ALPINE PDX-4.100 (01) PDF Document

Please adhere to the following safety warnings when installing and using your ALPINE PDX-4.100:

• DO NOT OPERATE ANY FUNCTION THAT TAKES YOUR ATTENTION AWAY FROM SAFELY DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE. Any function that requires your prolonged attention should only be performed after coming to a complete stop. Always stop the vehicle in a safe location before performing these functions. Failure to do so may result in an accident.

• KEEP THE VOLUME AT A LEVEL WHERE YOU CAN STILL HEAR OUTSIDE NOISES WHILE DRIVING. Excessive volume levels that obscure sounds such as emergency vehicle sirens or road warning signals (train crossings, etc.) can be dangerous and may result in an accident. LISTENING AT LOUD VOLUME LEVELS IN A CAR MAY ALSO CAUSE HEARING DAMAGE.

• DO NOT DISASSEMBLE OR ALTER. Doing so may result in an accident, fire or electric shock.

• USE ONLY IN CARS WITH A 12 VOLT NEGATIVE GROUND. (Check with your dealer if you are not sure.) Failure to do so may result in a fire, etc.

• USE THE CORRECT AMPERE RATING WHEN REPLACING FUSES. Failure to do so may result in a fire or electric shock.

• DO NOT BLOCK VENTS OR RADIATOR PANELS. Doing so may cause heat to build up and may result in fire.

• MAKE THE CORRECT CONNECTIONS. Failure to make the proper connections may result in fire or product damage.

• BEFORE WIRING, DISCONNECT THE CABLE FROM THE NEGATIVE BATTERY TERMINAL. Failure to do so may result in electric shock or injury due to electrical shorts.

• DO NOT ALLOW CABLES TO BECOME ENTANGLED IN SURROUNDING OBJECTS. Arrange wiring and cables in compliance with the manual to prevent obstructions when driving. Cables or wiring that obstruct or hang up on places such as the steering wheel, gear lever, brake pedals, etc. can be extremely hazardous.

• DO NOT SPLICE INTO ELECTRICAL CABLES. Never cut away cable insulation to supply power to other equipment. Doing so will exceed the current carrying capacity of the wire and result in a fire or electric shock. This will also damage the audio system.

• DO NOT DAMAGE PIPE OR WIRING WHEN DRILLING HOLES. When drilling holes in the chassis for installation, take precautions so as not to contact, damage or obstruct pipes, fuel lines, tanks or electrical wiring. Failure to take such precautions may result in fire.

• DO NOT USE BOLTS OR NUTS IN THE BRAKE OR STEERING SYSTEMS TO MAKE GROUND CONNECTIONS. Bolts or nuts used for the brake or steering systems (or any other safety-related system), or tanks should NEVER be used for installations or ground connections. Using such parts may disable control of the vehicle and cause fire etc.

• KEEP SMALL OBJECTS SUCH AS BOLTS OR SCREWS OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN. Swallowing them may result in serious injury. If swallowed, consult a physician immediately.

Please take note of the following cautions for your ALPINE PDX-4.100:

• HAVE WIRING AND INSTALLATION DONE BY EXPERTS. The wiring and installation of this unit requires special technical skill and experience. To ensure safety, always contact the dealer where you purchased this product to have the work done.

• USE SPECIFIED ACCESSORY PARTS AND INSTALL THEM SECURELY. Be sure to use only the specified accessory parts. Use of other than designated parts may damage this unit internally or may not securely install the unit in place. This may cause parts to become loose resulting in hazards or product failure.

• ARRANGE THE WIRING SO IT IS NOT CRIMPED OR PINCHED BY A SHARP METAL EDGE. Route the cables and wiring away from moving parts (like the seat rails) or sharp or pointed edges. This will prevent crimping and damage to the wiring. If wiring must be routed through a hole in metal, use a rubber grommet to prevent the wire’s insulation from being cut by the metal edge of the hole.

• DO NOT INSTALL IN LOCATIONS WITH HIGH MOISTURE OR DUST. Avoid installing the unit in locations with a high incidence of moisture or dust. Moisture or dust that penetrates into this unit may result in product failure.

For service, check for the name and address of the authorized Alpine dealer nearest you. If you cannot find a dealer in your area, contact our company. Should a problem develop, follow these important steps:

1. Set all controls to their normal positions.

2. Be sure that all connections are correct.

3. If the unit is still not operating properly, call your Alpine dealer. Do not attempt to repair the unit yourself. This unit has no user-serviceable parts. Unauthorized adjustment may void the warranty.

4. Be sure to give the dealer the following information:

• Model number and serial number of the unit.

• Name and address of the owner.

• Description of the problem (what you think is wrong).

• Name of the person who installed the unit.

• What kind of car it was installed in, including make and year.

• When the unit was installed and purchased.

Note: Product improvement, specifications and design are subject to change without notice.

For safe installation of your ALPINE PDX-4.100, observe the following:

• This unit must be mounted in a location with adequate air circulation. Avoid mounting the unit in areas exposed to high temperature, such as near the engine, or where it may come in contact with dust, dirt or excessive vibration.

• Use the supplied self-tapping screws to mount the unit.

• To allow other stacked amplifiers to be securely connected to the last one, do not stack or connect more than 3 amplifiers.

• For other stacked amplifiers to be securely mounted, do not install sideways.

• Make sure that the wires are not caught at any mobile parts, e.g. seat railings, etc.

• To avoid increasing the amplifier’s temperature, do not install it in an area with poor air-circulation. When installing the amplifier in the trunk, allow for adequate ventilation. For best results, build a cooling fan and a baffle board.

Follow these steps to prepare for installation:

1. Remove the four cover top caps with a hexagon wrench, and then remove the four screw covers.

2. Locate the four screw holes on the amplifier.

3. Position the amplifier in the desired installation location and use the screw holes to mark the four screw locations.

4. Drill a 2.5 mm (3/32″) pilot hole at the four screw holes, and then attach with self-tapping screws.

To install a single ALPINE PDX-4.100 unit, follow these steps:

1. Before securely installing the unit, ground and use already installed power wires on the front part of the vehicle to connect to the unit. After confirming that the power indicator lights up, disconnect the wires, and complete the installation. For details on connection, refer to “CONNECTIONS”.

2. Securely install the unit.

3. Replace the four screw covers.

4. Replace the four cover top caps and tighten them with a hexagon wrench.

5. Remove the front cover first installed on the unit using the hexagon wrench (large), supplied. Refer to Fig. 2.

6. Replace the four cover top caps with the ones supplied to secure the front cover tightly to the amplifier. It is strongly recommended to install the screw firmly dropped while tightening the screw so that the unit can be fixed to the floor.

To perform a stacked installation of multiple units, follow these steps:

1. Stack the second unit on top of the first unit as described in steps 1-4 of “Single Installation”.

2. Secure the first and second units together by passing the four supplied machine screws (M6) through the feet of the second unit, and inserting them into the screw holes in the four cover top caps on the first unit. Use the screw thread at the top of the supplied hexagon wrench (large) to screw the machine screws in tight.

3. Before installing the front cover, use the screw thread at the top of the hexagon wrench (large) to remove the insert cap installed in the front cover. After removing the cap, align the front cover to be connected with the second unit, and then use the four supplied cover top caps to secure the front cover to the second unit tightly. Note that the insert cap is not required for a stacked installation.

4. Repeat this procedure for the third unit, if stacking three units.

5. Replace the four screw covers. Note: Do not stack more than three amplifiers. If three are stacked, use screws of more than 25 mm (1″) at the four corners of the first unit as described in steps 1-4 of “Single Installation”. Also, securely fix the screws of the second and third units after the connections of the 3rd unit are completed.

• Do not connect the +12V lead until all other leads have been connected.

• Be sure to connect the ground wire of the unit securely to a metal part of the car. A loose connection may cause a malfunction of the amplifier.

• REMOTE: This lead is connected to a power antenna or remote turn-on lead of your head unit. If your head unit does not have a remote turn-on lead, you can connect it to the accessory (ACC) lead of your car. For this type of connection, be sure your car’s ignition switch is off when you turn off your head unit. This is to avoid having the amplifier turned on when your head unit is off, thus draining the battery.

• Connect this lead to the +12V post of the car battery. For safety, install an in-line fuse holder (not included) as close to the battery’s positive (+) terminal as possible. The size of the wire and fuse should correspond to the total maximum output of all amplifiers in the system.

• This unit uses two 20A fuses.

• Connect the speaker output leads to the corresponding left/right speakers.

• To prevent mis-phasing, be sure to connect the positive (+) lead to the positive (+) terminal of the speaker, and the negative (-) lead to the negative (-) terminal.

• To prevent shorting, do not leave unused leads unterminated. Insulate them with electrical tape or a crimp connector.

• The amplifier is designed for speakers with an impedance of 4 ohms or greater. If you are using speakers with less than 4 ohms of impedance, the amplifier’s built-in protection circuit will operate. For a bridged connection, use speakers with an impedance of 4 ohms or greater.

Here is a description of the terminals on your ALPINE PDX-4.100:

1. **Power Supply Terminals (+BATT and GND):**

• +BATT (Power Lead): Connect this to the positive (+) terminal of the car battery.

• GND (Ground Lead): Connect this lead to a good chassis ground on the vehicle.

2. **Remote Turn-On Terminal (REM):** Connect this terminal to the remote turn-on or power antenna lead of your head unit.

3. **Fuse:** The unit has two 20A fuses. Use only 20A fuses for replacement. Do not use fuses with higher ratings. Using a higher rated fuse can cause serious damage to the unit.

4. **Speaker Output Terminals:** Connect speaker leads here. For a Bridged connection, connect a speaker between the R+ and L- terminals of the desired channel (CH-1/2 or CH-3/4).

5. **RCA Input Jacks:** Connect the RCA extension cables from your head unit’s Line Out jacks to the amplifier’s input jacks. Be sure to observe the color coding: red for the right channel and white for the left.

Follow these steps for proper wire connection:

1. For the conductor part, use an AWG 10 to 7 (or 5 mm² to 10 mm²) wire.

2. Using the hexagon wrench supplied, loosen the terminal screw on the amplifier.

3. Insert the wire conductor into the wire hole of the terminal and tighten the screw firmly.

4. Check the connection by pulling lightly on the cable.

The Input Channel Selector Switch sets which inputs will be used to drive the outputs.

• **Position “1/2”:** Use this position when you connect your RCA cable to CH-1/2 Input only. In this setting, the signal from CH-1/2 will be sent to CH-1/2 and CH-3/4 outputs.

• **Position “3/4”:** Use this position when you connect your RCA cable to CH-3/4 Input only. The signal from CH-3/4 will be sent to CH-1/2 and CH-3/4 outputs.

• **Position “1/2/3/4”:** Use this position when you connect your RCA cables to both CH-1/2 and CH-3/4 Inputs (4ch Input).

Use the Crossover Frequency Adjustment Control to adjust the crossover frequency for CH-1/2 and CH-3/4. The frequency is adjustable between 30 Hz and 400 Hz. Turn the control toward “30” to lower the crossover frequency and toward “400” to raise it.

The Crossover Mode Selector Switch (FILTER) allows you to select the crossover mode for CH-1/2 and CH-3/4. It has three settings:

• **Position “OFF”:** The full frequency range is output from the speaker terminals. This setting is for use with full range speakers.

• **Position “HP” (High Pass Filter):** Frequencies above the crossover setting are output from the speaker terminals. Use this setting with midrange or tweeter speakers.

• **Position “LP” (Low Pass Filter):** Frequencies below the crossover setting are output from the speaker terminals. Use this setting with woofers or subwoofers.

The Power Indicator on the ALPINE PDX-4.100 provides information about the unit’s status:

• **Blue (lit):** This indicates that the amplifier is ON and operating normally.

• **Red (lit):** This indicates that the protection circuit is activated. Identify and correct the problem, then momentarily turn your system OFF, then ON again. If the LED stays red, contact your Alpine dealer.

• **OFF (unlit):** This indicates that the amplifier is OFF.

When bridging your ALPINE PDX-4.100, please follow these important guidelines:

1. **Connecting battery lead:** When using multiple amplifiers, be sure to use wire of sufficient gauge for the power and ground leads and make all connections to the positive battery terminal and vehicle chassis point respectively.

2. **Bridged mode:** Bridging is a method of combining the power of two channels to drive a single speaker. This is useful for driving a subwoofer, for example. To use the amplifier in the bridged mode, connect the speaker leads to the RIGHT (+) and LEFT (-) speaker terminals.

3. **Bridged mode switch setting:** There is no switch for bridged mode on this amplifier. Bridged mode is enabled by the speaker connections as described above.

4. **Do not use the Fader control:** When using the bridged connection, the fader control on your head unit will not work.