Stereo wizards, i beckon you.

[B 4 You]

alright, i am in the process of making a subwoofer box in my svx. it is going to sit in the spare tire location. i have it all planned out, and it's nearly done. (pix soon) but now i need help with the wiring. my amp will be right next to the woofer, so huge wire won't be necessary because it will be such a short distance. the amp, on the other hand, pumps out 1200 watts. and that's rms. and it needs true 4awg wire. first question, what's the best/easiest/least noticeable place to run that thick wire? i know i'm connecting it to the battery, but where in the car is the best? i really want it to look completely stock. also, i have seen posts about that cell phone connector in the back. could i wire an ignition wire for that? i don't want my amp sucking battery power while the car is off. also, could i simply tap into the rear speakers and put them into the amp for inputs? am i wrong to think that those wires can still be really small, cause they are just inputs? anyways, i'm using my stock head unit, and it sounds amazing, and i want some low end to mix with my piercing tweeters. i want my ears to hurt. (occasionally) is this something that i can do myself, or is it wisest to leave it up to an audio shop? i have a slight knowledge of audio stuff, and i put my speakers in myself and i put new speakers and a head unit into my girlfriends car, but this is a lot of power and i don't want to screw it up. any advice is great. and if anyone knows a good place to buy good, yet cheap power wire, that'd be great. not the wire from the sub to the amp, but the power cord from the battery to the amp. thanks!

[svxcess]

Originally Posted by B 4 You

if anyone knows a good place to buy good, yet cheap power wire, that'd be great. not the wire from the sub to the amp, but the power cord from the battery to the amp. thanks!

The best wire out there for the price and quality is Kolussus Fleks cable.

http://www.knukonceptz.com/productDe...m?prodID=KFX4R



This cable is EXTREMELY flexible and able to make sharp turns and conform to any configuration. Very easy to run. This is the cable I use in my new alternator wiring modifications exclusively. I highly recommend this!

Much more copper wire inside compared to standard 4 gauge. Electrically, it's actually closer to 3 gauge) It is 2068 strands of high-density, fine strand, 100% oxygen-free copper that has been tinned to prevent corrosion.





What sort of protective fuse are you using?


Here are their cable suggestions,, based on electrical load and cable length

[B 4 You]

wow okay that's much better of a price. amazon wants like $100 for 15 feet LOL not happening. alright. i'm going to buy that. the copper on the left one looks like 5awg with 4awg being measured as the protective coating. haha, cheap. anyways, i'm not sure yet because i haven't bought any of the wiring. doesn't the fuse go close to the battery? or far from it? sorry i'm new to the power aspect of audio.

[Cam]

Close to the battery. If you get a short in the system you want it to blow the fuse, not travel back to the battery and destroy it.

[B 4 You]

okay. how big of a fuse should i get? and where's the best place to buy one? by big i mean how strong

[svxcess]

Originally Posted by B 4 You

okay. how big of a fuse should i get? and where's the best place to buy one? by big i mean how strong

The output of your stock alternator is only 95A maximum. The 4 gauge cable is rated at 150A current-carrying capacity. You want a fuse that will blow before that capacity is reached, so a 100A-125A fuse will work.

My recommendation is to use the Mega-Fuse by Littelfuse. These are a slo-blo type which will not fail with a transient electrical spike. Read more about them HERE

They are available through Amazon.com

Mega-Fuses

You will also need the fuse holder HERE

I would use the 125A fuse and see how it performs. If there are no problems, I would go down to 100A for quicker fail response. As you can see by the chart, if a wire shorted, then 100A fuse would blow in .06 seconds and the 125A fuse would blow in 0.1 seconds.



You will also see that these fuses would carry the full output easily before failing.


Look at my alternator wiring configuration HERE. Look around page 6 for the Mega-Fuse. I am using it to protect my 160A high-output alternator, but you can use this to protect the amp as well.

Just run the power cable from the battery through the fuse (which should be as close to the battery as possible) and then to the amplifier.

Also time to beef up the ground wires with the same cable. Are you planning to do the alternator wiring upgrade as well?




Read this article that I developed to take the mystery out of some of this. More information on selecting a power cable and fuse sizing.
Just click ALTERNATOR 101


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[92snowmachine]

To know exactly what size fuse to get you should find out the peak output of the amp. Figure watts=amps/volts. It's good to figure on about 14 volts for easy calculation and then buy a fuse that is slightly larger than the total amount of amps you can draw at max power. If you are going to draw that much power then i would recommend adding a second deep cycle battery in the trunk or at least an in line capacitor to keep your electrical system happy, and your lights from dimming when it's drawing max power. Another thing to consider is if your speaker can handle the max power of the amp. As far as hooking the rear speakers to the amp as input, you can buy something especially for that from audio stores but the sound quality is generally less. I would recommend to run it under the door sills and carpet then under the back seat. You will also need to run a wire from your input to the amp to turn it on and off when you turn on and off your stereo.

[svxcess]

Originally Posted by 92snowmachine

To know exactly what size fuse to get you should find out the peak output of the amp. Figure watts=amps/volts. It's good to figure on about 14 volts for easy calculation and then buy a fuse that is slightly larger than the total amount of amps you can draw at max power.

The fuse size will also determine the gauge wire you will need to run.

At his point, I would definitely consider the 160A high-output alternator from Maniac Electric Motors.

http://www.maniacelectricmotors.com/hiou160ampal6.html


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[B 4 You]

there are three 40Amp fuses in my amp, totaling 120amps, but that would be at full power. my amp rms is 1200watts, and the sub is only 700rms, so i doubt i'll ever turn the amp up past half it's volume. svxcess, on that site you showed me to buy the 4awg cable, they have cable kits, that come with fuses and the rca cable i would need. i can get around 18 feet or 4 gauge and rca plus the 4 gauge ground wire for under $50, with a fuse rated at 120A. so, are you saying i should go with a fuse that's under the car's alternator, so i don't blow it? i guess that would make sense. but like i said, i will never crank this amp up all the way, because i'll destroy my speaker. snow machine, what exactly are you talking about with the audio shop? is it a T splitter or something of the sort?

[Lookin4SVX]

what is the amp drawn on that that amplifier???
If that thing is drawing even 60amps there is no way you are running that beast on the stock alternator.

I would also recommend the 160Amp aftermarket alternator if you plan to run that amplifier.

There are many, many, many pictures in my stereo thread.
Go check it out. http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/showthread.php?t=54516

"could i simply tap into the rear speakers and put them into the amp for inputs" - NO (unless you want it to sound like total crap)

The part that snowmachine is talking about is one of these. "Line Output Converter"
http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAu...ice_Comparison

This makes your speaker lead into RCA.... but it will not sound good.

Are you serious about this thread, or is this a joke?
You do not run a 1200watt amp off a stock radio that has no pre-outs.

[92 SVX]

Originally Posted by Lookin4SVX

what is the amp drawn on that that amplifier???
If that thing is drawing even 60amps there is no way you are running that beast on the stock alternator.

I would also recommend the 160Amp aftermarket alternator if you plan to run that amplifier.

There are many, many, many pictures in my stereo thread.
Go check it out. http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/showthread.php?t=54516

"could i simply tap into the rear speakers and put them into the amp for inputs" - NO (unless you want it to sound like total crap)

The part that snowmachine is talking about is one of these. "Line Output Converter"
http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAu...ice_Comparison

This makes your speaker lead into RCA.... but it will not sound good.

Are you serious about this thread, or is this a joke?
You do not run a 1200watt amp off a stock radio that has no pre-outs.

Very nice setup, do you install for a living?

[svxcess]

Originally Posted by Lookin4SVX

what is the amp drawn on that that amplifier???
If that thing is drawing even 60amps there is no way you are running that beast on the stock alternator.

I would also recommend the 160Amp aftermarket alternator if you plan to run that amplifier.

OUTPUT RATING

The SAE rating is the maximum amount of amps the alternator can produce in a "cold" state, about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. An alternator remains "cold" for about 5 minutes, or less under heavy load. As it warms up, output is reduced because the heat causes resistance in the rotor to increase and output amperage is reduced. A stock OEM alternator is more affected by heat than heavy duty units.

The "hot" output rating is taken at 200 degrees Fahrenheit

Our 95A alternator puts out about 35% of rated maximum at idle (that's about 40A) and that increases to about 70% at full operating temperature (which is about 65A)

Our electrical system normally uses between 40-60A, depending on load like A/C, headlights defrosters, fans, etc. To see how this was calculated, click HERE


If you don't want dimming lights at idle and a stock alternator that is constantly working as hard as it can, you WILL have to get the 160A high-output alternator.



You can also use ANL/ANE fuses for protection of the amplifier (since it is high wattage and not high current. Using the 160A alternator, you will still need a Mega-Fuse to protect the electrical system when you run the upgraded 4 ga. power wire from the alternator to the battery.



For everything you need to know about the different types of fuses and their applications, click HERE

For a complete detailed discussion on audio stereo systems and their components, go here Car AudioBook. There is also a special section about amplifiers, power ratings, etc. HERE


A lot to digest, but advance knowledge will keep you from making expensive mistakes.


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[92snowmachine]

I would really recommend upgrading your head unit so you have the appropriate outputs (rca) to your amp and the ability to tune the amp from the head unit as well. I put this in mine without any serious modifications and it works great. Found it on amazon.com for hundreds less, it really makes the whole system sound better with graphic equalizer, separate sub output, can even get backup camera & gps, you can sync it to your phone to read and send text messages, take calls or whatever. If you are going to put that much effort and $$ into your system you should plan on upgrading your deck as well. I can post a picture of how it looks tonight if you want.
http://www.crutchfield.com/s_105AVX8...vc+in+dash+dvd

[SVXMAN2001]

B 4 You, make it easy on yourself and purchase an amplifier install kit readily available on EBAY. Costs about $35 - 40. This will come with all the necessary hardware, 4 gauge wire, grounding wire, connectors, fuses, power wire to head unit, as well as to the amp itself.

I went through a complete custom audio install (headunit, speakers, amp, woofer) this past summer, used all alpine components. Did everything myself, much like you, to include making the woofer enclosure. Make sure you run the 4 gauge on whatever side opposite the speaker wires, don't want to have any interference issues.

Installing the headunit power wire, will ensure that your amp is not pulling power from your battery when the car is off.

[Lookin4SVX]

Originally Posted by 92 SVX

Very nice setup, do you install for a living?

nope not for a living, but done a few. like more than 10.


B 4 You, could you please upload me a picture or 4 of this 1200 watt amplifier you plan to run your sub woofer with.