Good find...I use Crutchfield for technical advise. I got some of my ideas for my install from them. And every once in a while they will throw in some good deals on subs.

There prices are the same as Best Buy and Circuit City. And when they throw in free shipping and no taxes, it's actually a better deal. I bought my subs, head unit, and bass remote from them.

Ng

 

my radio reception sucks.............even with the stock antennae..........it is worthless with a stubby......i'm near DC and Baltimore, but live kinda in the boonies.....AND..........most of the stations i listen to are rather offbeat and don't have the greatest range anyhow

but i could pull them in great with my last car (subaru) so i know it is possible.

has anyone ever tried a signal amplifier????

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-BjUQ28O...rs&i=12044UA60

or is there a better antennae that i can install??? i really don't care much about how it looks, i drive over an hour each way back and forth to work and music is my mantra

 

hmmm, never heard of it..........does it have to do with the antenna???


i have replaced the HU so if it has anything to do with that i'm outta luck

 

question for y'all running 2 amps..............

how did you tie into +12 from the battery???? normally i would just attach the lug beneath the nut that would be used to tighten the battery cable to the battery post.......

BUT

on the HHR it is some fancy smancy self tightening gizmo on the battery terminal.......

for my existing amp, i cut a strip out of the amp power lug so i could slide it under the battery cable gizmo........but there is no way that i am going to be able to fit another cable under there. (i can take a pic if anyone is interested)

so, how'd ya'll get power to two amps???

edit:

i'm thinking of just replacing the existing battery with a marine battery. they are made with a post and male threaded post for attaching accessories

 

I didn't have to modify my battery cable and neither do you. I have a 4 guage wire for my mono amp my other amp has either a 10 or 8 guage, can't remember. But my cables already came crimped with eyelid connectors, that you can do yourself, and fit right under the bolt/nut thingy that keeps the positive terminal tight. So both amp wires are secured by using the OEM battery terminal bolt.

Ng

 

for some reason, i can't do that with mine........

it is kinda hard to explain, when i take it apart to install the second amp, i'll take pics..........



the post coming thru is attached to the bottom of the clamp, there is no way to get the wire lug on it without cutting the lug like this



i couldn't put it under the nut, because the bottom of the nut has a rarius that is designed to slid into a grove on the battery clamp in such a way so that when you tighen the nut it tightens the clamp onto the post

 

I can't take a look at mine since it is buried underneath the amp rack, but you should be able to hook up both wires without tearing apart the battery terminal and with a connector. You may have to modify the rubber boot protector so it is still covering the terminal. I bought Rockford Fosgate cables from Best Buy and they came crimmped.

Ng

 

well, the stereo is in for the most part...............still have to eliminate the whine and get the steering sheel controls functional ..............but it sounds GREAT...........i had to hustle to get it functional over the weekend because this morning i drove from Maryland to Connecticut , spent 2 hours trying to cross the bridge into new york.....and i also took a couple back roads for a travel time of 8 hours

and the HHR is WAY more comfortible than 99 subaru legacy that i upgraded from.......

the factory sub box seemed kinda hollow, so i gave it a little mass and internal sound deadening by adding a can of expanding foam





the wires didn't get to stay where they are above ...BEACUSE the Polk sub was TOO deep.................so i took a heat gun to the back of the box and formed a deeper pocket



of course that wasn't enough.......SO, i had to cut a spacer out of some plasitic i had laying around the shop, it is the black ring, the white ring is a gasket that came with the speaker



of course now that that is all together, i discover that i don't have the studs in the car that are required for mounting the box.................so i make three of these.......there is one more mount down at the bottom of the box, but
it didn't seem necessary (reads, it was more troubel than it was worth, i hope)