Mounting Locations; Battery And Charging; Wiring The System - Rockford Fosgate 301SP Installation And Operation Manual

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NSTALLATION

MOUNTING LOCATIONS

Engine Compartment
Never mount this unit in the engine compartment. Mounting the unit in the engine compartment
will void your warranty.
Trunk Mounting
Mounting the amplifier vertically will provide the best cooling of the amplifier.
Mounting the amplifier on the floor of the trunk will work but provides less cooling capability than
vertical mounting.
Mounting the amplifier upside down to the rear deck of the trunk will not provide proper cooling
and will severely affect the performance of the amplifier and is strongly not recommended.
Passenger Compartment Mounting
Mounting the amplifier in the passenger compartment will work as long as you provide a sufficient
amount of air for the amplifier to cool itself. If you are going to mount the amplifier under the seat
of the vehicle, you must have at least 1" (2.54cm) of air gap around the amplifier's heatsink.
Mounting the amplifier with less than 1" (2.54cm) of air gap around the amplifier's heatsink in the
passenger compartment will not provide proper cooling and will severely affect the performance of
the amplifier and is strongly not recommended.

BATTERY AND CHARGING

Amplifiers will put an increased load on the vehicle's battery and charging system. We recommend
checking your alternator and battery condition to ensure that the electrical system has enough
capacity to handle the increased load of your stereo system. Stock electrical systems which are in
good condition should be able to handle the extra load of any Rockford Fosgate amplifier without
problems, although battery and alternator life can be reduced slightly. To maximize the performance
of your amplifier, we suggest the use of a heavy duty battery and an energy storage capacitor.

WIRING THE SYSTEM

CAUTION: If you do not feel comfortable with wiring your new unit, please see
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your local Authorized Rockford Fosgate Dealer for installation.
CAUTION: Before installation, disconnect the battery negative (-) terminal to
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prevent damage to the unit, fire and/or possible injury.
CAUTION: Avoid running power wires near the low level input cables, antenna,
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power leads, sensitive equipment or harnesses. The power wires carry
substantial current and could induce noise into the audio system.
1. Plan the wire routing. Keep RCA cables close together but isolated from the amplifier's power
cables and any high power auto accessories, especially electric motors. This is done to prevent
coupling the noise from radiated electrical fields into the audio signal. When feeding the wires
through the firewall or any metal barrier, protect them with plastic or rubber grommets to
prevent short circuits. Leave the wires long at this point to adjust for a precise fit at a later time.
2. Prepare the RED wire (power cable) for attachment to the amplifier by stripping 1/2" of
insulation from the end of the wire. Insert the bared wire into the B+ terminal and tighten the set
screw to secure the cable in place.
NOTE: The B+ cable MUST be fused 18" or less from the vehicle's battery. Install the fuseholder under
the hood and prepare the cable ends as stated above. Connections should be water tight.
3. Trim the RED wire (power cable) within 18" of the battery and strip 1/2"of insulation from the
end of the wire. Cut the wire loop that is attached to the fuseholder in half and splice the fuse
into the power line using appropriate inline connectors. Use the section of cable that was
trimmed earlier and connect it to the other end of the fuseholder.
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