Rockford Fosgate Punch45 Gen1 Guts and Power Output Tuned with a DD-1

[Wicks]

I recently found a really nice old school Punch45 on eBay.

Here's the guts

I also connected the amp up to a resistor bank at 4.14ohms and did a power test.

Source was an Alpine CDA-9851 using the SMD DD-1 40Hz 0dB Test Track.

I tuned the amp with the DD-1 and was able to max out the gains with a clean signal from the Alpine.

Then I turned up the Bass Boost knob until the signal started to distort, according to the DD-1.

As you can see on the amp's cover, its rated at 22.5W/CH @ 4ohms.

It lists 35W/CH @ 2ohms so bridged @ 4ohms you would expect 70W.

Well, here's the bridged output to the resistor bank:

Measurement "P6" gives a clean 95W!

This little guy is probably capable of more output since I just quickly wired up the resistor bank with alligator jumpers.

I also used some simple wire jumpers to tap into the molex plug for the speaker outputs.

If I got a proper molex adapter and thicker wires to improve the loading connection, I'm sure she'll do more.

[knowledge]

looks in very great condition

[Wicks]

looks in very great condition

It really is, for a ~30 year old amp.

Pretty much every old school Fosgate amp I see on eBay (or elsewhere) is scratched and beat up.

When I saw that the silkscreen lettering was in great shape I had to buy it.

[ROLEXrifleman]

Very cool! The silk screen makes that amp!

Is it wrong though that I wanna know what o-scope and software your running? lol

[Wicks]

Very cool! The silk screen makes that amp!

Is it wrong though that I wanna know what o-scope and software your running? lol

Yep, love it when I can track down an old school amp with the silkscreen in great shape.

Don't see too many of those and I love the "Dracula" logo as BigD puts it.

Its a LeCroy 204MXi scope with a CP030 current probe. I believe the SW is the basic package with the scope which lets you perform functions on the incoming measurements.

It see's that your multiplying voltage and current so it displays power for you, very handy.

[Wicks]

So I pulled this lil guy out again and ran another test with better secured and soldered connecting wires.

116W with a 1kHz tone. 40Hz was pretty similar to the previous test.

[2loud4uboyz]

Rockford needs to put THE PUNCH like the old day on there sub cones. It was so sexy in the days. Dang man you just getting some great stuff. I bought so many of them 45 amps it was unreal. 275 a pop .

[Kyblack76]

So I pulled this lil guy out again and ran another test with better secured and soldered connecting wires.

116W with a 1kHz tone. 40Hz was pretty similar to the previous test.

CLEAN??? fuck.. what a killer lil mother fucker.. No no no.. BOSS !

[Wicks]

Rockford needs to put THE PUNCH like the old day on there sub cones. It was so sexy in the days. Dang man you just getting some great stuff. I bought so many of them 45 amps it was unreal. 275 a pop .

You would think so...

Retro stuff nowadays is HUGE and that trademark (The Punch) was killer back in the day.

Maybe someday......

So I pulled this lil guy out again and ran another test with better secured and soldered connecting wires.

116W with a 1kHz tone. 40Hz was pretty similar to the previous test.

CLEAN??? fuck.. what a killer lil mother fucker.. No no no.. BOSS !

Hell yeah!

It's fun testing these old amps cuz even at ~30yrs old, they still impress you which doesn't happen much with a lot of new amps.