Adding a Bazooke amped sub?
#1
03-09-2009, 07:32 PM
Adding a Bazooke amped sub?
I have the Monsoon system in my H3 already and I am quite please with it.
However, we recently traded in our ext. cab Silverado for an Avalanche, and we had an old Bazooka tube under the seat of the Silverado. We bought it on a lark, used off of eBay about 3 years ago, and it has been a great little sub, much to our surprise. It fit well under the back seat of the truck, and we didn't want to see it go with the truck so we pulled it out and kept it.
My husband has no plans to put it in the Avalanche as we use the midgate too often to mount the sub under the backseats.
Actual question now, after all my rambling, is there any way to wire this in to work along side the factory sub? I'd hate to relegate the Bazooka to the rummage sale pile. I'm thinking it might be way more trouble than it is worth, and I don't want to mess anything up with the operation of the factory system. But, if anybody has added an amplified sub to your Monsoon-equipped H3, I'd be interested in pointers.
Thanks!
-Deanne
However, we recently traded in our ext. cab Silverado for an Avalanche, and we had an old Bazooka tube under the seat of the Silverado. We bought it on a lark, used off of eBay about 3 years ago, and it has been a great little sub, much to our surprise. It fit well under the back seat of the truck, and we didn't want to see it go with the truck so we pulled it out and kept it.
My husband has no plans to put it in the Avalanche as we use the midgate too often to mount the sub under the backseats.
Actual question now, after all my rambling, is there any way to wire this in to work along side the factory sub? I'd hate to relegate the Bazooka to the rummage sale pile. I'm thinking it might be way more trouble than it is worth, and I don't want to mess anything up with the operation of the factory system. But, if anybody has added an amplified sub to your Monsoon-equipped H3, I'd be interested in pointers.
Thanks!
-Deanne
#4
03-11-2009, 03:23 PM
The old school way of high level inputs converted to an RCA jack amp input is a bad idea in two ways. First you will get feed back ( light buzzing) no matter how careful you are. Second is the mistake of accidentally tapping into the wrong wire. Amplified systems like the monsoon carry low level power inputs (normally 2.4 – 4 volts max) into the amp. Tap these and damage the factory amp or not have enough power to add proper sound to the new amp. Tap the wires after the factory amp and you end up with to much power going into the new amp. I suggest NOT tapping into anything!
What I would suggest is the safe and tested adapters below! They work flawlessly, are safe to use, and are easily removed if you change your mind later. The first module listed will allow you to add a sub amplifier and not change anything factory! The second is used to replace the factory radio and still use OnStar and the factory amp. Don't forget to check eBay by entering the product numbers in the search bar. The costs on eBay for new adapters will be half that from a Best Buy type company. These adapters are “plug and play” meaning they have minimal work involved in order to enjoy your tunes!
Replacing factory head unit (radio) & maintain factory amps and speakers
METRA GMOS-04 Class II data bus interface with factory amplified system
34.95- 125.95 depending on where you purchase
Add on amplifier & subs while maintaining OE factory Monsoon radio, amps, and speakers
PAC AOEM-GM24 Add on amplifier interface
$34.95- 89.00 depending on where you purchase
Once these are installed, hook up is the same for power, ground, remote, and RCA as you would on an after market radio!
What I would suggest is the safe and tested adapters below! They work flawlessly, are safe to use, and are easily removed if you change your mind later. The first module listed will allow you to add a sub amplifier and not change anything factory! The second is used to replace the factory radio and still use OnStar and the factory amp. Don't forget to check eBay by entering the product numbers in the search bar. The costs on eBay for new adapters will be half that from a Best Buy type company. These adapters are “plug and play” meaning they have minimal work involved in order to enjoy your tunes!
Replacing factory head unit (radio) & maintain factory amps and speakers
METRA GMOS-04 Class II data bus interface with factory amplified system
34.95- 125.95 depending on where you purchase
Add on amplifier & subs while maintaining OE factory Monsoon radio, amps, and speakers
PAC AOEM-GM24 Add on amplifier interface
$34.95- 89.00 depending on where you purchase
Once these are installed, hook up is the same for power, ground, remote, and RCA as you would on an after market radio!
#7
03-12-2009, 09:48 AM
I was thinking of adding a system too, those system will work with anything correct ? Was never really thrilled with the bazzokas sound quality, I have a pretty good box that gives out awesome bass, just need to find a good amp for it. It has been collecting dust in the attic for some time now, maybe its time it came out to play.
Last edited by Raffi76; 03-12-2009 at 09:51 AM.
#8
03-13-2009, 05:59 AM
The benefit to a bazooka tub is the ease of installation based on the on board amp. Wiring is much easier in an all in one unit as you would not have to figure out were to place an amplifier that isn't in the way, is located in a place that may over heat, or doesn't look ugly.
Another option is the JL audio molded sub box that replaces the factory sub. This is a ten inch sub that has a better sound than bazooka for a few reason. First is the fact its a JL Audio product. Very high end stuff, but it will hit your pocket book quick for a big difference in costs. The JL can be purchased with or without an on board amp. But this unit is only designed to replace the factory Monsoon system. If you have a regular radio, it will not fit because of the plastic cover on the rear deck. Monsoon trucks have a vent, Non amplified factory systems have a pocket.
If you look at the picture post pages our photos show a dual touch screen unit with a redesigned dash. We spend more time than we want to just sitting in the truck, so music is important. Believe it or not, there is a ton of room behind that dash plate for equipment. We hid our amplifiers under the driver and passenger seats. Four bolt each side and you can pull the seats from the truck. Don't forget to unhook the seat sensor and airbag wires before removal. Alpine, MTX, JL, Kicker, RF, and Polk all sell powerful low profile amps that will fit closely but allow full seat movement.
We decided to run all of the wiring directly down and under the center console. We placed a power fuse on the firewall next to the battery, ran four gage wiring thought the firewall beside the other factory wires and ran the power supply over and into the factory radio area. The dash has enough room for the front speaker components crossovers and even a place to mount a full two farad capacitor! After pulling the entire center console, we ran RCA jacks down one side and power down the other. We had to make a small niche cut on each side of the bottom of the center console, but this is hidden easily when the seats are replaced. Grounding can be done by drilling and attaching a screw to the base of the seat frame near the mounting bolts. Make sure to use a bit of sand paper to remove the paint so the ground will be solid.
The only wiring we had to track over and down the side of the car was the sub wires. We looped the speaker wires so everything stays in the center console and under the dash! This is good for a couple of reasons, first is the availability and ease of access. The center console cover just lifts up and out for a quick view of what could be wrong if you run into issues. And second is the fact power wires are kept short and do not run all the way back to the rear of the truck, leaving the chance for more problems down the road.
Any setup where an amp or two along with capacitors and full speaker and head unit replacement can take some serious time and know how. That is the benefit to plug and play systems like Bazooka, they are just easier to work with. And for the most part, add a bit more sound, or at least enough to compensate for the lack in factory systems for most folks.
Another option is the JL audio molded sub box that replaces the factory sub. This is a ten inch sub that has a better sound than bazooka for a few reason. First is the fact its a JL Audio product. Very high end stuff, but it will hit your pocket book quick for a big difference in costs. The JL can be purchased with or without an on board amp. But this unit is only designed to replace the factory Monsoon system. If you have a regular radio, it will not fit because of the plastic cover on the rear deck. Monsoon trucks have a vent, Non amplified factory systems have a pocket.
If you look at the picture post pages our photos show a dual touch screen unit with a redesigned dash. We spend more time than we want to just sitting in the truck, so music is important. Believe it or not, there is a ton of room behind that dash plate for equipment. We hid our amplifiers under the driver and passenger seats. Four bolt each side and you can pull the seats from the truck. Don't forget to unhook the seat sensor and airbag wires before removal. Alpine, MTX, JL, Kicker, RF, and Polk all sell powerful low profile amps that will fit closely but allow full seat movement.
We decided to run all of the wiring directly down and under the center console. We placed a power fuse on the firewall next to the battery, ran four gage wiring thought the firewall beside the other factory wires and ran the power supply over and into the factory radio area. The dash has enough room for the front speaker components crossovers and even a place to mount a full two farad capacitor! After pulling the entire center console, we ran RCA jacks down one side and power down the other. We had to make a small niche cut on each side of the bottom of the center console, but this is hidden easily when the seats are replaced. Grounding can be done by drilling and attaching a screw to the base of the seat frame near the mounting bolts. Make sure to use a bit of sand paper to remove the paint so the ground will be solid.
The only wiring we had to track over and down the side of the car was the sub wires. We looped the speaker wires so everything stays in the center console and under the dash! This is good for a couple of reasons, first is the availability and ease of access. The center console cover just lifts up and out for a quick view of what could be wrong if you run into issues. And second is the fact power wires are kept short and do not run all the way back to the rear of the truck, leaving the chance for more problems down the road.
Any setup where an amp or two along with capacitors and full speaker and head unit replacement can take some serious time and know how. That is the benefit to plug and play systems like Bazooka, they are just easier to work with. And for the most part, add a bit more sound, or at least enough to compensate for the lack in factory systems for most folks.
#10
03-14-2009, 02:27 AM
Best shot you have is finding a solid 3/4 inch MDF built box that has a slat back so it will fit closer to the seats. Each sub will list its air space requirements in the form of cubic feet. Find a sub like the MTX 7500 series or better, that will allow about 1.5 feet or less and you should be good. All boxes eat up space. It just depends on what you want verses what your willing to sacrifice. Your other option is the stealth JL audio custom box. But it is only a single ten inch sub.
