Jolio
Junior Member
I’m installing two pairs of Polk db6501 component speakers and a Polk PA660.4 amp; first install, and I’ve been doing a lot of reading. I’ve already got 4 ga. power/ground wiring for the amp; but, I’m not sure what size wire I need to run from the amp to each of the four passive crossovers, and from each crossover to its tweeter/mid pair.
The amp is rated at 75W RMS x4 into 4 ohms, and each component set is 4 ohms and rated up to 100W RMS. Ohm’s Law tells me that each component set will draw up to 4.3A RMS. According to ww.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm, the smallest gauge that can handle this is 15 ga. which is rated at 4.7A. When I measure the stranded wire that came with these speakers, my caliper says that the bare diameter is 0.04”, which according to ww.seas.gwu.edu/~ecelabs/appnotes/PDF/techdat/swc.pdf puts it at about 19 ga., which is rated at 1.8A! Jacket included, however, the smallest hole that this wire fits through in my friend’s Starrett AWG measuring tool is 15 (bare, fits through 36 with room to spare). Of course the wire’s not marked, and Polk couldn’t tell me what size it was when I called. What’s going on here?
I need to buy wire to run from the amp and through the crossovers in the trunk to each component, and I don’t know what size to get. Basic Car Audio Electronics has impressed upon me the importance of fusing whenever the wire size is reduced, so I’d like to match what’s trailing out of the tweeters in order to avoid additional fusing. I’m assuming I will already have to fuse each of the four channels coming out of the amp before the crossover at 100W, correct?
Help is appreciated, this is the last thing I need before I can finish this install.
---------- Post added at 11:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:32 PM ----------
Don't know why I'm not allowed to post links, drop an extra w in there at the beginning of each URL.
The amp is rated at 75W RMS x4 into 4 ohms, and each component set is 4 ohms and rated up to 100W RMS. Ohm’s Law tells me that each component set will draw up to 4.3A RMS. According to ww.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm, the smallest gauge that can handle this is 15 ga. which is rated at 4.7A. When I measure the stranded wire that came with these speakers, my caliper says that the bare diameter is 0.04”, which according to ww.seas.gwu.edu/~ecelabs/appnotes/PDF/techdat/swc.pdf puts it at about 19 ga., which is rated at 1.8A! Jacket included, however, the smallest hole that this wire fits through in my friend’s Starrett AWG measuring tool is 15 (bare, fits through 36 with room to spare). Of course the wire’s not marked, and Polk couldn’t tell me what size it was when I called. What’s going on here?
I need to buy wire to run from the amp and through the crossovers in the trunk to each component, and I don’t know what size to get. Basic Car Audio Electronics has impressed upon me the importance of fusing whenever the wire size is reduced, so I’d like to match what’s trailing out of the tweeters in order to avoid additional fusing. I’m assuming I will already have to fuse each of the four channels coming out of the amp before the crossover at 100W, correct?
Help is appreciated, this is the last thing I need before I can finish this install.
---------- Post added at 11:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:32 PM ----------
Don't know why I'm not allowed to post links, drop an extra w in there at the beginning of each URL.
