Need some assistance as I prepare for my install into my 2014 FLHX Street Glide batwing fairing with stock HU. Please bear with me, I have plenty of ability and a lot of questions. Would like to be as prepared as possible so this goes smoothly and I have all I need ready to go. I am sure that some of these questions have been asked before but it would be nice to have all the answers in one place at one time for this particular install.

I have purchased the following:

Hertz HCX165 speakers
JL Audio HX280/4 amp
BT355 LL with Harley Molex Connectors
Amp wiring kit
Hogtunes mesh speaker grilles

1. Any suggestions on a simple method to mount the amp? My short term solution is some sort of rubber pad or ABS plastic mounted on top of the stock HU with heavy duty type Velcro and Zip Ties holding the amp in place. Particularly since the amp adjustments are located on the bottom under a waterproof cover. I also thought this would provide some vibration isolation? Inexpensive suggestions?

2. I plan to run an 8 ga power wire to the battery under the fuel tank with 35A fuse. What is the best location to terminate the ground wire?

3. Where should I wire/terminate the amp “remote turn on” blue wire on the FLHXS? Vampire clamp on cigarette lighter power?

4. For best performance in bridged mode; I assume I should wire the amp in “2 Bridged Stereo Outputs” mode per the JL manual? If so, I need to get some Y-adaptors right?

5. The amp wiring kit comes with 17’ of RCA cable. Will this long length be a source of interference or signal loss? Should I get 18” or similar and if so any recommendations on part # on amazon or at big box stores?

6. Should I completely remove the stock Harley pigtail/grommet that enters into the speaker pods and wire my amp outputs directly to the HCX165’s? If so, do I need to seal that circular hole with gorilla tape or another grommet or simply run the new speaker wires through the hole and call it a day?

7. I will likely start a new thread on dialing in the system settings but any suggestions on a baseline for the amp settings would be appreciated (input voltage, input sens, Filter Freq, Filter Mode). I plan to read the sticky note on this again. Also the JL manual suggests using an AC voltmeter to measure output using a sine-wave test file at 0dB reference for the HCX165 frequency range. Should I follow this procedure and where would I get such a test file?

8. Once the HCX165's are mounted in the pods, any advice on how to point the tweeters? They have somewhat of an "arrowhead" shape and rotate 210 degrees but the manual just shows a cryptic pic.

TIA!

 

1. I use 3M Body Molding & Trim Tape (Walmart automotive) to stick things down. It takes up less room, adds some "cushion" and sticks better than Velcro, especially on a hot day here in Texas. Basically the same stuff Biketronics puts on the Line Leveler. It's not reusable, but that isn't a big deal, if you trial fit & tune, before you stick things down.

2. Use #8 wire. The fuse on the amp is 35 amp. Put an additional 50 in-line fuse at the battery. I ran a #8 ground wire back to the battery. I'm guessing your kit came with a 3 ft. ground wire. You may want to try grounding it to the triple tree frame. Opinions vary on this subject.

3. You can use the cigarette lighter for the remote trigger.

4. Yes on 2 channel stereo bridged mode & RCA Y adapters. Be sure to set the Channel switch to "4", since you're using all 4 channels in bridged mode.

5. If you locate the amp & line leveler close to one another, you don't need those long RCA cables. I'll send you a PM.

6. I bought Molex wiring adapters from Biketronics so that I could use the wiring harnesses in the pods. Depending on the type of connection on the Hertz, you may or may not have to adapt the Harley speaker connection to fit the Hertz. If you go with your own wiring, I wouldn't worry about the hole in the pod.

7. I'm in the process of "tuning" my system (with the same amp) and just started a thread with questions. Follow it and you should get your answers. I've also posted pictures of my amp install.

8. Point them towards your face & ears.

 

Check-out post #135

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/audio...onents-14.html

 

Didn't see poly-fill on your list. You'll want to loosely pack the inside of the pods with it.

 

Sent you a couple of PMs.

 

thanks WestTexasRanger

So if I understand correctly, this is how I should set this amp up:

wire in bridged stereo mode (using front channel for left fairing speaker and rear channel for the right fairing speaker)

input voltage = select LOW setting on switch

input sens = adjust pot to 25-27 VAC on multi-meter using 1kHz 0dB tone via USB flash drive

Filter Freq = adjust pot to 80

Filter Mode = select HP setting on switch

 

i wouldnt give the hertz 25-27. More like 22-23. Probably want to raise the hpf up some too (90 or so) if you listen to your music loud. Just my experience with the hcx's

 

thanks WestTexasRanger

So if I understand correctly, this is how I should set this amp up:

wire in bridged stereo mode (using front channel for left fairing speaker and rear channel for the right fairing speaker) That's correct, per the wiring diagram that came with the amp, showing the use of "y" adapters and channel switch at "4"

input voltage = select LOW setting on switch That's correct

input sens = adjust pot to 25-27 VAC on multi-meter using 1kHz 0dB tone via USB flash drive With the stock Harley head unit, you want to set the input sensitivity (aka "amp gain") with the volume on your head unit at 3/4, the bass & treble in the middle settings (flat), fader to the Front and the Automatic Volume Control (if applicable) to "off". Check the VAC with the speakers disconnected. Be sure your battery has a good charge. Start & warm-up your bike for a few minutes, prior to setting the sensitivity, then set with the bike running. Because the Hertz can't handle the same power as the DD components, set the VAC at 23.7 per the manual. The VAC will be considerably less with the engine "off", since the system is getting power from the battery (12.8 VDC) versus around 14.2 VDC when the bike is running. Even though your going to be getting "clean" power, take care not to over-drive the Hertz with the volume ****.

Filter Freq = adjust pot to 80 I agree with Outkast6991 , set this between 85 & 90, which is just a guess, unless you own some pretty sophisticated audio test equipment.

Filter Mode = select HP setting on switch Yes

 

Thanks!

Next question. What about flash/software etc updates for my 6.5 Boom? I have not touched the system and I am the second owner. How do I check the current version and how should it be configured to maximize features and performance with my hx280/4
, BT LL and HCX165's? If changes are required, where can I find the instructions and files?

 

Follow these instructions to find the current software version and .bin for the flash.
1. Hold the Mute button in and turn the ignition to Acc
2. When the Accept button displays release the Mute and press Accept
3. Scroll down to Version Information and select
4. Scroll up to Version. This will be the downloaded software version installed.
5. In the AUDIO section select EQ.
6. Scroll through to find the one that is currently loaded (orange background). On the Ultra stock (flash) should be 00_OFF.BIN. The SG flash may be different.