how to test the ohms on each speakers

[NYGUNS]

Hi I've just purchased a JL Audio 500/5 amp and would like to know what's the ohms on each speaker and how to set it up. Could someone please let me know.

Also I've purchased this car used, so I'm not quite sure if any of the speakers were replaced....I have a "Fluke T5-600" electric tester with 3 options to choose on the dial:
1) V: Automatically detects AC/DC volatage
2) A: Never knew what was for...only samys ~AC next to it
3) ÂÂ�0ÃÅ*9: Says 1K ÂÂ�0ÃÅ*9 next to it with a voume symbol too, but everytime I turned the dial to this funtion, all the screen reads is OL, does anyone know how to use this to test the ohms of my speakers? I got this unit from a friend and he doesn't know either.

[neema12]

Do you know what speakers they are? Stock or aftermarket?

[jnenad16]

it usually says on the back of the speaker the max wattage and omhs.

nenad

[NYGUNS]

I checked but I guess they are too old and cant read off the green sticker

[nokia8860]

multimeter.

[audiophile]

set your meter to resistance, and probe the speaker leads.;)

[stox]

Originally posted by audiophile
set your meter to resistance, and probe the speaker leads.;)

I do hope you are joking. Impedance is not the same thing as resistance. Sadly, without some fairly expensive equipment, impedance is difficult to measure.

[NYGUNS]

Thanks gus, I've got it!!! Tested them all and they all start at 3 and after about 3-4 seconds they stablize at 2. As of the tweeters in front it says on the back 8 ohms.

I guess what I have is the stock bose speakers and I believe the JL 500/5 would work for them. Can someone please let me know the maximum output for each speaker? I need this info as well to tune the amp right. Thanks!

[neema12]

If you are using stock speakers I suggest upgrading before you throw a 500/5 at them. I would look into an upgrade.

[NYGUNS]

What would you suggest and why can't I run th 500/5 on the stock...please tell me before I mess up. Thanks!

[audiophile]

Originally posted by stox
I do hope you are joking. Impedance is not the same thing as resistance. Sadly, without some fairly expensive equipment, impedance is difficult to measure. can you set your multimeter to measure impedance? how else would you test for the speakers?:confused:

[Cucuy]

Originally posted by audiophile
can you set your multimeter to measure impedance? how else would you test for the speakers?:confused:

Nope. Impedance is measured at different frequency points. What you might get when you measure with the multimeter is DC resistance. So it is the impedance value at one point. DC resistnace is not the same as impedance. There are some approx you can make by taking the DC resistance to calculate impedance. Google can help you.

[neema12]

This is the rating for the 500/5

Front Channels: 100 W RMS x 2 @ 1.5 ohm-4 ohm (11V-14.5V)
Rear Channels: 25 W RMS x 2 @ 1.5 ohm-4 ohm(11V-14.5V)
Subwoofer Channel: 250 W RMS @ 1.5 ohm-4 ohm (11V-14.5V)

What does your entire stereo consist of?

[audiophile]

Originally posted by Cucuy
Nope. Impedance is measured at different frequency points. What you might get when you measure with the multimeter is DC resistance. So it is the impedance value at one point. DC resistnace is not the same as impedance. There are some approx you can make by taking the DC resistance to calculate impedance. Google can help you. i know how to measure impedance. it was just a question on how else would you measure the impedance on a speaker if you didn't have the correct equip.:rolleyes: it was a retohrical question. :p i agree with you though.;)

[NYGUNS]

Originally posted by neema12
This is the rating for the 500/5

Front Channels: 100 W RMS x 2 @ 1.5 ohm-4 ohm (11V-14.5V)
Rear Channels: 25 W RMS x 2 @ 1.5 ohm-4 ohm(11V-14.5V)
Subwoofer Channel: 250 W RMS @ 1.5 ohm-4 ohm (11V-14.5V)

What does your entire stereo consist of?

I'm just trying to run my Vaio VGN-S360 with a touch screen to control it. I also have a factory docking station/port replicator which will be mounter on a tray with rails (for sliding) underneath glove componet of the passenger side and use the factory speakers for now. Next is a co-pilot GPS trough the USB, and finally speaker upgrade with Diamond components on the front, coaxial on the back and rear deck.

So for now I have:
2 Tweaters at 8 ohms each*
2 front at 2 ohms each*
2 back at 2 ohms each
2 rear deck 2 ohms each

So what's the maximum output per speaker?

I called JL today and they told me to connect the positive of one of my rear deck to the negative of the other. And I will have a positive and negative to connect to the Subwoofer outout on the amp.

*By the way I tested the tweaters and if I connect the very end of the tweater it reads 8 ohms, but when I test the pins after it goes through a black round thing through the wires before it connects to the harness (you can see those on the motherboards alot, not sure what they are called though) my multimeter does not read anything why is that?

[audiophile]

you will get full power to the speakers, because the range is within the speakers. except for the tweeters.:rolleyes:

[c55m8o]

Originally posted by stox
I do hope you are joking. Impedance is not the same thing as resistance. Sadly, without some fairly expensive equipment, impedance is difficult to measure. While technically you are correct, what one is primarily concerned about is that impedance/resistance is not =lower= then a certain value, so you are not drawing too much current out of the amp beyond what it can linearily deliver. Impedance will always be greater then DC resistance. Typical drivers have an enormous impedance peak at resonance, then a rising impedance as frequency rises about 1/2 decade above resonance. Other then at those frequencies, the "complex" part of the impedance value is much less than the "real" part of the DC resistance value.

... with all that said, a) measuring DC resistance is typically a "good enough" approximation, and b) I personally own and use one of these [click here] (http://www.terrasonde.com/products/color.php) to measure my driver's impedance curves. (yes, some fairly expensive equipment). ;) Tho as I said, I don't necessarily have to to get some idea of what the =minimum= impedance I can expect from a driver, using a multimeter instead.