CERWIN VEGA VCU86 (01) PDF Document

The CERWIN VEGA VCU86 series amplifiers include the following features:

• Full Range Class D IR Chipset

• DirectFET Power Mosfet Output Stage

• SMD Technology on 4 layer Glass PC Board

• Conformal Coated PCB assembly for added water resistance

• ICAD circuit provides superior overload protection

• Frequency response 10 Hz – 30kHz (Mono Block 10 Hz – 350Hz)

• Variable 12db crossovers

• Cerwin Vega Bass boost +12DB @45HZ

• Premium 8 gauge power connections

• Multi channels / Mono channel

• Remote Bass Knob (Included with MICRO81U/MICRO82U)

• 5 Channel has separate Front/Rear/Sub input – Perfect for DSP

• This unit is designed for negative ground 12V DC operation only.

• Total system impedance must not be less than 2 Ohms stereo, or 1 ohm bridged for VCU82. VCU85 is minimum 2 ohms bridged on sub channel (VCU85), and the VCU84/VCU85 (Ch 1, 2, 3, 4) is 4 ohms bridged.

• Avoid installing the unit where: It would be subject to high temperatures, such as from direct sunlight or hot air from the heater. It would be exposed to rain, moisture, dust or dirt.

• Do not cover the unit with carpet or wires.

• Do not use the unit with a weak auto battery. Optimum performance depends on optimum battery supply voltage.

• For safety reasons, keep the volume of your car audio system moderate while driving your vehicle so that you can still hear normal traffic sounds outside your car.

• There is NO speaker level input connector, you can cut RCA’s and solder the wires and connect directly through low level input (RCA) or purchase the “optional” RCA Adaptor cable to make a cleaner install, model – CHHILVL.

Although CERWIN VEGA VCU86 amplifiers incorporate heat sinks and protection circuits, mounting the amplifier in a tight space without any air movement can still damage internal circuitry over time. Choose a location that provides adequate ventilation around the amplifier. For easy system set-up, mount the amplifier so the side panel controls will be accessible after installation. To increase thermal run times on low impedance loads, an additional fan is recommended; remember any moving air across the amplifier will reduce heat. In addition, observe the following precautions:

1. Using a felt pen, mark the mounting hole locations.

2. Mounting the amplifier on carpet will significantly reduce air flow, resulting in reduced thermal run times.

3. Mount the amplifier on a solid surface. Avoid mounting to sub woofer enclosures or areas prone to vibration. Do not install the amplifier on plastic or other combustible materials.

4. Prior to mounting the amplifier, make sure not to cut or drill into the fuel tank, fuel lines, brake lines (under chassis) or electrical wiring.

1. Before installation, make sure the source unit power switch is in the OFF position.

2. Disconnect the negative (-) lead of the battery before making any power connections.

3. When making connections, be sure that each one is clean and secure. Insulate all of your connections. Failure to do so may damage your equipment.

4. A secure clean ground connection is critical to the performance of your amplifier. Connect the ground directly to the car chassis to minimize resistance and avoid any noise problems.

5. Add an external fuse on the amplifier’s positive (+) power lead and connect it as close as possible to the vehicle’s (+) battery terminal. Use a rating that equals the total current consumption at full output of all amplifiers in the system. This external fuse will protect the vehicle from short circuits that can cause a fire.

1. Status LED’s: These lights indicate when the amplifier is powered up normally (Power) and when there is a protection fault (Protect). The Protect LED illuminates when there is a problem with your amplifier.

2. Sensitivity (Input Gain Adjustment): This control matches the preamp stage of the CERWIN VEGA VCU86 amplifier to your source unit. This is NOT a volume control. The range is between approx. 200mV to 10V. It can also handle speaker inputs of less than 25 watts RMS.

3. TURN-ON OPTIONS: The VCU series of amplifiers can be switched on and off using one of three methods, determined by the position of the amplifier’s “Turn-On Mode” switch (REM, DC, VOX). DC and VOX turn-on settings ONLY work with speaker level input.

4. Crossover Selection Switch: This switch allows you to select the crossover Type. Use High Pass (HP) for midrange or high frequency speakers. Use Low Pass (LP) for subwoofers. In the FLAT position, neither crossover adjustment knob has an effect and all speakers will receive the full frequency range.

5. LP/FULL/HP Crossover Adjustment: Use this adjustment to adjust the crossover type. You must select the High Pass (HP), Low Pass (LP), or FULL range position of the crossover adjustment switch first. The range of adjustment is limited between 40-400 Hz (VCU82 – VCU84) and 70Hz front and rear FIXED on B55. Or FULL which passes ALL frequencies.

6. Vega Bass Boost: This control adds 0 to +12dB of boost at 45Hz. Be cautious when adding boost to some subwoofer systems. In the 0dB position, no bass boost is added.

7. RCA Input Harness: The RCA jacks allow for a normal Left and Right channel signal input. Connect to the source unit using RCA type audio cables, keeping them away from power wiring to reduce risk of noise.

8. 2/4 Channel Input Config (VCU84 ONLY): Use this switch when using a stereo input ONLY and you want all 4 output channels on the VCU84 to have signal/power output. Or when bridging the VCU84 to make a big 2 channel high pass or a stereo subwoofer amplifier (4 Ohms only, stereo OR bridged).

9. 3/5 Channel Input Config (VCU85 ONLY): Use this switch when you are bridging the front 4 channels to be a big 3 channel amplifier. Use the Front positive (+) and the Rear negative (-) for the bridged output (4 ohms ONLY!).

10. Speaker Output Harness: Connect your speakers to these terminals. Stereo connections are connected as labeled. Bridged connections use the LEFT + and RIGHT – as the two connections. The 2 and 4 channel amplifiers will perform into 2 Ohm stereo loads or 4 Ohm bridged loads. DO NOT run 2 Ohm bridged loads on VCU82/VCU84 amplifiers! The VCU81 mono block is 1 Ohm mono stable, VCU85 sub channel 2 ohms minimum.

11. Remote Level Control: VCU81/VCU82/VCU85 amplifiers have this port for the included remote level control. The control allows the user to control the level of gain up to the maximum adjustment level set on the amplifier. It only attenuates the setting that is fixed at the amplifier’s control panel and does not add additional boost.

12. Sub-Sonic Adjustment (VCU81 ONLY): This control allows you to remove unwanted sub-sonic frequencies below the tuning frequency of a ported enclosure, which helps protect the woofer from over-excursion.

13. Power Input Connections: These connections are for input power, chassis ground, and remote turn-on. Use a minimum of 8 gauge wiring for power and ground connections (4 Gauge is recommended for the mono block). Be sure any wiring that passes through metal has a grommet.

Amplifiers put an increased load on the vehicle’s battery and charging system. It is recommended to check your alternator and battery condition to ensure the electrical system has enough capacity to handle the increased load. Original equipment electrical systems in good condition should handle the extra load of any CVM amplifier without problems, though battery and alternator life can be reduced depending on your listening habits. To maximize performance, consider using a reserve power “Stiffening” capacitor (1 Farad per 1000W), such as the Cerwin Vega Mobile CVCAP2.

WARNING: Avoid running power wires near low-level input cables, antenna, sensitive equipment, or harnesses. The power wires carry substantial current and could radiate noise into the audio system through the audio cables.

1. Plan Wire Routing: Keep RCA cables close together but isolated from the amplifier’s power cables and any high-power auto accessories, especially electric motors. When feeding wires through the firewall or any metal barrier, protect them with plastic or rubber grommets to prevent short circuits.

2. Prepare Power Wire: Prepare the power wire for attachment to the amplifier by stripping 5/8 inch (15.9mm) of insulation from the end of the wire. Insert the bare wire into the B+ terminal and tighten the set screw to secure the cable.

3. Install In-line Fuse: The B+ cable MUST be fused 18 inches or less from the vehicle’s positive battery post. Trim the power cable within 18 inches (45.7mm) of the positive battery post and splice in an in-line fuse holder. DO NOT install the fuse at this time.

4. Connect to Battery: Strip 1/2 inch (12.7mm) from the battery end of the power cable. Crimp and solder a large ring terminal to the cable. Connect the ring terminal to the positive (+) battery post.

5. Prepare and Connect Ground Wire: Prepare the ground wire by stripping 5/8″ of insulation from the end. Use a wire of the same gauge as the power connection. Insert the bare wire into the GND terminal and tighten the set screw. Prepare the chassis ground by scraping any paint from a metal surface and cleaning the area of dirt and grease. Strip the other end of the wire, crimp and solder a ring connector, then fasten the cable to the chassis using a non-anodized screw with a star washer and a nut. It is important to upgrade the ground connection between the negative (-) battery post and the vehicle body for optimum performance.

6. Prepare and Connect Remote Turn-on Wire: Strip 5/8 inch (15.9mm) of insulation from the end of the remote turn-on wire. Insert the bare wire into the REM terminal and tighten the set screw. Connect the other end of the REM wire to a switched 12-volt positive source, typically the source unit’s remote amp turn-on lead. If unavailable, wire it to an accessory terminal in the fuse block using a relay to isolate the amplifier from the vehicle’s accessory circuit.

7. Mount Amplifier: Securely mount the amplifier to the vehicle or amp rack. Avoid mounting on cardboard or plastic panels as screws may pull out due to vibration.

Connect the car speakers to the speaker output terminals on the amplifier. Speaker impedance should never be less than 2 Ohms stereo or 4 Ohms bridged (the VCU81 mono block is stable into 1 ohm). For most applications, 18-gauge wire is adequate for speaker leads. For leads in excess of ten feet, 16-gauge wire is recommended.

When wiring the speakers, pay careful attention to the polarity of the terminals on the speakers and make certain they correspond to the polarity on the amplifier. DO NOT chassis ground any of the speaker leads, as unstable operation or damage to the amplifier and/or speaker may result.

• VCU81: 25A

• VCU82: 25A

• VCU84: 40A

• VCU85: 60A

Placing the x-over switch in the FULL position (VCU82/84/85) sets the amplifier to Full Range, allowing all frequencies to pass to the speakers.

Placing the switch in the HP (High Pass) position activates the 12dB crossover, adjustable from 40Hz – 400Hz. This sets the amplifier to the High Pass Filter mode, enabling frequencies above the cutoff point to pass. This is used for midrange or high-frequency speakers.

Placing the switch in the LP (Low Pass) position also activates the 12dB crossover, adjustable from 40Hz – 400Hz. This sets the amplifier to the Low Pass Filter mode, enabling frequencies below the cutoff point to pass. This is used for subwoofers.

For system tuning, begin with the frequency set at approximately 80Hz and fine-tune up or down based on music choice and input level.

1. Turn the amplifier gains all the way down (counterclockwise).

2. If using a remote level control (VCU81/82), plug it into the amplifier and turn it to about “HALF-WAY” (approx. the 12 O’clock position).

3. Turn the source unit volume up to almost full volume (usually about 2/3rds of the way up) or until the output starts to distort on an oscilloscope. This will be NEARLY full volume on some source units.

4. Increase the amplifier gain setting until adequate volume is achieved, or until distortion is audible, and then turn it down a bit until the distortion is inaudible.

NOTE: Ideal signal-to-noise and dynamic range are achieved with the gain at a minimum. Most users find adequate gain and volume is achieved at less than halfway in the adjustment range. Avoid setting the amplifier gain very high as noise and distortion will increase significantly.

The HP or LP crossover adjustment can now be fine-tuned. If you are using the amplifier in a HP configuration and would like the system to be a little bit louder, you can increase the HP Filter frequency and reset the “Gain” of the amplifier. Raising the HP frequency up too high, however, will cause a loss of mid-range and bass. If you are using the amplifier in a LP filter configuration and you hear voice or vocals coming from your subwoofer system, you can turn the LP Filter frequency down (lower).

After setting the input gain adjustment and crossover, you may choose to add a small amount of “Vega Bass Boost” (VCU81). Remember that the Bass Boost feature will not fix a poorly designed subwoofer enclosure or subwoofers that didn’t sound good to begin with.

1. Make sure any bass EQ or low-frequency equalization from the source unit is set to OFF or FLAT.

2. While playing the same musical selections used during the gain setting process, slowly increase the level of the Bass EQ. You should be able to notice a change between 0 and +12dB. If you do not notice much difference, then it will not serve any benefit to increase the boost further.

3. If the boost has audible benefits without adding appreciable distortion, find a level that suits your taste. It’s much easier to construct the right subwoofer enclosure for your listening preferences than relying on a bass boost control.

Configure the “Turn-On Mode” switch for the desired turn-on trigger. There are 3 modes available:

• REM: This is the standard 12V trigger wire. This is the most preferred and reliable method, using a 12V trigger wire connected to the vehicle’s head unit switch output to provide instant on and off for the amplifier.

• DC (DC Offset): When connected high level in, this will sense differences in ground in your wiring through the speaker leads and turn on the amplifier. This provides turn-on capabilities when a 12V trigger wire is not available but may have some delay.

• VOX (Signal Sensing): This will sense any kind of signal input into the amplifier RCA, turning on the amplifier. This also provides turn-on capabilities when a 12V trigger wire is not available but may have some delay.

Since the VCU series amplifiers can take speaker level input, the easiest way to connect to your radio’s speaker outputs is to buy some stereo RCA cables and strip the wires to connect to the OEM amplifier/head unit’s speaker outputs. Then, plug the RCAs directly into the amplifier’s RCA input harness. When using this method, you must switch the “Turn-On Mode” to either DC or VOX.

To bridge a stereo or 4-channel amplifier to create a more powerful single channel, connect the speaker’s positive lead to the LEFT+ terminal and the speaker’s negative lead to the RIGHT- terminal of a channel pair.

For a 4-channel amplifier to become a powerful 2-channel amplifier, you can use “Y-Adaptors”. Use a Y-Adaptor on the FRONT input (L/R) – this will now be LEFT. Do the same on the REAR input (L/R) – this is now RIGHT. Connect the speakers to the BRIDGED connection on the amplifier (FRONT is now LEFT/RIGHT is now REAR).

NOTE: You MUST connect ONLY a 4 ohm load when bridging!

MODEL: VCU81 & VCU82 & VCU84

MODEL: VCU85 & VCU86