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Wiring 2 amps with 2 Caps


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z28cmr83 
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Posted: January 02, 2005 at 10:46 PM / IP Logged  

How do you wire 2 amps and 2- 1Farad caps.

The setup I am trying to run is a 640watt 4-channel Kenwood and a 1500watt Rockford 2-channel.

I have a 4Gauge wire running into a disto block, and coming out into two 8Gauge wires. Where do i go from here lol.

I dont need help with the signal wires, just the power. Also as far as the grounds for the caps and the amps, should they all be grounded in the same place, or should the caps and amps be grounded seperate.

Also because the distro block is only giving me an 8gauge wire to each amp, it is fine for the 460watt, but im worried about the the 1500 watt getting the power it needs and deserves. So can I wire the 8gauge wire into the Cap, and then from the cap wire a 4gauge to the 1500watt amp, and then ground the amp with a 4gauge and ground the cap with an 8 gauge?

Thanks alot guys.

stevdart 
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Posted: January 03, 2005 at 12:26 AM / IP Logged  

8 gauge on a short run will be plenty sufficient for any of the amps.  Place the cap inline with the 8 ga. wire just prior to each amp.  Ground the caps separately from the amps, and they can share a common ground.  The amps can share a common ground.  The ground locations can be close to each other like an inch or two apart.

The ground wires are to match the power wires, so each cap will have power and ground of the same gauge.  Disto blocks (unfused) are often used to round up amp ground wires and narrow them to a larger common ground (4 ga. like the power wire).  You might want to look into these.

redchevy99 
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Posted: January 03, 2005 at 1:55 AM / IP Logged  
I wouldnt hook up 2 different brand amps. Prolly wont hurt anything but  Ive always been told to keep your amps the same brand and your subs the same brand and so on. Like I said, It probably wouldnt matter but its a rule of thumb I go by. In my setup I have my cap and my amp grounded at the same place and it works just fine.
z28cmr83 
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Posted: January 03, 2005 at 2:29 PM / IP Logged  

I am the type of person who would like to keep the same brand all around, just to be uniform, but it isnt always the best. For example, rockford's 4channel amp is 1200 watts, which is way too much for my setup, and I also like that the kenwood is fan cooled.

My setup is a pioneer head, 4 Infinity kappa speakers, 4channel kenwood amp, 2 sony P5 subs, 2channel rockford 1500wattamp. And I think that this is a better setup than having all the components from any one company.

Thanks alot stevdart.

z28cmr83 
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Posted: January 03, 2005 at 2:33 PM / IP Logged  
Also, would you, in any situation connect both caps together, for example i have a 640 and a 1500 watt, if i were to hook the two caps up as you said, and then ran another 8gauge powerwire from cap1 to cap2 would that allow the two amps to share the caps, instead of dedicating one cap to each, this way the 1500 can take more if necessary?
vinspo 
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Posted: January 03, 2005 at 6:01 PM / IP Logged  
You really don't need a cap on the smaller amp for your infinities, the current draw will not reach levels to warrant the use of a cap. The subwoofers will benefit much more by the caps, run them both to the fosgate amp.
jeffchilcott 
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Posted: January 03, 2005 at 9:16 PM / IP Logged  
what type of vehicle is this going into? what type of charging systme do you have?    I dont know if caps are even going to resolve the problem you are trying to rectify
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z28cmr83 
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Posted: January 04, 2005 at 1:46 PM / IP Logged  

I havent even installed the amps  yet, I have all the product, but all i have in is my pioneer head and the 4 infinity speakers. Its going in an 84 camaro, it has the stock charging system, but by spring i will have an MSD 160amp alternator installed.

I bought the caps with the amps because i dont want to have any problems, at idol, my car headlights already dim on their own.

stevdart 
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Posted: January 04, 2005 at 4:37 PM / IP Logged  

Since you originally asked how to wire the caps, not should you wire them into the system....if you want to use both caps for the sub amp (and I agree the amp for the Infinity speakers will not benefit from use of a cap), then wire them in parallel on the main power wire directly before the distro block.  How's that, you ask?  "The speakers amp is connected after the cap as well as the sub amp."  (ficticious quote)  The way it works is that the speakers amp will not pull any extreme momentary power....therefore whether it's hooked up after the caps or not it will not be using them.  If or when the subs amp wants to pull a larger than life brief burst, the cap's energy will flow to it.

That said, until you get the new alt, you should try using just the larger cap first, then add the other one if you don't get results.  And once you put in the H.O. alt, remove the caps altogether and see how it works.

Side note:  sometimes caps are used for purposes of display (whistles and bells) and having too much extra cash jingling in the pocket.  Thus the first answer to you original question.  But you can see that it really doesn't make any difference whether the caps are in front of or behind the distro block.  The thing to keep in mind is the distance.  Caps should be as close to the amp as reasonably possible.

z28cmr83 
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Posted: January 04, 2005 at 10:48 PM / IP Logged  
well thanks, u helped me a lot

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