Hello...

I've been using a Boss Bass600 since 2009 at the back of my Clubbie... And then the other day I noticed it wasn't working. I'm using a RadioShack 12v adapter to plug at rear cig socket - the adapter has a 10A fuse in it. It was blown. Bought new ones and now I realize every time I plug it back in w subwoofer word up, fuse blows. How can I diagnose?

Thanks, Eddie


I

 

Thats not enough juice coming thru that to effectively power the sub. Fuses blow because too much current goes thru for a sustained time frame. The amp is drawing too much power. Run a direct power line from the battery with a bigger fuse and you should be back in business and sound better.

 

But it's been working for about two years...

 

Does the fuse blow right away? If it does, there's a short somewhere. The unit might have gone bad, or connection along the power path. It could even be the cigarette plug or socket. See if it does the same if you plug it into the front cigarette socket.

 

Fuse blows right away yeah. What's the best way to tell if the sub itself is done for/causes a short? Before I go off and buy a new one...

 

First thing to try is plug it into the front cigarette lighter. If the fuse still blows, then you've verified that the problem is in either the Radio Shack adapter or the sub. If you have an electrical meter or tester, test for a open circuit between the + and - power terminals of the sub, and check for a short in the adapter.

 

Well that's the thing - if I touch the + and ground/- on the sub my multimeter shows some life... Pretty much same resistance as if I just touch the multimeter ends... But isnt that Normal? (That there is a circuit there if a battery was present right?)

Kinda forgot my electric basics...

 

Did you mean touch the multimeter ends together? The reading for touching the multimeter ends together is for a short circuit. If you see that when touching the power terminals on the sub, then the sub has a short circuit. Try it also with the Radio Shack power adapter (disconnected from everything else).

 

Correcting a bit what I wrote above.

Multimeter calibrated so touching ends together reads no resistance -- 0k ohms.

The sub has a 15A fuse that if I pull out and connect the multimeter to sub ground and +12v it reads like 20-50k ohms.

When I put the fuse in the sub and try again I read 0k ohms.

Bad sub?

Edit: this is an amplified sub...

 

It shouldn't read 0 ohms, and I would say that the sub is has gone bad. If you can open it up, see if anything inside has burn marks.

 

For now I just ordered a new one... Will see how a new one compares from a multimeter POV and hope it all just works!

 

And sure enough everything works again. Resistance on a working sub reads a non zero reading that slowly increases...