Professional Car Stereo Installation

[l2ice rocketz]

I was wondering if anyone know's where you can go to take a class for this? And then get certification or whatever? I think I might take a job at a Best Buy someday in the near future. Bit of a hobby i picked up I guess. Wanna learn more about it.

[B16EJ1]

Most technical colleges have an auto tech program. They should have classes for electronics.

[Melt]

I could do a better job than most of the best buy installers and I dont have any certifications or anything and am not necessarily mechanically inclined. Just read the instructions that come with the deck, and then wire that shit to the harness and you are done.

Wiring a sub or amps is a little bit harder, but you can get full kits with everything you need to do that too ..

So how many audio threads you going to start here?

[DarkImportGrey]

Hey now, I am MECP (mobile electronics certified professional) and I have worked at Best Buy both installing and selling. You can get certified for MECP by getting online at the MECP website and going through their exam. I recommend you buy the study guide and do the practice exams on their website. An MECP certificate will get you a LOT of jobs. The key however that makes a good installer is experience and cleanliness of installations. An MECP certificate doesn't mean shit if you do a shitty job, places will can you right away.

[gunnmen01]

Whats the mecp website addy? that cert will look good next to my ase ones, and my gunsmithing degree, and my associates degree...ehehehe


gunnmen01

[MyFirst4G]

Originally posted by gunnmen01
Whats the mecp website addy?

yea, i wanna know also!

[Civic Rush]

here ya go.................http://www.ce.org/certifications/mecp/default.asp

It is a really good thing to have....I have to retake mine in june...GRRRRRR

[amy@af]

Originally posted by Melt
I could do a better job than most of the best buy installers and I dont have any certifications or anything and am not necessarily mechanically inclined. Just read the instructions that come with the deck, and then wire that shit to the harness and you are done.

Wiring a sub or amps is a little bit harder, but you can get full kits with everything you need to do that too ..

you have no idea what the hell you are talking about. so you wired a deck....wheeeeeee! that is like paint by numbers. following directions. if you are better than the guys at best buy.....then why did you have to PAY to have your ALARM INSTALLED?

DarkImportGrey
An MECP certificate will get you a LOT of jobs. The key however that makes a good installer is experience and cleanliness of installations. An MECP certificate doesn't mean shit if you do a shitty job, places will can you right away.

perfect example....there was a guy who was just working at the shop. walking around talking about 2 yrs schooling. but when it came down to it....the book knowledge didn't cut it. he was SLOW. you need technique. you can't get that from books. anyone can hook up some wires in an unlimited amount of time. but an installer runs wires in an efficent amount of time.

l2ice rocketz, get MECP certified. if you get a job at best buy, or anywhere, try and find the most experienced person there and soak up their thecnique like a sponge. watch and ask questions

[DarkImportGrey]

exactly LadyNRedSi. experience is everything in this business.

[crxlvr]

i aint certified in shit for mobile electronics and me and my friends have done some nice installs in our cars, that im sure will rival any best buy job out there.

here is a pic of my amp install

[Civic Rush]

Originally posted by LadyNRedSi


perfect example....there was a guy who was just working at the shop. walking around talking about 2 yrs schooling. but when it came down to it....the book knowledge didn't cut it. he was SLOW. you need technique. you can't get that from books. anyone can hook up some wires in an unlimited amount of time. but an installer runs wires in an efficent amount of time.

l2ice rocketz, get MECP certified. if you get a job at best buy, or anywhere, try and find the most experienced person there and soak up their thecnique like a sponge. watch and ask questions

Ami you could'nt be any more right.....Just because you have a peice of paper that says you know what you are doing....does not exactly mean you really know what you are doing.....

and as for the advise that she gave you l2ice rocketz.....Do that for sure....get the feel for their thecnique and then you can make it your own you could say.....You really have to be in this business to learn this business...

Alot of people can make something that is ok looking and what not...but an installer can take that something and make it sound good..

[DarkImportGrey]

The main thing about Best Buy specifically is that they do not do custom installs. The most custom work they do is to possibly mount the amps on the back of the back seat. Best Buy, however, is a VERY good training ground for anyone who wants to learn a lot then work their way into a custom homegrown shop. Best Buy doesn't exactly sell high end equipment, but for the most part the employees know what they are talking about (the car audio training is actually quite good), and they're not out for a commission (they don't work on commission) so they can take just as much care selling you 100 dollar deck as a 700 dollar amp. I worked at Best Buy, and I loved it, except for the corporate structure that they had in place. I had like 6 bosses breathing down my neck, and it impared me from providing the best service to the customers because I also had to please my higher-ups by trying to sell a lot of over priced accessories.

I was expected to sell at least 60 bucks worth of accessories on every deck, and it as quite difficult to pull off in situations where a 16 year old kid who just scraped together 100 bucks comes in and wants a CD player for his car. I want to get these people the most for their money, and more often then not, this does not include worthless accessories.

My rant is done....

[l2ice rocketz]

Whoa.. well thats a lot of good advice. Yesh.. I've gotten some pretty good technique down from doing stereo's and speakers etc in other peoples' cars. Yea.. I've even corrected people's horrible crimping jobs and stuff. Even fix electrical short problems in people's cars. I even read the Car Stereo Cookbook as my Bible. =P Yea, Im a nut for this kinda stuff. Im so desperate for experience, I offer radio installation for a coke and 2 rides in a car (since i aint got a license right now). Heh

[Melt]

you have no idea what the hell you are talking about. so you wired a deck....wheeeeeee! that is like paint by numbers. following directions. if you are better than the guys at best buy.....then why did you have to PAY to have your ALARM INSTALLED?

Dont forget about my amp, subs, bumper lenses, corner lenses, and quite a few other things. I had to pay for the alarm install because its a fairly complicated thing to do and I didnt want to fuck it up. My car has to run 80 miles a day 5 days a week, which is why I havent really done any engine mods. Ocassionaly when things go wrong on my car I can drive my moms accord to school, but I cant be doing that shit all the time because my mom needs her car.

Im starting to wonder if I should even come to the may 10th meet, because the way you always seem to be all up on me when I make a comment, doesnt seem like I will be welcomed and then like last time, people with shittier cars than mine will love to give advice on what "I should do"

[91EF3ZC]

I have been MECP certified for abot 10 years. I have been working at the same store for about 9 years. And I get a lot of Best Buy F@#%-ups at my shop as well. The biggest complaint I hear is, "my car had bass untill I got my radio at Best Buy" HHMMMM? why would that be? Well I guess if you put "SPEAKER SAVERS" on all your installs you would definiately have no bass. For all of you unfamiliar with "spaeker Savers" they are commonly known as "bass blockers".
Best Buy hires a buch of kids who have no clue what they are doing, pay them shit, and do shit work. If you really want to learn some real car audio, mobil electronics and mobil video, get into a specialty shop. Idependently owned, with some veterian installers, who have been around and can show you some real installations. study the MECP guide and take the test. you need to get some real world experiance(sp).
doing alarms and remote starts are so important today. and most of the current cars out there are not easy anymore. you have so much to deal with when you do a remote start. some cars are cake, 1hr 30min, some cars will take you all day, and thats with experiance(sp).
do you home work, learn what ever you can, make friends at some shops, sell yourself. I have had customers of mine become my employees, and good friends. I is a really fun job, I make a good living.
I have fun at work, work on some really nice cars, and some real shit boxes too. go for it, you'll love it, and stay away from Best Buy!!! No offense to anyone, but............I've seen it all.

Mike