When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I've got my Hogtunes lids now for my 2010 Ultra Classic and have just ordered the paint I need for them so I am researching what amp I want to use to drive the Rockford TMS69 6x9 speakers I'll put in the lids and the AD Designs 6.5s in the rear speaker pods. I want to use a four channel amp to have each set on its own channel. Right now the ADs in the pods are paralleled with another set in the lowers on the rear channel of my SS PN4.1000d in the fairing. I want to pull the rear ADs off of the fairing amp to allow more flexibility for future upgrades there.
My original thought was to buy a Rockford Fosgate TM400X4ad to replace the SS in the fairing to regain some FM reception and get a warmer sound out of the front speakers and then put the SS in the saddlebag. After measuring the SS amp though it looks like it will be too tall to fit vertically like I wanted to mount it. Because of this I was thinking of leaving the fairing stuff as is and getting a TM400X4ad to mount in the saddlebag since it is shorter and would mount vertically.
I have heard however that RF amps tend to run on the warm side. Has anyone put one of the TM400X4ad amps in a saddlebag and run it without heating problems?
Also I would like advice on how and where to mount the amp in the bag. Velcro? I really don't want to run screws through the bag if I can help it. Also advice on connectors would be appreciated as well. Any photos of y'alls installs would be really cool if available.
I appreciate any advice y'all are willing to offer. I have a good sounding system as is with the six speakers I'm running but when I mocked up the lids with those 6x9s in them and ran all eight speakers it really took it up a level.
That SS runs pretty damn hot in the fairing yet still a very reliable amp but not sure u want to stick that sucker in a bag. Imho, sell it and search for a more efficient animal.
I've ran two different amps in the bag and I won't do it again. They do get hot and the wires kind of make it a pain to mess with. I put a fan in and thought it would help, but I was wrong and it just made an annoying noise over time. You have to make sure it'll clear towards the front for whatever speaker you use and the back of the bag is shorter than the front. I didn't know of any other way to really secure it other than to drill some small holes and bracket it. I used spacers from Lowe's to get the same distance away from the inside of the bag as the hump. I bought Muyi connectors for the speakers and a larger plug for hot and ground. Below are the links to the parts used for wiring and also a few pics of it. The wiring got a little messy when combining a 6 channel amp, FiX and TwK so take it easy on that part, ha! I know you were talking before about the Polk's getting too hot and you didn't want to use them in a lid; but the amps, FiX and TwK got hotter than my Polk 6x9s ever did. Although the JL amp did not get as hot as the Focal did.
Tailwind, I measures the SS and it just isn't going to fit in the bag vertically anyhow, so I am going to leave it in the fairing for now. It does a good enough job. I've resigned to just getting another four channel amp of some kind and maybe attaching it to the front wall of the saddle bag so I can get to the adjustments easier.
Oddly enough the SS doesn't get hot at all under my fairing, but I am only driving six speakers with it. I had eight on it for about half an hour just tinkering with the 6x9s and it still didn't even get warm to the touch. Those things are amazing for what they cost.
Oddly enough the SS doesn't get hot at all under my fairing, but I am only driving six speakers with it. I had eight on it for about half an hour just tinkering with the 6x9s and it still didn't even get warm to the touch. Those things are amazing for what they cost.
That's damn good news about the heat!!! They are pretty damn solid for the price!!!!! Only real design flaw the seems to bite folks are the wire set screws. If u tighten them suckers too tight that softer metal strips in a hurry.
As Inthewindmn suggested, if you are damn conscientious about amp size while balancing all the other system requirements for ur audio setup, u should definitely be able to get a couple amps in the fairing. U might even be able to use an inexpensive D-Block and use ur current power/ground to feed them, depending on efficiency.
Take ur time brother. Lots of options. I have three amps under the hood and could get one more in there as well without much effort.
I have three amps under the hood and could get one more in there as well without much effort.
I looked the other day and with my setup I'm not seeing much free space. I have the stock head unit and CB module to contend with as well as my GPS power supply in there. The magnets on the Motos take up a lot of space between the speakers and the head unit.
I have the factory mounting plate for putting the Boom amp under the Tour Pak and thought about putting a small amp there, but that would only drive the lid speakers, I really want to try to get the Tour Pak pod speakers on their own channel if I can, so that is why I am thinking about a four channel amp.
That's the funny thing about all this equipment, we all have different things we deem are important. For instance I love the CD player. I was in Martinsville yesterday and found a David Allan Coe CD I didn't have at the GoodWill for two dollars. Popped it into the slot on the bike and was a happy camper.
I just happened to think if I put up some pics of my fairing setup maybe someone will have an idea of how things might be able to be reconfigured to get eight individual channels going. Here is what things look like now:
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
Thinking of putting an amp in saddlebag
