Rockford Fosgate RFA-408 User manual

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OWNER'SMANUAL
AUDIOPHILE WOOFERS
RFA-408 RFA-808
RFA-410 RFA-810
RFA-412 RFA-812

Dear Customer,
Congratulations on your purchase of America’s finest brand of car audio compo-
nents. At Rockford Fosgate we are committed to musical reproduction at its best,
andwearepleasedyouchoseourproduct. Throughyearsofengineeringexpertise,
hand craftsmanship and critical testing procedures we have created a wide range
of products that reproduce music with all the clarity and richness you deserve.
For maximum performance we recommend you have your new Rockford Fosgate
product installed by an Authorized Rockford Fosgate Dealer, as we provide
specializedtrainingthroughRockfordTechnicalTrainingInstitute(RTTI). Please
read your warranty and retain your receipt and original carton for possible future
use.
ToaddthefinishingtouchtoyournewRockfordFosgateimageorderyourRockford
accessories, which include everything from T-shirts and jackets to hats and
sunglasses.
To get a free brochure on Rockford Fosgate products and Rockford accessories,
pleasecall1-800-669-9899orFAX1-602-966-3983intheU.S.ForCanada,call
KorbonTradingat905-567-1920.ForinternationalordersFAX001-1-602-967-
8132 or call 001-1-602-967-3565.
PRACTICE SAFE SOUND™
CONTINUOUS EXPOSURE TO SOUND PRESSURE LEVELS OVER 100dB
MAY CAUSE PERMANENT HEARING LOSS. HIGH POWERED AUTO
SOUNDSYSTEMSMAYPRODUCESOUNDPRESSURELEVELSWELLOVER
130dB. USE COMMON SENSE AND PRACTICE SAFE SOUND.
If, after reading your manual, you still have questions regarding this prod-
uct, we recommend that you see your Rockford Fosgate dealer. If you need
futher assistance, you can call us direct at 1-800-795-2385. Be sure to have
your serial number, model number and date of purchase available when
you call.
The serial number can be found on the outside of the box. Please be sure
torecorditinthespaceprovidedbelowasyourpermanentrecord. Thiswill
serve as verification of your factory warranty and could become useful in
recovering your product if ever stolen.
Serial Number: _________________________________________
Model Number:___________________________________

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Punch Audiophile Woofer Contents ..................................................1
Introduction ......................................................................................1
Design Features.................................................................................1
Cone ...........................................................................................1
Vented Pole Piece .......................................................................1
Suspension ..................................................................................1
Voice Coil ...................................................................................2
Powder Coated Basket.................................................................2
Epoxy Filled Inverted Dust Caps ..................................................2
Dual Input Terminals...................................................................2
Low Frequency Speaker Systems .......................................................2
Using the Punch Audiophile Woofers ...............................................3
Calculating Load Impedance.............................................................3
Calculating Volume ..........................................................................4
Building An Enclosure.......................................................................4
Specifications....................................................................................6
Warranty Information........................................................................7

– 1 –
PUNCH AUDIOPHILE WOOFER CONTENTS
Punch Audiophile Woofer
Punch Audiophile Woofer manual
Kevlar® is a registered trademark of E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
INTRODUCTION
This manual provides information on the construction, installation
andoperationofthePunchAudiophileWoofers.Wesuggestyousave
this manual for future reference.
ThePunchAudiophilewoofersareafulllineoflowfrequencydrivers
in8",10",and12"sizes;in4or8ohmimpedance.Theyaredesigned
for use primarily in small, sealed enclosures. By utilizing the latest
materialsandconstructiontechniques,weare able to offer a speaker
with good, low frequency response while requiring a minimum of
operating space.
DESIGN FEATURES
Cone – The cone material used is spruce pulp paper reinforced with
Kevlar® fiber (8" and 10" only). This provides the necessary combi-
nationofweightandstrengthandallowshighlevelsofoutputwithout
cone break up. The cone is treated with a water resistant Polyvinyl
AcetateEmulsion(PVA)whichincreasestheconerigidityandlowers
distortion.
Vented Pole Piece – To allow operation at reasonably high power
levels,ventilationisneeded.Thisisdonethroughtheuseofa vented
pole piece. The venting allows fresh air to circulate and remove the
built up heat from the voice coil assembly.
Suspension – The suspension holds the cone to the basket and
supports the voice coil in the magnetic gap. The suspension should
allow the cone to move in and out freely but not allow side to side
motion. The Punch Audiophile woofers all use a Nitrile rubber
surround for the front and a flat spider design for the rear. This
combination takes full advantage of the Kevlar® cone's stiffness
allowing clean, uncolored reproduction.

– 2 –
Voice Coil – The construction of the voice coil is designed to
maximize the speaker's power handling. The wire used is high
temperature copper, wound in multiple layers on a black, anodized
aluminum former. The wire will withstand high temperatures while
the former conducts heat away from the coil.
Powder Coated Basket – The stamped steel baskets of the Punch
Audiophile woofers are finished with a powder coat process. This
good looking finish damps the basket resonance, preventing basket
vibration from coloring the sound. Unrelated to the sonic perfor-
mance of the speakers, but equally important, the powder coating
used is environmentally friendly since no toxic chemicals are re-
leased into the atmosphere during the process.
Epoxy Filled Inverted Dust Caps – The inverted dust cap provides a
flatter power response and rigidity to the cone. Epoxy filling adds
mass, to ensure the high performance in small, sealed boxes.
Dual Input Terminals – To facilitate hook-up in multiple driver
configurations,eachpositiveandnegativeterminalhastwoconnect-
ing lugs. The positive terminal is identified by a dot which also
indicates the speaker's impedance. A red dot is used on an 8Ω
speaker, a violet dot on a 4Ωspeaker.
LOW FREQUENCY SPEAKER SYSTEMS
The Punch Audiophile woofers require an enclosure to achieve
optimumresults.Theenclosureallowsthespeakertooperateatlower
frequencieswithimprovedpowerhandling.Thetwomostcommonly
usedtypesoflowfrequencyspeakersystemsareacousticsuspension
and bass reflex. The acoustic suspension enclosure, commonly
referred to as a sealed box, relies upon the changing air pressure in a
tightly sealed chamber of its operation. The bass reflex, commonly
referred to as a ported enclosure, uses a vent inserted into the box
which takes over for the speaker at a desired frequency which is
determinedbytheinternalvolumeoftheenclosureandthesizeofthe
ventused.ThePunchAudiophilewooferswillyieldoptimumperfor-
mance in a small, sealed enclosure.

– 3 –
USING THE PUNCH AUDIOPHILE WOOFERS
Speakers are built in different sizes to optimize their performance in
different frequency bands. Crossovers are used to route the different
frequency bands for each appropriate speaker. There are two opera-
tional types of crossovers, active and passive. An active crossover is
anelectronicfilterwhichisplaced beforetheamplifierandseparates
thesignalfedtodifferentamplifiersinthesystem.Apassivecrossover
is positioned after the amplifier and separates the signal fed to each
speaker in the system. Active crossovers offer the accuracy and
flexibilityneeded for asophisticated system and are usedin complex
multiple amp designs. Passive crossovers (capacitors and inductors)
allowtheuseofmultiplespeakersinasimplesystemwhichcaneasily
be expanded over time. We recommend using a 6dB per octave,
100Hz low pass crossover for the Punch Audiophile Woofers when
used with a passive system.
To customize the installation, try adjusting the crossover point one
octave up or down to optimize the system staging.
The Punch Audiophile Woofers are used for the sub-bass region,
thosefrequenciesbelow100Hz.Thisisthefoundationforthemusic
and the frequency range you feel. Before selecting the passive
crossover it is necessary to calculate the load impedance of the
speaker system. In a series circuit the impedance is determined by
the formula:
RT= R1+ R2+ R3+ etc.
In a parallel circuit the impedance is determined by the formula:
Where RTis the total speaker load and R1, R2, etc. represent each
speaker in the system.
The crossover is connected in line to the positive terminal of the
speakersystem.CrossoversareavailablefromAuthorizedRockford
Fosgate Dealers.
1 1 1 1 1
=++++etc.
RTR1R2R3R4
CALCULATING LOAD IMPEDANCE

– 4 –
BUILDING ANENCLOSURE
To work properly, the walls of the enclosure must be rigid and not
flexwhensubjectedtothehighpressuresgeneratedbythespeaker's
operation. We recommend using 3/4" thick high density particle
board or medium density fiberboard (MDF), which are available at
most building supply stores. For a large box, internal bracing is
needed for reinforcement. The joints should be glued and secured
witheithernailsorscrews;internallythejointsshouldbesealedwith
silicon to prevent air leaking. Wood glue works best. Because the
high density particle board and MDF are porous materials, it is
suggested to seal the outside enclosure walls with polyurethane.
A
B
C
Calculating volume is merely a matter of measuring the dimensions
ininches andusing theformula: Volume= Heightx Widthx Depth.
The result is in cubic inches. Convert this to cubic feet by dividing
by 1,728 (the number of cubic inches in a cubic foot). If two facing
sides are of uneven length, add them together and divide by two to
taketheaverage.Usingthisnumberwillgiveyouthevolumewithout
the necessity of calculating the box in sections and adding the
sections together. The thickness of the baffle material reduces the
internal volume so this must be subtracted from the outside dimen-
sions to determine the internal volume. The speaker itself also
reduces the internal volume. The amount of air displaced by each
model is listed on the specification sheet and should also be
subtracted from the gross volume calculation.
CALCULATING VOLUME

– 5 –
Cut out two pieces of each panel using 3/4" MDF.
Model # Panel “A” Panel “B” Panel “C” Volume
RFA-408/808 10.5" x 16.5" 4.75" x 16.5" 4.75" x 9" .33 cu. ft.
RFA-410/810 12.75" x 19.75" 6.25" x 19.75" 6.25" x 11.25" .66 cu. ft.
RFA-412/812 13.5" x 20.5" 7.75 x 20.5" 7.75" x 12" .88 cu. ft.
In Conclusion
Special care has been taken to ensure your satisfaction with the
Punch Audiophile Woofers. The materials and workmanship have
beencarefullyselectedtoguaranteeperformanceequaltotheneeds
of the most demanding conditions. If you have any further questions
oradvancedsystemneeds,yourAuthorizedRockfordFosgateDealer
will be happy to assist you.

SPECIFICATIONS
– 6 –
Model RFA-408 RFA-808 RFA-410 RFA-810 RFA-412 RFA-812
Nom. Imped. 4 8 4 8 4 8
FS (Hz) 29 31 23 25 21 22
RE (Ohm) 3.5 7 3.5 7 3.5 7
LE (mH) 0.59 1 .86 1.3 1 1.6
QMS 2.08 2.19 1.94 2.03 2.2 2.8
QES 0.53 0.69 0.47 0.58 0.45 0.58
QTS 0.42 0.52 0.38 0.45 0.38 0.48
VAS (cu.ft) 2.154 2.154 3.5 3.5 9.128 9.128
VAS (liter) 61 61 127 127 260 260
Power (Watts RMS) 150 150 150 150 250 250
SPL (dB @ 1w/1m) 86.6 86.4 87 86.5 89.4 89
X-MAX (inches) 0.25 0.25 0.34 0.34 0.37 0.37
X-MAX (mm) 6.3 6.3 8.5 8.5 9.3 9.3
Rec. Box Vol. (cu. ft.) 0.33 0.33 0.66 0.66 0.88 0.88
Spk. Dis. Outside (cu. ft.) 0.04 0.04 0.07 0.07 0.11 0.11
Spk. Dis. Outside (liters) 1.13 1.13 1.79 1.79 3.04 3.04
Spk. Dis. Inside (cu. ft.) 0.05 0.05 0.08 0.08 0.12 0.12
Spk. Dis Inside (liters) 1.35 1.35 2.24 2.24 3.52 3.52
Mntg. Dia. (in.) 7-3/8 7-3/8 9-3/8 9-3/8 11 11
Mntg. Dia. (mm) 187.4 187.4 238.1 238.1 279.4 279.4
Mntg. Depth (in.) 3-5/8 3-5/8 4-1/2 4-1/2 5-1/8 5-1/8
Mnt.g. Depth (mm) 92.1 92.1 114.3 114.3 128.6 128.6

Rockford Fosgate warrants all loudspeakers to the original purchaser for a period
of two (2) years parts and labor, providing the product was purchased from an
Authorized Rockford Fosgate Dealer. Speakers found to be defective during the
warranty period will be repaired or replaced (with a product deemed to be
equivalent) at Rockford Fosgate’s discretion. Repaired or replaced speakers will
cover the balance of the original warranty period only. Warranty appliesonly to
original purchaser and is non-transferable. Warranty does not cover abuse or
installation error. If a determination is made that the product has been abused or
is out of the warranty period, it will be repaired, exchanged, and billed. Parts not
coveredunderwarrantywillberepairedorreplacedandbilled.Forspeakerboxes,
please return the speaker only. Serial number must be intact to obtain warranty.
Speakers must be returned prepaid to Grand Rapids, Michigan.
GENERAL
Electronicsandspeakerwarrantiesdonotcoveranyappearanceitem,anycostor
expenserelatedtotheremovalorreinstallationoftheproduct,anyaccessoryused
inconjunction withtheproduct, damageto theproduct resultingfromalteration,
accident,misuse orabuse,or improperinstallation. Thiswarranty doesnotapply
ifthepartsorlabor,whichwouldotherwisebeprovidedwithoutchargeunderthis
warranty, are obtained from any source other than Rockford Fosgate or an
Authorized Rockford Fosgate Service Center.
The warranty is the only express warranty and does not create any implied
warranties. Rockford Fosgate limits its obligations under any implied warranties
understatelawstoaperiodnottoexceedthewrittenwarrantyperiod.Somestates
do not allow limitation on how long an implied warranty lasts, so the above
limitationmaynotapply.ThiswarrantyappliesonlytoproductssoldintheUnited
States of America or its possessions. For warranty outside the U.S.A., please
contact the nearest Authorized Rockford Fosgate Dealer. This warranty gives the
consumerspecificlegalrights,andtheconsumermayhaveotherrightswhichvary
from state to state.
Adefective productmustbe shippedprepaid tothe AuthorizedRockfordFosgate
Dealer from which the consumer purchased the product or to the address below,
in the original factory carton or equivalent. Any shipping loss or damage will be
borne by the consumer or the consumer’s shipper. A consumer returning a
product to the factory must call [phone] for a Return Authorization
Number. All shipments shall be clearly marked with the Return Authorization
Number on the outside of the shipping carton.
Rockford Corporation
609 Myrtle N.W.
Grand Rapids, MI 49504 (Receiving-speakers)
WARRANTY INFORMATION

NOTES

CP-9050
7/94
Rockford Fosgate
Rockford Corporation
546 South Rockford Drive
Tempe, Arizona 85281 U.S.A.
In U.S.A., [phone]
In Canada, call Korbon [phone]
In Europe, Fax [phone]
In Japan, Fax [phone]