newbie speaker install help please

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

[quote name='cparker2591']@Jeffdachef hey man, so its gonna be a while before i can install my high output alternator due to it being buried in the engine compartment. is there a way that i could use the stock 110 alternator for my two amps? i would just keep the gain and head unit volume way down correct? i would still run dedicated 2/0 power and ground runs.[/QUOTE]

Do the exact same thing. But install a voltmeter in your car. When setting the gains, turn it up until the voltages start dropping to 12.6 then stop.

 

[cparker2591]

Do the exact same thing. But install a voltmeter in your car. When setting the gains, turn it up until the voltages start dropping to 12.6 then stop.

been looking at volt meters, where should one install these? off the amps terminals or anywhere in the 12 volt system? i have a small analog clock in my dash that i could replace with a voltmeter correct? someone said hooking up to the amp is best because thats where voltage drop matters the most?

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

been looking at volt meters, where should one install these? off the amps terminals or anywhere in the 12 volt system? i have a small analog clock in my dash that i could replace with a voltmeter correct? someone said hooking up to the amp is best because thats where voltage drop matters the most?

yes your sub amp's pos and negative lead, just piggyback with the power wire. The voltmeter will save you a lot of money and prevent a lot of blown equipment. Also tells you when your alt or batt might be going bad too.

 

[cparker2591]

yes your sub amp's pos and negative lead, just piggyback with the power wire. The voltmeter will save you a lot of money and prevent a lot of blown equipment. Also tells you when your alt or batt might be going bad too.

although if my electrical system is up to par i should really have no voltage drop, or at least very tiny amount, from the front battery to the amp? so if i just want to hook up into my power and ground wires that were for that in dash clock, that would work also correct?

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

although if my electrical system is up to par i should really have no voltage drop, or at least very tiny amount, from the front battery to the amp? so if i just want to hook up into my power and ground wires that were for that in dash clock, that would work also correct?

yeah, or you can just put the voltmeter to the side somewhere else, it doesnt have to be at the dash clock.

 

[cparker2591]

@Jeffdachef So what size fuse do i need by the battery under the hood? if i have a total of 3800 rms wattage, divided by 12 volts or so i get 316 amps....add in the class D efficiency of say 75% and i get roughly 395 amps. so what i ordered is a 400 amp ANL fuse holder and fuse. does this sound right? one amp calls for a 300 amp fuse and my other has 3 25amp fuses so 375 would be spot on but i couldnt find a 375 amp fuse. i will be running 2/0 wire which can do 450 amps safely. also do you prefer circuit breakers for high power systems or are fuses still fine.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

[quote name='cparker2591']@Jeffdachef So what size fuse do i need by the battery under the hood? if i have a total of 3800 rms wattage, divided by 12 volts or so i get 316 amps....add in the class D efficiency of say 75% and i get roughly 395 amps. so what i ordered is a 400 amp ANL fuse holder and fuse. does this sound right? one amp calls for a 300 amp fuse and my other has 3 25amp fuses so 375 would be spot on but i couldnt find a 375 amp fuse. i will be running 2/0 wire which can do 450 amps safely. also do you prefer circuit breakers for high power systems or are fuses still fine.[/QUOTE]

you fuse for the wire not the current pull, the fuse is there to protect the wire so look on the wire's max amperage at x amount of length and fuse for that.

FYI whatever amperage calculations you have, throw that sh*t in the trash. You'll never see anywhere near half that current pull in real world numbers. As in when you actually clamp test the amp, you'll have to deal with impedance rise and on music, its even less current pulled so literally every amperage calculation you are doing now is completely irrelevant, so just stop with that plz.... Whatever stuff you read its all on paper calculations and theories however real world tests says otherwise because there are too many other factors you never factor in when you do theories on paper.

For an example if you have a 3500 rms, amp, you'll literally only clamp 1700 watts out of it wired to 1 ohm with impedance rising to 2.4 ohms. Thats on a pure 0 db sine wave test tone. However on music, the bass information is much less than 0 db sine waves, so your actual power output is even less than that, coupled by a lot of pauses between basslines means you actual real world current draw will literally be less than 150 amps constant for your current setup.

 

[cparker2591]

you fuse for the wire not the current pull, the fuse is there to protect the wire so look on the wire's max amperage at x amount of length and fuse for that.
FYI whatever amperage calculations you have, throw that sh*t in the trash. You'll never see anywhere near half that current pull in real world numbers. As in when you actually clamp test the amp, you'll have to deal with impedance rise and on music, its even less current pulled so literally every amperage calculation you are doing now is completely irrelevant, so just stop with that plz.... Whatever stuff you read its all on paper calculations and theories however real world tests says otherwise because there are too many other factors you never factor in when you do theories on paper.

I know you fuse for the wire, because if there is a short you want the fuse to pop so your car doesnt get set on fire. my wire is rated at 450 amps at my length, so a 400 amp fuse would be fine correct?

 

[cparker2591]

you fuse for the wire not the current pull, the fuse is there to protect the wire so look on the wire's max amperage at x amount of length and fuse for that.
FYI whatever amperage calculations you have, throw that sh*t in the trash. You'll never see anywhere near half that current pull in real world numbers. As in when you actually clamp test the amp, you'll have to deal with impedance rise and on music, its even less current pulled so literally every amperage calculation you are doing now is completely irrelevant, so just stop with that plz.... Whatever stuff you read its all on paper calculations and theories however real world tests says otherwise because there are too many other factors you never factor in when you do theories on paper.

For an example if you have a 3500 rms, amp, you'll literally only clamp 1700 watts out of it wired to 1 ohm with impedance rising to 2.4 ohms. Thats on a pure 0 db sine wave test tone. However on music, the bass information is much less than 0 db sine waves, so your actual power output is even less than that, coupled by a lot of pauses between basslines means you actual real world current draw will literally be less than 150 amps constant for your current setup.

so if my amps manual states that a 300 amp inline fuse is recommended....shouldn't i at least do that?

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

a 300 or 350 fuse is fine.