnson who I sponsored and I would like to think I helped in a tiny way in his process of getting XS Power to where it is today. I'm still good friends with him to this day, one of the best guys you will ever meet. I would have never meet <insert random name>............... The list is tireless. Thanks Paul. Third, if you are interested in our products feel free to contact Showtime Electronics, as they are an authorized online dealer for us. We have many more but these guys are the only ones on SMD and we would ask you to support them! Fourth, I will do my best to drop in and keep you guys posted on all of the new products we are working on and plan to offer for 2016. Feel free to ask anytime. Fifth, we get a lot of people asking about gear (shirts, hats, etc) and logo's and such. You can buy all of our gear directly from our website under the Product, Gear section. If you need EPS files to make stickers for your car and such just send Tricia an email [email protected] and she will assist you in that. Lastly, feel free to ask or post anything. Or if you want shoot me an email directly - [email protected] Thanks, Nick
    14 points
  31. i am a little bit behind on my video's...but here is the Tahoe demo, Stan getting to hear some REAL bass for the first time. Also a trip to the bike shop. The actual install video, reaction and all that stuff will be either tomorrow or Saturday. I am kinda busy but i managed to get this done today, only because i promised him "next week"...last week.
    14 points
  32. At :23 Kev sees "someone" with a camera At :24 Kev looks down like "meh" thinking it's just another onlooker, I'm kind of a big deal so I will just act like it doesn't phase me At :25 Oh, I know you At :26 OH SHIT IT'S STEVE MEADE!!! LOL, priceless.
    14 points
  33. to all those people who say "i can't win system of the month because i don't have 8 18" woofers and 40,000 watts"....let me ask you this, if this build was by ANYONE else besides me (because i can't enter) would it be a contender? i say this because me personally, if i saw someone do this build i would vote for it . A bass amp, a mids/highs amp, 2 P3 12's and some separates...not very expensive but it is what you do with it. You don't need the biggest and baddest to have a solid, clean, safe, reliable, great sounding, great looking system. Just gotta put your heart into it and have some decent practice behind you.
    14 points
  34. I would have to say i agree with this statement as well as some the op said. All applications are different. At finals last year i seen something that blew my mind from an alternator standpoint. I had just had a talk with mike singer in regards to my car and alt and such. After talking with him a guy i know asked me to come get a demo of his car and he would prove what singer said to be true. This guys vehicle didn't do shit at idle.. I don't even think it was charging.. but when he started to put a load on the vehicle and rev'ed to 2k his voltage CLIMBED ! I seen 12.2 then 12.9 then 13.4 then 14 then 14.8.. Shit was climbing the more he got on it. Now would that work in my application.. hell no.. because after i get hammered i don't even know where the gas pedal is to rev the motor but all applications are different.. and now that i think about it i thats exactly what you were saying in the beginning so i have no clue why in the hell i went off on this rant.. shit i need more coffee.. disregard everything that i just said.
    14 points
  35. Today, as i was testing my Crown XTR-4000 for this weeks Amp Test Tuesday, i blew an internal fuse pushing it to its limit So i ran to the store and grabbed the first amp i could find that looked decent. The Hifonics Brutus was the only amps on the shelf with CEA 2006 stamped on the side of the box. This was on sale for $299.99 so i bought it. I tested it on the same 14v bank that i always use. I used the same 10a XS Power intellicharger (HF1415) that i always use, to keep the batts topped off in between runs. I tested @ 1ohm in all three modes and for a bonus, i dropped it down to .8 ohms for one dynamic burst RMS dyno run. The amp did not like .6 ohms. It went into protect. So my next question is, who wants it? Guess the exact TOTAL of all FOUR numbers combined and it is yours. Certified RMS @ 1ohm (test stops @ 1% distortion) - x,xxx watts un-certified RMS @ 1 ohm (test stops @ clipping) - x,xxx watts dynamic burst RMS @ 1 ohm (test stops @ clipping) - x,xxx watts dynamic burst RMS @ .8 ohms (test stops @ clipping) - x,xxx watts add all those ^^^ up, guess a number, win it! I will post the video tomorrow around 3pm pacific standard time.
    14 points
  36. Wow! There seems to be a ton of mis-information about this topic abound. I've seen and heard some pretty far fetched stuff. Let's set the story straight. What the Big 3 Upgrade Does 1. Optimizes the performance of the alternator. 2. Provides a low resistance path between the charging system and the audio system - but only when done correctly. What the Big 3 Upgrade Doesn't Do 1. Increase the output voltage capability of the alternator. 2. Increase the output current capability of the alternator. 3. Offset the fact that your audio system requires substantially more current than the stock alternator can provide. No before you go saying, "It did in my car, so you're wrong," let me explain. When your vehicle was built originally, the manufacturer did not envision you dropping in a 3,000 watt audio system. Therefore, the alternator, wiring, and return path of the charging system was designed to be adequate for the stock on-board electronics and electrical accessories. Your alternator is likely a bit larger than what all electronics and electrical accessories truly require because it has been designed to operate all of them simultaneously under worse case conditions - like at idle and in 110 degree weather. Now, you drop in said 3,000 watt audio system, which requires substantial additional current when you're doing hair tricks with the new Psyph album. Let's say that you leave the stock charging system as is - stock. You will experience substantial voltage drop at the B+ and B- terminals of your power amps when you crank it up. This is typically accompanied by a voltmeter that looks more like a VU meter, dimming lights, etc. Leave it and you'll be that guy with a dead battery, blown gear, and even a damaged alternator. Do you really want to be on a first name basis with the customer service department of your brands of choice, the local auto parts store, the local alternator shop . . . or all three? By doing the Big 3 Upgrade, you're able to do two very important things: 1. Maximize the performance of what you already have. 2. Pave the way for the installation of a larger alternator. Let's talk about # 1. Obviously upping the charge lead with larger cable really doesn't require an explanation, so let's discuss the return path. Before we proceed, pop your hood and look at the wiring on the battery negative terminal. Got your hood open? Why the hell not? Waiting . . . I mean you're reading this on your smart phone anyway so get out there and open the hood! OK - most domestic vehicles will have two cables connected to the battery negative, one large and one small, and most imports will have one large cable. For a domestic, the large black cable is the return path for the starter and the alternator - that's right, both. Alternator mounts to bracket . . . bracket mounts to cylinder head . . . cylinder head mounts to block . . . big black cable bolts to block . . . cable connects block to battery negative. Now, look at the small cable from the battery negative to the inner fender. That's the return path for all of the electrical accessories and electronics - NOT the large cable. If you own an import, you will notice that the negative cable typically connects to the inner fender near the base of the battery AND then on to the engine block - so you guys actually have a leg up on the domestic guys in the return path department but you also typically get hosed with a smaller alternator. Now, think for a second about where your amps are grounded. Now, think about the return path between the amps and the alternator - what exactly does that look like? Simple - amp to chassis . . . chassis to battery negative . . . battery negative to engine block . . . engine block to cylinder head . . . cylinder head to alternator bracket . . . alternator bracket to alternator. Hey, aren't there gaskets between the cylinder head and block? Are those stock cables big enough? Hmmm . . . SURELY, we can improve on that! All day long . . . This is exactly the idea behind OUR Big 3 Upgrade Kits as they provide an extremely low resistance return path between the alternator, battery negative and your audio system. If you own a unit-body vehicle, our kit will greatly improve the return path utilizing the vehicle chassis. If you own a body on frame vehicle, our kit adds a new return path - one capable of supporting very high current. That would be the frame. Yes, you will now ground your amplifiers to the frame (per the instructions in the kit). In addition, we'll improve the return path between the charging system and chassis with the included cable. In either case, we are also improving the return path to all of your stock electronics and electrical accessories - like current hungry electric fans and fuel pumps and it is not uncommon to see improvements in performance of say your headlights, etc. Now, how important do you think the connections between these added cables and the chassis / frame are? Yep, they're equally important - that's why we include Grade 5 bolts, lock washers, flat washers, and zinc plated internal / external star washers. The terminations? Yep, they're equally important as well - that's why we don't beat our lugs on with a hammer. When you bolt our ground cables to your chassis or frame, you are making a connection that will last the lifetime of your vehicle. With our kits, you do it once, do it the correct way the first go, and forget about it. Cross this OFF your to do list and you won't ever need to fix it, update it, improve it, etc. So . . . between the upgraded charge lead and the upgraded return path, we have maximized what you have. That's right, maximized. Your 140 Amp alternator will not suddenly be able to put out bursts of 150 Amps. But . . . and here is the big one . . . you will typically see an increase in the average voltage available at idle and when cruising around and voltage is that which causes current to flow - more voltage = more available current. This is due to the fact that our kits will reduce the resistance of your stock charging system layout to a point of insignificance. Any power that was prior wasted into heating the stock charge lead, heating the stock accessory ground lead, etc. is now available to be put to work. In addition, voltage drops between the myriad of connections between the original return path of your amplifiers and the alternator, voltage drop across the stock charge lead, etc. have been eliminated. In essence, this is FREE power! [Well, it'll cost you the price of the Big 3 Upgrade Kit and a few hours of your time to install it.] In addition, your audio system now has a direct connection and return path to the point of the highest voltage potential - the alternator. Guys, it all adds up. Our Super Thick tin plated copper lugs, full spec tinned OFC, proper terminations, and Grade 5 hardware will maximize what you'll gain. And . . . you're all set to upgrade the alternator when your budget permits. Big 3 Upgrade or not, you still can't pull 200 Amps out of a 140 Amp alternator so you still gotta' use your head and exercise a bit of common sense. And guess what - upgrading the cable between the battery negative and engine block has absolutely no bearing on improving the return path of your charging system for your audio system, but your starter will thank you.
    14 points
  37. i came in here looking for a pic of myself
    14 points
  38. i love grapes. And my bass knocks. Anyone else like flip-flops? Mine are comfortable and i cannot believe it is raining out!
    13 points
  39. First let me start out by saying, i haven't had a car payment in 2.5 years. I paid my last car off so fast i have been off the hook for a while now. I have been thinking of a new Tahoe for a few years but i wanted to wait until the body style was new. Today, we officially recieved our US Patent for the SMD DD-1 so i decided to go ahead and just take a look at what is out there. The Tahoes were all very nice. But when i got in the Escalade it was game over. But it was a little out of my budget. I was trying to talk them down just a little but he said he had an all black, fully loaded 2015 (used) with only 20,000 miles on it. He asked if i was interested...i said HELL YA, as long as it wasn't a smoker or dog owner (well at least the dog didn't ride in it). I don't like used car smells, i like new car smells. But this thing is basically still new. Smells new and i got 7 year, 100,000 mile warranty on it. I got a pretty good deal i think But that is beside the point. I am already thinking of what i want to do. Already called my boys at Wilwood brakes before i even got there just in case i did get something Who knows how long before i can start anything on it, i have to settle into having a car payment again before i spend money on it. I already got the post car-purchase jitters right now. But that happens every time. to be continued! Oh, just to let you guys know, i worked my ass off for this 800 score! I finally touched it! Not bad from someone who had no hope of being above 500 at one time.
    13 points
  40. Check out the newest product i am about to bring to the people. Totally sun activated. You need zero catalyst and this works directly out of the container. Picture almost zero waste, never too "hot" never mixed to "cold". It saturates like a high quality resin should. You work inside the shop and it never sets up UNTIL you bring it in the sunshine. Then you have about 1 minute, 2 tops. I am still waiting on my 1qt and 1 gallon containers, they are all on the way. edit: it is available now! click here >> http://www.wccaraudio.com/smd-install-tools-electronics/fabrication/smd-sunflash-uv-activated-resin.html oh, and this label is the one we made up for the 1qt can's....i stuck it on the drum to see how it is going to look when i get my NEXT one. They labels are all about to be printed too at the printers. how did this happen? i used this stuff on the entire Lexus build, now the Honda and of course a few things in between. I loved it so much i called the manufacturer and asked if i could re-sell it but under my own name. They almost INSISTED on it since they don't want a bunch of people calling them. It isn't primarily used for car audio. oh, you can get UV lights that work just as good as the sun, for those times you can't bring the project outside. more info soon!
    13 points
  41. I never in my life thought i would have a product with a U.S. Patent but today, that day is a reality! After almost 5 years of battling back and forth and spending close to $15,000 on patent attorneys, we are finally approved! we should officially get our patent number and the certificates etc in a few months time! Listed on the patent. Inventors: Tony D'Amore, Steve Meade and Juan Rodriguez. This is a joint effort by me and my amazing engineers at D'Amore Engineering.... and has been from day 1. Before day one actually. The product has spoken for itself 1000's of times over. The reviews are 99% positive on all of my sites (Amazon, ebay and other dealer pages). One guy brought my rating down by giving me 1 star on amazon because he thought we should "supply him with a battery". Can't win them all i suppose. But anyhow, it is pretty much official now but will REALLY be official when we get our documents!!! Thanks to everyone who has purchased one! We have 14 products together and just the DD-1 alone has sold 7500 so far. We are so grateful for knowledgeable people who "get it", and even those who weren't so knowledgeable and now "get it". People from all over the world have been taking their skills to the next level JUST BY setting the gains right for the first time ever. Also, these tools are being used in classrooms all over the world and lots of big name manufacturer's recognize it as a great tool. Install shops from every civilized country on the planet are using them! This is great and we are all very appreciative of everyone! Thanks! More updates when the paperwork gets here
    13 points
  42. "sir, which amps are you interested in? what is your budget?" "no thanks, i will make my own."
    13 points
  43. hope the owner of car gets his money back.... this is BULLSHIT. Ghostrider might have done a better job then this shit. HORRIBLE, i mean im angry, and its not even my car
    13 points
  44. 13 points
  45. these guys are doing BIG things up in Delaware!! Welcome Defiant Audio! Of course, Hit up their shop if your in the area! Guys (D/A) when you see this, please post your info so people know how to find you!
    13 points
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