RockfordCorporation

613 SouthRockford Drive

TempeArizona

85281(602) 967-3565(800) 821-2349

POWER 1000 MOSFET

OWNER'S MANUAL

INDEX

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 1SYSTEM FLEXIBILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2AMPLIFIER BRIDGING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2INPUT CONNECTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3INPUT LEVEL CONTROLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4POWER CONNECTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4GROUND CONNECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5INPUT MODE SWITCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5BLOCK DIAGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6TURN ON CONNECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 7SPEAKER CONNECTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 7SPEAKER WIRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8SPEAKER IMPEDANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8SPEAKER FUSING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8PASSIVE CROSSOVER IMPEDANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 96 dB/OCTAVE CROSSOVER VALUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 1012 dB/OCTAVE CROSSOVER VALUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 11SPEAKER POWER RATINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 12PIEZOELECTRIC TWEETERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 12BATTERY AND CHARGING SYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 13CROSSOVER SETTINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 13POWER 1000 MOSFET SPECIFICATIONS . . . . . . . . . . Page 14WARRANTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 15BIAMPLIFIED MODE DIAGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 17BIAMPLIFIED STEREO DIAGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 18BIAMPLIFIED STEREO BRIDGED

MONO WOOFER DIAGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 19DUAL STEREO DIAGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 20BRIDGED STEREO DIAGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 21BRIDGED MONO BIAMPLIFIED DIAGRAM . . . . . . . . . Page 22

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Continuous exposure to sound pressure levels over 110 dB maycause permanent hearing loss. High-powered autosoundsystems may produce sound pressure levels well over 130 dB.Use common sense as you enjoy your system, and preserveyour hearing.

INTRODUCTION

The Rockford Power 1000 MOSFET is an automotive stereopower amplifier which will provide state-of-the-art sound incars, vans, boats, or wherever a 9 to 16 Volt battery is available.

The Power 1000 MOSFET adjustable input circuits are designedto match almost any music source, from low preamp levels tospeaker levels, with negligible noise. The amplifiers will drive allnormal speaker types, impedances, and configurations.

Internal protection circuitry in the Power 1000 MOSFETamplifier prevents damage due to shorts, system powerproblems, or internal failures. The Power 1000 MOSFETincorporates internal battery line filtering and extensive noiseprevention circuitry.

The Power 1000 MOSFET amplifier should be PROFESSIONALLYINSTALLED. The length and nature of your warranty aredramatically affected if you attempt to install it yourself (seeWarranty).

This is because professional installers are experienced withmaking your car sound right the first time. They make theirinstallation durable because they don’t want continuing problemsand complaints - their reputations are valuable.

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SYSTEM FLEXIBILITY

Four bridgeable channels in the Power 1000 MOSFET provideunmatched system flexibility with simple wiring changes. Someof the possibilities are:

Biamplified Stereo - A pair of channels drives mid- and high-frequency speakers; another pair drives the woofers, Theexternal crossover (XV-l) is set to separate the inputfrequencies into high and low frequencies for each speakersystem.

Biamplified Stereo with Bridged Mono Woofer - Otherwisesimilar to the Biamplified Stereo system above, this arrange-ment bridges the two low channels into a single woofer.

Bridged Stereo - Each pair of channels on the Left and Rightsides is bridged into a full-range speaker system.

Bridged Mono Biamplified - This configuration produces fullpower into one mono channel. The front channel pair isbridged into a mid-tweeter speaker system and the rearchannel pair is bridged into a woofer. The external crossover(XV-l) is set to separate woofer and midrange frequencies.

Dual Stereo - The power amp acts as two separate stereoamplifiers, one channel pair for rear full range speakers, onefor front full range speakers. If only one set of speakers canhandle bass frequencies, an external high crossover (XV-l)can be set to cut off the front speakers’ low frequency drive.

Stereo Woofer Amp - Similar to Bridged Stereo except that theinputs are driven by an external crossover (XV-l) with the highfrequency drive going to a different amp.

All of these system configurations are obtained with simplewiring variations; there are no special “black boxes” to buy andthe system may be modified at any time.

AMPLIFIER BRIDGING

Operating an amplifier in the “bridged” or “strapped mono”mode means driving one speaker or speaker system with twoamplifier channels. Each channel will put out full power into itshalf of the speaker load, so the system can drive the speaker withdouble the power that a single amplifier channel would becapable of.

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When amplifiers are bridged into a single speaker, each amplifier“sees” half the total speaker impedance.

Rockford-Fosgate amplifiers are designed so that connectingthe amplifier for bridged mode is a simple matter of using thecorrect speaker leads as shown in the appropriate systemdiagram. In theseamplifiers, one channel of each pair is invertedin the amplifier. In normal stereo use, the inverted channeloutput isconnected to the negative lead of its speaker load, thuspreserving the system’s polarity. In the bridged mode, theinverted channel is connected to the negative lead of thespeaker to be bridged, and the positive lead is connected to thenon-inverted channel. This provides the out-of-phase drivesrequired for bridged operation.

The Power 1000 MOSFET is designed so that the four amplifiersections can be bridged in several ways. Right and Left High-Frequency channels can be bridged. The Right Low and LeftLow-Frequency channels can be bridged, the Right High andRight Low channels can be bridged together, and the Left Lowand Left High channels can be bridged. These combinationsallow an unmatched flexibility in designing stereo, biamplified,and hybrid bridged systems.

The Power 1000 MOSFET amplifier can deliver 500 Watts into abridged 4-Ohm speaker. This is enough power to destroy almostany speaker made. Be sure to use fuses.

INPUT CONNECTIONS (RCA PIN JACKS)

Theamplifier’ssignal inputfemalepin jacksshould beconnectedto the source unit’s signal outputs.

If the source unit has “RCA” pin jack outputs, connect the Power1000 MOSFET to the source with a standard male to male “RCA”cable. In some cases, system noise rejection will be improved byusing high-quality braided-shield or double-shielded inter-connecting cables.

When the source unit does not have pin jack outputs, get anappropriate adapter from your dealer, or use Rockford adaptercable No. AS-524.

Some higher-powered source units employ “bridged” outputcircuits (“BTL”outputs). Units with bridged outputsare normallyrated at 15 to 25 Watts output by the manufacturer. To connect

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this type of unit to a Power 1000 MOSFET amplifier, the speakerpositive (+) wires should go to the adapter cable centerconductors, but the cable shield ground must be connected tothe source chassis, NOT the speaker negative (-) wires.

Be sure to route the Power 1000 MOSFET signal input cableaway from the Orange power wire and the car’s wiring harnesses,to avoid noise coupling.

Pre-assembled interconnector adapters are available fromRockford Corporation for a wide variety of source units.

NOTE: In most Pioneer pre-amp output units, and some others,the audio shield ground is not at the source chassis common.For these units, connect the shield lines to both the audio shieldand the chassis common.

INPUT LEVEL CONTROLS

The Power 1000 MOSFET input level controls are accessiblewith a jeweler’s screwdriver through four holes in the cover. Thecontrols are factory-preset to a level which matches most 500millivolt to 1 Volt rated preamp-output source units.

If you are using the amp in bridged stereo or 2-channel modeadjust only the controls labeled 2-channel/4-channel front. Ifyou are using a fader or crossover before the amplifier thenadjust all four channels.

If you are using the speaker-output leads of the source unit, turnthe Power 1000 MOSFET input controls fully counterclockwiseto their minimum gain position.

If the volume control of the source is “touchy” and/or noisy -that is, if just a little volume from the source drives the amplifierinto distortion-reduce the Power 1000 MOSFET input gaincontrols so that the distortion doesn’t start until the sourcevolume is at about 3/4 of its rotation.

If maximum volume from the source won’t drive the Power 1000MOSFET into distortion, increase the Power 1000 MOSFETinput gain controls until distortion starts at about 3/4 volume.

POWER CONNECTION (ORANGE 4-GAUGE WIRE)

The Orange wire must be connected directly to the positiveterminal of the battery to provide a power source with a low

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voltage drop and low noise. If the power is connected to anyother point (the fuse block, for instance) the amplifier’s poweroutput will be reduced and oscillations and noise may distort thesound. If the power wire must be extended, use only 6-gauge orlarger wire and make a good splice.

It is best to use as short a wire run as possible. DO NOT run thepower wire next to the input cabling to the amplifier; it wil inducenoise.

Avoid running the Orange power wire near the radio’s antennaor power leads, or near sensitive equipment or harnesses. TheOrange power wire carries substantial currents and couldinduce noise.

The Orange wire is provided with an in-line 100 ampere fuse. Donot use a larger fuse or the amplifier will not be adequatelyprotected, and you risk damage to your car’s electrical system.

GROUND CONNECTION (BLACK 6-GAUGE WIRES)

The ground wires must be connected directly to the car chassis,near the amplifier. Connect the ground wires to separate spotson the chassis at least one foot apart. Ground loops areaggravated by the length of the ground wire orany resistance inthe ground path. For this reason we don’t recommend extendingthe ground wires in any installation.

The ground points in the car should be pieces of chassis metalthat are welded to the main body of the car. Painted surfacesshould be scraped or sanded clean before the ground lugs arebolted down. (Cover the bare-metal areas with paint or grease toprevent rust.) A dab of Panduit CMP-200-1 between the lugs andthe chassis will improve grounding performance.

INPUT MODE SWITCH

The input of the Power 1000 MOSFET normally comes from the2-channel/4-channel front RCA connectors. However, there aresome cases where it is desirable to be able to drive the rearchannels independently. For instance, if one wanted to drive thesystem as two completely independent stereo amplifiers, onewould need to drive the front channel with one stereo pair, andthe rear channel with another.

The 2-channel/4-channel switch (located on the amplifier frontpanel) switches the rear channel inputs over to the rearchannelRCA connectors. To use the amplifier with 4-channel inputspush the switch in.

TURN-ON CONNECTION(RED WIRE FROM 9-PIN CONNECTOR)

The Power 1000 MOSFET is turned on by applying Positive 12Volts to the red wire. Usually, the red wire is connected to thesource unit’s “Accessory” or “Auto-Antenna” lead, either ofwhich will go positive when the source is turned on.

Although the majority of high-quality automotive source unitshave an Accessory or Auto-Antenna output, there are manywhich may require different turn-on methods. If the source hasno Auto-Antenna lead (or if Auto-Antenna goes down duringtape operation):

a)

b)

c)

Find the internal switched power voltage inside thesource unit and solder a lead to it. Run the lead outthrough the back of the unit (being sure to use a grommetfor insulation from the case) and connect to the amplifierturn-on wire.

Or: Install a switch in the car with one terminal connectedto +12 Volts and the other to the Power 1000 MOSFET redlead.

Or: Connect the Power 1000 MOSFET red lead to theaccessory point at the car’s fuse block. In this case theamplifier will be on whenever the car is on. This methodwill allow the amplifier to amplify any noise and turn-onand turn-off transients, and may therefore be unsatis-factory.

SPEAKER CONNECTIONS(WIRES FROM 9-PIN CONNECTOR)

Be certain to observe speaker terminal polarity throughout thesystem. It is critical for the Power 1000 MOSFET to use thecorrect negative leads for the right and left channels, since theright negative lead (brown) is the “hot” lead for the rightspeaker. DO NOT chassis ground any of the speaker leads.Unstable operation may result.

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SPEAKER WIRE

We recommend that you always use substantial wire for speakerwiring harnesses. For short runs, 18-Gauge wire is the smallestwe suggest; for runs over 6 feet, 16-Gauge should be used. Manyusers find that sound quality is improved by the use of specially-made heavy-duty speaker wiring from one of several manu-facturers. The Power 1000 MOSFET output harness uses shortruns of 16-Gauge wire and should not reduce any benefitsgained from specialized speaker wiring.

SPEAKER IMPEDANCE

The Power 1000 MOSFET is rated for operation into loads of2-Ohms or greater in stereo operation.

The primary load on the amplifier comes from directly connectedspeakers (not isolated by capacitors), and the measuredresistance for each side cannot be less than 1.8-Ohms. Single4-Ohm woofers or parallel 4-Ohm pairs per side will form ahigh-performance system. The maximum direct load per side isa 4-Ohm speaker in parallel with a 4-Ohm speaker.

If the amplifier load drops below approximately 1 S-Ohms, thePower 1000 MOSFET amplifier will protect the outputs, causingdistortion.

The heaviest load on the power amp normally comes from thewoofers. In speaker systems where midrange speakers areisolated with crossover capacitors, only the woofers impedanceusually needs to be considered.

SPEAKER FUSING

The Power1000 MOSFET amplifier issupplied with in-linefusesfor speaker protection. The Power 1000 MOSFET amplifier isfully protected internally against loading problems, and externalfuses are not required for amplifier protection. However,speakers are not normally capable of continuous full-poweroperation and should be fused to prevent damage due tooverheating. The Power 1000 MOSFET is capable of destroyingalmost any speaker.

The amplifier is provided with Type AGC (3AG) -/-ampere fuses.This fuse value was selected to provide adequate protection formost high-power 4-Ohm speakers. If a light-duty speaker is

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found to fail frequently, a smaller fuse may be used for betterprotection. Always use fast-blow type fuses.

If the speaker fuses for the Power 1000 MOSFET are excessivelylarge or are eliminated, the internal protection circuit willoperate if the speaker shorts.

PASSIVE CROSSOVER IMPEDANCE

When passive crossover components are used in multiple-speaker systems, the crossover system’s impedance must beconsidered along with the speaker’s impedance in determiningamplifier loading.

For 6-dB per Octave systems (where a single capacitor in seriesis used for high-pass or single inductor [choke] in series is usedfor low-pass) the net impedance of the system will be increasedand problems are unlikely.

Twelve-dB per Octave systems (where both an inductor and acapacitor are used with each speaker) can cause trouble. Atwelve-dB choke-capacitor pair forms a series-resonant circuitto ground whose impedance at resonance is determined by thespeaker’s dynamic impedance. For instance, if the speaker isopen or disconnected, the crossover input impedance istheoretically ZERO at resonance - a direct short!

Since speaker impedance varies considerably from rated valuesat various frequencies, it is common to find that “standardized”12-dB per Octave crossovers (which are designed for pureresistor loads) have serious impedance dips near their crossoverfrequencies, possibly causing operation of the protection circuitin the amplifier, creating distortion.

We recommend that you be cautious in using 12-dB/Octavecrossover systems unless they are specifically designed to haveminimal impedance variation for the speakers in use.

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SPEAKER POWER RATINGS

The power rating required for speakers corresponds to the ratedoutput of the amplifier:

SPEAKER POWER RATINGImpedance Non-Bridged Bridged

8 Ohms 100 Watts 300 Watts4 Ohms 150 Watts 500 Watts2 Ohms 250 Watts NO

A problem at high power levels is that some woofers which arerated to handle the power sometimes “pop”, “clang”, “snap”, orotherwise show signs of bottoming. These speakers aredesigned to use the “air spring” of an enclosed box to preventbottoming. This applies toalmsot all woofers originally designedfor home or professional use. One solution is to use speakersdesigned for “infinite baffle” use, which have very stiff suspen-sions. The best solution is to build boxes for the woofers.

PIEZOELECTRIC TWEETERS

Piezoelectric tweeters (“piezos”) offer ruggedness, efficiencyand extended frequency capability. They also often have a“rough” or “harsh” sound due to large response irregularitiesand distortion. They are usually a difficult load for an amplifier.

One characteristic of piezos is that they are a nearly purecapacitive load. This means that their impedance continuouslydecreases with increasing frequency. Unless some means isused to prevent this continuous decrease, a typical piezotweeter’s impedance falls to well under 1-Ohm within thebandwidth of the amplifier. This low capacitive impedance canupset theamplifier’scompensation schemeand cause ultrasonic(inaudible) oscillations, overheating or damaging the amplifier.

A simple method of preventing problems is to be sure there is atleast 6 feet of speaker lead between the amplifier and the piezo.All Power 1000 MOSFET amps are tested with piezo loads and 6feet of lead, and they will have no problem.

Another method of taming the piezo is to insert a 1-to10-Ohm2-Watt resistor in series with one of its leads.

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BATTERY AND CHARGING SYSTEM

High-powered amplifiers will naturally put an extra load on thebattery and charging system. A Power 1000 MOSFET may drawup to 50-100 amperes average current.

Standard electrical systems will have to be modified to handlethe extra load of an amplifier without problems. If multipleamplifiers are installed, average currents will be high enough tooverload the standard alternator and reduce alternator andbattery life. In this case it’s a good idea to use a heavy-dutyalternator and a high quality battery.

If the sound system will be used often when the car is notrunning, the battery will obviously be discharged, perhapsenough to prevent restarting. The discharge/recharge cycle willreduce battery life, and alternator life will be shorter because ofthe high-current recharge requirements.

If problems arise:

a) Use a premium battery or deep-discharge marine battery.

b) Use a heavy duty alternator.

c) Use a trickle-charger or battery charger.

d) Install a second battery with a switching system forrecharge.

CROSSOVER SETTINGS

Recommended crossover settings to use with an external activecrossover (i.e. Rockford Fosgate XV-l). When using the XV-I,reverse the phase of the high channel.

CrossoverSetting, Hz(Low/High) Suggested Applications

Flat/Flat Dual Stereo systems with two pairs of full rangespeaker systems. All bridged stereo systems.

Flat/l 00 Dual Stereo systems with front speakers havingless bass capability

Flat/275 Dual stereo with small front speakers.

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100/1 00

250/250

100/250

600/600

1500/1 500

4000/4000

“Subwoofer” biamplified systems. Large wooferson low channel, essentially full-range system onhigh channel (usually a strong midrange-tweeterpair). Excellent imaging.

“Three-way” biamp systems. Woofers on lowchannel, midranges and tweeters on high channel.Good imaging.

“Subwoofer” and three-way systems in cars whichhave a lower-midrange resonance. Combinesimaging advantages of subwoofer with reducedmidrange power requirements. Excellent imaging.

“Three-way” biamp systems. As above in 250/250section, but midrange drivers handle less power.Fair imaging.

“Three-way” biamp systems with a very light dutymidrange. “Two-way” biamp systems with wide-range woofers on the low channel and extremelyrugged tweeters on the high channel.

Primarily a midrange-to-tweeter crossover pointfor triamplified systems.

SPECIFICATIONS, POWER 1000 MOSFET

POWER RATINGS: 2 CHANNEL (bridged)

4 Ohms: 500 Watts per channel continuous power, bothchannels driven into 4 Ohms, from 20 to 20,000 Hertz,with less than 0.10% THD+N (Total Harmonic Distortionplus Noise).

POWER RATINGS, 4 CHANNEL:

4 Ohms: 150 Watts per channel continuous power, 4 channelsdriven into 4 Ohms, from 20 to 20,000 Hertz, with lessthan 0.05% THD+N (Total Harmonic Distortion plusNoise).

4 Ohms: 200 Watts per channel continuous power, 4 channelsdriven into 4 Ohms at 1000 Hertz, with less than 10%THD+N.

2 Ohms: 250 Watts per channel continuous power, 4 channelsdriven into 2 Ohms, from 20 to 20,000 Hertz, with lessthan 0.10% THD+N.

Frequency Response: 20 to 100,000 Hertz +0.5, -3.0 dB.

Damping Factor: At circuit board:Over 200 (referred to 4 Ohms).

After speaker fuse:Over 50 (referred to 4 Ohms).

Signal to Noise ratio: Over 80 dB, unweighted.

Slew Factor: over 5.

Slew Rate: over 20 Volts/Microsecond.

IM distortion (IHF): Less than 0.05%.

Input Gain: Variable from 40 dBV to 14 dBV.Factory pre-set at 32 dBV (correct for most 500millivolt-rated source units).

Instantaneous Peak Output Current: Over 100 Amperes

PROTECTION:

The POWER 1000 MOSFET is protected by analog-computeroutput protection circuitry and by a 100-Ampere fuse. A thermalsensor shuts down the amplifier in case of overheating.

DIMENSIONS:

26.1” long by 7.6” wide by 3.6” high, exclusive of mounting earsand wiring.27.6” long by 7.6” wide by 3.6” high, minimum mountingdimensions.

Weight: 23 Ibs.Shipping Weight: 35 Ibs.

NOTE: Specifications subject to change without notice.

WARRANTY

From 1 year from the date of purchase (The Warranty Period),Rockford Fosgate Corporation warrants that any Power 1000MOSFET which fails to function properly under normal use dueto a MANUFACTURING DEFECT, when installed and operatedaccording to the Owner’s Instruction Manual enclosed with thisunit, will be repaired or replaced, at Rockford’s option, withoutcharge to you for parts or labor for the actual repair work.

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Proof of purchase must be provided with the returned unit toinsure full benefit of the warranty period, for if not, Rockford willbe unable to honor the warranty, labor and parts will be chargedto you.

The product must be delivered within the warranty period,transportation prepaid, to the Rockford Fosgate Factory, or anauthorized Rockford Fosgate warranty service station togetherwith evidence of date and place of original retail purchase.

This warranty does not cover damage due to unauthorizedrepair, nor does it cover damage due to improper shipping bycustomer.

You will be responsible for removal and installation of theproduct. Rockford will pay for the cost of returning the repairedor replacement product to you within the United States.

This warranty does not cover any appearance item, anyaccessories used in conjunction with the product, or anydamage to the product resulting from the alterations, accident,misuse or abuse.

This warranty does not apply if the parts or labor, which wouldbe otherwise provided without charge under this warranty, areobtained from any source other than Rockford or an authorizedservice center.

Rockford limits its obligation under any implied warrantiesunder state laws to a period not to exceed the warranty period.

Should you have need to obtain service, return product to theRockford Fosgate Factory at the address listed below, or calll-800-821-2349 for details on the authorized service centernearest you.

Rockford Fosgate Corporation - 613 South Rockford Drive -Tempe, Arizona 85281.

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