Owner's Manual
Table Of Contents
Rear Speakers
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Speakers
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Factory Installed
Amplifier
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Speaker Level
Signals
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Factory Installed
RadiO
Figure
6:
LC8i system llsing summingfunctions plus active equalization and crossover
hard to get to so why bother.
Remote
In (optional): Connect a 22 to
18
gauge wire from the source unit's
remote tum-on or other trigger to the Remote
In
connector on the LC8i. As
we previously mentioned, your LC8i is equipped with
GTOTM
signal sensing
which allows
it
turn on when
it
detects a signal at the front (number I) speaker-
level inputs so you normally will not need
to
use the "Remote In" circuit.
Remote
Out:
If
you are going
to
use the LC8i to turn on any external signal
processors or amplifiers, connect an
18
to 22 gauge wire from the Remote Out
on the LC8i to the remote turn-on
of
the processors or amplifiers. Depending
upon how many you are turning on, you may need
to
connect this wire to a
relay and route
12
volts from another source.
Once the electrical connections are complete, you may reconnect the nega-
tive terminal to your battery. (However continue to act positively.)
LC8;
Audio
Wiring
The LC8i needs to
be
installed
in
the signal path after your factory source
unit or amplifier but definitely before your after-market amplifiers and/or any
signal processors.
You
may already have guessed there are numerous ways to
configure the
LC8i
in
your audio system so we recommend you spend a little
quality time planning out your system and even sketching
it
out on paper.
Interfacing
with factory-installed
radio
Figure
7:
5.1 factory surround system
Speaker-Level
Inputs
The
LC8i
is
designed to accept an amplified, speaker-level signal from a fac-
tory source unit or amplifier.
You
will want to refer to a factory service manual
or wiring-harness schematic to determine which wires are the speaker wires for
your system. This information
is
also available on several car audio web sites
for a small fee.
If
you are unsure which wires are the speaker wires, it
is
recom-
mended you look at the color
of
the speaker wire connected to the speakers and
follow them back to the factory source or amplifier. Connect the speaker wires
to the Speaker-Level Inputs on your LC8i. Make sure to get your "pluses" and
"'minuses" connected properly.
Pre-Amp
Outputs
Connect good quality RCA connectors from these outputs to the inputs
of
your amplifiers. While we
won't
get into the discussion as to whether plu-
tonium cables sound better than un-obtainium cables.
We
will tell you that
well-constructed cables are less problematic
in
rugged environment like your
car system.
Summing
The
Outputs
Under the cover are connection jumpers that allow the Main outputs
of
the LC8i to receive signals from the inputs
of
Channels 2, 3, and/or
4.
These
jumpers allow you to select which input signals will be summed into the Main
output. When one
of
the jumpers is
in
the Summed position, the corresponding
green indicator light on the front
of
the LC8i will
be
lit up. The shipped-from-
the-factory setting is
in
the non-summed (Separate) position.
When you have summed several channels together, you will want to make
sure the output levels are providing a balanced frequency response. A simple
technique involves using a pink noise cd and a real time audio analyzer
(AudioControl happens to make a great one!)
Factory Installed
Amplifier
Data Bus Cable
Factory Installed
Radio
Output
+12vturn
on
lor
other
products
HeadUnil
+12volt
RamoteOn
RCA
h
O_O~':'i"
Figure 5:
Dash
Control Assembly
AutoMode:
Some cars have unusual
signals
011
their speaker leads and will
not be read by the AutoMode circuit.
When this occurs you can manually
turn
off
the AutoMode function. This
is
done by moving the internal AutoMode
jumper to "Defeat". In this mode, you
will need signal on the Channel 4 inputs
to output signals on the output.
,>-----'--++----~channeI3
,>-----"----l-++----~ChanneI2
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Line
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Main
LC8;
Block
Diagram
Figure
3: Inside vieworLCSi
Placement
And
Mounting
The dash control may be mounted under the dash using its own bracket or
through a custom hole
in
the dash.
It
should
be
within reach
of
the driver and
in
a spot where the LEOs are plainly visible.
We
don't
want to cause any car
crashes
Dash
Bracket
Installation
The dash control mounts with two screws, which attach to the underside
of
the dashboard. Slide under the dash and place the dash control
in
its mounting
position, mark the two mounting holes, drill pilot holes, and secure with two
screws.
LC8;
Power
Wiring
WARNING: Failure
/0
disconnect/he
negative terminal
of
your
baltery prior
10 the installation
of
your
Le8i
can result in a warm /inglyfeeling.
(+12V) Positive
Connection:
Insert a
12
tol8
gauge wire into the connec-
tor labeled
"+12" on the nifty connector
of
your LC8i. Connect it to a good
constant source
of
12
volts (we suggest the battery), fused at 2 amps.
Ground
Connection: Use the same gauge wire as you did for the positive
connector and run
it
from the "Ground" connector
on
your LC8i
to
the negative
terminal
of
the battery, a ground bus, or a verified ground location. The factory
head unit ground
is
not
a good ground. One; it's usually noisy, and two; it's
Installing
Your
LC8;
By
this time we are sure that you are chomping at the bit to install
your
LC8i. Everything you have read up to this point, has served
to
educate you on the operations
ofLC8i.
Therefore
if
you are still with
us
we recommend you read the following sections very carefully.
Placement
&
Mounting
ofthe
LC8i
Your LC8i can be physically installed
in
numerous locations like behind your
dashboard, under a seat, or even
in
the trunk. Since you will
be
connecting to
the speaker wires from the factory source unit or its amplifier(s), you should
select a location that
is
convenient for wiring. Once you have selected a penna-
nent mounting location, position the unit and mark the appropriate mounting
holes with a felt-tip pin or scratch awl. Before doing anything else, make sure
you are not about
to drill a hole
in
a gas tank or pierce any existing wiring.
Nothing ruins your day more than
an
expensive repair bill. Drill a few small
pilot holes and secure the chassis
of
the LC8i with self-tapping screws.
Placement
&
Mounting
of
the
Dash
Control
Auxiliary
Input
Channel 4
Channel 2
Channel 3
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