Rockford Fosgate Polaris PMX-P2 Operation Manual

PMX-P2

Installation assistance available at:

OPERATION MANUAL

rockfordfosgate.com

Direct: [phone] • Toll Free: [phone]

600 South Rockford Drive • Tempe, Arizona 85281 United States

071619 1230-72994-01-B Printed In China

Introduction

Dear Customer,

Congratulations on your purchase of the world’s finest brand
of audio products. At Rockford Fosgate we are fanatics about
musical reproduction at its best, and we are pleased you chose
our product. Through years of engineering expertise, hand
crasmanship and critical testing procedures, we have created a
wide range of products that reproduce music with all the clarity
and richness you deserve.

For maximum performance we recommend you have your new
Rockford Fosgate product installed by an Authorized Rockford
Fosgate Dealer. Please read your warranty and retain your
receipt and original carton for possible future use.

Great product and competent installations are only a piece of
the puzzle when it comes to your system. Make sure that your
installer is using 100% authentic installation accessories from
Rockford Fosgate in your installation. Rockford Fosgate has
everything from RCA cables and speaker wire to power wire
and battery connectors. Insist on it! Aer all, your new system
deserves nothing but the best.

To add the finishing touch to your new Rockford Fosgate image,
order your Rockford accessories, which include everything from
T-shirts to hats.

Visit our web site for the latest information on all Rockford
products;

www.rockfordfosgate.com
or, in the U.S. call 1-800-669-9899 or FAX [phone]. For all
other countries, call +001-480-967-3565 or FAX [phone].

Table of Contents

2 Introduction

3 Specifications

4 Design Features

5-8 Operation

Settings
Tuner (AM/FM/WB)
USB-iPod

®

Bluetooth

®

Pandora

9 Troubleshooting

10-25 French, Spanish, German & Italian

26-27 Notes

28 Limited Warranty Information

©2019 Rockford Corporation. All Rights Reserved. PUNCH® and associated logos where applicable, are registered trademarks of Rockford Corporation in the
United States and/or other countries. iPhone and iPod are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. The Bluetooth® word mark and
logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Rockford Corporation is under license. All other trademarks are
the property of their respective owners. Specifications subject to change without notice.

“Made for iPod” and “Made for iPhone” mean that an electronic accessory has been designed to connect specifically to iPod, or iPhone, respectively, and has
been certified by the developer to meet Apple performance standards. Apple is not responsible for the operation of this device or its compliance with safety
and regulatory standards. Please note that the use of this accessory with iPod or iPhone may aect wireless performance.

Pandora, the Pandora logo, and the Pandora trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of Pandora Media, Inc. Used with permission. Pandora is
only available in certain countries. Please visit http://www.pandora.com/legal for more information.

If, aer reading your manual, you still have questions regarding
this product, we recommend that you see your Rockford Fosgate
dealer. If you need further assistance, you can call us direct at
1-800-669-9899. Be sure to have your serial number, model num­ber and date of purchase available when you call.

PRACTICE SAFE SOUND

Continuous exposure to sound pressure levels over 100dB

may cause permanent hearing loss. High powered auto
sound systems may produce sound pressure levels well

over 130dB. Use common sense and practice safe sound.

Safety

This symbol with “WARNING” is
intended to alert the user to the pres­ence of important instructions. Failure
to heed the instructions could result in
severe injury or death.

This symbol with “CAUTION” is
intended to alert the user to the pres­ence of important instructions. Failure
to heed the instructions could result in
injury or unit damage.

To prevent injury and damage to the unit, please read and follow
the instructions in this manual.

If you feel unsure about installing this system yourself, have it
installed by a qualified Rockford Fosgate dealer.

Before installation, disconnect the battery negative (-) terminal to
prevent damage to the unit, fire and/or possible injury.

FCC Compliance Statement

FCC ID: 2AA7S-PMX-P2
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the

limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC
Rules. These limits are designed to provide more reasonable pro­tection against harmful interference in a residential installation.

Operation is subjected to the following two conditions: (1) This
device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) the device
must accept any interference received, including interference that
may cause undesired operation.

This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communica­tions. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not
occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause
harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be
determined by turning the equipment o and on, you are encour­aged to try to correct the interference by one of the following
measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit dierent from
that to which the receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for
help.

2

Model PMX-P2

Operating Voltage 10.5V - 16V

Fuse Rating 20A

Power Output

Output Impedance 500Ω

Frequency Response 20 - 20kHz

FM Frequency Range 87.5MHz - 107.9MHz

AM Frequency Range 530kHz - 1710kHz

WB Frequency Range

Tuner Presets 18 FM / 12 AM / 6 WB

Display 2.7” Color TFT

Bluetooth 3.0+EDR, A2DP 1.3

USB Compatibility 2.0

USB Capacity

USB Output 1A

Made for iPhone Model Names-

Made for iPod Model Names

Android Compatibility Bluetooth® Only

32 GB max, 255 Folders max,

25 W X 4 @ 4 Ohms RMS

50 W x 4 @ 2 Ohms Peak

162.40 - 162.55

(US & Canada)

999 Songs max

iPhone 6 Plus

iPhone 6
iPhone 5S
iPhone 5C

iPhone 5
iPhone 4S

iPhone 4

iPhone 3GS

iPod Touch (5th generation)
iPod Touch (4th generation)
iPod Nano (7th generation)
iPod Nano (6th generation)

Specifications

Audio File Compatibility MP3, WMA

CEA 2006

Power ratings on Rockford Fosgate source units conform to CEA-2006 industry standards. These guide­lines mean your source unit’s output power ratings are REAL POWER numbers, not inflated marketing
ratings.

3

Design Features

Rotary Encoder

This knob is for adjusting main volume, zone
volumes, menu navigation and setting adjustments.

MENU button

Press & hold for 5 seconds to access the main
menu settings. Pressing will give you access to the
settings for the active source.

REV / FWD button

Use this button to skip back and forward through
channels or tracks with a press. Holding the button
down will activate manual seek mode.

SRC (Power) Button

This button allows you to switch
between sources (press) and power the
unit ON and OFF (press and hold).

SUB Buttons

These buttons allow you to adjust the subwoofer
output or rear line out UP or DOWN (0-20).

DIMMER button

Pressing this button will allow you to select
between the two brightness values for the display.

PLAY / PAUSE button

Press this button to play or pause your music.
This button also acts as a MUTE when the
source is in TUNER mode.

4

Fig. 1

Source Unit Settings

To access the source unit’s settings, press and hold
the MENU button until the options appear. Rotate the
encoder to scroll through the list of settings. Then press
the encoder button to select the setting you wish to
change. (BALANCE>FADER>AUDIO>VOLTAGE GAUGE>BT
PAIRING>BEEP>TUNER REGION>SOFTWARE>FACTORY
DEFAULT)

This source unit has a zero current draw when turned o. All of
your settings and presets will be saved along with your vehicles
battery during storage.

SOURCE

Press the SRC button to show the dierent source options (FM
TUNER>AM TUNER>USB>BLUETOOTH>PANDORA). Use the ro­tary encoder or press the SRC button to scroll through sources.
If a source is GREYED out, that means it is not available. An ex­ample would be Bluetooth is greyed out because the Bluetooth
mobile device is not connected yet.

Once the Bluetooth mobile device is connected, Bluetooth
source selection will be available. See BT Device Pairing for
connecting your mobile device.

BALANCE

Press the encoder button to access BALANCE adjustment
settings. Rotate the encoder button to set output BALANCE.

FADER

Press the encoder button to access FADER adjustment settings.
Rotate the encoder button to set output FADER.

AUDIO

To access the AUDIO settings, press the AUDIO option from the
MENU screen. Rotate the encoder to scroll through the list of
settings. Then press the encoder button to select the setting
you wish to change. (7 BAND EQ>CROSSOVER>PEQ>SOURCE
GAIN>INTERNAL AMPLIFIER)

7 BAND EQ

Press the encoder button to access the 7 BAND EQ settings.
Use the rotary encoder to scroll through the EQ settings. (FLAT
> ROCK > CLASSIC > ACOUSTIC > DANCE > ELECTRONIC > HIP­HOP > CUSTOM) When setting up the CUSTOM EQ, press the
encoder button to set the first frequency. Once active, rotate
the encoder to adjust the frequency settings. Press encoder
button again to access the next frequency. Repeat until all EQ
settings are complete. Press the MENU button to exit and go
back up one level.

CROSSOVER

Settings

Press to access the CROSSOVER settings. Use the
rotary encoder to select the crossover zone options
(FRONT>REAR>SUB). Press the encoder to adjust the frequency
of the crossover (60Hz>80Hz>120Hz>APF). Press MENU to exit
and go back up one level.

PUNCH EQ

Press to access the PUNCH EQ settings. Use the rotary encoder
to adjust the gain output (0-12). Press MENU to exit and go back
up one level.

Punch EQ is an onboard equalizer with up to +18dB @ 45Hz
and/or up to +12dB boost at 12.5kHz

SOURCE GAIN

To adjust the level of device input gain, scroll
through the inputs (FM TUNER>AM TUNER>WB
TUNER>USB>BLUETOOTH>PANDORA) to the device you want
to adjust, press the encoder button to access the gain settings.
Rotate the encoder button to set the level of gain. (-3dB > -2dB
> -1dB > 0dB > +1dB > +2dB > +3dB)

INTERNAL AMPLIFIER

Press to access the INTERNAL AMPLIFIER options. Use the
rotary encoder to select options (ON>OFF). When using
an amplifier to power your speakers, select OFF. If you are
powering your speakers directly from the source unit, select the
INTERNAL AMPLIFIER to ON.

VOLTAGE GAUGE

To display the vehicle voltage, press the encoder button on the
VOLTAGE GAUGE option.

BT DEVICE PAIRING

Press the encoder button to access options (DISCOVERABLE >
DEVICE).

DISCOVERABLE

This is used to determine if the units Bluetooth is discoverable
or not. You can either select ENABLE (allows Bluetooth devices
to discover PMX-P2) or DISABLE (PMX-P2 is not able to be
discovered by Bluetooth devices). When ENABLE is selected,
the PMX-P2 is now ready for pairing to your Bluetooth mobile
device. Open the Bluetooth settings on your mobile device to
find your source unit labeled “ROCKFORD PMX” and select.

DEVICE

Selecting DEVICE by pressing the encoder button will allow you
to rename the source unit with up to 16 characters. This gives
you the ability to have a unique name for easy identification
during device pairing. Press the encoder button to select the
letter to be changed and rotate the knob to change the value.
Repeat process until desired name is reached.

BEEP

Press the encoder button to access the BEEP options. Rotate
the encoder button to turn system beep ON/ OFF.

TUNER REGION

To adjust, press the encoder button to access. Rotate
the encoder button to select the TUNER REGION of your
preference. (EUROPE > USA > RUSSIA > LATIN > ASIA > JAPAN >
MIDEAST > AUSTRALIA)

SOFTWARE

VERSION - Press the encoder button to display the current
firmware version of the unit.

5

Settings

UPDATE - Press the encoder button to update the firmware.
Follow the instructions on the screen when updating.

THEME

To adjust the THEME, press the encoder to access the feature.
Rotate the encoder button to select the desired THEME (DAY,
NIGHT).
DAY – Screen will have a White background with Black
Lettering.
NIGHT – Screen will have Black background with White
lettering.

FACTORY DEFAULT

AUDIO – Press the encoder button to access. Rotate the
encoder button to select YES/NO. Selecting YES will reset your
unit back to factory default settings.

SYSTEM - Press the encoder button to access. Rotate the
encoder button to select YES/NO. Selecting YES will reset your
unit back to factory default settings.

Basic Operation

TURNING THE UNIT ON / OFF

Press and hold the SRC (Power) button to turn the unit ON or
OFF

ADJUSTING THE VOLUME

Rotate encoder knob le or right to desired volume level (0-40).
The current volume level will be displayed during adjustment.

ADJUSTING THE SUBWOOFER OUTPUT

Press the SUB + or SUB- buttons to adjust the output level
(0-20).

ADJUSTING THE SCREEN BRIGHTNESS

Press the SCREEN BRIGHTNESS button to adjust the brightness
level. There are two brightness levels.

SELECTING A SOURCE TO PLAY

Press the SRC button to show the dierent source options (FM
TUNER>AM TUNER>WB TUNER>USB>BLUETOOTH>PANDORA).
Use the rotary encoder or press the SRC button to scroll
through sources.

Tuner Operation (FM/AM/WB)

To operate, use the rotary encoder to select the tuner source
you want to listen to (FM>AM>WB).

To switch between AUTO and MANUAL SEEK modes, press and
hold either the FWD or REV buttons.

To AUTO SEEK stations, press the FWD and REV buttons. To
MANUAL SEEK stations, press and hold the FWD and REV

buttons to tune to the desired frequency.

To MUTE the TUNER, press the PLAY/PAUSE button.

FM BAND SETTINGS

To access the FM BAND SETTINGS, press the MENU when
using the FM TUNER source. This will give you access to
the settings specific to the FM TUNER (FM>PRESETS>ADD
PRESETS>REMOVE PRESETS>AUTO STORE>LOCAL).

PRESETS

Press the encoder button to access the PRESETS list. Using this
feature allows you to see what PRESETS are saved on the unit.

ADD PRESETS

Press the encoder button on the ADD PRESETS option. You will
need to be on both the station and PRESET group you want to
add first (FM1>FM2>FM3). Using this feature allows you to save
stations to the unit. Once selected, use the rotary encoder to
select the PRESET number (1-6) you want the station saved to.

REMOVE PRESETS

Press the encoder button on the REMOVE PRESETS option. You
will need to be under the PRESET group you want to adjust first
(FM1>FM2>FM3). Using this feature allows you to remove saved
stations on the unit. Once selected, use the rotary encoder
to select the PRESET number (1-6) of the station you want
removed.

FM

Press the encoder button to access the FM PRESET options
(FM>FM>FM). Using this feature allows you to have separate
tuner preset groups to choose from. Use the rotar y encoder
button to scroll through the TUNER groups and press to select
the group.

AUTO STORE

Press the encoder button to access the AUTO STORE function.
You will need to be under the PRESET group you want to adjust
first (FM1>FM2>FM3). This feature automatically stores presets
on the unit. It will stop when presets 1-6 are set. Select the next
PRESET group and repeat to fill next set.

LOCAL

Press the encoder button to access the LOCAL options. Once
selected, use the rotary encoder to select ON or OFF. The local
option tunes to nearby radio stations with suiciently strong
signals for good reception. In areas where reception is poor,
switching to distance tuning enables the unit to tune in to more
distant stations. Distance tuning is the default.

AM BAND SETTINGS

To access the AM BAND SETTINGS, press the MENU when
using the AM TUNER source. This will give you access to
the settings specific to the AM TUNER (AM>PRESETS>ADD
PRESETS>REMOVE PRESETS>AUTO STORE>LOCAL).

PRESETS

Press the encoder button to access the PRESETS list. Using this
feature allows you to see what PRESETS are saved on the unit.

ADD PRESETS

Press the encoder button on the ADD PRESETS option. You will
need to be on both the station and PRESET group you want
to add first (AM1>AM2). Using this feature allows you to save

6

stations to the unit. Once selected, use the rotary encoder to
select the PRESET number (1-6) you want the station saved to.

REMOVE PRESETS

Press the encoder button on the REMOVE PRESETS option.
You will need to be under the PRESET group you want to adjust
first (AM1>AM2). Using this feature allows you to remove saved
stations on the unit. Once selected, use the rotary encoder
to select the PRESET number (1-6) of the station you want
removed.

AM

Press the encoder button to access the FM PRESET options
(AM1>AM2). Using this feature allows you to have separate
tuner preset groups to choose from. Use the rotar y encoder
button to scroll through the TUNER groups and press to select
the group.

AUTO STORE

Press the encoder button to access the AUTO STORE function.
You will need to be under the PRESET group you want to adjust
first (AM1>AM2). This feature automatically stores presets on
the unit. It will stop when presets 1-6 are set. Select the next
PRESET group and repeat to fill next set.

LOCAL

Press the encoder button to access the LOCAL options. Once
selected, use the rotary encoder to select ON or OFF. The local
option tunes to nearby radio stations with suiciently strong
signals for good reception. In areas where reception is poor,
switching to distance tuning enables the unit to tune in to more
distant stations. Distance tuning is the default.

WB BAND SETTINGS

To access the WB BAND SETTINGS, press the MENU when using
the WB TUNER source. This will give you access to the settings
specific to the WB TUNER (PRESETS>ADD PRESETS>REMOVE
PRESETS).

PRESETS

Press the encoder button to access the PRESETS list. Using this
feature allows you to see what PRESETS are saved on the unit.

ADD PRESETS

Press the encoder button on the ADD PRESETS option. You will
need to be on both the station you want to add first. Using this
feature allows you to save stations to the unit. Once selected,
use the rotary encoder to select the PRESET number (1-6) you
want the station saved to.

REMOVE PRESETS

Press the encoder button on the REMOVE PRESETS option.
You will need to be under the PRESET group you want to adjust
first (AM1>AM2). Using this feature allows you to remove saved
stations on the unit. Once selected, use the rotary encoder
to select the PRESET number (1-6) of the station you want
removed.

Operation

USB (iPod) Operation

Aer your device is connected to the source unit, this feature
allows you to control playback from your device directly from
the source unit. Select the USB source option on the source
unit.

To play or pause a song, press the PLAY/PAUSE button.

To skip a track forward, press the FWD button. To skip a track
backwards, press the REV button.

To access USB specific settings, press the MENU button for the
list of settings (BROWSER>REPEAT>SHUFFLE). Use the encoder
to select the option to change.

BROWSER

Press the encoder button to access the BROWSER options (PLA
YLISTS>ARTISTS>ALBUMS>GENRES>SONGS>COMPOSERS>AU
DIOBOOKS>PODCASTS). Using this feature allows you to search
for tracks or songs by dierent types of categories.

REPEAT

Press the encoder button to access the REPEAT feature options
(OFF>ONE>ALL).

SHUFFLE

Press the encoder button to access the SHUFFLE feature
options (OFF>ALL). This feature allows you to set your
preference on shuling tracks or songs.

NOTE: When using a USB extension cable, it must be a Rockford
Fosgate powered extension cable (part # PMX-USBEXT). The
cable is 33 feet (10 meters).

7

Operation

Bluetooth® Operation

Aer your device is paired to the source unit, this feature
allows you to control playback from your device directly from
the source unit. Select the BLUETOOTH source option on the
source unit.

To play or pause a song, press the PLAY/PAUSE button.

To skip a track forward, press the FWD button. To skip a track
backwards, press the REV button.

To access BLUETOOTH specific settings, press the MENU button
for the list of settings (BROWSER>REPEAT>SHUFFLE). Use the
encoder to select the option to change.

BROWSER

Press the encoder button to access the BROWSER options (PLA
YLISTS>ARTISTS>ALBUMS>GENRES>SONGS>COMPOSERS>AU
DIOBOOKS>PODCASTS). Using this feature allows you to search
for tracks or songs by dierent types of categories.

REPEAT

Press the encoder button to access the REPEAT feature options
(OFF>ONE>ALL). This feature allows you to set your preference
on the amount of times a track or song will repeat.

SHUFFLE

Press the encoder button to access the SHUFFLE feature
options (OFF>ALL). This feature allows you to set your
preference on shuling tracks or songs.
NOTE: When the device is initially paired, the volume on the
device will be roughly at half volume. You will need to turn
the volume all the way up on the connected device prior to
level setting. The device will remain at maximum volume aer
initially setting and when it re-pairs to the source unit.

This feature allows you to control the Pandora® app from the
source unit directly (Android users will have to use Bluetooth
only, iOS users can use both USB and Bluetooth). You will need
to start the Pandora® app on your device first, then select the
Pandora® source option on the source unit. To use the “Thumbs
Up” feature, press and hold the SUB+ button. To use the
“Thumbs down” feature, press and hold the SUB - button.

To play or pause a song, press the PLAY/PAUSE button.

To skip a track forward, press the FWD button.

To access Pandora® specific settings, press the MENU button
for the list of settings (STATIONS>BOOKMARKS>STATIONS
MANAGE). Use the encoder to select the option to change.

STATIONS

To adjust, press the encoder button to access. Rotate the
encoder button to select your options (SHUFFLE>SORT DATE/A­Z>STATIONS). Selecting the SHUFFLE option will shule your
stations and selecting the SORT feature will sort your stations
by date added or alphabetically. You can also select your saved
stations directly from this list.

BOOKMARKS

To BOOKMARK an artist or track that is playing, press
the encoder button to display your BOOKMARK options
(ARTIST>TRACK). Select the option you wish to use for
bookmarking.

Pandora, the Pandora logo, and the Pandora trade dress are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Pandora Media, LLC.
Used with permission. Pandora is only available in certain
countries. Please visit http://www.pandora.com/legal for more
information.

8

Symptom Diagnosis Remedy

Basic

Blown fuse Check fuse of the unit, replace with correct rating.

Troubleshooting

Source unit does not turn on.

Tuner fails to tune any stations

Unable to tune stations in seek
mode

USB device cannot be inserted

USB device is not recognized

No sound heard with the
display “No File” shown

Sound skips or is noisy

Vehicle’s ignition is o

Unit is not properly grounded Check wiring and repair as necessary.

Radio Tuner

No antenna or disconnected or
open connection in cable

You are in a weak signal area Make sure the tuner LOC mode is o.

USB Devices

The USB device has been inserted
in the wrong direction

The USB device connector is
broken

The USB device is damaged

Connectors are loose

No MP3/WMA files are stored on
the USB device

MP3/WMA files are not created
properly

If connected following the instructions, the unit will
not operate with ignition o.

Check all connections and repair as necessary.

Reversing the connection direction of the USB
device, try reinserting.

Replace with a new USB device.

Disconnect USB device and reconnect. If the device
is still not recognized, try replacing with a dier­ent USB device.USB does not work with Android
devices.

Store these files properly on the USB device. USB
does not work with Android devices.

Use MP3/WMA files that are encoded correctly.

Bluetooth source volume is
lower than other sources

Bluetooth

Bluetooth from device is not at
maximum volume

9

Turn the volume on the device to maximum level