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Product Spotlight: Compustar CS697-A Vehicle Security System

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Compustar Security

Though best known for its class-leading remote car starters, Compustar is rolling out a new line of vehicle security systems that includes the affordable CS697-A to protect your car or truck. While many vehicle owners believe the security system that comes with their vehicle is adequate, the reality is that those solutions are limited in their capabilities. An aftermarket alarm is the only way to completely protect your vehicle.

Features of the Compustar CS697-A Vehicle Security System

The CS697-A car alarm includes a dual-stage shock sensor, starter disable circuitry and two remote controls. The shock sensor monitors the body of the car or truck for sudden impacts from door dings in a parking lot or an attempt to break a window. Moderate impacts will result in the system honking the vehicle horn and flashing the parking lights. Significant impacts set off the full alarm, flashing the lights and honking the horn for 30 seconds. The system also includes dedicated door monitoring inputs and the ability to monitor the hood and trunk or hatch of your car or SUV. Additional sensors and door switches can be added for commercial vehicles or heavy-equipment applications.

Compustar Security
The CS697-A is based on the easily expandable Compustar CM2400 control module.

The system includes keyless entry functionality that will let you lock or unlock your doors remotely. Your installer can integrate the 697-A system with the remote trunk or hatch release function to make loading or unloading easier. The system activates the interior dome light for 45 seconds after receiving the unlock command so you can make sure everything inside is safe before you get in. Finally, two auxiliary outputs are provided to control options like a power sliding door or power window control module for added convenience.

Compustar Security
The CS697-A includes a pair of four-button remotes that control the alarm and keyless entry functions.

According to the FBI, almost 250,000 vehicles are stolen in the United States every year. To help combat this, Compustar includes its E-LOCK relay in the 697-A. When properly integrated into your vehicle, this relay functions as a stand-alone starter-kill to further complicate the efforts of thieves hoping to steal your vehicle.

Vehicle Protection Upgrade Options

While this vehicle security system provides a solid set of features, just like Compustar’s remote car starters, it’s based around a control unit that’s easily upgradable. A high-output siren can be added to attract additional attention to the vehicle. Likewise, the DAS-II four-in-one sensor is another popular upgrade as it adds a digital tilt/motion sensor with glass breakage detection. If you’re concerned about wheel or catalytic converter theft, DAS-II is a great option.

You can also add the KP2 touchpad that mounts to the inside of your windshield. You can enter a user-defined code by touching the glass to disarm and unlock the vehicle. You can also choose to upgrade to a two-way remote control that will alert you when the alarm is triggered. If you choose a remote upgrade package like the PRO R5 or PRO T13, the proximity unlock function will unlock the doors automatically when you are within about 6 feet of the vehicle.

Compustar Security
The optional DAS-II sensor adds tilt, motion and glass-breakage monitoring to the CS697-A.

The ultimate upgrade is the Drone telematics system. You can be anywhere on the planet and still receive security warning notifications from your car or truck, so long as your smartphone can access the Internet. Better yet, Drone includes options to add GPS-based features that will send alerts if the car or truck moves while the system is armed or during user-programmable curfew hours. Impact, motion, tilt and glass breakage alerts from the DAS-II sensor are also relayed to your smartphone using the DroneMobile app.

Compustar Security
The DroneMobile app on your smartphone will display alerts from the CS697-A, including those from the optional DAS-II sensor.

Protect Your Investment with an Aftermarket Car Alarm

In 2019, Ford and Ram pickup trucks were the top two most stolen vehicles in the U.S. While these trucks came with factory-installed security, their popularity made them key targets for thieves. An aftermarket security system adds valuable damage and vandalism protection and a second starter-kill circuit that, when appropriately integrated, makes unauthorized starting of the vehicle nearly impossible.

Drop by your local Compustar retailer today to learn more about the CS697-A and its security and convenience options. You can learn more about Compustar car alarm and remote starter solutions by visiting their website, Facebook Page, Instagram Page or their YouTube channel.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

The Importance Of Proper Car Audio Speaker Installation

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Speaker InstallationThe speakers in your mobile entertainment system are one of the most critical components in determining how your system sounds. If you choose poorly designed speakers that have distortion issues from poor cone, suspension or motor design, no amount of signal processing can make your system sound great. The methods used to install your speakers are as important as the design of the speakers themselves. In this article, we are going to look into some of the common mistakes that occur during speaker installation and how to maximize the performance of your speakers.

Speakers Need A Stable Foundation

Speaker InstallationIf you want to listen to a record player, you want the unit to be on a solid table or stand. You’d never try to hold the turntable on your lap – the needle would jump and bound all over the place. When it comes to speakers, you want all the energy from the motor to move the speaker cone and not the basket. Why would the basket move? Newton’s Third Law of Motion states: When one body exerts a force on a second body, the second body simultaneously exerts a force equal in magnitude and opposite in direction on the first body.

When the voice coil pushes the speaker cone out, the inertia of the cone is also pushing back on the fixed magnet. If the speaker isn’t mounted securely, it will buzz, vibrate and otherwise move around. These vibrations cause all manner of distortion.

Look at a set of high-end home audio speakers. Years ago, Linn had a set of narrow floor-standing speakers that used a pair of small midrange drivers, roughly 4.5 inches in diameter. The front baffle of the speaker enclosure was 1.5-inch thick MDF. If you knocked on it with your knuckles, it sounded like concrete. And yes, those speakers sounded excellent!

Speaker Installation – Consider Mass

To combat the forces generated by the moving speaker cone, you will want to consider beefing up the mounting surface. In the case of a subwoofer enclosure, an extra-thick front panel can help. Vertical braces on either side of the speaker mounting surface help even more. The best solution is to run full-size braces from the front of the enclosure to the rear. Full depth braces lock the front and rear panels together and add dramatic strength to the speaker mounting surface. These braces also control vibrations in the rear panel to improve performance further.

For a smaller speaker such as midrange or midbass driver in a door, adding strength is a little more difficult. The most common practice is to add a layer or two of butyl damping material (sound deadening) to the metal around the speaker. You can even add a layer or two on the inside of the door skin if you are concerned about thickness. Damping materials with an aluminum layer add a little extra mass.

Speaker Installation
These plastic speaker adapters by the crew at Mobile Edge will last the life of the vehicle.

If your installer is constructing a set of speaker mounting adapters, then ask if they are using a material that has some mass to it. HDPE and ABS are good; acrylic is even better. A material like Corian – the DuPont countertop material – is fantastic. You can easily cut and shape Corian and glue parts together with Cyanoacrylate (Crazy Glue). You may want to use thread inserts or t-nuts with all of these materials. While it is readily available and easy to work with, don’t use wood for speaker adapters inside doors – it will get wet, swell up and deform. It can also hold water and get moldy.

Speaker Installation – Location Matters

Speaker Installation
This enclosure, by Handcrafted Car Audio is perfect for maximizing the bass output without taking up any usable hatch space.

If your audio system is going to use factory speaker locations, most of the time these are acceptable to provide an unobstructed output path to the listening area. The last thing you want to do is block the output of the speaker by putting something in front of it. Keep magazines, books, paper and other objects from piling up in front of, or on top of, your speakers.

For subwoofers, the location of the sub has a dramatic effect on how it sounds. You want the energy from the subwoofer to be able to mix with the sound from your midbass speakers as easily as possible. For this reason, hatchbacks and SUVs are great for bass. If you have a sedan, then firing the output of your subwoofer through a ski pass-through works well. You can get away with firing subs into the trunk of a sedan, but you will want to ensure that your midbass drivers can play fairly low – say 75 Hertz or so – to ensure that you don’t lose impact and dynamics.

Back-Wave Cancellation Problems

We use speaker enclosures for two primary reasons – to limit the movement of the speaker cone and to prevent the sound coming from the rear of the speaker cone from canceling out the sound coming from the front. You need to prevent the rearward sound from mixing with the front. For midrange speakers, this means building good quality mounting adapters. Your installer can also use sound-deadening materials to seal up openings in the interior skin of your door panels. You will get better speaker performance with proper back-wave management than you will just buying better speakers.

Weather Protection Ensures Longevity

Speaker Installation
In another Handcrafted Car Audio installation, they were fortunate enough to have room to build a sealed enclosure for these midrange speakers.

When mounting speakers in a door panel, it is inevitable that the back of the speaker will get wet. The interior of doors are not completely watertight, and this poses a challenge for installers. Creating an enclosure out of a water-resistant material would be the perfect option, but there is rarely enough mounting depth and it is difficult to create an enclosure that is large enough not to affect the performance of the speaker. For many years, installers have used foam ‘hats,’ cut in half to protect the top of the speaker from direct exposure to drops from the window seal. These are a good option. A thick foam gasket mounted behind the speaker mounting surface can also help. Companies like SoundSkins and F.A.S.T. Rings have ready to apply pre-cut solutions.

There are dozens of other considerations when it comes to having your speakers installed. The most important task for you is to partner with a retailer that does high-quality work and has an excellent reputation. Choosing great speakers for your car audio system is a lot of fun. Hearing them perform up to their potential is even better.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Convenience System Accessories

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Convenience System Accessories

A remote starter, keyless entry or security system is a great way to enhance the functionality of your vehicle. A remote starter can make dealing with weather extremes much more comfortable. A properly installed security system can let you know if someone damages your vehicle or tries to steal it. If your car didn’t come with a remote control to unlock the doors, a keyless entry system can speed up the process of getting into your vehicle and locking it when you leave. An entire list of convenience options can be added to these systems to make them even more convenient and further improve the security of your vehicle.

Cellular Interface

ConvenienceMany companies sell smartphone interfaces for remote start and security systems. These systems work by interfacing between an app on your smartphone and the convenience system in your vehicle. Yes, you have to pay for a monthly (or yearly) service plan, so don’t be surprised by that aspect. These systems will allow you to lock and unlock your vehicle, start it remotely (if you have a remote starter installed), and pop the trunk if that is hooked up.

The best part is that if you have a security system, your phone will alert you with a message if your alarm goes off. Anywhere your car and your smartphone have access to a cellular connection, you can control the system.

Many smartphone interfaces include GPS receivers. Such a receiver can send the longitude and latitude of your vehicle to the app on your smartphone. This information will let you know exactly where your vehicle is and how fast it is traveling. The app also can let you know right away if the vehicle moves when it’s not supposed to.

Some of these systems include the ability to monitor battery voltage, advise you of vehicle diagnostic codes and tell you the temperature of the vehicle interior. A few of these systems include a built-in backup battery and will alert you if the unit is disconnected.

Power Window Control Interfaces

One of the “classic” convenience accessories is the power window interface. This module lets your convenience system roll your windows up and down with the press of a button on your remote. The system can be programmed to roll the windows up when the doors are locked. Many of these window control systems have the option of venting a window an inch or two with a short press of the button on your remote, then rolling the window down completely when you hold the button for a second or two.

Power window modules also can be used to control sliding doors or sun roofs.

Tilt and Motion Sensors

ConvenienceIf you are worried about someone stealing your wheels or towing your vehicle, then a tilt and motion sensor would be a great addition. These sensors calibrate themselves each time the alarm is armed, then trigger the system when the vehicle angle changes by more than a couple degrees. These sensors should not trigger the alarm under normal wind conditions, thanks to integrated software that recognizes when the vehicle is rocking.

Backup Battery Siren

If you are concerned about someone cutting you the wire to your siren so they can work on bypassing the rest of a security system, ask your mobile electronics retailer about a battery backup siren. These sirens will go off if someone cuts the wiring to it. A key on the siren will turn it off.

Radar Sensors Boost Protection

If you have a convertible-top vehicle or like to leave your windows down, a radar or field disturbance sensor is a great way to keep your vehicle protected. These sensors Convenienceusually have two stages of protection. The first will provide a warning to an intruder when something or someone enters the field. The second triggers the alarm right away. Your installer can fine-tune the size of the fields for a given sensor mounting location and vehicle type.

Keypads Add Convenience

Several companies offer convenience keypads that attach to the inside of your windshield. You can type in a code of your choice to arm or Conveniencedisarm the system.

Some keypads have the option of acting as a pager for an owner who has a two-way remote or smartphone interface. These systems use technology similar to what a smartphone uses with a glass screen uses to detect your finger presses.

Proximity Remote

Many new cars have proximity keys that unlock the doors when you walk up to the vehicle. Your installer can add similar technology to an aftermarket keyless entry system. You simply keep a fob in your pocket. When you walk up to the vehicle, it will disarm the alarm without your having to press a button.

High-output Sirens

ConvenienceIf you want to get people’s attention when your alarm goes off, then the addition of a high-output siren is just for you. Some of these sirens are extremely loud, while others offer a sound that is truly ear-piercing! These high-frequency sirens are often called pain generators and are typically installed in the vehicle.

Protecting your vehicle from theft or vandalism is an art. Some installers take great pride in their security system installations. They conceal wiring in the dash very carefully and use wire protection that matches the factory look and feel. Split-loom, flexible-conduit, Tesa tape and vinyl tape are just some of the wire protection options. Installers route wires with factory wiring to further conceal their work.

Adding features and functionality to a security or convenience system is a great way to enhance its performance and usefulness. These are just a few of the possible additions available. Be sure to ask your local mobile electronics specialist retailer about the options they have available.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Product Spotlight: Rockford Fosgate R2-750X5

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Rockford R2-750X5

In the spring of 2020, Rockford Fosgate launched the latest generation of its Prime Series amplifiers. While the focus of this spotlight is on the full-range Class-D five-channel R2-750X5, it’s worth noting the R2 series also includes a two-channel, two four-channel and four monoblock models. Equipped with features and technologies that have trickled down from the Punch and Power series, these compact yet powerful amplifiers are ready to bring your music to life.

The Basics – Features and Ratings

Rockford leads the car audio industry with power specifications you can trust. The four main channels are rated to produce 50 watts of power into 4-ohm loads and 100 watts into 2 ohms. The front channels can be bridged to provide 200 watts into a pair of 4-ohm speakers. The subwoofer channel is rated for 200 watts at 4 ohms and 350 watts at 2 ohms. In total, that’s 750 watts – just like it says in the model number. Signal-to-noise specifications are -80 dB for the main channels and -75 dB for rear, and just like the power ratings, these numbers are fully compliant with the CTA-2006 testing standard.

If you look at Rockford’s website, you’ll see another set of power ratings. Tested using their internal RATS (Rockford Automated Testing System) and verified by the Audio Graph PowerCube, these elevated numbers represent the real-world power production capabilities of the amp when playing music that’s dynamic instead of single-frequency test tones. The Dynamic Power numbers are 70 watts by four and 241 watts for the subwoofer at 4 ohms, and 114 watts by four and 426 watts by one at 2 ohms.

Rockford R2-750X5
The Rockford Automated Testing System (RATS) is used to verify the continuous and dynamic power capabilities of amplifiers like the R2-750X5.

Rockford R2-750X5All of the electrical and signal connections are found on the front edge of the amp. Angled terminal blocks for four-AWG power and ground cables are next to the five eight-AWG speaker output connection blocks. The amp includes six RCA input jacks that will accept up to 4 volts of signal. Beside them are three jacks for the included speaker-level input pigtails. All of the inputs use balanced differential circuitry to help prevent noise from getting into the audio system. The high-level inputs will accept up to 12 volts, and an accompanying switch labeled Auto Remote Turn On will bring the amp to life when it detects that your factory radio has powered on. A three-position input selection switch allows the amp to feed all five channels from four or just two of the inputs to eliminate the need for Y-cables.

Rockford R2-750X5The controls have been placed along the top to make it easy for your installation technician to configure the amplifier. The front and rear channel pairs have dedicated sensitivity adjustments and crossover function and frequency controls. The filtering can be set to high- or low-pass modes, or bypassed. The crossovers are adjustable from 50 to 250 Hz and have a -12 dB/octave Butterworth response curve. The subwoofer channel shares the same low-pass filter frequency adjustment range as the main channels and adds an infrasonic filter that’s adjustable from 15 to 40 Hz. The last control is the Punch EQ adjustment that your installer can use to add up to 18 dB of boost at 45 Hz to the subwoofer channel. Rockford includes a remote level control so that you can adjust the subwoofer level from the front seat.

Rockford Technology Improves Performance

Rockford R2-750X5If you’ve been a fan of Rockford products for a while, then acronyms like MEHSA, P.O.W.E.R., C.L.E.A.N. and NOMAD should be nothing new to you. What is new is finding all of these features on a Prime Series amp.

The amp is based on a 1.9- by 6.8- by 11.2-inch cast aluminum heatsink that wicks heat away from the switching devices quickly and efficiently. Rockford calls this design MEHSA 4, which stands for Maximum Efficiency Heat Sink Application version 4. What this means to users is that the amp will keep making its rated power hour after hour, even with the volume cranked. Sure, the heatsink will get hot – but that’s its job. MOSFETS don’t like being hot. In fact, their maximum current capacity drops quickly as they heat up. A thermal design like MEHSA 4 extracts heat from the output devices to reduce distortion, improve efficiency and extend the life of the amplifier.

Rockford R2-750X5The R2-750X5 includes a power supply design called P.O.W.E.R. This lightly regulated configuration increases maximum power output capability as the charging system supply voltage increases. Speaking of which, this amp is designed to work with supply voltages from 9 to 16 volts.

In terms of protection, Rockford’s NOMAD (NOn-Multiplying Advanced Decision) circuitry monitors the amp and will mute the outputs if it detects a short circuit on a speaker connection or an over-temperature condition on the chassis.

Perhaps the coolest technical feature in the R2-750X5 is the C.L.E.A.N. (Calibrated Level Eliminates Audible Noise) circuit. C.L.E.A.N. monitors the input and output connections for distortion. On the input side, the circuit monitors the signal from your radio for distortion so your installer can identify the maximum usable volume setting. On the output side, the monitoring LEDs turn red when the amp starts to clip the output signal.

Upgrade Your Car Audio System with Rockford Fosgate

If you are shopping for a high-performance multichannel amplifier to upgrade your car audio system, visit your local authorized Rockford Fosgate dealer and ask about the Prime Series R2-750X5. You can find a shop near you using the Dealer Locator on the Rockford website. For more information about Rockford products, be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or their YouTube Channel.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Two Stories about how the Drone Smartphone System Saved the Day

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Drone Smartphone

While the convenience of being able to remote start your car from your smartphone with the Drone system is obvious, this easy-to-use system has been able to get clients out of a jam on more than one occasion. Let’s take a look at two examples where DroneMobile users have used their telematics systems when they got into a bind.

Keys and Phone Locked in Your Car?

Our friend Bob was on his way to work when he realized his truck was almost out of gas. As is normal on most mornings, he didn’t leave much extra time for stops on his way to the office. Not wanting to run out of fuel, he pulled into a Shell station to fill up his truck. In a rush to get the truck fueled and back on the road, he managed to lock his keys, phone and wallet in the vehicle.

In cases like this, there are usually two options. First, call someone at home to bring an extra set of keys. Option two is to call a tow truck in hopes that the driver can unlock the doors with a lockout kit. As luck would have it for poor coffee-deprived Bob, nobody was home.

Thankfully, he’d equipped his truck with a remote car starter that includes a Drone smartphone interface. He asked a fellow patron at the gas station if they would let him download the DroneMobile app so that he could unlock his vehicle. With the app installed in a few seconds, he entered his username and password to log in, then sent an unlock command to the truck. The doors were open three seconds later. After uninstalling the app on the phone, he bought his helpful friend a coffee for their trouble.

Drone Smartphone
DroneMobile provides nearly instant access to lock, unlock and remote start functionality from anywhere you have Internet access.

Log in to Drone on a Computer

Using another phone with the DroneMobile App was a great idea. Given the speed of most cellular data connections, it took less then two minutes to complete the entire process. Bob could have logged into the www.dronemobile.com website using the smartphone’s web browser and sent the unlock command. Another option would have been to call a family member and have them unlock the vehicle from their phone, or have them log in on the website and send the unlock command. With Drone on-board, there’s a lot of options to get out of a headache scenario like this.

Drone Smartphone
Drone users have access to all the remote-control commands by logging into the DroneMobile website.

You Won’t Get Lost in a Big City

It seems inevitable that even when we think we know where we’re going, circumstances lead to us getting lost. We recently heard of a case where a friend’s wife had to go into Buffalo for a meeting. They live just outside of Niagara Falls, so this wasn’t a long trip. Kelly did the best she could, having looked up her destination on Google, but after a few detours caused by construction and one-way streets, she quickly found herself somewhere she didn’t recognize. She didn’t have a navigation system in her car and didn’t want to risk getting a ticket by using her phone. She called her husband using her Bluetooth system for help.

The trick to getting un-lost is to know where you are. Her husband logged into the Drone website and used the GPS-based vehicle locating function to find her location. As it turned out, Kelly was just a few blocks from where she wanted to go. Her husband gave her directions to the parking lot she was looking for, and she made it to her meeting right on time.

Drone Smartphone
Drone telematics systems include GPS receivers that can pinpoint your location on the DroneMobile app or the website interface.

Add the Convenience of Drone to Your Car or Truck Today

These stories are just two examples of how the features of Drone extend well beyond remote starting your vehicle on a cold winter morning. If you’re interested in adding a remote car starter with the Drone telematics system to your vehicle, drop by your local authorized Firstech retailer. You can find one using the dealer locator on their website. For more information about Drone, be sure to follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. You can learn more about the amazing features of the Drone system with the videos on their YouTube channel.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.