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General => Car audio => Topic started by: benjam_in on 16 October 2003, 12:28
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Thinking of wiring in a second amp to power the 6x9s, would anyone recommend running another power cable down from the battery of just splitting the cable ???
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I have two cables on mine, but providing you put a fuse after the split to each amp, I cant see there being a problem, providing the cable can handle the combined current that both amps draw. Better to earth each amp independantly though.
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Cable is quite thick just cant justify buying another amp wiring kit! Rip off they are! should be ok to tap the remote on straight off the other amp tho shouldn't it?
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i agree with adam, with the remote i had a splitter for that two before it even got to the amps, seemed to work ok for me
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It will be ok providing you have a fuse rated to each amp, between the amp in the split in the power cable. Just for safety I would put a fuse close to the battery on the main power cable aswell (make sure its big enough to handle the current from both amps though).
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yea i got a 30amp sitting on the wire before it goes through the bulk head!
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just a litlle point...
Remember, the fuse is there to protect the cable, not the sub !!
The idea is (and this aplies to all electric circuits) that cable has a specific power rating, say 5 amps. You then put a fuse in for 5 amps, so that if any appliance (ie sub amp) tries to draw more that 5 amps the fuse trips. Otherwise the cable fries and you get a serious fire risk. There's a popular misconception that fuses are there to protect the appliances. not so!! (the amps will have fuses inbuilt to protect circuitry)
The cable you currently have will have a power rating. Combine the amps power consumption and if it doesn't exceed the cable spec, bingo!!
You do not need two fuses. As mentioned above both amps will draw current as if one bigger amp, so just have the correct fuse between the battery and the first amp.
P.S. Don't physically split the cable. loop from one to the other, maintaining cable width.
Hope this helps.
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I think you may have missed the point for fusing the amps seperatly - if one of the amps causes the the fuse to blow, you will lose power to both amps. by fusing them seperatly, you are gaurding them from each other, - hence if one goes, the other is not effected.
Maybe my line of work (military electronics engineer) has influenced me in placing a little extra protective circuitry in things, but it has saved me in the long term plenty of times.
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I fused mine seperate. I also used some extra factory switches and used them to swith my amps on and off. Looks cool with the backlights aswel ;D
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Erm - sorry to spoil the party here, but haven't any of you guys heard of a distrubution block - designed for this very purpose !!!
You only need run one cable to the boot making sure it's as fat as an elephants trunk (Phoenix Gold Ground Zero Stuff ;D), then use a distrubution block to 'step the size of cable down to fit the amp and feed more than one too !!
If you want any help just shout ....
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lol simple as
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gotta reply with Mr Hawkins here - distribution block is the way to go without doubt - I cable run, and everything fused seperately, as they should be.
Have done a few cars like this now and wouldn't consider doing it any other way.
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yeah distribution blocks are the way to go. far easier then messing around daisy chaining amps together and better regards shortouts.
I use an old fog light switch to control the amp on and off from the remote wire on the stereo. sometimes it good to have it mellow not booming.
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Yeah ive used some foglight switches. I also connected up the backlights for them. Looks good ;D