Give me Amp/DSP/Forscan/ETC For Dummies advice

[Cathul]

Yes, it's expensive, but i would at least the the HRN-AR-FO3 harness from idatalink. It has all the plugs to connect your aftermarket wiring to the stock speaker wiring and the signal lines that you can use to connect RCAs to. You (or your installer) just have to modify the harness to get the signal wires from the idatalink connector.
Tweeters you always have to rewire as the stock tweeters don't have a dedicated wiring, but are connected to the midrange wiring.

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[Matti777]

I have a Dayton DSP on order (cheap) so maybe I will go with the Maestro AR. I dunno. Thanks for your help Peter.

 

[Cathul]

No chance, only DSPs you can connect the Dayton to are Audison, Arc Audio and one Kenwood DSP amplifier. You might ask them if their new harness works with a base Mustang though. The guys from 5Star Car Stereo showed the new harness with a base F150.

https://maestro.idatalink.com/accessories/category/product_id/856/project/ar

 

[Matti777]

My understanding is that some of the functionality only applies to a small population of amps but it can still be used with other amps. Edit; only applies to DSR1. I have the 9 speaker with factory amp. I did talk to iDatalink (Canadian co by the way) them and they confirmed the DF03 harness and DSR1 would work for a 2020.

 

[Cathul]

Yes, everything with factory amps will work with the t-harness and AR or DSR1 from Maestro.

 

[Matti777]

Last post on this I was going to write a long post on my plan to jumper the factory amp speaker in/out signals while still keeping it powered to deal with the can bus signals. It doesn't seem overly difficult. Instead I was wondering if anyone has ever done this without losing functionality with the exception of the ability to run chimes through the speakers. I can't find any posts that definitely say that this has been done.

 

[LFG_Cory]

Okay I'm confused and need some help. When did adding audio to cars get so complex?

So current situation. I have the iDatalink HRN AR FO3 harness and the Audio Control LC7i.

Do I need the Rockford Fosgate DSR-1? If so please explain in layman's term so a barely functional caveman can understand it. TIA

 

[Cathul]

Okay I'm confused and need some help. When did adding audio to cars get so complex?

So current situation. I have the iDatalink HRN AR FO3 harness and the Audio Control LC7i.

Do I need the Rockford Fosgate DSR-1? If so please explain in layman's term so a barely functional caveman can understand it. TIA

If you have the HRN-AR-FO3 harness, then you have a factory amplifier.
In this case you don't need a LC7i as you use variable line level signals through the wiring harness, not speaker level that the LC7i would convert to line level.

 

[Cathul]

Last post on this I was going to write a long post on my plan to jumper the factory amp speaker in/out signals while still keeping it powered to deal with the can bus signals. It doesn't seem overly difficult. Instead I was wondering if anyone has ever done this without losing functionality with the exception of the ability to run chimes through the speakers. I can't find any posts that definitely say that this has been done.

It has been done many times before the idatalink harness was available.
Somewhere in the sticky thread on the first 13-15 sides there should be the appropriate part numbers for the connectors at Mouser electronics. You just have to solder and crimp your own wires for the connectors, but basically you can do everything you want with these connectors, enough wires and crimp-on connectors.

 

[Bassackwards]

Lots of great info here!

I'm another old dog dummy that is trying to wrap my brain around the simplest solution.

I have the 9 speaker system without a sub in a 2022 convertible. I would like to add a sub while retaining everything else. I assume that I have an amp mounted in the driver side kick panel.

Anyone used the plug and play kit? He has several, some even including a powered sub.

He recommended his T harness and an Audiocontrol ACM 1.500 amp as a package then adding my own sub in a box. I can run the power wire and was looking at a RF Punch 12" in a sealed box.

Is this as easy as he makes it sound?

I would also edit the appropriate FORSCAN data and also may upgrade the speakers to something a little nicer.

 

[Cathul]

Yes, it's as easy...
The T-harness looks like it has the connectors that fit the factory amplifier connectors and grab the low level BTL signal. In theory even auto-turn on of the amp should work with the factory BTL signal (and no, just because it's a BTL signal does not automatically qualify it has high in level ;)).
And check your AsBuilt Data beforehand to exactly know which values to alter, if at all.

 

[Bassackwards]

Yes, it's as easy...
The T-harness looks like it has the connectors that fit the factory amplifier connectors and grab the low level BTL signal. In theory even auto-turn on of the amp should work with the factory BTL signal (and no, just because it's a BTL signal does not automatically qualify it has high in level ;)).
And check your AsBuilt Data beforehand to exactly know which values to alter, if at all.

Where do I find the as built data?

I'm hoping that a '22 is the same as a '21

 

[Cathul]

https://www.motorcraftservice.com/Home/SetCountry?returnUrl=/AsBuilt

 

[Bassackwards]

https://www.motorcraftservice.com/Home/SetCountry?returnUrl=/AsBuilt

Do they have this blocked in some way to prevent printing or even saving in a format that I can read?

I see it on the screen but cannot save or even copy the data.

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