The sub box my 15" is in is large enough on the inside to screw the amp to...I'm thinking with the soft top and no doors, having ht amp inside the sub box and the sub box securely bolted to the floor the amp wouldn't be visible and wouldn't get wet where I currently have it mounted, under the driver seat. I'm just curious if it will have enough cooling? Thought?
CK5
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Amp mounted inside sub box
- Thread starter 88K5Jimmy
- Start date
I say it will over heat. and how to do you plan to run wires to it? I would say this idea won't work at all. Maybe put it behind a side panel with a cooling fan?
Leper
1/2 ton status
It can work. It will heat up though. If the fins on the amp are in line with the speaker box ports, it is better.
Behind a side panel with a fan is a better idea, like said above.
I run a really cheap box that is exposed to the elements, and I just don't care if someone steals it. I got it on sale at pep boys for 15.00 with speakers.
Behind a side panel with a fan is a better idea, like said above.
I run a really cheap box that is exposed to the elements, and I just don't care if someone steals it. I got it on sale at pep boys for 15.00 with speakers.
The only thing running from the amp to the sub box are a set of speaker wires...so I could use the port where the speaker wires would have attached to the box and attached the power and ground wires there...or use a grommet as a pass through...I was trying to eliminate the amp being visible with no doors and a rolled up soft top....as I will not have any side panels in the truck....
chevyin
1/2 ton status
The heat from the sub and amp would compliment each other, creating a very hot situation. At best it would shorten the lifespan of your equipment. If the amp is running at its minimum impedance already, it might even shut down the first time you run it hard for any length of time.
But then again, if its a small amp, it might run fine. But it WILL shorten its lifespan, likely the sub too. Its just a bad idea to mount an amp inside the speaker box under most circumstances.
Ported boxes do not circulate air in and out of them, only pump (basically) the same air in and out of them rapidly and repeatedly (20 to 100 times per second). Very little air is exchanged in this process, its not like an air pump that's pumping air through the enclosure like alot of people think.
But then again, if its a small amp, it might run fine. But it WILL shorten its lifespan, likely the sub too. Its just a bad idea to mount an amp inside the speaker box under most circumstances.
Ported boxes do not circulate air in and out of them, only pump (basically) the same air in and out of them rapidly and repeatedly (20 to 100 times per second). Very little air is exchanged in this process, its not like an air pump that's pumping air through the enclosure like alot of people think.
k5james
1/2 ton status
Not to mention it's probably not a good idea for the electronics in the amp to be feeling all of that vibration. I'm not a big fan of mounting amps on sub boxes.
m1ndless
Banned
I would put the amp under your seat or somewhere, and put box in the back
88K5Jimmy said:
The side panels make a great hiding place for amps...... Here's a shot of a 4-channel amp tucked in there:
Throw some simple side panels over that, and you're set. If the amp runs hot, you can play with extra fans or venting. Mine ran covered with no issues, and VERY stealth.
I also put amps under the front seats....
If you are smart with the wiring, you can still flip the seat forward too.
Yeah I've seen your pics before Greg but one of my main intents was to be able to rinse the floor out since its Herc'd...thus trying to keep the amp up off the floor. Has anybody ran one of those Wally wold sub packages...I know it won't hit as hard as my 15" but at least it will provide some bass and at $20 if it gets stolen no biggie..but then again at $20 it may not be worth a crap....
bp71k5
3/4 ton status
I ran two 300watt amps inside a sealed dual 12" subwoofer box for 5 years with no issues (that I noticed). This was back in the early 90's so 600 watts isn't much nowadays. I guess the lifespan might have been a little lower, but it was stolen before I got a chance to find out. 
If you do run the amp like that, one option is to add some holes near the top and bottom of the box near where the amp is mounted to create a kind of chimney effect where the heat from the amp rises out the top holes and causes cooler air to be drawn in from the bottom. Lot's of modern electronics are built using the technique. Amps do get pretty hot though so best option is to run it in the open.
I was at a friends wedding one time and when we came out to drive to the reception, the entire street had broken windows and everyones stuff was stolen from over 10 cars, except mine. They broke the window, but I built the speaker box so big that you had to remove 1/2 the interior (both front seats) to get the box in and out that they gave up with the box only 1/2 way out. Plus I had the biggest chain and padlock I could buy from OSH chaining it to the frame as an "additional measure". In the end no serious damage was done to my car and it was a nice way to stick-it to those *** bastards since at least I made them work a little before failing.
If you do run the amp like that, one option is to add some holes near the top and bottom of the box near where the amp is mounted to create a kind of chimney effect where the heat from the amp rises out the top holes and causes cooler air to be drawn in from the bottom. Lot's of modern electronics are built using the technique. Amps do get pretty hot though so best option is to run it in the open.
I was at a friends wedding one time and when we came out to drive to the reception, the entire street had broken windows and everyones stuff was stolen from over 10 cars, except mine. They broke the window, but I built the speaker box so big that you had to remove 1/2 the interior (both front seats) to get the box in and out that they gave up with the box only 1/2 way out. Plus I had the biggest chain and padlock I could buy from OSH chaining it to the frame as an "additional measure". In the end no serious damage was done to my car and it was a nice way to stick-it to those *** bastards since at least I made them work a little before failing.
MattK
1/2 ton status
Sounds like it would be pretty fun to tune.
bp71k5
3/4 ton status
Tune? 
The music selection was not quite as diverse back then so there was no need to tune. The only tuning we did was to turn the volume down once the license plate started rattling off the car. If it didn't have a big baseline nobody cared. I'm a little different nowadays though. I'll sign off now before I date myself too much.
The music selection was not quite as diverse back then so there was no need to tune. The only tuning we did was to turn the volume down once the license plate started rattling off the car. If it didn't have a big baseline nobody cared. I'm a little different nowadays though. I'll sign off now before I date myself too much.
chevyin
1/2 ton status
bp71k5 said:
You aren't suggesting cutting holes in your speaker enclosure to cool the amplifier you mount inside it, are you?
bp71k5
3/4 ton status
yes, small holes. If you want a ported box anyway, why not? It's not like you'll get studio quality sound in a car anyway.
MattK
1/2 ton status
bp71k5 said:
You're probably right about not getting studio sound, but that's no reason to go with the wet fart setup.
bp71k5
3/4 ton status
We'll if your gonna fart, it might as well be wet... at least the amp will last a little longer.
MattK
1/2 ton status
Something like this would be practical. Put the amp on top of the enclosure and make a cover for it like the lid of a gift box. Build the cover to have maybe .75-1" of air space between it's lip and the sides of the box. Have a push/pull setup of fans underneath the box to introduce some sort of cross ventilation to cool the amp. This keeps the amp out of the elements, cooler than inside the box and still tuneable if you make the cover removeable.
bp71k5
3/4 ton status
nice idea.
chevyin
1/2 ton status
Its actually more critical a ported box is completely sealed than its is for a 'sealed' box. Vented systems rely on their vent, and a correct amount of air pressure within the box, to acheive their proper tuning. Air leaks throw this fairly delicate balance out of whack.bp71k5 said:
IMO its just not a good idea to make your sub's performance suffer in order to mount an amplifier in an already compromising location. That old saying about 2 wrongs...
Just about any alternative to mounting the amp inside the box would be preferrable. Way too many problems arise from it. *shrug* I generally try not to mount my amps to my box, but yeah Ive done it before with no problem either, so if you must... go for it. But please, keep it outside the box. 
MrArmyAnt
1/2 ton status
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I agree, ported boxes have more pressure moving through them. And if not done right they sound like hell anyway.
