Old School Mini Truck System Orion HCCA XTR Wow

1990 Mazda B2200 Custom Mini Truck "Fantastic Voyage"

Lowered mini trucks are the epitome of old school car audio. If you were into the car scene in the early to mid 1990's, you know these trucks. Lowered, crazy paint jobs, wire wheels and of course boomin' stereo systems! Here we have a demo of the 1990 Mazda B2200 nicknamed "Fantastic Voyage" owned by Jason Williams. What a true time machine! See the truck as it was created in the mid 1990's! Stereo is classic old school including:

• Alpine CDM-7823 Head Unit
• Alpine CHM-S600 6 disc CD Changer
• Audio Control 3XS Electronic Crossover
• (2) Orion 225 HCCA Digital Reference Amplifiers
• (4) Orion XTR 15 DVC Ferrofluid Injected Subwoofers
• (4) Soundstream SS 5.0 midranges
• (2) Soundstream SS 1.0 tweeters
• Sega Genesis Game system with optional CD-ROM drive
• 4.3" Color TV

A very impressive facet of this truck is the fact the Orion 225 HCCA amplifiers are rated at 50 watts each. That's right, 25 watts per channel at 4 ohms. The 225 HCCA is an example of the classic "cheater" amp meaning it was capable of MUCH more power at lower ohm loads. The 225 sub amp for example, is loaded down to 1/2 ohm mono and putting out over 500 watts! I know, 500 watts is not much by today's standards, but watch to see what it can do with the ultra-efficient XTR 15 DVC subs!

100 Watt Old School System with Orion 225 HCCA Amps and (4) XTR 15" Subs

The 1990 Mazda B2200 sports a custom peach paint job that really makes is stand out in a crowd. The truck also has some original Dayton 15" wire wheels with the classic 195/50/15 Dunlop radials. The stance is lowered 3" via lowered control arms and sits nice and low, yet still able to traverse speed bumps without scraping. The rear has one leaf removed and air shocks.

1990's mini trucks often times used "themes" for their presentation. Another famous mini truck was "Ladie's Choice" which sported a convertible hard top and a bed full of PPI 2350DM amplifiers. These themes helped differentiate the trucks while also assisting in the displays. Jason's truck sports Care Bears as the interior theme and also displays a couple of his many magazine features. This 1990 Mazda had the center spread in the December 1995 Mini Truckin' magazine! The most impressive part is the truck is almost exactly as was back in 1995! A true time machine!!

Jason sends a personal thanks to William Wilson of Hickory, NC who actually built the truck back in 1994. He also did a great job of preserving the Mazda for 17 years until Jason decided he needed to put it back on the show scene! Great job with the truck, William!!

Back Side View of the 1990 Mazda B2200 Custom Mini Truck

Big thanks to Jason for the demo! If you are at a car show in the NC/SC/VA/TN area and see Jason's Mazda, make sure to stop by and chat with him and get a demo of this amazing system. It is impossible to capture the full experience via video, but we try our best here at OldSchoolStereo!!

See the full 10 minute plus video of Jason's truck and even get a demo of the 100 watt (yeah, right) sound system:

Watch on YouTube in full 1080P HD or embedded below:

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Thanks to Jason for taking the time to show and demo his truck! If you'd like to write and article or make a video of your old school install, contact me through Facebook and let me know.

Make sure to Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to stay updated of my latest videos. You can also follow me on Twitter @oldschoolstereo. Also be sure to like us on Facebook.  Keep it Old School!!

-BigDWiz

OldSchoolStereo News and 8" Old School Subwoofer Demos

OldSchoolStereo fans and followers...my apologies for the delay in posting new articles. I've been extremely busy with my day job and family the past few months. I just wanted to let everyone know I'm still an excited and enthusiastic member of the old school car audio scene and hope to be back with lots of more content soon. I'm just trying to set expectations that the articles and videos may not come as often as they have in the past for many more months. I truly hope you guys will stick with me and be patient as I have some big things planned for the future.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to post some recent acquisitions...see below, and also enjoy my recent videos.

Early 90's Rockford Fosgate Power 1000c Mosfet and Kicker F12-4 Subwoofers

See the recent old school 8" subwoofer demo's below!


Watch the video on YouTube in 1080P or embedded below:

Rockford Fosgate Punch SP-88 8" Subwoofer Demo:

MTX Blue Thunder 8" Sub BTW-834 Demo:





JL Audio 8W1 Old School 8" Subwoofer Demo:



More coming in the near future...stay tuned!


Make sure to Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to stay updated of my latest videos. You can also follow me on Twitter @oldschoolstereo. Also be sure to like us on Facebook.  Keep it Old School!!

-BigDWiz

Video Updates - Lanzar, Fosgate, Alpine and More!

I've uploaded several videos since the last blog post here on OldSchoolStereo.com. There are three videos about the Fosgate "Frequency Energizer" Model 201 processor. If anyone has any further details about these units, please contact me at oldschoolstereo[at] gmail dot com.

First up, see the Alpine 3342 11-band EQ / Sound Field Processor. Just a quick overview of the EQ and showing it in action!





Next up, see baby Lanzar Opti Drive Plus 50 amplifier. I've had several people request I show off how I test amplifiers for operation when they arrive at OldSchoolStereo's labs. This is not a power output test, rather a simple speaker test of each channel and bridged operation.






Next up, see the BIG Lanzar Opti Drive 50c "Ultra-High Current" amplifiers. You'll see an early 1994 blue model and a later 1996-1998 black model. I overview the connections and check the amplifier "guts" for differences between the models. In a future video, we'll also bench test each of these amps for power output. Do you think there will be a difference in the output at 1/2 ohm mono? It will be interesting to see...

Now, here's some vintage gear from Fosgate Electronics. Yes, I said Fosgate, not Rockford Fosgate. This means pre-1980, folks. The Frequency Energizer you'll see is from around 1973 and is the foundation for the Punch EQ circuit used in Fosgate and later Rockford Fosgate car audio amplifiers. 

Fosgate Frequency Energizer "Teaser" Video

Fosgate Frequency Energizer Overview Video




Fosgate Frequency Energizer Demo Video
See the vintage sound processors in action!





***Amp output tests coming soon...I've done tests on the Lanzar 50c and Orion XTR-2250. As soon as I get a chance to edit the videos, I'll have them online. Thanks for your patience!***

1990 MTX Terminator MTA 250 Amplifier - PPI Built Cheater

MTX Terminator MTA 250 100 Watt Car Audio Amplifier

Following the theme of the recent posting of the Dragster DH 1804, I guess I have a thing for bright red amplifiers. The MTX Terminator MTA 250 is the most recent addition to the OldSchoolStereo.com collection and an impressive one indeed. The MTA 250 is one of MTX's first car audio amplifiers and was actually made by PPI (Precision Power). The MTA 250 closely resembles the PPI ProMOS 2050 and even uses the hated and nearly impossible to find replacement PPI speaker harness.

The MTA series of amps from MTX included two models; the MTA 225 and the MTA 250. Both models were stable down to 1 ohm and followed suit to the Orion HCCA's as "cheater" amplifiers for competition use. The 225 retailed for $500 US while the 250 was going for $650. In addition to the stunning red heat sink, MTX offered both models in white.

MTX MTA 250 Gain, Inputs, Max Thump, and LED's for Power and R/L clip

During the late 80's and early 90's, having a cheater amp was very important for competition purposes. There were several classes including under 50, 100, 150 and 250 watts. The higher wattage classes were ultra competitive, so those new to the scene and/or those on a budget would steer to the lower wattage classes. Cheater amps like the Orion HCCA's, PPI ProMOS, Phoenix Gold MPS and others were popular among competitors. The cheater amps could produce four times (or more) their rated 4 ohm power into lower ohm loads.

At the time MTX released the MTA series amps, they also introduced a Terminator line of subwoofers. They had a red cone and touted "2 ohm" resistance for maximum power output from your amp. A perfect match to the MTA series amps and their high-current, low-ohm output rating....marketing genius!

Here are the specs of the MTA 250 from MTX:

RMS Output:

• 4ohms Stereo: 50 W per channel
• 2ohms Stereo: 100 W per channel
• 1ohm Stereo: 200 W per channel
• 4ohms Mono: 200 W
• 2ohms Stereo: 400 W

Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): 0.02%
Frequency Response (+/- 1dB): 15-40kHz
Signal to Noise Ratio: 102dB A weighted
Slew Rate: 15V/us
Damping Factor @ 100Hz 4ohm load: >500
Damping Factor @ 100Hz 2ohm load: >250
Stereo Separation: 72dB
Input Sensitivity: 100mv - 2V
Input Impedance: 10k Ohms
Supply Voltage: 10.5-16V
Fuse Rating: 30 Amp
Shipping Weight: 12 Pounds
Dimensions: 14" L x 8.5" W x 2.3" H


Internal Bridging for Mono or Mixed-Mono Applications
MOSFET Power Supply and complementary discrete output circuitry
Two-layer glass epoxy computer grade circuit board
Low-Noise, sealed conductive plastic potentiometer
Designed and built in the USA

MTX MTA 250 "Gut" shot - Circuit Board

See video demo below!


Make sure to Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to stay updated of my latest videos. You can also follow me on Twitter @oldschoolstereo.


Watch the video on YouTube in 1080P HD or embedded below:

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Alpine 7288 Cassette Radio/CD Changer Controller - Vintage, Old School!

Alpine 7288 Cassette Radio / CD Changer Controller - Pull Out, same Era as 7909

Take a journey back to 1989 with this Alpine 7288 Cassette Radio / CD Changer Controller with Pull Out functionality for security. This was not Alpine's top of the line unit, but at $500US MSRP, it was still a very pricey tape deck. The 7289 was Alpine's most expensive Cassette Radio at the time, $550 (with internal amplification), while the 7390 was the top end Cassette Tuner (no built-in amp) and would set you back a mere $600US. These high-end Alpine head units could control the 5952 and 5959 CD Changers.

So, why would one pay $500 for a Cassette Radio when the Alpine 7904 CD Tuner could be obtained for the same price? Well, you must recall, at the time (1989/1990), most people had cassette collections, but only a few CD's. Alpine was betting most people would opt for a nice cassette radio up front, then add a CD Changer when the funds became available. The 5952 CD Changer was a mere $650, so adding one was a big purchase for most folks. Now, if you had mad cash, you could just trash your cassettes, buy an Alpine 7909 CD Tuner for $1200, then add a 5952 CD Changer for many hours of listening pleasure!

Ok, sorry, back to reality. We are talking about the 7288 Cassette Radio, so I'll try to stay on topic. Let's see some of the technical specifications of the 7288:

• MSRP: $500US
• Pull-Out for security
• 4 RCA Pre-Amp Outputs for adding external amplifiers
• 16W + 16W Built-in amplifier
• GR Full Lock Tape Mechanism
• Auto Reverse
• Tape Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
• Dolby B Noise Reduction
• CD Changer Controller
• 12FM and 6AM Radio Presets
• Dimensions: 7in x 2in x 6in

Click HERE to See FULL Size picture

I recently picked up a MINT Alpine 7288 and thought it was important to write an article and create a demo video showing off the unit. Click HERE to see the full specifications.

Although I was able to test the unit for functionality, I did not do a full test. The tape mechanism sounded rather loud to me, it may have always been this way, but I didn't want to stress it out. It most likely needs a new belt for the tape drive, but I don't know for sure. I was extremely impressed all features appeared to work properly and the FM tuner was working even without an antenna plugged in...now that's a sensitive tuner!! Unfortunately, I didn't have a 5952 or 5959 CD Changer to test out the controller functionality, but hopefully I'll come across one soon.

See more up close and personal pictures below:

Alpine 7288 Left Front Side

Alpine 7288 Front Right Side - Classic "chicklets"

As you can see in the pictures, the display is bright and clear. The buttons show very little wear, even less than my near mint Alpine 7903 CD Tuner. I used a soft brush to remove the dust, you may be able to see I missed some....dang those DSLR's!

One last picture I'll show before the video is the DIN plug and RCA Pre-Amp outputs. See below:

Alpine 7288's DIN Plug for CD Changer and RCA Output Jacks

Alright, so we all know a picture is worth 1000 words, so how much is a video worth? Well, for me, it all depends on the quality. The video below was captured in 1080/24P using my Canon 7D. I was planning on recording audio using an external device, but decided the internal mic would suffice for the tape sounds and output sounds. As I note in the video, I was using a small 4" dual-cone speaker, so don't expect any impressive sounds from the Tuner and Tape playback tests. Enjoy the video!


Make sure to Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to stay updated of my latest videos. You can also follow me on Twitter @oldschoolstereo.



See the video on YouTube in 720p HD or embedded below:

Rockford Fosgate Power 650 Mosfet - True Old School Powerhouse

Late 80's Rockford Fosgate Power 650 Mosfet

Think old school power....think names like Orion, Precision Power and Rockford Fosgate. Up for review today is a late 80's Rockford Fosgate Power 650 Mosfet. This amp is an icon of the infamous Mosfet Power series by Rockford. People know the Power 300 as the "entry level" power series amp (MSRP $999*) and the "ultimate" power series as the Power 1000 Mosfet (MSRP $2650*). But why no respect for the big brother, Power 650? It's always tough to be the middle child! The Power 650 retailed for $1575* in 1990 and was available from approximately 1985-1993.

(*Pricing above was verified in an April 1990 Car Audio & Electronics Car Stereo Directory)

Here are the specs of the Power 650 Mosfet:

• Power Ratings: 4 Channel
• 4 Ohms: 125 watts per channel continuous power into 4 Ohms, 4 channels driven, from 20 to 20,000Hz, with less than 0.05% THD + N (Total Harmonic Distortion & Noise).
• 2 Ohms: 162.5 watts per channel continuous power into 2 Ohms, 4 channels driven, from 20 to 20,000Hz, with less than 0.1% THD + N.
• Power Ratings: 2 Channel (bridged) 4 Ohms: 325 watts per channel continuous power into 4 Ohms, 2 channels driven, from 20 to 20,000Hz, with less than 0.05% THD + N.
• Frequency Response: 20 to 20,000Hz, ± .5dB
• Bandwidth: 15 to 20,000Hz, ± 3dB.
• Damping Factor: greater than 200 at 50Hz.
• Slew Factor: greater than 2.5.
• Slew Rate: greater than 10 volts per microsecond.
• Protection: The Punch also employs thermal switches which protect the amplifier from overheating damage. Fuses are provided for speakers which are directly connected with no crossover components.
• Dimensions: 18 3/10” long x 8 1/10” wide x 2” high, exclusive of knobs and wiring. 19 3/10” long x 8 1/10” wide x 2%” high, minimum mounting requirements.

Disassembled Power 650 Mosfet - Fan Shroud, Amp "guts", bottom plate and fuse cover

You young kids out there don't know much about Class A/B subwoofer amps with the $300 1500-watt Class D amps you have today. The Power 650 and Power 1000 were classic subwoofer amps in their day. Instead of using DVC subs with "fat" surrounds, we had 15's, 18's and even 30" subs (See Wayne Harris' 1985 Terminator Hearse)!!! No mention these old school subs in many cases were 8 ohms, used in multiples and had an x-max of 10 or 12mm if you were lucky...We still appreciate the "Made in the USA" quality of these amps and the pride the workers put in each and every amp. Shoot, the Rockford amps were even smacked with a rubber mallet to ensure they could handle the "punch" as part of their QA process!

One feature lacking on the Power 650 you would find on the Power 300 was bass and treble controls. For the most part, if you could afford a Power 650, you could most likely also afford a matching "Z or ZX" preamp. These preamps had EQ adjustments and even fancy LED lights as a VU meter.

Bottom side of the Rockford Fosgate Power 650 Mosfet

In addition to being a powerful four-channel amplifier, the Power 650 is also a very flexible amp. In the mid to late 1980's there were only a handful of amplifiers with built in crossovers...the Power 650 being one. Unlike modern amps, the crossover settings are set at certain frequencies (instead of being fully-variable). Also, note the high crossover's cutoff begins at 140Hz, whereas the low pass could be set as low as 70Hz. It could be used in four, three or two channel operation. My initial RMS wattage tests have shown the Power 650 ratings to be conservative, more on this in an upcoming video and article.

Early Rockford Fosgate Power 650 Mosfet with DIN and RCA Inputs

Those familiar with the Power 650's know in addition to there being DIN/RCA and RCA only models, there was also a short run of the last Power 650's with a 4-inch fan as opposed to the 2-inch model available since the mid-1980's. From my research, the 4-inch models were the last production Power 650 mosfets and were produced in low numbers. See pictures and some more detail here: http://www.gamblin.net/power650.html



Stay tuned for the RMS wattage output demo of the Rockford Fosgate Power 650 Mosfet. Make sure to Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to stay updated of my latest videos. You can also follow me on Twitter @oldschoolstereo.


See the video on YouTube in 720p HD or embedded below:

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See the Old School Rockford Fosgate Power 650's in ACTION! Wayne Harris' "Terminator" Hearse Vintage 1985

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Amps that Rumble...Earthquake PA-2040c and PA-2300

Earthquake PA-2040c and PA-2300 Amplifiers from 1995. Photo (c) OldSchoolStereo.com

One of the "sleeper" Car Audio brands back in the mid-90's was Earthquake. Competing against established brands such as Rockford Fosgate, Orion, Precision Power, Soundstream, etc. proved to be a difficult task. Everyone had a favorite brand, but how did the lesser known brands survive? Well, building quality products was one way and another was to test well in the Car Audio magazines. Earthquake accomplished both of these tasks and although never became as popular as the brands listed above, they did create a place for themselves in old school car audio history!

I recently acquired two Earthquake amplifiers and will briefly overview them below.

First up is the Earthquake PA-2040c. The PA-2040c is a two-channel amplifier with a built-in crossover. The crossover is non-adjustable and either 80Hz low-pass or 200Hz high-pass at 12dB/octave. You could also bypass the crossover to use the amp full range. In addition, the amp also included rotary bass and treble controls at 45Hz and 12kHz. Going by the model number, one might assume the amp is rated at 40w x 2, however specs in the included manual state 52w x 2 @ 4 ohms. I'm still unsure of the "250 watts at 2 ohms" silk-screened on the amp. I don't see any specs referring to this power at 2 ohms? Maybe Earthquake was following lesser brands with "max" output claims? Well, only the bench test for RMS output power will tell us....

Earthquake PA-2040c Amplifier Controls

Earthquake PA-2040c Amplifier Top View

Earthquake PA-2040c Amplifier Speaker Outputs and Power Connections

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Earthquake also produced larger amplifiers, such as the PA-2300. Again, going by the model number, one might assume 2 x 300 watts, right? According to the manual, 2 x 380 watts RMS at 4 ohms and a mind-boggling 1150 watts RMS at 4 ohms bridged. In the mid-90's there were few car audio amplifiers claiming 1000 watts plus. The PA-2300 had no internal crossover, but had a counterpart, the PA-2300c, which did. A rather unusual feature of the PA-2300 was the dual bass controls. One centered at 30Hz and the other at 45Hz. Why two bass controls? I'm not certain, but maybe a tuning choice for those using sealed vs. ported subwoofer enclosures?

Earthquake PA-2300 Amplifier

Earthquake PA-2300 Bass Controls and Inputs

Although these amplifiers look very similar to amps made by Zed Audio (HiFonics VII, VII, Autotek BTS series, Crunch CR series, etc.), Earthquake amps were NOT made by Zed Audio. Although this is the case, rest assured the Earthquake PA series amps were built like a tank. The amps you see above were originally purchased in 1995 and variants of the PA series went back to the early 1990's.

Stay tuned for upcoming power output tests of these amps. Make sure to SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube Channel to stay notified of my latest video uploads.

See the mystery "unboxing" of these Old School Gems below:

Video in 720p HD

or embedded below:



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Soundstream Reference 300 Power Output Test

Soundstream Reference 300 on the OldSchoolStereo.com Test Bench

I recall back in the early 90's patiently awaiting my monthly Car Audio magazines so I could see amp tests. It was very rare to come across a test I actually cared about, but maybe once a year or so. I drooled over the Phoenix Gold MS series, Rockford Fosgate HD series, Soundstream Reference series, just to mention a few. Well, these days, I spend some of my free time bench testing some of these amps I always wanted back in the day.

I recently picked up a Soundstream Reference 300 and couldn't wait to add it to my old school 150 watt (75x2 RMS) amp tests. If you've missed it, I've already done an overview and RMS watt output test of the Phoenix Gold MS-275 and Rockford Fosgate Punch 150HD.

The Reference 300 is a no-frills old school amp. It has no internal crossover and as with earlier Soundstream amps, all connections are made on one side. There are also two openings on the bottom of the amp with switches. One switch controls high power or high current mode, while the other allows switching between mono / coherent stereo / mixed-mono modes. The Reference 300 is rated to handle 1/2 ohm loads in stereo or 1ohm modes in mono, while in the high-current mode. High power modes are designed for loads down to 1 ohm stereo or 2 ohms mono.

See power output specs from the manual below:

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Soundstream Reference 200/300/500 Power Ratings at 12v

Also, here are some of the design specs of the Soundstream Reference Series amplifiers:

Soundstream Reference Series Design Features

The ability to drive 1/2 ohm loads was a rarity back in the early 90's. Only a handful of amps were rated to handle these loads. Orion HCCA models come to mind, but there were others from US Amps and Phoenix Gold, to mention a few.

As for the power output test, I was anticipating Soundstream to rate the Reference 300 conservatively. As you may have seen already, the Rockford Fosgate Punch 150HD was rated at the same 75x2 at 4 ohms and delivered nearly 120x2 at 4 ohms on the OldSchoolStereo.com test bench. Many manufacturers during this time rated their amps based on 12v, not the 14.4v you see today.

150 Watt Old School Amps from Phoenix Gold, Rockford Fosgate, Orion & Soundstream

So, enough talk already, how did the Soundstream Reference 300 perform on the bench? Well, now that you asked, here are the measurements (All taken based on 100Hz test tone and 13.8v input).

Continuous RMS Wattage Output: 

• 4 ohms Stereo - 105.6 watts/ch (both channels driven)
• 2 ohms Stereo - 134.1 watts/ch (both channels driven)
• 4 ohms Mono - 267.3* watts (in high-power mode)
• 2 ohms Mono - 224.7 watts (in high-current mode**)

*See the update video below for the updated 4 ohm mono test
**The Reference 300 popped it's 30A fuse when I attempted 2 ohm mono testing in the high-power mode.

See the power output test in in 720p HD or embedded below:



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UPDATE: One more demo to see if the 4 ohm bridged mono mode would yield the rated 300 watts:


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Keep watching and subscribe to my YouTube channel to stay updated with my latest Old School Car Audio tests and demos.

-BigD

Old School PPI Pro Mos Amps - Precision Power!

Most of you old school car audio fans know the early 1990's was a time when aftermarket car audio was getting extremely popular. At this time, it was rare to find a factory CD player and the factory speakers were weak at best in most cases. Manufacturers such as Rockford Fosgate, Linear Power, Precision Power (PPI), Autotek, Orion and Soundstream (to name a few) were some of the very popular aftermarket car audio brands at the time.

The competition between the manufacturers was intense and each one was trying to best the other. Orion's HCCA series amps, released in the late 1980's were extremely popular and had an edge power wise on most other amps with their rating and ability to handle extremely low ohm loads. These low-wattage rated / low ohm handling amps came to be known as "cheater amps". The cheater amps could put out as much as 8x their rated 4 ohm power rating at lower loads. PPI hit the "cheater" market in 1990 with the Pro Mos 2050. Pro Mos was short for Professional Mosfet. This first gen Pro Mos amp was rated to handle loads down to 1ohm and would provide 4x it's rated 4ohm power at 1ohm. Cough up around $800 for a 50x2 amp, and get a 400x1 monster when loaded down. Interestingly enough, Orion's 25x2 "cheater", the 225 HCCA was stable down to 1/2 (some even say 1/4) ohm loads and would put out in excess of 400 watts and cost less than $600.

I've shown a comparison of the Orion 225 HCCA and the PPI Pro Mos 25 in a previous posting and video. You can see my preliminary power output results HERE.

PPI Pro Mos 2050 (top), Pro Mos 12 & Pro Mos 25 - Image (C) OldSchoolStereo.com

These Pro Mos amps were available up until around 1995, adding additional models including the Pro Mos 12, 24 and 50 (replacing the 2050) beginning in 1991. They also released 4 channel models; the Pro Mos 425 and 450. These Pro Mos amps were no frills, offering no internal crossovers or bass/treble controls. They offered a DIN connection for powering a PPI pre-amp or crossover in addition to the standard RCA input jacks. The Power and Ground connections were made via 8 or 10 awg leads and the speaker/remote connection was made by an infamous molex connector. I say infamous because this connector has been a huge failure throughout the years. The wires don't stay inside the connector and the molex connector itself breaks very easily. Many people created terminal strips or soldered the leads to the circuit board.

The Pro Mos amps you see in the photo above are the "art series", finished in white including a unique design by an artist. These amps were also available in black with red lettering.

See the video demo below:

Also, visit YouTube and subscribe to my channel for more exciting OLD SCHOOL car audio gear!

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Vintage Fosgate Car Amps - PR 220 & PR-250 Pre-Rockford

Fosgate PR-250II and PR 220 Vintage Car Audio Amplifiers

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I decided to dig out some real dinosaurs in the car audio world....the Fosgate "The Punch" PR 220 and PR-250 Type II amplifiers. These amps were produced by Fosgate Electronics, Inc. in the late 1970's before Rockford joined Fosgate. I believe the PR-250 was 1978 or 1979 and this model was also produced in 1980 as a Rockford Fosgate PR-250II (logo was different than the one pictured above). The PR 220 was also late 1970's, found in the 1978 and 1979 Car Stereo Directory issues of Audio magazine, but not in the 1976 issue. I don't have the 1977 issue to see if they are listed there...

These amplifiers were state of the art at the time they were produced. Just think, in the late 1970's, many people were still rocking 8 tracks and a cassette player was "high-end". I don't believe there were many (if any) head units with pre-outs at the time. You definitely were lucky to have one of these back then. Don't forget, 3-way 6x9's were considered high-end at this time! Take your PR-250, power up the Sony tape deck and Jensen or Sparkomatic 6x9's and you were rockin'!!

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Another view of the Fosgate "The Punch" PR-250 Type II / PreAmp & PR 220 Amplifiers

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The Fosgate PR-250 Type II had a matching Pre-Amp, which controlled the unit's volume, bass and treble controls. The volume knob was a smooth rotating potentiometer, while the bass and treble controls had a "clicking" type potentiometer (meaning you had only a certain number of positions, by turning these knobs, it would click into position). The PR-250's pre-amp had only two connections, both DIN style plugs. One DIN cable would be integrated in with your head unit and the other would carry the signal from the pre-amp to the PR-250 amp. Then, you would need some speakers capable of handling 50 watts RMS per channel, not the easiest task in the late 70's...The PR-250 was also bridgeable or capable of handling loads more demanding than 4 ohms.

The Fosgate PR 220 was much simpler and less powerful than the 250. It was rated at 20 watts x 2 channels into 4 ohms, no options for bridging or lower ohm loads. It also came without a pre-amp, all controls (bass and treble) were on the amp itself by 3-way sliders. Your options were low/mid/high for bass and treble adjustments. Again, speaker level inputs were the only signal source allowed into the amp and since most head units were only good for a couple of watts, the 20 watt PR 220 was a decent upgrade and would drive efficient speakers to loud (at the time) levels, around 110dB. Fosgate had a warning in the manual, "Sound levels of 110 dB have been recorded inside a car using the PR-220 and High Efficiency speakers. This is loud enough to lead to permanent loss of hearing after long periods of exposure. So use common sense.."

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Photo (c) 2011 - Dereck Willis - OldSchoolStereo.com

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So, you know me, I'm good for putting up video demo's right? Well yes, I have posted an overview of the amps below. That said, don't get too excited about seeing these amps in action as I'm a little hesitant to power them up. The PR 220 at least needed to pull power from the head unit for the remote turn on.

Quote by tomtomjr, one of if not the US's largest Fosgate/Rockford Fosgate collector and radio/amp technician:

" ...ALSO, on the turn on remote wire (red) , you will need to draw power from it to turn on the amp. We used to use a 12V light bulb and a switch. Put the remote wire (red) to the positive of the bulb, then the switch between the 12V ground and the 12V ground of the bulb. Flip the switch, and it will come on. These have the power-draw on the remote wire rather than the power input like modern amps... Hope this info helps........Tom"


See the video demo in 720p HD or embedded below:

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Video Overview of the Rockford Fosgate Punch Power 360

I recently created a video overview of the Rockford Fosgate Punch Power 360 I wrote about before. Enjoy the video demo below:


View in 720p HD or watch embedded below:


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HiFonics Vulcan and Thor VII - Old School Classics!

I'm SO glad there are other people out there who take good care of their old school amps! I recently ran across a local Craigslist ad where a person was selling a couple of classic early 90's HiFonics amps...the Vulcan and Thor (both VII series). I met the seller and ended up buying the amps...simply amazing to see these amps in such great condition to be 20 years old!

Early 90's HiFonics Thor VII and Vulcan VII in near MINT condition!

A friend of mine back around 1991 had a Thor VII, exactly like the one I picked up, and I always recall the amp being very powerful. Back then, his Thor powered (2) 15" subwoofers from a local speaker manufacturing shop. The speakers were 8ohm each wired in parallel and the amp was bridged mono putting out a rated 400 watts. This was a BIG power back then and to my ears still plenty of power for the right subs.

I recall each local stereo shop trying to best each other by saying how underrated the particular brand of amp they sold was. It was pretty evident to me, Autotek, Orion and Rockford Fosgate were underrated, but what about HiFonics? These amps were well regarded and were actually priced reasonable versus their power output ratings. For comparison, the Rockford Fosgate Punch 45 retailed for $275 US and was rated to deliver 22.5x2 or 70x1 at 4ohms. The HiFonics Vulcan VII was priced at $330 US and was rated 50x2 or 180x1 at 4ohms. A feature missing on the Vulcan causing me to decide on the Punch 45? Built-in Bass and Treble EQ's. I know it seems silly to think this would be a deciding factor, but it actually swayed my decision. The only "remote" bass controls we had back then was something like the Audio Control Epicenter (and they were pricey around $180 US).

With that said, let's work forward to 2011 and seeing how the 1991'ish HiFonics amps perform on the OldSchoolStereo.com test bench. Since I have the privilege of previously testing Zed Audio built amps, I had a preconceived expectation of the results....and I was pretty spot on!

Here are the results:

Vulcan VII
RMS Output Power:

4ohms stereo = (rated): 50w/ch / (actual): 59.44w/ch
2ohms stereo = (rated): 90w/ch / (actual): 104.4w/ch
4ohms bridged = (rated): 180w / (actual): 208.8w

***Max Output Power:
Max Output (hard clip) = (actual) 370.5w/ bridged at 4ohms

1991 HiFonics Vulcan VII

Thor VII
RMS Output Power:
4ohms stereo = (rated) 125w/ch / (actual) 157.0w/ch
2ohms stereo = (rated) 200w/ch / (actual) 252.6w/ch
4ohms bridged = (rated) 400w / (actual) 462.2w

***Max Output Power:
Max Output (hard clip) = 475.5w/ x 2 at 2ohms!!! (over 950w total!!)

***This MAX number is what most of the mfg's use today when rating amps

1991 HiFonics Thor VII

I did some basic SQ testing with some separates and a 10" Kicker Solobaric S10c sub and was VERY impressed by the power, clarity and control both amps offered up. I'm even considering using these two amps in my Old School Stealth Install until my RF Power 650 gets it's facelift.

Stay tuned in for more updates...

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