...plays out of the slots which the A/C control levers protrude through?

No, we couldn't do that since Ford uses rotary switches controlling vacuum valves for the HVAC, and there is no opening there from the inside to the outside of the dash. Insttead we drilled a nice rosette pattern of holes in the top of the dash and mounted the speaker directly beneath them. There is no real indication from outside that the holes are anything but decorative.

You are evil. Pure evil.

Actually, I prefer to think of it as taking advantage of every loophole in the rules. I also get one point for displaying the IASCA logo on my car, so I just scanned the logo from my rule book, printed it on a bunch of clear address labels, and before every competition stick one on my windshield. I won two competitions last year by less than that single point!

So these are pre-amplification or post-amplification?

Post-amp. I run the speaker leads right out of the amplifier and through the L-Pads on their way to the speakers.

Especially if I'm driving a lot of wattage through the pots.

Remember that these aren't really L-Pads but rheostats designed for use with incandescent light fixtures drawing up to 150 watts. At the minimal attenuation I use, they don't even get warm, and since they are only limiting speakers in the mid-range frequencies, there is no degradation of treble..

I call this setup my "synthalizer" -- a portmanteau word (Ref: Charles Lutwedge Dodgson... the rest of you can look it up when you get home ) derived from Synthetic and Equalizer. I equalize my treble with the gain control on the head unit; I equalize my mid-range (both amount and location) with the L-Pads; and I equalize my bass and sub-bass with the gain control on the second amplifier. Thus, no separate equalizer needed. Just wait 'til I get my hands on that parametric equalizer in the Mark II.

I must say, Tony, that keeping up with this bbs is a lot easier now that you're on vacation!

tanstaafl.






"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"