Bazooka Install

[SlappyMcHappy]

I searched and I searched. And then, I searched some more. I bought a bazooka off of ebay. For the most part, I understand the installation but am having trouble in a few areas. No problem with the high level input lines...just spliced into my rear speaker wires.I need to run the power supply directly to the battery. Does that mean running that line all the way up, through the firewall and actually connecting directly to + terminal on the battery itself...or is there a wire somewhere that I am supposed to tap into?Does anyone know where I should run the remote turn on wire? The instructions say a head unti accessory or the ignition point in the fuse box ("connect it to an ignition source" is the exact wording. Any help?Does anyone have any suggestions on where I can ground to in the hatch? In the storage compartment (where you fasten down baby seats), right behind the rear seats and before the spare tire compartment I saw a couple of bolts that look like they would do the trick but don't know.THANKS PEOPLE....Great website! Awesome info here...I actually used a speaker install post to find out how to get at the rear speakers and the instructions worked great.

[SlappyMcHappy]

Thanks...I'll let this thread hang for a little while and see if I get some suggestions. If not, I'll try that e-mail. I don't think this is a bazooka specific question though. I pretty much think for any subwoofer you have to run seperate power line and remote line. I should probably add that I have Moons and Tunes running through a 200 Watt amp under the passenger seat that may offer an option.

[ngilbert]

Howdy! I have a Bazooka in my Vibe. I installed it myself, it's not difficult. Hope I can answer your questions.1. Yep, high levels spliced into rear speakers. I used the fronts as to not diminish the bass level when I set the fade a little to the fronts. But no matter.2. Yep, run the power supply straight to the battery positive terminal. Use a good gauge (12 or better) and be sure to use an inline fuse located close to the battery. I like using a clamp ring for a nice fit. To get through the firewall, I punched a tiny hole through the rubber surround of the existing main electrical harness, threaded the power line through, and then sealed the hole with sealant. This was the hardest part, but I took my time, didn't want to sever a wire!3. Remote wire can be done a couple of ways. Probably the best (and easiest) is to get one of those "add a circuit" harnesses that plugs into your fuse box. Use a fuse that is switched with the head unit. You don't need a big one for this, anything 10 amps or less will work good. Alternatively, you can tap into the switched circuit that turns on the amp under the passenger seat (if you have moon and tunes that is). This is what I did, but when I did the wife's car, I used the "add a circuit" harness, which worked much better.4. If my memory is good, I used one of the child seat anchors for the ground. It worked well for me. There are probably others. A multitester is useful tool here!Good luck!

[SlappyMcHappy]

wow! that's some nice information here, ngilbert. Thanks a million!

[SlappyMcHappy]

OK...so I tried what ngilbert said and it works. Thanks man! And that tip on the "added circuit" harness was fantastic. Quick and painless. Funny how I have not heard of that before, and Bazooka itself fails to mention this very easy option in its install directions.Thanks again. My Vibe now bumps.

[ngilbert]

Glad to see everything worked out OK! Happy thumping!

[HamiltonAudio]

Quote, originally posted by ngilbert »Howdy! I have a Bazooka in my Vibe. I installed it myself, it's not difficult. Hope I can answer your questions.1. Yep, high levels spliced into rear speakers. I used the fronts as to not diminish the bass level when I set the fade a little to the fronts. But no matter.2. Yep, run the power supply straight to the battery positive terminal. Use a good gauge (12 or better) and be sure to use an inline fuse located close to the battery. I like using a clamp ring for a nice fit. To get through the firewall, I punched a tiny hole through the rubber surround of the existing main electrical harness, threaded the power line through, and then sealed the hole with sealant. This was the hardest part, but I took my time, didn't want to sever a wire!3. Remote wire can be done a couple of ways. Probably the best (and easiest) is to get one of those "add a circuit" harnesses that plugs into your fuse box. Use a fuse that is switched with the head unit. You don't need a big one for this, anything 10 amps or less will work good. Alternatively, you can tap into the switched circuit that turns on the amp under the passenger seat (if you have moon and tunes that is). This is what I did, but when I did the wife's car, I used the "add a circuit" harness, which worked much better.4. If my memory is good, I used one of the child seat anchors for the ground. It worked well for me. There are probably others. A multitester is useful tool here!Good luck!the only thing I can add here is that most 12 volt shops will not use power wire less than 10 or 8 ga. at a minimum. 12 ga. is dangerously small. And please make sure you use the same size ground cable as you do power...you may not realize it, but there's just as much current flowing through that ground as there is through the power lead, only the inverse potential....you wouldn't put a 2" feed line and 0.5" return line on a fuel system would you? don't do it to your audio system!!! Other than that, I'm not a fan of the add-a-circuit . We usually use the accessory ignition lead under the dash to power amps in this case. Allows both key forward/back operation which the add a circuit won't. happy to hear ur up and running!!b

[Jahntassa]

Quote, originally posted by HamiltonAudio »the only thing I can add here is that most 12 volt shops will not use power wire less than 10 or 8 ga. at a minimum. 12 ga. is dangerously small. And please make sure you use the same size ground cable as you do power...you may not realize it, but there's just as much current flowing through that ground as there is through the power lead, only the inverse potential....you wouldn't put a 2" feed line and 0.5" return line on a fuel system would you? don't do it to your audio system!!! Other than that, I'm not a fan of the add-a-circuit . We usually use the accessory ignition lead under the dash to power amps in this case. Allows both key forward/back operation which the add a circuit won't. happy to hear ur up and running!!bIf he's using the Bazooka ELA8, it's a 30 watt amplifier. In which case, the headunit is drawing more power over a 16 (or 18, even smaller) ga wire for a near 80w draw. I'd say the 12 ga for that is more than adequate. The guides i've seen allow for 10 ga up to 200 watts, so I would think 12 could even handle up to 100.I'm curious what you mean about the "forward/back" operation. If you use the add-a-fuse on something that powers off the ACC position, it'd work just the same as trying to go under the dash. Keeping in mind also, that most people don't want to tap into their wiring harness. And it's INHERENTLY dangerous for people unfamiliar with their car wiring to tap into anything in the ignition harness.Keep in mind, this is for DIYers. Professional installs will normally tap turn-on power from the radio itself, so if the radio is off, the amplifier will turn off as well.

[HamiltonAudio]

Quote, originally posted by Jahntassa »If he's using the Bazooka ELA8, it's a 30 watt amplifier. In which case, the headunit is drawing more power over a 16 (or 18, even smaller) ga wire for a near 80w draw. I'd say the 12 ga for that is more than adequate. The guides i've seen allow for 10 ga up to 200 watts, so I would think 12 could even handle up to 100.I'm curious what you mean about the "forward/back" operation. If you use the add-a-fuse on something that powers off the ACC position, it'd work just the same as trying to go under the dash. Keeping in mind also, that most people don't want to tap into their wiring harness. And it's INHERENTLY dangerous for people unfamiliar with their car wiring to tap into anything in the ignition harness.Keep in mind, this is for DIYers. Professional installs will normally tap turn-on power from the radio itself, so if the radio is off, the amplifier will turn off as well.there really is no "rule of thumb" or "guideline" for how many watts a certain power cable size is good for. Variables including quality of wire, length of run (very important) and type of equipment used all factor in. eg:"rule of thumb" says you can use 4 ga. cable for 1000 watts of power right? WRONG. what kind of amp are we talking about?? a class-d monoblock will draw all of 90 or 100 clean amps of current to develop this power. A very large class AB amp bridged to produce 1000 wrms will be substantially more!! Also, voltage drop is a large concern. if you only have an 8 or 10 foot run (like a reg cab truck), you might get away with 4 ga. but if the run is more like 15 or 18 feet (fullsize car), this is NOT the case, and you should have larger wire.in terms of deck power, while we like to think they say its 50wx4 or whatever, but realworld RMS watts they aren't that 50 watts is more like 14 or 18 wrms on GOOD decks. Ever seen the power wire on a MOSFET pioneer deck? its almost 12 ga!!! I do see your point tho...if the amp is substantially small, you can make do with 12 ga.its my experience that most enthusiasts rarely stay with their first purchase very long. that small bazooka setup will soon be upgraded to a small 2 channel amp and single 10". then larger amp...then more subs...then.... to me, it makes much more sense economically/physically to put an 8 ga. wire run in and have it suffice until you graduate into very large amplfiers (if you ever do). 12 ga. is good for nothing more than a very small amplifier at best in terms of the accessory position...does the Vibe not have a "key turned backwards" position that only plays the radio? most cars do! the wire I'm talking about provides +12V in both the acc/ign and "backwards" positions. BTW, the turn-on power for the radio you speak of is this signal...to me its muchos easier to grab under the dash (no disassembly) than it is to pull the deck I doubt the ACC outputs in the fusebox provide this "key back" signal...just trying to impart some experience on the group here....DIY'er and hobbyist installers deserve safe and functional systems as much as people who pay pros, don't they? b

[Jahntassa]

Quote, originally posted by HamiltonAudio »"rule of thumb" says you can use 4 ga. cable for 1000 watts of power right? WRONG. what kind of amp are we talking about?? a class-d monoblock will draw all of 90 or 100 clean amps of current to develop this power. A very large class AB amp bridged to produce 1000 wrms will be substantially more!! Also, voltage drop is a large concern. if you only have an 8 or 10 foot run (like a reg cab truck), you might get away with 4 ga. but if the run is more like 15 or 18 feet (fullsize car), this is NOT the case, and you should have larger wire.True...anything over 700 watts would generally need a 2 ga wire, if not a 1/0. Keep in mind, we're only talking about a 100 watt Bazooka tube.Quote »in terms of deck power, while we like to think they say its 50wx4 or whatever, but realworld RMS watts they aren't that 50 watts is more like 14 or 18 wrms on GOOD decks. Ever seen the power wire on a MOSFET pioneer deck? its almost 12 ga!!! I do see your point tho...if the amp is substantially small, you can make do with 12 ga.Hence why I said 80w RMS, guessing that the most power you can get out of a headunit is around 22w RMS (which is what the more powerful headunit MOSFETs are rated at), those units have 14-16 ga wire, depending on the manufacturer. It's nowhere near 12 ga, and rarely would it be 14.Quote »its my experience that most enthusiasts rarely stay with their first purchase very long. that small bazooka setup will soon be upgraded to a small 2 channel amp and single 10". then larger amp...then more subs...then.... to me, it makes much more sense economically/physically to put an 8 ga. wire run in and have it suffice until you graduate into very large amplfiers (if you ever do). 12 ga. is good for nothing more than a very small amplifier at best Sometimes true, not always. I started out with two 10"s, and i'm still with two 10"s, granted, I switched brands and amps, but i'm not going any farther than that. Most people, enthusiasts or not, are simply looking for a little bit of low-end to go with their decidedly more mid/high end sound. For most people, a Bazooka tube, wOOx, or Basslink is all they'll ever need. I personally have two 10" Sony P5s running 350 watts, and I don't think i'm going to go larger than that. And yes, i'm an enthusiast, i've been working in audio for most of my life.Quote »in terms of the accessory position...does the Vibe not have a "key turned backwards" position that only plays the radio? most cars do! the wire I'm talking about provides +12V in both the acc/ign and "backwards" positions. BTW, the turn-on power for the radio you speak of is this signal...to me its muchos easier to grab under the dash (no disassembly) than it is to pull the deck I doubt the ACC outputs in the fusebox provide this "key back" signal...I'm guessing you haven't carefully inspected the Vibe? It's not a true Pontiac, therefore not a GM, therefore it doesn't go by the GM standard of having the ACC position in the opposite direction from Ignition/Start. It's a Toyota, and therefore follows Toyota/Honda style key cylinders, where there are four positions, starting with Off at left, then Acc (radio), Ignition, and Start. You can find a fuse that turns on with the ACC circuit, and use add-a-fuse. Getting under the dash of the Vibe is a heck of a lot harder than pulling the radio, which takes five minutes, if that. In other cars, going underneath the dash might be more practical, but not in this one.Quote »just trying to impart some experience on the group here....DIY'er and hobbyist installers deserve safe and functional systems as much as people who pay pros, don't they? Not to take that as offensive, so i'll try not to. Some of us are what can be considered as "Pro installers". I've worked with electronics all my life, and i've been installing at Circuit City for a while now. My experience working in television has given me an exquisit knowledge of connecting things up, and that knowledge carries over to cars. While I would not use the Add-a-fuse, I will reccomend it to someone that doesn't desire or need to get more involved in car electronics than that.Though, you can ask Mike, I sucessfully guided him through installing a full remote-start system from memory. I understand you're putting out your standpoint, but remember, everyone has their own way of doing it, and no one way is right. Using more than a 12 ga wire for a 100 watt Bazooka tube isn't a bad idea, but not really neccessary.

[ragingfish]

Quote, originally posted by Jahntassa »Though, you can ask Mike, I sucessfully guided him through installing a full remote-start system from memory.Hellllz yeah! Best install instructions I ever read...and the tech support was killer too!

[HamiltonAudio]

hey, good stuff...glad to hear we're on the same page. you're right, I haven't carefully inspected a Vibe/Matrix, haven't had to (yet!) I've been tinkering with a friends 04 Vibe now, but nothing audio yet.in regards to pulling the deck vs underdash...still disagree. having NEVER disassembled one, I can tell you its way faster to just look up under the dash rather than try and figure out how the dash comes apart....just imho.I too have been an installer a LONG time now, and have moved on to a hobby business of my own. All our experiences tell us different things, I agree. But in MY shop, products like add-a-circuit, scotchlocks, etc are absolute no-nos. To somebody who doesn't know any different, again you're right (I've never disputed that!)...but to ANY professional installer, there are simply better ways which are really not that much more difficult and are more safe/sound, again IMHO only.to your point about being an enthusiast. In my 12V career (12 years now), I've learned that most people have a substantial disregard for ohms law. Thus, I recommend minimum 8 ga. power wire because the strong odds are (i'll say it again) that this 100 watt bazooka toob turns into a 500 watt amp he got from a friend. "hey, the wires are all here...easy!!" seen it happen way too many times man..my philosophy is this...aesthetics are one thing...which are really in the eye of the beholder. but the safety and solidity of an install never changes. even if it is overkill NOW, that 8 ga. power cable will pay for itself in the future.....that I guarantee its great to have debates over such things...this is how all installers and diy'ers grow. If we were talking about 3rd gen. Fbodys, I too could quote disassembly, reassembly, tuneup, electrical and engine swap info from memory http://members.shaw.ca/hamilto...o.htm Its really (really) nice to see such an avid group of enthusiasts...a great departure from a few of the other forums I frequent!!! kudos guys/gals!!btw, I'm far too large a man to own a Vibe, but I think they're cool little cars. I'm hoping somebody has strapped an intercooled turbo setup on one of this and is clicking off 11's???? hehehe.lates,b