dont flame me too bad

[bm_nav1]

ok before i get started i know allmost nothing about car audio. and to tell you the truth im not that big on wanting to know. so hre it goes:
My brother in law gave me 2 cerwin vega 12's. the code on them is Vs-120 and the emitance is 4 ohms. what would i need to hook these up in my car. thanxs for all the help

 

[Turbo Guru]

You would need an amplifier with a sufficient output into 2 channels @ 4 ohms for stereo operation. Or 1 channel (bridged L and R) 2 ohm stable also with sufficient power. This is the basic answer if you need more in-depth info ask and one of us will tell you.

Joe

 

[dTERM]

Take a deep breath...this is long winded.

Your best bet would be a 150-250W Monoblock (One channel) Amp. I perfer mono for bass because opposing subs can cancel each other out. Last thing you want is a muted note in the middle of a good bass drop. Something like an older Rockford Punch 200a1 would be great for those subs. Make sure you connect the amps positive to both subs positive. This is called Parallel and it lowers your 4 Ohm load to 2 Ohms (Less is more here) , allowing the amp to put out more power. If you connect the amps positive to one speakers positive, and the negative to the other speakers negative, then connect the leftover positive and negitave speaker terminals you will end up with the speakers in series, Raising your load to 8 Ohms (More resistance, power flows less freely). This will in effect, make a Punch 200a1 put out 50w Vs 200w at 2 Ohms.

If you connect your speakers backwards, negative to positive, don't worry, you won't hurt them. They'll just move the opposite direction. Sometimes this is desired to make your subs match your components...but you're not at this point yet. Make sure you're running thick enough power cable. A 200w amp will need 8awg (8 guage). You need to have a fuse close to the battery, within 10 inches, and at least 150% of the amps rating (30a on the amp = 45a inline) . If the cable shorts to any metal in your car without a fuse for protection, you could see a really pretty fire.

You should consider what kind of Headunit you're running. Is it the factory stereo? Do you have RCA preamp outputs? Those are best for sending signals to the amp. If you run off your speaker leads, your amp will amplify the distortion from the little mosfet "Amplifier" in your headunit right along with the signal, and distortion will absolutely destroy your subs.

When you go to tune your amp, the gain IS NOT A VOLUME CONTROL! Set your radio at the loudest level you will listen to it, with music that has a lot of bass in it. Then turn your gain up to the point that you hear distortion. If you never hear distortion, great...but you probably will when it gets to about 90% gain. Now, when you have found the distortion point, turn it down a bit and see if that's a good level for you. Turn it down more if you need to. If there's not enough bass for you, start saving up for more powerful speakers and a bigger amp. Don't decide you can live with a little distortion, I have two 10" JL's that lived for a few weeks with a little distortion, and the voicecoils locked up.

Hope this helps a little...mostly I learned what I think I know by trial and error, I have a little graveyard of destroyed stereo equipment, and a load of valuable lessons. Like, Don't hold the resistor you're using to initially charge a capacitor with your bare fingers. It get's a bit warm. Just don't worry about getting shocked. The only thing in your car powerful enough to shock you, is the ignition spark from your coil pack, and it doesn't really hurt, just kinda pops. Have fun, be safe, and turn it down every so often...