Adding an Aftermarket Amp(s)

[Biconia]

Well crap ... That is the same version I have as well. I really need this to work. I am hoping to not shell out another 200 on the Fix86.
I was hoping to spend less than 420 bucks on my speaker upgrade in all.
Ah, well ... we shall wait and see.

**From their website, latest version below**
Firmware Download, Version 2.1.3.15 (Released on July 15th, 2019)
Nothing new has been released in almost a year.
As soon as I get my install done, I will post an update on here.

yeah my plan was almost same as yours....
but i ended spending wayyyyyyy more than planned amount.. but the result is outstanding just makes me smile driving my Jeep now haha
hope we can find the answer so i can install this PAC to my JT

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[ToPar9]

yeah my plan was almost same as yours....
but i ended spending wayyyyyyy more than planned amount.. but the result is outstanding just makes me smile driving my Jeep now haha
hope we can find the answer so i can install this PAC to my JT

Ah man ... if my wife only knew how much money was sitting on the floor, back seat, garage, she wouldn't be too happy.
This started off as, "I think I am going to replace the front knee speakers and the soundbar.
"Okay honey, but don't go too wild".

 

[Biconia]

Ah man ... if my wife only knew how much money was sitting on the floor, back seat, garage, she wouldn't be too happy.
This started off as, "I think I am going to replace the front knee speakers and the soundbar.
"Okay honey, but don't go too wild".

haha almost identical plan
"stock speakers are to weak can i buy something better?"

 

[ToPar9]

haha almost identical plan
"stock speakers are to weak can i buy something better?"

Yep! Luckily, the wife and daughter are both huge music fans. It was easy to say, these speakers aren't very good are they?

 

[sandor.g]

Well crap ... That is the same version I have as well. I really need this to work. I am hoping to not shell out another 200 on the Fix86.
I was hoping to spend less than 420 bucks on my speaker upgrade in all.
Ah, well ... we shall wait and see.

**From their website, latest version below**
Firmware Download, Version 2.1.3.15 (Released on July 15th, 2019)
Nothing new has been released in almost a year.
As soon as I get my install done, I will post an update on here.

Surprise-suprise... my version is R2.1.3.15 too. Serial 8170110819200674.
So I have adjusted my gain settings according to the Alpine Manual. It's much better now, barely any hiss, but just for the sake of the _ultimate_ fun I will move the ground connection to the spot under the plastic cover Sting_NC_USA marked up and move the positive lead further away.
Just finished the assembling the Metra pods (kilmat, polyfill) and the Alpine component speaker. Putting them in tomorrow morning after I have right-sized the opening for the tweeters in the adapter rings.
God I hope not to disassemble the entire dash to put those pods in :D
After that I am moving to the soundbar. Doing a little science project, 3D printing a custom adapter ring for a 4" speaker. Most likely I'll get mad again and give up on the no cutting idea and order the SSV pod adapters :D in the end

 

[ToPar9]

Surprise-suprise... my version is R2.1.3.15 too. Serial 8170110819200674.
So I have adjusted my gain settings according to the Alpine Manual. It's much better now, barely any hiss, but just for the sake of the _ultimate_ fun I will move the ground connection to the spot under the plastic cover Sting_NC_USA marked up and move the positive lead further away.
Just finished the assembling the Metra pods (kilmat, polyfill) and the Alpine component speaker. Putting them in tomorrow morning after I have right-sized the opening for the tweeters in the adapter rings.
God I hope not to disassemble the entire dash to put those pods in :D
After that I am moving to the soundbar. Doing a little science project, 3D printing a custom adapter ring for a 4" speaker. Most likely I'll get mad again and give up on the no cutting idea and order the SSV pod adapters :D in the end

Good luck my man. The only thing left on my dash is the airbag cover and the oh shtt bar. I may have gone extreme, but the driver-side pod was a giant pile of turds to remove. The box on the back didn't help.
The hardest part for me will be to keep the power cable away from the speaker wire. Why would they put power and speakers on the same side. Power with RCA's would have made a little more sense ...
Headed to the garage shortly .. hoping to finish up the install and work on some "putting back together".

 

[jdhunt0]

When going with the FIX86, is there a wire harness available or do I need to make my own? Any other features that it has or doesn't have verses the PAC?

 

[sandor.g]

Good luck my man. The only thing left on my dash is the airbag cover and the oh shtt bar. I may have gone extreme, but the driver-side pod was a giant pile of turds to remove. The box on the back didn't help.
The hardest part for me will be to keep the power cable away from the speaker wire. Why would they put power and speakers on the same side. Power with RCA's would have made a little more sense ...
Headed to the garage shortly .. hoping to finish up the install and work on some "putting back together".

Ok, so I'm done.Moved the ground and moved the power cable as far as I could on the other side under the plastic trim. EQ on the PAC disabled, firmware updated, gain on the amp set per the factory manual and kiss the hiss goodbye All good now.

I'll probably wait with the metra pods until my alpine bracket gets in. In the meantime I will get the 3D printing done.

 

[Goosed]

Ah man ... if my wife only knew how much money was sitting on the floor, back seat, garage, she wouldn't be too happy.
This started off as, "I think I am going to replace the front knee speakers and the soundbar.
"Okay honey, but don't go too wild".

I’m $2,500 into mine. The hidden costs of the PAC, amp kits, RCA’s, extra speaker wire, poly fill, sound deadening, specially tools, etc. really eat up a lot of extra budget.

 

[Goosed]

Ok, so I'm done.Moved the ground and moved the power cable as far as I could on the other side under the plastic trim. EQ on the PAC disabled, firmware updated, gain on the amp set per the factory manual and kiss the hiss goodbye All good now.

I'll probably wait with the metra pods until my alpine bracket gets in. In the meantime I will get the 3D printing done.

By chance do you have a pic of where you grounded the amp?

 

[Goosed]

So, I have installed my PAC AP-CH41.R2, the Alpine KTP-445U and the Alpine PWE-S8. I have a Mustang kit that is technically the same as the Wrangler PSS-23WRA kit, except the T-harness (which I replaced with the PAC harness anyhow) and the brackets (that I ordered already) but I guess I am repeating myself. Without installing my new speakers it already sounds so much better (I have the 7" Uconnect and the Non-Amp system). I was pleased to hear the improvement. I was very upset though to hear the D.MN HISS! If I go to 4V signals the hiss is less noticeable, but it's still there.
Instead of wiring the Positive lead under the cabin, I have penetrated the firewall as Sting_NC_USA suggested (even after removing the front passenger flare, it took the most time of the entire installation.
If I disconnect the the PAC outputs one by one, the hiss goes away, so it's definitely the PAC that is giving me trouble, not the amp. I'll try moving the ground tomorrow, just to make sure I've tried everything, but it is starting to worry me, that I am in the same shoes as Biconia was before.

Did you happen to snap a pic of where you ran your power through the firewall?

 

[Sting_NC_USA]

Connected with a PAC tech today, and they're convinced it's the gain settings on the amp that's causing the hiss.

Here's their quote:

"The hiss is due to the gain structure of the amp not being setup properly. People like to think the gain is a volume knob and turn it all the way up and that is not the case. We recommend setting the gain structure with test tones and an oscilloscope for peak performance."​

I may have mentioned earlier... For those with a hiss, find out what voltage your amp should be putting out based on the amp manufacturer's setup recommendation. Tweak the gain using the manufacturer's recommendation.

Glad to see some are getting through the Hiss issue, and others are completing their installs.

I do continue to see folks taking apart their entire dash. You really, really don't need to do that, though it can be a puzzle to get the driver's side kick panel pod out.

Cheers!

 

[ToPar9]

Ok, so I'm done.Moved the ground and moved the power cable as far as I could on the other side under the plastic trim. EQ on the PAC disabled, firmware updated, gain on the amp set per the factory manual and kiss the hiss goodbye All good now.

I'll probably wait with the metra pods until my alpine bracket gets in. In the meantime I will get the 3D printing done.

What revision of firmware did you upgrade too?

 

[ToPar9]

Ok, so I'm done.Moved the ground and moved the power cable as far as I could on the other side under the plastic trim. EQ on the PAC disabled, firmware updated, gain on the amp set per the factory manual and kiss the hiss goodbye All good now.

I'll probably wait with the metra pods until my alpine bracket gets in. In the meantime I will get the 3D printing done.

Well done! I ran power to driver side, zigzag’d under the driver-side seat, wrapped around the back of the center console. Amp under passenger seat. I am working to figure out how to ground on the center console with power coming around the back of the center console, along with running a ground and power to the back, without interfering with each other.
RCA and speaker wire running down passenger side. The power ground potential for crossing over each other is my concern at the moment.

Has anyone wrapped power and/or ground cables in dynamat? Would this help with potential interference?

 

[Biconia]

I had the gain and freq all the way down on my Alpine amp and HISS get lower but still there...
well i got success with FIX hope... ill try on my JT lets see what i get there

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