Optimus Electronic Subwoofer Crossover User manual

Cat. No. 12-2012
OWNER’S MANUAL
Please read before using this equipment.
Electronic Subwoofer
Crossover
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2
FEATURES
Your Optimus Electronic Subwoofer
Crossover is designed to give you ex-
cellent control over the sound pro-
duced by your autosound system.
The crossover directs a selectable
range of lower audio frequencies to
your subwoofer speakers for in-
creased bass response, and blocks
mid-range frequencies to enhance
sound clarity.
The crossover’s features include:
Two T
y
pes of Inputs — lets you use
the crossover with an autosound sys-
tem that has either line-out jacks or
standard speaker outputs.
Low Pass Filter Selector — lets you
adjust the frequency filter to 50 Hz, 90
Hz, or 180 Hz to match your subwoof-
er speaker system.
Input Level Controls — let you ad-
just line or speaker input levels to
match your autosound system.
Bass Boost Controls — let you
boost the selected subwoofer bass
output by 12 dB.
©1996 Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
Optimus is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation.
RadioShack is a trademark used by Tandy Corporation.
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3
INSTALLATION
You can easily connect this cross-
over. However, improper connec-
tions can damage your crossover and
other components in your autosound
system, and possibly your vehicle’s
electrical system. Before you begin,
you should know:
• Which wire is the power wire in
your vehicle’s electrical system
• If your autosound system has
line-level or speaker-level outputs
Before you install your crossover,
carefully read all the installation in-
structions in this owner’s manual.
Notes:
• Use audio patch cables with
phono-type connectors (avail-
able at your local RadioShack
store) to complete the low level
input/output connections.
• Use your autosound system’s
speaker wires to complete the
high level input connections.
• Use 18-gauge wire (available at
your local RadioShack store) to
complete the power connections.
• Turn your autosound system’s
volume all the way down before
installation.
• Set the subwoofer amplifier gain
(input level) and crossover input
level controls to their midpoints.
CHOOSING A
MOUNTING LOCATION
Choose the mounting location for the
crossover first, but do not mount it un-
til you have connected the wiring, ad-
justed the controls, and confirmed
that the crossover operates properly
with your system. By choosing the lo-
cation first, you can later mount the
crossover without re-routing the
wires.
Choose a mounting location that:
• Is as near as possible to your
autosound system connections (It
is important to keep the audio
cables as short as possible to
reduce noise and interference)
• Does not interfere with the opera-
tion of the vehicle
• Is not directly in front of a heating
vent
• Allows drilling of mounting holes
without damaging other vehicle
components
• Allows convenient and safe rout-
ing of wires
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4
CONNECTING INPUT/
OUTPUT
Note: Be sure to correctly match the
input and output connections (left out-
put to left input, and right output to
right input).
1. Disconnect the negative (–) cable
from your vehicle’s battery. This
reduces the possibility of damage
to your crossover or autosound
system during installation.
Note: After you complete the
connections and reconnect the
battery cable, you will need to re-
set all clock/memory devices in
your vehicle.
2. Connect your autosound sys-
tem’s L (left) and R (right) outputs
to the crossover’s L(left) and R
(right) INPUT jacks.
This crossover has both speaker-
level and line-level inputs. If your
autosound system has line-level
outputs, use the two LOW LEVEL
input jacks. If your autosound
system does not have line-level
outputs, tap into the wires for the
existing speakers and use the
four HIGH LEVEL input jacks.
Connect the autosound system
speaker wires to the crossover,
carefully matching polarity (L+ to
L+, L– to L–, R+ to R+, and R– to
R–).
Use either the LOW LEVEL or
HIGH LEVEL input terminals, but
not both.
3. Connect the crossover’s L(left)
and
R(right) OUTPUT jacks to the
L (left) and R (right) inputs of the
amplifier that drives the sub-
woofer speakers.
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5
CONNECTING POWER
1. Ensure the negative (–) cable is
disconnected from your vehicle’s
battery.
2. Connect the crossover’s GND
(ground) terminal to a metal part
of the vehicle’s frame.
Caution: Do not connect the
ground wire to a non-metallic
(plastic) part, or to any part insu-
lated from the vehicle’s frame by
a non-metallic part.
3. Connect the crossover’s B+12V
(power) terminal directly to the
vehicle battery’s +12 volt termi-
nal.
4. Connect your autosound sys-
tem’s switched power lead wire
(usually orange) to the cross-
over’s REMOTE terminal. This
turns the crossover on and off
when you turn your autosound
system on and off.
Note: If your autosound system
does not have a switched power
lead wire, connect the cross-
over’s
REMOTE terminal to a point
in your vehicle’s fuse box that
provides 12-volt battery power
only when the ignition is set to
ON or ACC.
5. Reconnect the cable to your vehi-
cle battery’s negative (–) terminal.
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6
TESTING THE
CONNECTIONS
Follow these steps to check your au-
tosound system before adjusting and
mounting the crossover.
1. Turn on your autosound system
and adjust the volume to a com-
fortable level. The POWER indi-
cator lights.
2. Play a cassette tape or CD that
has a wide dynamic range, or
tune to a strong FM station.
3. If the sound from any speaker is
distorted or has static (or if there
is no sound from a speaker), turn
off the power immediately, then
check the wiring connections.
If the system sounds with no dis-
tortion or static, proceed to “Ad-
justing the Controls.”
ADJUSTING THE
CONTROLS
Setting the Low Pass
Crossover Point
The LOW PASS selector lets you set
one of three crossover points. All sig-
nals at or below the selected frequen-
cy “cross over” to your subwoofer
speakers.
Set the selector to 180 Hz to increase
the range of low-frequency sounds.
Set the selector to 90 Hz or 50 Hz to
decrease the range of low-frequency
sounds.
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7
Adjusting the Input Level
The input level controls let you adjust
the crossover to balance the sub-
woofer’s sound level with the rest of
your autosound system.
Turn your autosound system up to a
normal listening level, then use a flat-
head screwdriver to adjust each IN-
PUT LEVEL control until the subwoof-
er is as loud as desired.
Caution: If you use the HIGH LEVEL
input terminals and turn your auto-
sound system volume too high for the
crossover, you could damage the
crossover. To reduce this possibility,
set the INPUT LEVEL controls past
their midpoints.
Adjusting the Subwoofer
Bass Boost
The SUBWOOFER BASS BOOST con-
trols let you boost 45, 80, or 120 Hz
subwoofer output by 12 dB to en-
hance low sounds when desired. Set
the 45Hz/80Hz/120Hz selector to the
appropriate position, then set +12dB
to ON. To return to the normal bass
setting, set +12dB to OFF.
MOUNTING THE
CROSSOVER
After you have correctly connected
the crossover and set the controls,
follow these steps to mount the cross-
over.
1. Using the crossover mounting
holes as a guide, mark the posi-
tions for the mounting screw
holes at the desired location.
2. At each marked position, drill a
9/64-inch (3.57 mm) hole.
Caution: Be careful not to drill
into anything behind the mounting
surface.
3. Attach the crossover at the
mounting location using the sup-
plied sheet metal screws, lock-
washers, and washers.
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RadioShack
A Division of Tandy Corporation
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
12A6 Printed in China
SPECIFICATIONS
Power Supply ................................................... 14.4 Volts DC Negative Ground
Current Drain ........................................................................................... 30 mA
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) ................................................ 0.04% at 20 Hz
Hum and Noise ............................................................................. 150µV typical
Line-Level (Low) Input Impedance ..................................................... 10 kOhms
Speaker-Level (High) Input Impedance ............................................. 100 Ohms
Operating Voltage ......................................................................... 10.5–16V DC
S/N Ratio ..............................................................................90 dB (A-Weighted)
Crossover Frequency .................... Subwoofer, Low Pass: 50 HZ/90 Hz/180 Hz
Crossover Slope ........................................................................... 12 dB/Octave
Channel Separation ...................................................................... 60 dB Typical
Output Level ..................................................... More Than 2V RMS at 1% THD
Dimensions (HWD) .......................... 1×39/16 ×51/8Inches (26 ×92 ×131 mm)
Weight ........................................................................................ 10.2 oz (290 g)
Specifications are typical; individual units might vary. Specifications are subject
to change and improvement without notice.
RadioShack Limited Warranty
This product is warranted against defects for 1 year from date of purchase from RadioShack company-
owned stores and authorized RadioShack franchisees and dealers. Within this period, we will repair it without
charge for parts and labor. Simply bring your RadioShack sales slip as proof of purchase date to any
RadioShack store. Warranty does not cover transportation costs. Nor does it cover a product subjected to
misuse, accidental damage, alteration or improper installation.
EXCEPT AS PROVIDED HEREIN, RadioShack MAKES NO EXPRESS WARRANTIES AND ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES ARE LIMITED IN DURATION TO THE DURATION OF THE WRITTEN LIMITED WARRAN-
TIES CONTAINED HEREIN. Some states do not permit limitation or exclusion of implied warranties; there-
fore, the aforesaid limitation(s) or exclusion(s) may not apply to the purchaser.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to
state.
We Service What We Sell 10/95
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