# Monolithic PA-1600 connection question



## roads31 (Dec 10, 2020)

Hello all-

I picked up a pair of Monolithic PA-1600's that I don't have the cables for, I do have some DIN connectors but have a question regarding the pinout printed on the cover. Some of the pinout makes sense, some doesn't. Would like to feel certain before I apply power.
Any advice?
Thanks,
Gary


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## rmenergy (Feb 15, 2009)

Had a local guy make some for me a few years ago. If you’re patient, I’m sending my 2 in for an “upgrade” to PA2000 connections (traditional rca’s & speaker terminals). I can just send you these after.


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## rmenergy (Feb 15, 2009)




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## rmenergy (Feb 15, 2009)

Don’t know why pics aren’t showing up?


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## Porsche (Jun 29, 2008)

great amps


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## dumdum (Feb 27, 2007)

Which part doesn’t make sense... not being funny, a genuine question... the shield is for the very outer of a double shielded rca if the cable has two outer layers of shielding wrapping a pair of inners, it will output signal with just the four connections connected and nothing on pin 1

We just normally use single shielded cable and the outer is also used as a shield and signal ground in most installations

The outers on most amps rcas are connected to the chassis except balanced connections that are slightly different and use the chassis ground as the signal ground if using rcas to send balanced signals or the likes of symbilink on older zapco gear 👍🏼


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## roads31 (Dec 10, 2020)

dumdum said:


> Which part doesn’t make sense...


Hey Dumdum, doesn't seem right saying that, thanks for the reply. As one who hasn't dealt with a lot of car audio installations, what threw me off was the naming convention of the connections;
1-BARE- SHIELD
2-RED- RIGHT INPUT
3-WHITE- INPUT GROUND
4-BLACK- LEFT INPUT
5-GREEN- +12V TURN ON

By calling pin 3, "Input Ground", it implies that it's the outer of the left and right inputs. Is the -12V reference returned through the chassis ground? What connects to pin 3?

Thanks,
Gary


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## roads31 (Dec 10, 2020)

rmenergy said:


> Had a local guy make some for me a few years ago. If you’re patient, I’m sending my 2 in for an “upgrade” to PA2000 connections (traditional rca’s & speaker terminals). I can just send you these after.
> 
> View attachment 286576
> View attachment 286576


Thanks for the reply and offer, I just might take you up on that. Seeing the wiring coming from the connector might've just answered a question I had.


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## rmenergy (Feb 15, 2009)

roads31 said:


> Thanks for the reply and offer, I just might take you up on that. Seeing the wiring coming from the connector might've just answered a question I had.


I’ll bump this thread when I get them back. Shop is busy right now so I’m still waiting for my place in the queue to send them off.
Or you could just sell me yours & I could have 4 instead of attempting to use my 20x4 class a for mids/tweeters 😉


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## dumdum (Feb 27, 2007)

roads31 said:


> Hey Dumdum, doesn't seem right saying that, thanks for the reply. As one who hasn't dealt with a lot of car audio installations, what threw me off was the naming convention of the connections;
> 1-BARE- SHIELD
> 2-RED- RIGHT INPUT
> 3-WHITE- INPUT GROUND
> ...


What -12v reference? Where have you got a -12v reference from? the signal ground is the outer of a coaxial rca, it will be common between both rcas used for inputs

So on a normal amp pin 1 doesn’t exist, pin 2 is the centre pin of the right rca, pin 3 is the outer of both rcas which are common, pin 4 is the centre pin of the left rca, pin 5 is the remote cable to turn the amp on normally with the power and ground inputs...

You really have lost me with -12v as there is no such voltage normally unless it’s from the transformer of the amp itself?


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## roads31 (Dec 10, 2020)

dumdum said:


> What -12v reference?
> You really have lost me with -12v as there is no such voltage normally unless it’s from the transformer of the amp itself?


When I asked about the -12v reference I meant to ask if you also have to supply the negative which ultimately comes from the power source, in this case the (-) side of the battery. I didn't mean to ask if there was a -12V required or one existed. After seeing the pics that "rmenergy" posted near the top of the thread I'm guessing the blue wire hanging out is the +12v to turn on the amp.

The DIN connections inside the amp, the coax shields running to the circuit inputs on the board are tied together to pin 1 and nowhere else, and pin 3 is wired to a what looks like maybe be a ground plane on the board. So, it looks like the RCA input shields can either tie to ground via pin 3 or float tying them to pin 1 grounding them at the source not the amp.


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