Is the Big 3 upgrade good enough???

[ruck703 10+ year member]

Will I have a power drop off, since I will be using 1/0 gauge wire throughout my truck to a distribution block then 4 gauge from the distro block to the amp....the amp only accepts up to 4 gauge....

 

[SacTownBully84 10+ year member]

get a reducer to u can run 1/0 throughout

 

[Djltoronto 10+ year member]

Will I have a power drop off, since I will be using 1/0 gauge wire throughout my truck to a distribution block then 4 gauge from the distro block to the amp....the amp only accepts up to 4 gauge....

You may end up with dimming headlights, but the short run of 4AWG from the dist. block to the amp won't be the cause of it.

 

[ruck703 10+ year member]

whats a reducer????? never heard of it

 

[chillin 10+ year member]

Look at this. I didnt search long enough to get the right size, but you get the idea

Stinger Electronics | Product Details

 

[Djltoronto 10+ year member]

the amp only accepts up to 4 gauge....

If the amp only accepts 4 gauge, then 4 gauge will be enough.

Or get a better amp.

 

[SilveyPuck08v2]

I have 2 Orion H2 12.2 subs that will be powered by an Orion 2500D amp at 1 Ohm (I think). I've been searching high and low for all my options. I am going to do the Big3 upgrade for sure but i was thinking about getting a Kinetik HC1800 battery for a secondary battery in the back and I still have my regular Duralast Battery in the front. I'm going to run 0 gauge throughout my truck (2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee). I have a stock 136 Amp alternator.Thoughts?????

I have a '00 GC...the 136A alt will be fine.

upgrade your big 3 in 1/0 & replace the duralast w/ a HC1800 under the hood. no need for 2 batts.

 

[ruck703 10+ year member]

oh yeah...I think that I'm going to try to find one on ebay...the only thing is the Orion 2500D amp has two inputs for ground and power...will I have to get four of those???even though isn't 2-4 gauge wires equal to a 1/0 gauge????

 

[chillin 10+ year member]

If it has 2 inputs, do use a distro block close to the amp and go from 0/1 to two runs of 4

 

[Bettr n' Revrse 5,000+ posts]

Will I have a power drop off, since I will be using 1/0 gauge wire throughout my truck to a distribution block then 4 gauge from the distro block to the amp....the amp only accepts up to 4 gauge....

I personaly think using a distro block then running 4 gauge is completel retarded unless its to two amps... I mean seriously your only as good as your weaknesses so running a foot of 4 gauge is gunna have just the same affect of running 17 feet of 4 gauge... Cuz if 4 gauge could run the same current 0 gauge could no one would use it... I kinda picture it as a funnel, you run 0 gauge to 4 then it just get choked and adding a distro seems like it would just ad one more "restriction" to the system... am I wrong?

 

[Djltoronto 10+ year member]

. am I wrong?

Yes. Completely wrong.

1 foot of 4 gauge will supply far more current than 17 feet of 4 gauge.

have you never seen a chart similar to this one?

 

[Bettr n' Revrse 5,000+ posts]

Ya I know that... Im say using 16 feet of 0 gauge then a foot of 4 gauge... thats like runing water down 6" pipe then funneling it down to a 3" pipe at the end it will still flow the same amount of water if it was a 3" pipe all the way through since you can only flow so much water trough a 3" pipe so fast even if it did have 6" pipe leading up to it.....

 

[Djltoronto 10+ year member]

Ya I know that... Im say using 16 feet of 0 gauge then a foot of 4 gauge... thats like runing water down 6" pipe then funneling it down to a 3" pipe at the end it will still flow the same amount of water if it was a 3" pipe all the way through since you can only flow so much water trough a 3" pipe so fast even if it did have 6" pipe leading up to it.....

That analogy is perhaps better suited to an eavestrough forum.

The flow of electricity is often described VIA the flow of water, but for your analogy to work more accurately, you would need to include the resistances developed by turbulent vs laminar flow in the system.

There is still a lot to gain by having the main run as 0 gauge and a short run of 4 gauge from a dist. block VS 1 single run of 4 gauge.

 

[Bettr n' Revrse 5,000+ posts]

Ok well I just didnt understand how... If it does then ok I believe you just throwing what I thought about that out there

 

[kr15 5,000+ posts]

If your amp is really putting out 750 watts, without even factoring in amplifier efficiency, at 14v, 750 watts is 53 amps. add in 20% waste for heat and it's 63.6 amps.Headlights, and ignition system can easily be 30 amps, bringing the current draw right up to 93..

I'd say you have a pretty good alternator, and some exceptional wiring with virtually no losses. THERE ARE NO AMOUNT OF CAPS that can do that.

My amp actually probley does more then 750 rms..its the DSC 1500 wired at 2ohm...And thats why I say that the big 3 is more effective then a cap...for me to only lose .6 on full tilt is pretty good. Im not sure what I drop on tones, but I know its low 13s probley