4 gauge wire enough

[Theride 10+ year member]

Will a 4 gauge wire be enough to power a 1000w and a 600w amplifier? It will go into a distro block and split between both amps.

Or is it better to run a 0/1 gauge wire instead?

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[fasfocus00 5,000+ posts]

Run 1/0 from the battery to the distrobution block' date=' [b']then 22 gauge[/b] from the distrobution block to your amps. It's what all the pro's are doing nowadays.

ORLY??

OP, run 0 gauge into a disto to 4 gauge to your amps.

 

[QuikSilverRS91 10+ year member]

Run 1/0 from the battery to the distrobution block' date=' then 22 gauge from the distrobution block to your amps. It's what all the pro's are doing nowadays.[/quote']
Part of me thinks you actually do this.

1/0->distro->(2) 4awg->amps

 

[kr15 5,000+ posts]

Good 4ga is rated to handle up to 120a...the not so good 4ga may handle like 80a

 

[Davecubs14 10+ year member]

orly??
Op, run 0 gauge into a disto to 4 gauge to your amps.

x2

 

[RLJ676 10+ year member]

Are we sure we aren't buying into marketing hype with these wires?

Here's a link I found on CAF to necessary wire sizes. Wire Gauge Tables

I have 4 gauge running to my AP 15001D at 2 ohms, so 950 watts. The biggest that amp takes is 4 gauge even at the full power at 1 ohm. According to that chart a 10 ft run at 100 amps (that's the fusing) could be done by 10 gauge. I wouldn't go that low, but 4 is overkill I'm sure.

I'm in the same boat as OP, and want to add 400 watts, and am considering distributing off the 4 gauge I've got with short 8 gauge runs to the amps.

Also, I recall back in the 90's when running amps, you really never needed 0 gauge, and that was with huge innefficient AB amps.

 

[QuikSilverRS91 10+ year member]

Are we sure we aren't buying into marketing hype with these wires?
Here's a link I found on CAF to necessary wire sizes. Wire Gauge Tables

I have 4 gauge running to my AP 15001D at 2 ohms, so 950 watts. The biggest that amp takes is 4 gauge even at the full power at 1 ohm. According to that chart a 10 ft run at 100 amps (that's the fusing) could be done by 10 gauge. I wouldn't go that low, but 4 is overkill I'm sure.

I'm in the same boat as OP, and want to add 400 watts, and am considering distributing off the 4 gauge I've got with short 8 gauge runs to the amps.

Also, I recall back in the 90's when running amps, you really never needed 0 gauge, and that was with huge innefficient AB amps.

Hmmmm...

Better be safe and just make it 2 0awg runs directly to the amps //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

I agree. He would probably be fine running 4->(2) 8. Overkill just seems to be the norm anymore. It eliminates potential weak spots, so I guess that's good.

 

[Theride 10+ year member]

so i guess 0/1 gauge it is.

I ask this question also because im not going for the competition system. just a regular sounding system. I am not even going to do this BIG 3.

 

[patotay 10+ year member]

same as the ground wire..

 

[RLJ676 10+ year member]

Hmmmm...Better be safe and just make it 2 0awg runs directly to the amps //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

I agree. He would probably be fine running 4->(2) 8. Overkill just seems to be the norm anymore. It eliminates potential weak spots, so I guess that's good.

Yep, overkill never hurts, but it doesn't mean you have to like some make it seem. Next we'll see guys mounting a 1000w amp on the battery w/ gold bus bars in place of wire.

In my case it looks like it's just as cheap to get a knu 8 ga kit to add as it would be to do a distribution block.

 

[sdmtnbiker420 10+ year member]

im running 2 amps off an 4 gauge, split into (two) 8's at a distr. block....

I have some extra 4 gauge laying around, do you think it would help to run 4 gauge to the distr. and then (two) 4 gauges to the amps?

Or is that stupid?

 

[sdmtnbiker420 10+ year member]

i upgraded to two 4's and i feel like the sub is clipping now?? Is it possible that teh sound quality can go DOWN by upgrading the wires coming out of a distr block?? (maybe the amps are competing for power?)

 

[chillin 10+ year member]

im running 2 amps off an 4 gauge, split into (two) 8's at a distr. block....
I have some extra 4 gauge laying around, do you think it would help to run 4 gauge to the distr. and then (two) 4 gauges to the amps?

Or is that stupid?

I was actually wondering the same thing as i have a 1200 watt amp and a 200. I know the 1200 would be better with 4awg, so can i run it all the way back to a distro and then split it into two 4gauge wires to the amps?

 

[AudioDave]

22GA? I dont use that on my phones lol. At least 6-8 on the amp AFTER the 4GA. In the Blazer I have 4 to block/fuses then 6 to sub amps and 8 to other 3 amps and get zero spikes on the DMM.

http://www.the12volt.com/info/recwirsz.asp