Overkill Gauge, or Not?
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=51261
Printed Date: May 15, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Topic: Overkill Gauge, or Not?
Posted By: accoustic1985
Subject: Overkill Gauge, or Not?
Date Posted: March 04, 2005 at 1:12 AM
Hey, I am putting a system ino my 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlas Supreme Convertible. I am using Clarion DXZ935 head unit, a 760 watt Pioneer GM-X862 amp pushing two Pioneer Premier 12in TS-W126C subs, and two 200 watt Pioneer GM-X262 amps pushing a pair of front Pioneer 3 way 4" and a pair of rear Pioneer 3 way 6 1/2". The subs are in a 1.653 cu ft box each located in the trunk, and the front speakers in the top of the front dash, and the rears on the sides of the rear passenger seats(convertible). Here is where my question occurs. I will have capacitor and a distribution block on the side of the box, in the trunk. The sub amp is sitting on top of the box, and the rear speaker amp not too far away, but the front amp will be located towards the front of the car, if not under the front passenger seat. I am planning to run a 2 gauge positive lead from the battery, through the cap, into the distribution block. Then 4 gauge to all my amps. Is this overkill? Im not too sure, but i based my info off of the the12volt.com website's wiring guide. Also, does anyone have a suggestion for what farrad rating capacitor i should use(and what the heck is a farrad?)? Any help would not only be not only greatly appreciated, but wiuld steer my in the right direction, for this is my first semi serious sound system. Tank you for your time, Accoustic1985
Replies:
Posted By: Ravendarat
Date Posted: March 04, 2005 at 1:17 AM
OK, First things first, everyone on here is going to tell you a cap is a waste of money. Secend there is no such thing as overkill for wiring. What you are going to run is probally more that what you need, but it leaves you plenty of room to ungrade later if you want, so its generally a good thing. If you insist on buying the cap ten the general rule of thumb is 1 farad per 1000 watts rms of power.
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double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer
Posted By: bullman96
Date Posted: March 04, 2005 at 2:46 AM
if you do end up getting a cap after what everyone will say, you will want it as close as possible to the amps. i would suggest just having it hooked up to your sub amp as your distro block will be far away from at least one amp. if possible, put all your amps close together and hook the cap before the distro block. i would save my money and get a better battery and if needed a new alternator. do a search on previous posts on caps.
the other thing is that you should not put the amp on the sub box as the vibrations will shorten the amp's life span.
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Pioneer PEH-9660mp
Mb Quart PCE-216 biamped
JL 12W6v2
Sony XM-4026 amp for tweeters
Kenwood KAC-7251 amp for mids
JL-4100 amp for sub
Posted By: Chad7n7
Date Posted: March 04, 2005 at 9:46 AM
Best thing to do with the amps, build you a rack/board to mount them to. You mount them to the enclosure, and as bullman has stated will cause you problems. Electronics don't like to take a beating. -------------
Posted By: accoustic1985
Date Posted: March 05, 2005 at 2:31 PM
Question for Bullman and Chad, looking at just the principles and qualities of sound for trebel and bass, i understand that trebel is a directional sound, meaning the in order for one to hear it, the must be inline with the sound waves the speakers omit. Whil bass, on the otherhand, is a nonsirectional sound wave, meaning the no matter where you are standing in relation to the subs, you will be able to hear and feel the bass. This was brought to my attention by a very reputable installer i came across down here in Austin, where i live. So mounting the amp on top of the bow, beside the box, or in front of the box, really wont make a difference, since the sound wave will vibrate no only the box, but the whole trunk, and the whole car for that matter. So in essence, are you getting a better life and longer life out of your amp, or is their just a comfort level inside that you must obtain by putting the amps somewhere else besides the box, just to feel you are trying to get the best life out of your equipment? Any feedback would be great.
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: March 05, 2005 at 2:50 PM
Bass frequencies below 80Hz are non-directional for most people. Some folks can determine direction as low as 40Hz. I recomend not mounting your amp on the subwoofer enclosure simply because it will subject it to more vibration than if you mount it elsewhere. The chances that you will damage your amp can be higher if it's mounted directly on the enclosure. That being said, a lot of people do this with no problems, so whatever works. I prefer to be safe rather than sorry. As to the original question about wire gage, the answers above are correct that as long as the wire is sufficient for the current flow using larger wire only costs more. ------------- Support the12volt.com
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