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Rockford Fosgate stereo issues


tfalcon

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Looking for some help / direction with my stereo issue. Just want to say I’m very new at posting and don’t have much stereo knowledge.

I have a 2013 Vride with a stock Rockford Fosgate stereo ( model RFX-MR5BB ).  My research shows that this RF head unit was made in 2010.

 I bought the boat last year and it had a Wetsounds equalizer . I added a Wetsounds Bluetooth dongle to the unit when I purchased it. The bluetooth worked but the stereo had a bad buzz / whine coming from the speakers. I brought it in to a stereo guy ( not the dealer I purchased from due to being 4+ hours away ) 3 separate times to try and fix the issue. On the first visit the replaced a cable and said bluetooth needed to be more directly wired to stereo. The second time they removed the equalizer stating that was the issue, that worked for about 3 hours on the water. The 3rd I had to unplug the dongle so I had no bluetooth. The issue stopped when bluetooth was removed.

This stereo also has an Svideo ( I think its called ) cable in glove box that you can connect Iphone / Ipod etc to but when I hit some waves it has a tendency to change the mode.  Very temperamental and frustrating as well. 

Talking to a local ( and reputable ) stereo company they recommend 2 options. 

1.) Replace the existing stereo head unit with a newer model ( RF PMX-2 ). That means removing old unit trying to find a way to retro fit new unit ( which is totally different size / shape ) or hide the hole that it will leave in the walkthrough ( will probably need new upholstery to cover it ) and mount new unit in cockpit area.

2.) Leave original RF head unit and purchase a Wetsounds Bluetooth equalizer . This option is quicker and cheaper but my concern is that if I had bluetooth issues with the original head unit ( which was Wetsounds as well ) am I setting myself up for failure trying to get new technology to work with old ? 

Sorry about the long description but wanted to accurately explain the issue.

I would prefer to keep costs down but more importantly want to do this right and do it once.

Not sure if anyone else has had issue with their RF stereo??

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

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I've had the same issue with my wet sounds bt controller. I also just purchased a set of rev 10's and about to buy either the 420sq or the Bluetooth 420.  I've also wondered if I'd have the same outcome

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3 hours ago, tfalcon said:

I added a Wetsounds Bluetooth dongle to the unit when I purchased it.

First, exactly where did you interface the BT to the audio system? to the head unit's AUX or the AUX on the back of the WS-420? 

 

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12 minutes ago, MLA said:

First, exactly where did you interface the BT to the audio system? to the head unit's AUX or the AUX on the back of the WS-420? 

 

Thats a good question

I will need to go to garage and follow wiring. When I purchased the boat it was done before I picked it up. 

Then the stereo company that looked at it later said they wired it in a more direct path. 

I will go dig around and get back to you

Thank you

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1 hour ago, tfalcon said:

Thats a good question

I will need to go to garage and follow wiring. When I purchased the boat it was done before I picked it up. 

Then the stereo company that looked at it later said they wired it in a more direct path. 

I will go dig around and get back to you

Thank you

Im just thinking that the WS 420 was removed in summer because the stereo guy thought that was the issue. ....It didn't stop the issue.

So BT was connected head unit's AUX.

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38 minutes ago, tfalcon said:

So BT was connected head unit's AUX.

Certainly is now. Just wondering if it was ever connected to the 420. Connected to the head unit and no noise in other modes such as tuner or USB, eliminates the 420 as the issue. 

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I have this problem with my ws420 w/bt controller as well, so bad in fact, I don't even use it and just plug my phone in directly. 

Once my phone is plugged in directly, all "whining" goes away.

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Been there done this! I have all of the fore mentioned parts and pieces except my 420 is not BT. Providing all of your grounds are good and on a common point, I bet a new M235 that the issue is on the amp board some how partly connected to that P.O.S. RFX-3000 (black box). The RFX-MR5BB is just a remote and if all of your functions work on it and the MV I would say you can discount it as the issue. If the 55BB is not plugged in all of the way to the RFX-3000 or otherwise not functioning correctly (at least IME) you will have a lack of functions for some options, but no buzz in my case. I bet in the installation process the BT or something on the dreaded RFX got bumped or disconnected causing the feedback. For me I fought the electrical connections on that SOB for 3 years until I finally gave up and cut all of the wire connections and soldered everything I could and wire loom strain relieved everything else after electrical taping to an obscene degree. Not a problem since! @MLA steered me straight on hooking up the 420 directly to the RFX-3000 so all of my functions work from my iPhone, at least what was available for a 2010, thanks again MLA.I would check behind the amp board first and I bet you find the issue. 

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1 hour ago, MLA said:

Certainly is now. Just wondering if it was ever connected to the 420. Connected to the head unit and no noise in other modes such as tuner or USB, eliminates the 420 as the issue. 

 As far as I can tell, BT was connected to the head unit since it's original install when I purchased boat last winter.

 

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1 hour ago, wdr said:

Been there done this! I have all of the fore mentioned parts and pieces except my 420 is not BT. Providing all of your grounds are good and on a common point, I bet a new M235 that the issue is on the amp board some how partly connected to that P.O.S. RFX-3000 (black box). The RFX-MR5BB is just a remote and if all of your functions work on it and the MV I would say you can discount it as the issue. If the 55BB is not plugged in all of the way to the RFX-3000 or otherwise not functioning correctly (at least IME) you will have a lack of functions for some options, but no buzz in my case. I bet in the installation process the BT or something on the dreaded RFX got bumped or disconnected causing the feedback. For me I fought the electrical connections on that SOB for 3 years until I finally gave up and cut all of the wire connections and soldered everything I could and wire loom strain relieved everything else after electrical taping to an obscene degree. Not a problem since! @MLA steered me straight on hooking up the 420 directly to the RFX-3000 so all of my functions work from my iPhone, at least what was available for a 2010, thanks again MLA.I would check behind the amp board first and I bet you find the issue. 

What your saying does make sense because I was in stereo shop and they had problem fixed , then it would come back out of nowhere while we were listening to it??

It would be temporarily fixed then come back a few times before BT was unplugged.

I will look around and see what I can find.

Thanks for your help, its appreciated.

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1 hour ago, Cmb396 said:

I have this problem with my ws420 w/bt controller as well, so bad in fact, I don't even use it and just plug my phone in directly. 

Once my phone is plugged in directly, all "whining" goes away.

Do you have a RF head unit?

I have resorted to plugging in to the S video cable in glove box and that removed the whining but cable is temperamental and when I hit some medium+ waves it usually changes the mode on stereo or sound just gets cut off.

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8 hours ago, tfalcon said:

Do you have a RF head unit?

I have resorted to plugging in to the S video cable in glove box and that removed the whining but cable is temperamental and when I hit some medium+ waves it usually changes the mode on stereo or sound just gets cut off.

Yes. Everything is oem, it's a 2013. The only change I've made so far is adding the the 420 w/bt controller.

I went that route bc I read so many reviews that the 420bt was bad about interference, and a 420 with a bt controller was not.

Once I plug my phone directly into the MP3 jack in the glove box, all whining goes away. Certainly defeats the point of having bt!

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10 hours ago, Cmb396 said:

Once my phone is plugged in directly,

too what and by what means?  

As you can read, the OP has had his EQ removed and the problem still exist, so it rules out the EQ.

Have you worked with your Wet Sounds retailer/installer to insure the device and the entire audio system is wired properly? In most cases, we find that the noise is not created by faulty equipment, but rather a result of how the equipment is wired as it relates to the rest of the audio equipment. 

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9 hours ago, tfalcon said:

 As far as I can tell, BT was connected to the head unit since it's original install when I purchased boat last winter.

 

Id be willing to bet, that the BT-VC is not wired to the system in the most ideal manor.  

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4 hours ago, MLA said:

Id be willing to bet, that the BT-VC is not wired to the system in the most ideal manor.  

That makes a lot of sense, but unfortunately for me I don't have the knowledge as to what would be a better way to wire it.

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12 hours ago, jonyb said:

tfalcon, are you from the Nashville area?  I talked to a guy at the Murray KY boat show with the same issue, and a boat dealer that wasn't much help on audio.

I am in Canada.

Vancouver BC area.

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