TechSys

Hmmm, where to start. 1) Windows 7 is NOT just an upgrade to or even an upgraded Windows Vista. Microsoft actually listened to people more during the development of windows 7. A lot of things have been redone. 2) I would not upgrade from Vista to Windows 7. I would do a full/fresh install. Remember the old thing about carrying over all the bugs from the previous version? Well, that could still be true. Better to play safe. 3) Windows 7 is less memory intensive. I'm running the 32bit with 2gig RAM. I have not hit one snag yet. Runs everything that I have ran on previous versions of Windows without any problems or having to use compatibility mode. 4) Windows 7 is faster than Vista. Hell, to me it's faster than XP Pro. 5) I have not had to really install any driver for hardware. Even though I do, because I think the drivers from the manufacturers are better. Everything I plug in both systems here are automatically found and running without having to reboot. I could go on, but will stop there. I am running Windows 7 ultimate on a p4 2.8ghz system with over a T-Byte of hard drive space. 2gig of Ram and a 512Meg Nvidia based video card. I use it as a HTPC when I want to watch a movie or two. It's used as a file server and web server. I also do some graphics and gaming on it. It really doesn't slow down, unless my virus scanner kicks in to do it's daily full scan. Dual monitor support right after install of Windows 7. Currently on a 22" Princeton Graphics flatscreen and a Apex 32" flat screen t.v.. The TV runs at 1024x768. The 22" monitor runs at 1680 x 1050 I also run windows 7 ultimate on a Acer Aspire One netbook. It is unmodified (right now). I have not had a problem with it since I began Beta testing Windows 7. I've also done some photoshoping on that system without any hiccups. Dual monitor support right after install of windows 7. It's currently on a 17" flat screen and the 8.9" screen.

Crude and Quick. Needs a lot of cleaning up. I have forgotten a lot of things in PS and trying to learn them again. But anyways....

Port on top to look like an air filter. Sorry, that was the first thing that came to mind. Honestly, I don't see why it wouldn't work. Only way to really find out is to build one and see.

Check cabinet shops. Even though they usually use other stuff (particle board), some down here use 1" or more MDF. If they can't order it for you, which they should, you can usually grab the scraps they have. I've gotten some 1.5" thick scraps that could be used for building boxes.

Looks loud as hell. Somebody did some good shrooms before doing the doors. Those things are wild. Something you'd probably see on a Mad Max movie if they had loud stereo systems. You running 12volt or higher? I'm thinking about putting a 6500d on a pair of splx-154s. Just so I can blow them (Had 4kw on one and it held up without any problems)

I've gone from running linux to windows 7 ultimate. I may go back to linux in the future, but right now 7 is doing very good. Is it better than Vista, damn straight. I have yet to have to install a driver for anything except for my video card. Even at that I didn't have to as it found the card right off the bat. Dual monitor support out of the box. I have a 22" LCD and a 37" TV running on this system. I've seen people have problems running certain applications within 7, but I haven't had those problems when running the same applications. I haven't had to run anything in xp compatibility mode yet. I'm not gonna say it's totally problem free since there is NO Os out there that is. However, 7 have been a pure pleasure to use.

As some body else said, 3dB. You could get more though. Big walls in little cars look good, no matter how many subs are in them.

I didn't realize the horn part on top of the box. hmmm. and that far to the back of the van. Trying to rethink what I mentioned earlier. Maybe a half wall, subs and port firing forward with what I was talking about earlier. I'm not sure. Was that 146 on music or tone?

Nice setup you got. Vented might get you 3dB. I know you say anything but a wall but here's an idea you could toss around. Build a removable barrier for the top of the box to seal off the front from the back. Something that could be laid down on top of the box when not competing and it'd blend in with what you've got going on in the van now. when you want to compete, lift up the barrier, snap it in place, and go at it. That's about all I can think of right now that would not really mess up what you've got going right now. When I think of Astro's and stereos, I automatically think of walls. They pretty much go hand in hand together.

Will get that in a little bit. Gotta try to get the van out of the garage, it's a VERY tight fit and I'm having some starting issues. One of my batteries decided to not hold a charge last week. Got a new battery, but I think it's gonna be a p.i.t.a. to put in since it's quite a bit bigger. Edited for pics. Got a couple pics to show you all what I've dealt with today. Engine view. Hope it's good enough. AC compressor is on the left. 250amp alternator on the right. Smog control bracket is under the left side of the engine, under the ac compressor. Now for what I've dealt with. That is the bottom positive side of an Optima yellow top. Yes, that is a melted hole. No wonder it couldn't hold a charge, eh? Now for the goodness Yea, yea, I know. It's a wally world battery. 1000CCa 850Ca. Supposedly around 125aH, but doesn't mention it on the battery. $75 plus core cost and tax, I could not complain. I've been wanting to check out the batteries for a while now just never got the courage to buy a walmart battery. This thing is huge. Barely fit in the tray. I had to struggle to get it in place. Was a pain to bolt the negative up. Hell the optima could be lifted right out by the handle. Not this battery.

O.k. I have a 1989 Chevy Astro with the 4.3L engine. The air conditioner does not work and I have no need for it. I also have another spot for yet another alternator, it's where the smog control system (or whatever it's called) goes. All that is there right now is the bracket. What alternator would fit where the A/C compressor is without any modification, or is there one that would? I believe I can fit a CS-130D where the smog stuff went, which means an AD244 could fit there, correct? I tried putting a large case powermaster 350amp alternator where the A/C was, but had to fabricate a bracket for it due to the blades hitting the bracket. This made the serpentine belt very tight and eventually that alternator, which was variable regulated, started maing noises like it was out of round. I replaced the bracket, a/c compressor, and belt tensioner, took it back to unmodified. Now I'm looking for something to fit in the ac compressor bracket with no modification at all. Any ideas? Thanks in advance

Hmmmm.. I'm gonna have to check this out. I had one that looked like that one on my van, but had to fabricate a bracket for it as it wouldn't fit in the a/c bracket without the fan hitting the bolts. I might have had the wrong mounting ears on the alt though.

From the looks of it the light green wire on your unit needs to go to ground. I don't have that headunit, but to bypass the parking brake on mine (jvc kd-avx1), I wrapped the wire around the antenna plug then put some tape on it to hold it in place. Works great.

Let me try this again. Positive wire from front > fuse > long run to back > fuse > back batteries buss bar positive Ground from back batteries buss bar negative to frame. Wire from back batteries buss bar negative to negative input on amp. Positive wire from back batteries buss bar to positive input on amp. If you do not hook the negative to the frame/chassis of the vehicle, you'll not get a charge. If you do not hook the negative from the buss bar to the negative of the amp, you'll not get power to the amp. I hope I worded that right. If not I'm sure somebody will correct it for me.

Positive wire from the front to the positive buss bar. Negative wire from the buss bar to the frame or chassis. Really isn't any different than setting up a basic system, except you have more batteries in place. To answer your earlier question about fuses to the amp(s). If the amp(s) do not have built in fuses then yes, you'd want them.. unless the amps are so close to the batteries there'd be no short. The fuses in the amps are to protect the amps. The fuses from the front battery to the back batteries are to protect the positive wire and batteries against any shorts. This is why you put the fuses as close to the batteries as possible. I hope that helped out a little. I haven't ran fuses in such a long time, I'm starting to think I'm new to the scene again.

Treo is good stuff. IA is good stuff. Never tried Shocker, but hear they're good. I think Shocker has been in and out of the scene quite a bit since they've started, but not sure. Out of Treo and IA.... I'd go with IA

If you can fit 8 gauge on the subs, go for it. #1 should be good from the front to back and a 300amp alt should be good. Do the big 3 with the same size wire. Then go from the back batteries to the amp with the largest wire the amp can handle. Fuse on the wire going from front to back batteries as close to the batteries as possible. Check out remybattery.com. I would go with the Deka 9A31, 9A31H, or 9A31PH instead of the 9A34. They're a little more on cost though. Those are what I'm looking at since I'm stepping down from running 16 volt.

ThermaSkin Second Skin Kevlar (that seems kinda cheesy) I'm brain dead right now

Blurry, but you can get the idea. It's my left index finger. The wood I was cutting at the time jumped up. Stupid me went to grab it and caught the blade instead. Believe it or not, it didn't hurt until I got to the hospital. $60 to fix a saw that can save your finger, or $6 to $10,000.00 to go to the emergency room (if you don't have insurance, which I didn't) I have 70% usage of that finger. I can not bend it like any other finger. I can not make a fist. Every now and then I lose control of it, it starts twitching and moving by itself. I have very little feeling in it due to the nerves being severed. I would have had full use of it if the doctor would have put the side of the knuckle back in place like it should have been, but he put it in sideways. I got very lucky that it didn't get totally cut off. Now I use a circular saw to do all my cuts. I feel safer with it over a table saw. I think you can understand why.

I use Nero to burn mp3 dvds In the wife's car we just put everything on a flash drive

that voltage drop isn't bad at all. Mines goes to 11.5 and stalls the van. Good vid though

I'm sure somebody here can do the calculations for ya. This is about all I can do right now due to going to other side of town in a few. Subwoofer Box Building 101

For the single coil and dual coil version of your subs. enjoy.

All so very true. We had a microwave, cd player, tv with remote (cable tv had a channel slider thing to change channels), and a good ole Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 1 (later we got the 2 and 3). Mom was a sysop on Compuserve for a few years. I had a texas instruments ti-994a computer for gaming, until nintendo came along. Home wrecking service (H.R.S or child protection services, or the few other names they keep cha ngin g to whe n they get in some trouble) didn't exist High powered car stereos were maybe a couple 100watts MAX. I remember when two people had a problem with each other, they'd use fists. And usually become damned good friends afterward. Now people take the chicken shit way out and pull a gun right off the bat. I could site here and type a bunch more, but being 40yrs old I have to cook dinner, take care of my 15month old, and do some bill paying.

LEDs take a lot lower voltage to run. This means you can run them much longer without the vehicle running. Cathodes also take less voltage, but they use more than LEDs. www.oznium.com is tha place to see or buy some good stuff