Author: 12VoltNews

XS Power Batteries Acquires Ultracapacitor Manufacturer Ioxus

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KNOXVILLE, TN (04.13.2020) – XS Power Batteries has announced its acquisition of all of the assets of New York-based ultracapacitor manufacturer, Ioxus, Inc.

Ioxus HQ

Ioxus will continue to manufacture the same great quality products through Systematic Power Manufacturing, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Systematic Power Solutions, LLC d/b/a XS Power Batteries. Existing customer orders will continue to ship on schedule with no foreseeable delays in the manufacturing and delivery process. The company will continue to push the envelope with new product development and advancements in the ultracapacitor industry.

“For many years XS Power Batteries has partnered with Ioxus to offer ultracapacitor products to our customers because Ioxus has always offered the most reliable, powerful and longest lasting product suitable for the rigorous demands of our customers,” stated Scottie Johnson, founder and CEO of XS Power Batteries. “The opportunity to combine the synergistic technologies and expertise of both companies to develop and manufacture cutting edge new products, including high tech lithium batteries, smart charging solutions and new hybrid capacitor and battery solutions will propel both brands forward much further than ever possible individually.”

Chad Hall, Co-Founder of Ioxus, Inc. also commented, “For most applications, ultracapacitors were always intended to complement batteries, not replace them. With the streamlined collaboration under common ownership, XS Power Batteries and Ioxus will be able to expand their offerings to their respective customers and supply more advanced hybridized energy storage options in the future.”

Visit www.xspowerbatteries.com and www.ioxus.com or for more.

CE Guys to Represent and Distribute Braille Battery Products in 12 Midwestern States and Hawaii

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CHICAGO, IL (04.13.2020) – “We are extremely excited to announce that we are the rep and distributor for Braille Battery in the Midwest and Hawaii. We have stock and are ready to ship to dealers” stated Michael Foundation stated.

Braille Battery is a US manufacturer of high end Lithium ION and AGM batteries for cars, SUV’s, trucks, motorcycles, UTV/ATV,s, high performance race cars, boats, golf carts and RV’s.

Contact CE Guys to find out how to become an authorized dealer in the following states: IL, WI, MN, SD, ND, MO, IA, IN, KY, TN, 0H, MI and HI. CE Guys is a very aggressive rep firm and distributor based in Chicago IL focused on car audio, motorcycle, powersports and motorsports.

Visit ceguys.com and instagram.com/ceguys for more.

The 12volt Spin-To-Win Wheel Is Rolling In 2020. Audio by Art Wins

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SHREVEPORT LA (04.11.20)  WTF…Win This Friday. The 12volt Spin-to-Win Wheel was created to bring an element of fun to the 12volt industry. Two months ago we celebrated the first anniversary of the weekly 12volt Spin-To-Win Wheel.

The latest 12volt Spin-To-Win Wheel winner, number 71, is Audio by Art in San Antonio, TX. The Wheel landed on the Sirius XM space and a SVX300 tuner will be headed Art’s way.

Spinning out a new winner each Friday, a 12volt retailer can win a cool prize and top brands receive visibility across the marketplace.

Click to vew.

12volt brands with a space on the 12volt Spin-To-Win Wheel include Kicker, SiriusXM, Cadence, PowerBass, Sony, CRUX, DS18, SoundStream, AIS, Precision Power, JBL, Power Acoustik, Farenheit, Wilson Electronics and Image Dynamics. 12volt News $100. cash awards have spaces on the 12volt Spin-To-Wheel for a winning 12volt retailer.

Past winners of the 12volt Spin-To-Win include…Stereo & Video Center-Tyler TX, The Outlaw Garage-Franklin TN, Exotic Sounds-West Palm Beach FL, Endless Possibilities-Aurora IL., Go Auto Sound in Union City NJ, Al&Ed’s South Bay CA, No Limitz Car Audio in Upland CA, Neil’s Specialty-Eureka CA, Sturgess Customs-Lexington SC, Audio By Art-San Antonio TX, SMS Car Audio in Marreo LA and Sweet Wheelz in Mississauga Ontario Canada, Cartronics in Biscayne FL, The CarAudio Shop in St Louis MO, Exotic Sounds in West Palm Beach FL, High North Customs in Grand Prairie Alberta Canada and AMS Audio in Bakersfield CA, Team QRT in Abbeyville LA and California Sound in Fontana CA and Jackie Cooper Electronics, Oklahoma City OK, MARS Audio-Orlando FL, All American Audio in Nutley NJ, Proline Car Stereo in Brooklyn NY, Custom Shop Miami, Tunes and Tint in Lakeland FL, Mobile Concepts Inc in Mokena IL, Seismic Auto Sound in Concord CA, Brooklyn Car Audio in Brooklyn NY, Audio Solutions in Florence MS, Enhanced Customs in Largo FL, Rayco Auto Clinic, Audio Design in San Jose CA, Go Bass Mode in Florida, Avenue Sound in Freeport NY, Audio Plus in Riverview FL, Stereo Zone in Whittier CA, In-Phase Car Audio in Omaha NE, AutoLife Group, N&H Electronics, SK Customs, Land & Sea, The Audio One, NC Custom Shop,Tint World Orlando, Ricky Smith’s Audio, VIP Custom Woks, Mobile Audio Concepts, Audio Lad, Sound Sensations, Dave’s Stereo, Stereo Design, Badlands Customs, Custom Audio-Erie PA, Voltz Autosports-Bridgeport CT, Infinity Sound and Security-Kissimmee, Autosport Plus-Canton OH, Stereo City Pros in Carmichael CA, Devine Concepts in Naples FL, The Sound Shop in Indian Trail NC, Extreme Performance Audio in Fresno CA, Audio Depot in Arlington TX, Audio Security in Houston TX, Earmark Car Audio and Marine in Lewisville TX and Audio Jam in Bear DE. Congratulations to all.

WTF….Where’s The Fun. On the next spin of the 12volt Spin-to-Win Wheel Friday, April 17th.


Want to enter for future spins? It’s easy – when making an Instagram post for your store include the hashtag #12voltspin to make sure your company has a slip in the jar. There are over 1100 #12voltspin posts on Instagram.  

With 18 chances to WIN, the 12Volt Spin-To-Win Wheel is ready to shower a lucky weekly winner with one of the cool prizes.

Stay tuned to 12voltnews.com on the web and @12voltnews on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for 12volt Spin-To-Win winner announcements every Friday!

Thousands Attend AudioControl’s Online Training Sessions

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SEATTLE, WA (04.10.2020) – AudioControl has rolled out live online presentations for the 12-volt industry that have had over 15,000 views thus far via streaming on ZOOM and Facebook LIVE, providing training and overall excitement during these challenging days. Attendees are interacting with the trainers and asking thoughtful questions.

The AudioControl training session on Thursday, April 9th, was a terrific hour and a half for all who attended. Matt Palumbo was on camera with Chris Bennett adding great input as they covered the AudioControl amplifier line in detail. The duo provided a lot of information regarding features, specs and installation tips.

Matt Palumbo holds an AudioControl amplifier with the top plate in place.

At the conclusion of the session Chris and Matt answered several questions, in great detail, from dealers on the ZOOM call.

David Holland, Shiflet and Dickson, was on the call. Holland, an AudioControl distributor in the Carolinas, related to 12volt News “The AudioControl ZOOM call was really great. Those on the call learned so much about the amp line. Real world installation questions were answered in detail. It is super to see AudioControl supporting their customers with these online sessions”.

Block diagrams were posted during the presentation. Click image to enlarge.

The 12volt News was on the ZOOM Call and encourage industry members to tune into the AudioControl sessions every Thursday at 11 AM PST. Great job Matt and Chris. Your back and forth during the session was so very good!

“The energy and enthusiasm from these trainings has been phenomenal,” said Matthew Palumbo National Trainer & Sales Specialist at AudioControl. “The feedback we are receiving from trainees is incredibly positive and everyone is so grateful to have us jump right in and start doing meaningful, valuable trainings. We are hosting these trainings, open to all, every Thursday at 11am PST. That way everyone knows what day, and at what time, without having to look it up. We are putting lots of resources into these sessions, and they are growing every week.”

The AudioControl LC Amplifier Family was covered in detail during the ZOOM Call.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS CAN BE ACCESSED HERE

CONNECTIVITY LINKS BELOW:

The zoom link is: https://zoom.us/j/219359570 if you’d like to join us (recommended).

Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/audiocontrol

Visit audiocontrol.com for more.

SiriusXM Celebrates Holy Week and Easter Sunday with Special Religious Programming

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NEW YORK, NY (04.10.2020) – SiriusXM has announced special Holy Week and Easter Sunday programming across its religious channels, including Joel Osteen Radio, The Catholic Channel, The Billy Graham Channel, Kirk Franklin’s Praise, enLighten, and The Message. Coverage begins today, April 9.

With so many empty churches and houses of worship on Easter this year, SiriusXM will provide special programming so that listeners can remain connected in faith and celebration, all from the safety of their homes. Listeners will hear special live Masses and holy services from around the world, along with messages of hope, faith, love and inspiration, and Easter-themed worship music across the Christian Gospel community.

SiriusXM’s special faith-based programming is available to subscribers nationwide and to everyone – including anyone who is not already a SiriusXM subscriber – as part of SiriusXM’s recently announced free streaming access period through May 15. For more information and to start listening, visit: SiriusXM.com/streamfree.

The full Holy Week and Easter Programming schedule can be found below. All times are ET.

The Catholic Channel (Ch. 129)  
The Catholic Channel will air services and Holy Masses from around the globe.

Mass of The Lord’s Supper from St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City 
Airs: Holy Thursday at 5:30 pm

Meditations of The Seven Last Words from St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City
Airs: Good Friday at 12:00 pm and replays at 9:00 pm

Solemn Liturgy of The Lord’s Passion from St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City
Airs: Good Friday at 3:30 pm and replays at 12:30 am on Holy Saturday

Easter Vigil Mass from St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City celebrated by His Eminence Cardinal Timothy Dolan
Airs: Holy Saturday at 8:00 pm

Easter Mass from St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome celebrated by His Holiness Pope Francis 
Airs: Easter Sunday at 4:55 am with replays at 7:00 am & 5:00 pm

Easter Mass from St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City celebrated by His Eminence Cardinal Timothy Dolan
Airs: Easter Sunday at 10:00 am

Easter Mass from the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, California celebrated by Archbishop Jose Gomez
Airs: Easter Sunday at 1:00 pm and will replay at 9:00 pm

Easter Mass from the Basilica of The National Shrine of Immaculate Conception in Washington DC 
Airs: Easter Sunday at 3:00 pm

Joel Osteen Radio (Ch. 128)  
Celebrate with a special Good Friday service with Pastor John Gray and special message from Joel and Victoria.
Airs: Good Friday at 8:00 pm

Special Easter service at Lakewood Church with Joel and Victoria Osteen with special messages from Tyler Perry, Mariah Carey, & Kanye West & Sunday Service Choir
Airs: Easter Sunday at 9:30am, 12:00 pm, 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm

The Billy Graham Channel (Ch. 460)  
Hear special messages of hope and love from Billy Graham, Franklin Graham and Cissie Graham Lynch who remind listeners that they can live in peace, even in the midst of a global pandemic. Celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ with The Billy Graham Channel’s Easter service from New York’s Central Park with Franklin Graham and songs of celebration from Michael W. Smith. 
Airs: Easter Sunday at 12:00 pm, 3:00 pm, 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm.

The Message (Ch. 63)  
Easter Sunday Praise Virtual Guest DJ Special – The Message is celebrating Easter with a very special edition of their weekly Worship music show, “Sunday Praise.” Hear encouraging Worship music and Easter-themed song selections from Michael W. Smith, Natalie Grant, for KING & COUNTRY, Sidewalk Prophets, Meredith Andrews, Jason Gray, We Are Messengers, Big Daddy Weave, Danny Gokey, Matthew West, Matt Maher and many others, as several Message artists take turns as virtual guest DJs.
Airs: Easter Sunday 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Kirk Franklin’s Praise (Ch. 64)   
Kirk Franklin’s Praise will air their weekly show, “Good Vibes with Isaac Carree” and an Easter Special. Tune in for a mix of both traditional and contemporary Gospel music, and more.
Airs: Easter Sunday 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm

enLighten (Ch. 65)  
enLighten will be featuring resurrection-themed songs throughout the day, along with scripture readings highlighting the Resurrection, and special Easter editions of Homecoming Radio and The Gospel Greats:

Homecoming Radio Easter Edition – Bill Gaither’s Homecoming Radio celebrates the Christian world’s most important holiday by featuring songs of the Resurrection by Southern Gospel’s top artists, as well as thoughts from Bill’s panel of all-stars. 
Airs: Good Friday at 12:00 pm with rebroadcasts: Holy Saturday at 12:00 am, Easter Sunday at 7:00 pm

The Gospel Greats – Easter Edition – This week, Paul Heil celebrates Easter, featuring songs and artist commentary highlighting the Lord’s resurrection nearly 2,000 years ago – and what that means  today.
Airs: Holy Saturday at 6:00 pm, Easter Sunday at 8:00 pm, Tuesday at 10:00 pm

Easter on enLighten –Throughout the day, enLighten will feature songs of the Resurrection by Southern Gospel’s leading artists, as well as hourly scripture readings highlighting the Resurrection.
Airs: All day Easter Sunday

Visit siriusxm.com for more.

Midbass Distribution Limited and Aurigin Inc. Join Together in International Collaboration

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SUTTON COLDFIELD, UK & ATLANTA, GA (04.10.2020) – Midbass Distribution Limited is the master distributor of Vented Innovative Bass Enclosures (VIBE) Audio, founded in 1993, the first brand in the world to trademark the now-iconic alloy spun turbo port in all of its bass enclosures. The VIBE product line consists of speakers, amplifiers, subwoofers, powered enclosures, and installation accessories, is the UK’s biggest 12V car audio brand, and recipient of numerous European awards including the EISA award for best speaker in 2019.

Aurigin Inc. is owned by Scott Buwalda, who also founded Hybrid Audio Technologies in 2005. Hybrid Audio is best known for producing some of the world’s finest car audio speakers, subwoofers, and amplifiers, and have garnered more International Auto Sound Challenge Association (IASCA) wins than any other manufacturer in the past ten years. The company celebrates its 15th Anniversary in 2020 with a commemorative component set known as the “XV Series,” and planned release of their first DSP amplifier later this year.

The collaboration will include Aurigin Inc. warehousing and order fulfillment of VIBE products in the USA with sales and marketing coordination by Midbass from their UK offices, while Midbass assumes responsibility for Hybrid Audio Technologies warehousing and exclusive distribution through the European Union, EMEA, and the UK.

Jon Knowles, Head of 12V Midbass Distribution and Director of Sales for VIBE Audio stated “we are very happy to be taking big steps back into the US market, after an overly long time away. We now will have a mechanism in place to warehouse the VIBE products and ensure timely order delivery from Aurigin’s Georgia headquarters and a satellite fulfillment and support location in Chicago, Illinois.” Knowles went on to say “further, having the Hybrid Audio Technologies line-up in the EMEA fills a void in the high-end audio categories for us, and is a natural fit.”

“We formed Aurigin Inc. two years ago for this very purpose” explains Klifton Keplinger, VP of Sales for Aurigin and Hybrid Audio Technologies. “We are positioned well to be a warehousing and order fulfillment center for VIBE as they seek to grow their business in the USA.” Keplinger continues “furthermore, Midbass will be an asset to Hybrid Audio Technologies as the brand is proliferated throughout the UK and Europe, thanks to Midbass’s extensive distribution network which covers thirty countries in EMEA.”

Midbass will market both brands (VIBE in the USA and Hybrid Audio Technologies in UK and EMEA) as protected lines, with a focus on the specialist “brick and mortar” retailers. In Europe, the Hybrid Audio Technologies line completes the Midbass portfolio of products and bolsters the super high-end and SQ product lines currently not fulfilled by the company with VIBE Audio and EDGE Car Audio.

For more information on VIBE Audio, contact Jon Knowles, Director of Sales, Midbass Distribution Ltd. at jon.k@midbass.com, or by calling +44(0) 121 311 9090. For more information on Hybrid Audio Technologies, contact Klifton Keplinger of Aurigin Inc. at klifton@aurigin.us, or by calling toll-free 1.833.AURIGIN x.101.

Automotive Industry Groups Seek National Approach for Defining “Essential” Businesses

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WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 1, 2020) — The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), in partnership with eight other automotive trade associations, urged the National Governors Association and Governors of all 50 states to standardize the definition of essential businesses and workers. The groups recommend adoption of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) March 28 directive, “Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce: Ensuring Community and National Resilience in COVID-19 Response,” which identifies essential workers and business operations throughout the economy. DHS guidance clarifies that automotive repair, maintenance, and transportation equipment manufacturing and distribution facilities are “essential services” that are critical to ensuring the safe and ongoing operations of our nation’s transportation and logistics sector.

The organizations sending the letter represent companies that manufacture parts and supply services to help maintain the nation’s fleet of public and private vehicles during COVID-19—from cars, trucks and buses to police and emergency vehicles. The letter notes that Governors and local authorities have been making difficult decisions balancing “essential” commercial activities with “Shelter in Place” directives. It is important that states adopt the DHS Guidance, which provides a uniform national approach for protecting the country’s critical transportation and manufacturing needs.

Click here to view a PDF copy of the letter.

The letter was signed by the Auto Care Association, Automotive Oil Change Association, Automotive Service Association, California Automotive Business Coalition, Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association, Specialty Equipment Market Association, Tire Industry Association, Service Station Dealers of America and Allied Trades, U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association.

Visit sema.org for more.

AudioControl to Host LC Amplifier Web Training

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SEATTLE ,WA (04.09.2020) – This week will be the 4th installment of AudioControl’s training series broadcast on ZOOM and Facebook Live from the Company’s HQ in Seattle, WA.

On Thursday, April 9th at 11AM PST, Matt Palumbo-National Trainer and Chris Bennett-Director of Mobile Audio will focus on the AudioControl LC Series amplifiers. Palumbo related “We will cover what makes these amplifiers different and how to use these powerful, feature packed amplifiers in the most efficient way for better sounding installations.”

This presentation is the 4th in the series as the AudioControl Team is encouraging all practicing social distancing, and staying at home, to utilize their time to prepare to get back to work.

“The first 3 sessions have been well attended and we trust we will have a large audience for our 4th training session” Palumbo concluded.

The zoom link is: https://zoom.us/j/219359570 if you’d like to join us (recommended).

Otherwise you can watch via Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/audiocontrol

In the future, the plan is for Training Sessions to be edited and uploaded to YouTube.

Visit audiocontrol.com for more.

Nakamichi Car Audio Appoints Elite Sales & Marketing for Michigan

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MIAMI, FL (04.09.2020) – Diplomat Trading, exclusive U.S. agent for Nakamichi Car Audio, has announced the appointment of Elite Sales Marketing as the new Michigan sales representative. Elite will take over the state of Michigan from Audex Marketing and the retiring Bill Barron. 

“Bill did a great job sowing the seeds and launching the Michigan market to let everyone know that ‘Nak is back’ in the USA,” commented Robin McNeal, Nakamichi Car Audio National Sales Manager. “And now we are looking forward to continued growth with Neal.” 

Neal Batson – Rep Principal of Elite Sales & Marketing

Neal Batson is the rep principal of Elite Sales & Marketing and has covered the Michigan territory representing 12V manufacturers for over 18 years.

“Over the years Neal has built great relations with dealers throughout Michigan and the Motor City and we are pleased to have him as part of our nationwide rep force,” said McNeal.

Dealers interested in finding out more about Nakamichi can contact Neal Batson at (248) 765-9717 or nealtherep@gmail.com

For more information about Nakamichi Car Audio, visit their global website at www.nakamichicaraudio.com

Covid-19 Update from AudioControl CEO Alex Camara

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AudioControl Friends,

I’m writing to share two things you might find helpful relative to the Covid-19 pandemic.

First, I want to reassure you that AudioControl continues to remain fully open and operational. Please reach out to myself or any of our office and support team, working from home for any needs….

Secondly, after a number of calls and meetings with many of you, I want to provide links to valuable information from the Small Business Administration that might be helpful to you at this time. Many of you may have already tapped into these resources but I wanted to send out what I have collated over the past days….

1) I listen to this brief webinar most days at 9am Pacific. It is noted by Ami Kassar of Multifunding Advisors (NOT a loan company). His webinar is staying abreast of the current situation and provides daily updates as regulations change. A good daily update. Register here:

https://webinars.multifunding.com/

2) Paycheck Protection Program : An SBA loan that helps businesses keep their workforce employed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
3) Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance: A loan advance that provides up to $10,000 of economic relief to businesses currently experiencing temporary difficulties. 
4) SBA Express Bridge Loans: Enables small businesses who currently have a business relationship with an SBA Express Lender to access up to $25,000 quickly.
5) SBA Debt Relief: Information on the SBA’s financial reprieve to small businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic.
6) U.S. Department of the Treasury: Comprehensive information on all aspects of the CARES Act.

I hope these links and the link to Ami Kassar’s daily update are helpful at this time. Keep in touch with anything we can do to help…

Sincerely,
Alex Camara
CEO – AudioControl

Visit audiocontrol.com for more.