8ga main power, 65x4 W amp, and ... amp?

[sumone 10+ year member]

If I decide to run two different amps (a 4 channel for the components and a 2 channel for the sub), what should the maximum power be if my main power wire is gonna be 8ga?

like is this okay:

battery->

8ga power->

[10ga->amp1 @ 65x4 W] && [10ga->amp2 @ 100x2 W]

Click to read more...

 

[n2audio 5,000+ posts]

I wouldn't go much bigger than 100x2. If it's a good amp it should do about 400 bridged. Just fuse your wires properly and you should be fine.

 

[zerohertz 10+ year member]

I would just run 8ga completly rather then going down to 10ga. Also if your going to be using two amps for different things, I reccomed getting a crossover. That would send only mids/highs to the amp for the components and only lows to the amp for the subs.

 

[n2audio 5,000+ posts]

Also if your going to be using two amps for different things, I reccomed getting a crossover.

Uhh - correct me if I'm wrong, but don't ~95% of amps (built within the last 5 years) have ONBOARD crossovers?

 

[allyourblood 10+ year member]

i would go with 4ga, split to 8ga at the distro. block, instead of 8 to 10.

abe m.

 

[Berry47 10+ year member]

4 gauge to d-block to dual 8

Wal-mart

 

[allyourblood 10+ year member]

see? Berry's got my back! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

abe m.

 

[sumone 10+ year member]

ahh...yea I guess I will just run some 4ga (the 8ga is only half-run: only under the sills; not in the trunk yet or even out the firewall yet)

walmart have distro blocks - anyone know - ~ how much?

 

[Boomin Granny 10+ year member]

They have a 4ga wiring kit for like $30, it is the 4ga for two amps, and it comes with everything you need, including that distro block.

edit:They meaning Wal-Mart.

 

[sumone 10+ year member]

okay picked up that kit yall were talking about(4ga->2 8ga's)

- wired it up

- problem: the 4ga cable is too short - only found out after I already routed it into the trunk and then was trying to get it through the firewall - it doesn't even reach to the firewall. Now I know I don't need much length for the cable in the trunk cause I have way more than enough 8ga wire (the one 6ft from this kit, and the 16 foot one I had for my 8ga kit).

is alright to crimp some extra 4ga wire with a butt connector to the long one and then use that to go to the battery?

 

[ParkRat 10+ year member]

okay picked up that kit yall were talking about(4ga->2 8ga's)
- wired it up

- problem: the 4ga cable is too short - only found out after I already routed it into the trunk and then was trying to get it through the firewall - it doesn't even reach to the firewall. Now I know I don't need much length for the cable in the trunk cause I have way more than enough 8ga wire (the one 6ft from this kit, and the 16 foot one I had for my 8ga kit).

is alright to crimp some extra 4ga wire with a butt connector to the long one and then use that to go to the battery?

Yes. shrink wrap the connection.

 

[tobz 10+ year member]

Or if you're close enough to the battery.. just put the fuse right there.. and then continue the run on the other side of the fuse to the battery. I would only do that if you are within 18" of the battery though...

T.J.

 

[sumone 10+ year member]

okay, since today I was so eager to run some wiring and set stuff up, since I don't know how to work with 4ga wire (tools-wise), and since it's too short (only comes out the firewall about 2 feet, with about 3 feet in the trunk), I just wired one 8ga power wire.

Right now I only have that one 4 channel amp. I'm thinking about all this stuff now in case I decide to do something for rear fill - in that case, I'll use the 4 channel for the front stage and rear fill, then get a separate amp for the sub.

never knew how thick 4ga was...but to me it seems like overkill for my [planned] system. I was lookin at the back of that kit and it was like @16 feet and total continuous power @ 600 Watts, I should use the 8ga kit. So I'd never need that 4ga wire (but the other stuff that came with it were very helpful). (I'm an sq, very-minimal-volume-outside-the-car-with-windows-up type person).