Alpine CDA-9815 requires 10awg power?
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=29392
Printed Date: May 03, 2024 at 7:27 PM
Topic: Alpine CDA-9815 requires 10awg power?
Posted By: bfeeny
Subject: Alpine CDA-9815 requires 10awg power?
Date Posted: March 31, 2004 at 9:20 AM
I just read on crutchfields site:
https://www.crutchfield.com/S-csoasptNwJL/cgi-bin/prodview.asp?i=500CDA9835
"Important Note: The powerful output of Alpine's V-Drive internal amplifier requires a direct fused connection to your vehicle's battery! We recommend that you purchase a 10-gauge amp wiring kit."
Is that true? You can't just connect the 9815 like other decks via the Metra harness, you have to run 10awg power to the battery?
Replies:
Posted By: 94bonny
Date Posted: March 31, 2004 at 9:33 AM
i have a 9813 and i needed to connect a 10awg wire to the battery due to the internal amp draw, im sure with the 9815 you probably would need to do the same. when i first installed my headunit i could only turn my volume up to level 8 without the headunit dimming and 10 it would clip out, so it is smart to wire 10awg to the battery ------------- Alpine cda 9813
jl 500/1
eclipse aluminum 15"
Posted By: bfeeny
Date Posted: March 31, 2004 at 9:55 AM
I just don't want to tap 10awg from the battery for the HU, and then tap 4awg for the amp. Is there an in-line distribution block that will take like 4awg, T-off 10awg, and then let the rest of the 4awg pass thru? something like:
4awg
|
|
| 10awg
-------
|
|
|
4awg
You know, I am just trying to keep it all clean. That V-Drive amp in the 98xx's must have some real juice.
Posted By: bfeeny
Date Posted: March 31, 2004 at 12:13 PM
94bonny,
When you powered it with 10awg, did you ground the HU with 10awg as well? Or just let it ground via the metra harness?
Posted By: superstreet786
Date Posted: March 31, 2004 at 5:45 PM
wow thats the first deck ive ever heard that about
-------------
---- 1996 Chevy S10 ----
1 Lightning Audio S2.600.2 Amp
2 Lightning Audio 12" Subs
1 Lightning Audio 1 Farad Cap
Posted By: Sweekster
Date Posted: March 31, 2004 at 6:35 PM
It's been around for a while now. You have to run the 10awg wire for both constant and ground. I put one of those head unit's in my buddy's honda a while back. He had a dual post battery (side posts and top posts) and I ran the head unit power wire from the positive side post and the amp (4awg) from the top positive post. I grounded them both using the negative cable from the battery. ------------- Duane...
If you think you're confused, imagine how you feel. 
Posted By: bfeeny
Date Posted: March 31, 2004 at 6:36 PM
I am surprised more decks wouldnt benefit from it. I mean think about it, people run 8awg-10awg minimum for amp's, no matter what they put out, and your factory harness is what? 18awg, 14awg at best?
The Alpine is either one of the most powerful built in amps in a HU (not talking SQ, just power) or the most overrated. its boasting like 27W x 4 RMS (and I think thats at 14.4V :))) )......anyways, if the one person said it clips after turning it up, thats enough for me to do it........but if you run 10awg power then I am thinking you gotta run 10awg ground.........so much for a plug an play install :)
Posted By: bfeeny
Date Posted: March 31, 2004 at 7:23 PM
Is running ground from the battery really a good idea? I mean, don't you want ground to be a relatively short path, say to the chassis?
Posted By: Ravendarat
Date Posted: March 31, 2004 at 7:39 PM
Ya you want a short ground, under 3 feet usually. So try to find a good piece of metal to go to.
Posted By: bfeeny
Date Posted: March 31, 2004 at 8:46 PM
Sweekster,
I havent actually seen the back of a 9815 yet (mine is being shipped), but isn't the ground lead coming out of HU's typically in the 14-16awg range? How do you manage to ground it with 10awg, when its not 10awg coming out of the HU? I mean wouldnt crimping 10awg wire to say 16awg coming out of the HU defeat any benefit to the 10awg in the first place since higher resistance will be met when the awg changes anyways?
Posted By: Alpine Guy
Date Posted: March 31, 2004 at 9:48 PM
I always use 12 guage to the 12 guage wires in the steering column then fuse it. Leave the switched 12v alone, and run a 12 guage ground. Shure the 16 guage on the deck is a bit wimpy, but its only 6", , where it matters the most is the wireing inside the car. Usually it is 18 guage and runs for miles before it gets to the fuse terminal. Lots of resiatance is added up in this case, which results in great power loss.
-------------
2003 Chevy Avalanche,Eclipse CD7000,Morel Elate 5,Adire Extremis,Alpine PDX-4.150, 15" TC-3000, 2 Alpine PDX-1.1000, 470Amp HO Alt.
Posted By: Sweekster
Date Posted: April 01, 2004 at 12:54 AM
BFeeny, You're right about the resistance thing. I thought about that after I did it. But at the time I did that to match the power cable requirement (thinking in terms of an amp). And it has been said that you should only have 3 feet of length in the ground cable. But this car already 3 ground points (2 from the battery and one from the Alternator) so I grounded them both at the primary ground point (the shortest of the 2 battery ground cables) to reduce the possibility of a ground loop and alternator whine (which the system is absolutley clear). I got the "Ground at the battery" thing from a friend of mine who was building a system in an Iroc z camaro for a sound competition. And it worked out well in both cases. ------------- Duane...
If you think you're confused, imagine how you feel.
Posted By: bfeeny
Date Posted: April 01, 2004 at 10:04 AM
I could use some advise.
I *am* going to run the 10awg to the 9815, as well as 10awg ground.
How should I "connect" the 14-16awg power ground wires coming out of the radio, with the 10awg power / ground wires I plan to hook up? I don't like the idea of just soldering and heatshrinking them together because then I can't just pull the radio if I need to. And I am not sure if quick disconnects exist for mis-matched wires sizes (such as connecting 10-12awg to 14-16awg). Does anyone have any ideas?
Damn, I wish they just used spade terminal screw type connections on the back of the HU's for power and ground.........
Brian
Posted By: 94bonny
Date Posted: April 01, 2004 at 10:10 AM
yes i did ground my 9813 with a 10 awg ground lead, i bypassed the harness on that
-------------
Alpine cda 9813
jl 500/1
eclipse aluminum 15"
Posted By: Sweekster
Date Posted: April 01, 2004 at 10:55 AM
What I did was solder and heat shrink them. It is much better than quick disconnects and crimp connectors. Takes more time but also lasts longer. The only wire from the radio connected to the harness in that car is the switched 12 volt wire-everyhting else is hardwired. He's using two alpine v12 amps in there as well. A four channel to run his speakers and a 2 channel to run his subs (all alpine). And he's running alpine tweeters off the head's internal amp. The sound is a bit strange in that car. He's got alpine 5.25 2 ways in the doors and alpine 6x9 3 ways in the rear deck. Then he asked me to add tweeters up high in all four corners!!!! So it's not balanced at all. But he paid me to do it-so i did it. And he was really happy about it and still is to this day. Hey, whatever works. ------------- Duane...
If you think you're confused, imagine how you feel.
Posted By: bfeeny
Date Posted: April 01, 2004 at 3:16 PM
O man, i just canceled my 9815 order.
You all don't know the hell i have been thru, TRYING to give my money to people for a deck. First I wanted the 9815, and everyone was sold out, then I saw online the Eclipse 8454 and was in love. Of course no one can get that until Mid-april, and then it will be like retail $599.00.
I found a place with a 9815, and they charged my card and didnt ship it. The next day (today) I was so peeved, I canceled my order with them, I am sick of the customer dis-service.
So I start looking at the Eclipse 8443, everything the 8454 is, but doesnt have WMA/MP3/Auto-EQ with the Flash Card thing.
I find one for $399 in a town about 300mi from here. I call my local dealer, and he says he will match it, even do better, $379! But then he tells me only the display model is left. Now, I have SEEN people mess with the display models, and they aren't too friendly with the delicate servo motors in the faces, so.......NO THANKS!
Long story short, I ordered the 8443, it will be here in the morning!
So, now I have a damn 10awg amp kit i bought (to install the 9815 with).
Does the 8443 need that? Or can I just go with the Metra power/ground and press on? I mean no doubt it coudln't HURT anything to use the 10awg kit, but I am trying to not go out of my way here unless I have too, I guess I could always put it in later. But the Eclipse amp is just 13x4 RMS (50x4 peak), so even tho its a really good quality amp I dont think its as taxing as the 9815........but i dont know, you tell me?
Posted By: Sweekster
Date Posted: April 01, 2004 at 4:12 PM
No that one doesn't need that. You can do standard metra hook up. You would probably be much happier with the eclipse. Don't let the 13 watts rms fool you it'll probably be the cleanest sound you'll ever hear, short of hearing a McIntosh or a Nakamichi. It won't be taxing at all. ------------- Duane...
If you think you're confused, imagine how you feel.
Posted By: Alpine Guy
Date Posted: April 01, 2004 at 6:09 PM
Why not get a cda-9835?? they came out today!
-------------
2003 Chevy Avalanche,Eclipse CD7000,Morel Elate 5,Adire Extremis,Alpine PDX-4.150, 15" TC-3000, 2 Alpine PDX-1.1000, 470Amp HO Alt.
Posted By: superstreet786
Date Posted: April 01, 2004 at 6:10 PM
haha thats why cuz they just barely came out and most places wont have em... hehe just given ya a hard time
-------------
---- 1996 Chevy S10 ----
1 Lightning Audio S2.600.2 Amp
2 Lightning Audio 12" Subs
1 Lightning Audio 1 Farad Cap
Posted By: stevdart
Date Posted: April 01, 2004 at 6:59 PM
Just slip that 10 awg wire into the glove compartment...you never know when you'll need something on hand to slip around a saleman's neck when he switches you to a demo model!
Posted By: SpacemanSpiff
Date Posted: April 28, 2004 at 10:05 AM
please tell me this thread is an april fools joke or something.... i find it hard to believe this many people are falling for crutchfield's marketing. if alpine wanted you to run a 10ga power line directly from the battery, do you think they'd have a 16-18ga power line out of the head unit? no. go to radio (s)hack and buy yourself some primary wire that's at least the same gauge as the yellow line coming out of the head unit and you'll be more than fine. as for running TWO 10ga lines directly to the battery.... go nuts if you like spending lots of cash and making more work for yourself. if you look on the aforementioned yellow wire, you'll see a noise choke block that has a 15 or 20a fuse in it. that's certainly nothing that needs a direct run to a battery (when they tell you to go directly to the battery, it's a figure of speech meaning not to tap off of another distributed line). the main reason they tell you to run your own line is that they can't predict what manufacturers are going to have for a stock stereo power line and don't want to assume responsibility for melting your car. run the wire to the positive block on your interior fuse panel and you'll be more than fine. oh, to qualify my statements, i've had a 9815 for over a year and it's had no problems whatsoever.
Posted By: raydawg357
Date Posted: April 28, 2004 at 1:42 PM
Alpine and most Clarion decks say they require 10ga power wire, but both work perfectly fine connected to standard harnesses. It's a recommendation, not a requirement.
-------------
Do it right the first time
Posted By: SpacemanSpiff
Date Posted: April 28, 2004 at 2:35 PM
just went thru the 9815 manual.... no mention of 10ga wire. they just specify that you go straight to the battery. logically it would make no sense to run 10ga to a 16ga line. alpine certainly isn't going to use a wire that would melt under normal usage, and if their 16ga yellow wire won't, neither will yours.
Posted By: jo90
Date Posted: May 12, 2004 at 5:22 AM
I run the same unit and never had trouble using 20 Amp cable direct from the battery. Wouldnt recommend using anything but due to the VDrive using all of that 20 Amp pull in full use
-------------
Posted By: SpacemanSpiff
Date Posted: May 12, 2004 at 7:22 AM
of course you CAN use any size cable you like -point is, you're not doing yourself any favors or making your stereo run any better. all i'm saying is that it's overkill to go any larger than what alpine gives you with their yellow wire. if it required a 10ga power line, why would they give you a 14-16ga one that goes into the back of the head unit? if the stereo did in fact pull enough amperage to need a cable that large, the one they give you would heat up (and probably melt) under normal use. obviously they aren't going to do that -what company sells their product with wires that aren't good enough to run it? i guess i don't know how to explain it any more... spend as much as you like, just realize places like crutchfield are taking advantage of you.
Posted By: Teslank
Date Posted: May 16, 2004 at 10:30 PM
hi all im going to buy a 9815 in 4 days and dammit after reading all of this damn sh*t do i need a wire straight from the battery to the HU or not, oh i have a toyota corolla 1997 if someone had a bad luck with this car and HU tell me before i scrap up lots of money!!! thanks to all!
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