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subs and the cold

Pakalatic

Full Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
82
Location
Albany NY
I go to school in Vermont and lets just say its not exactly warm weather up here.... I was wondering how to handle my subs and amp in the cold. I don't want to ruin them they are in the bed with the mid gate removed
 
I think it gets colder there than it does here, however I have had subs in both vehicles I have owned and put them in several friends cars ... Never done anything special in the winter
 
No need to worry about your amp, they actually run more effectively @ lower temps.  Think about how every amp has some sort of heat sink or fan.  As the temp increases, the power output actually decreases. If you read ratings on most electronics, they are usually tested for functionality and maximum output at 10 degrees C (about 50 degrees F).  Who keeps their home 50 degrees? Same goes for car electronics.

Your subs are where you may have a bit of concern.  You should always let your voice coils warm whenever the temp is below 20 C ( about 70 F) however, this only takes 30-90 seconds depending on the sub , type of box, and air volume.
The sub surround is the biggest worry. If your subs have santoprene, rubber, or EPDM surround, they will generate a small amount of energy (warmth) themselves and become pliable in 30 second to 3-4 minutes, again depending on material, box, air,  and material type.
If your subs have foam surrounds, they can retain a tiny bit of moisture. It the surround itself is below freezing and you immediately pound them, the surrounds can be damaged, it may not be immediately apparent, but over time, you can break them down and they will fail.
So in short, if you have foam surround and it is below freezing, is the only time that you need to be concerned for than longer than the first 3-4 mins.  If these conditions exist, you should give the sub sufficient time to warm up before hammering down.
 
wyotonka said:
so what you are saying is just take it easy for the first little bit then eveything is ok?

YES.

Wyo, being that you live where you live, you have extended period of time where the temp. never rises above freezing, a good way to keep surrounds supple on all your speakers, as long as they are not foam, is to spray a little bit of silicone spray on a rag and wipe it around the surround. This will help stop the air from sucking what little bit of natural oils are in the surround out and deteriorating, which happens much faster in extremely dry air. Doing this once a year goes a long way.
 
thanks for the tip  (y) i will make sure to do this when i have a nice set of subs back in  :laugh: mine right now are kinda junk... had them since i was 15
 
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