Amp install question
Amp install question I ordered a Hifonics GLX60.4 this morning on an early Black Friday sale, can't wait to get it! Already have the wiring kit, and already bought the materials to fab my own amp rack sometime this week. I'll be posting pics of the amp rack fab & install process. I'll be using this amp to power my 4 door & sail panel speakers (Rockford Fosgate). At bonus time in the spring, I'll be getting a 10" sub, Double D enclosure (for driver's side), & another amp which will also go on this rack.
I'm going to be following the instructions in this thread:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/stereo-el...lkthrough.html
My question is, can I use the ground bolt in the hatch latch mount, or maybe drill a new hole on the other size if a bigger bolt is needed? If you'd recommend another bolt, what size should I go with?
I'm going to be following the instructions in this thread:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/stereo-el...lkthrough.html
My question is, can I use the ground bolt in the hatch latch mount, or maybe drill a new hole on the other size if a bigger bolt is needed? If you'd recommend another bolt, what size should I go with?
Also, my positive battery terminal has a red power wire going to a small red plastic box with several power terminals. It looks to be stock so I'm sure other f-bodies have it. Can I hook the power wire to one of these terminals, or does it need to connect directly to the positive battery terminal?
^^^^can you post a picture to confirm what this is? on mine from the factory the positive terminal has a wire that runs over to a bolt (covered with a red plastic) that is directly adjacent to the under hood fuse box on the drivers side, if this is what you are referring to, then NO I would not suggest using that connection point for your new power wire, as you will be trying to draw the power required by 2 amps thru a cable that already has to handle the load of EVERY other electrical item in the car. It is always best to come straight off the battery and with plans of running 2 amps I would suggest doing the "big 3" upgrade with 0 gauge wire and run 0 gauge back to a distribution block on your amp rack that will then drop to the 4 gauge for each amp.
Here's a pic. There's an incoming wire to the terminal on the right, and several outgoing wires from the terminal on the left.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dsbransom/11104908925/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dsbransom/11104908925/
OK, yeah I don't have anything like that and can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that the wire coming from the battery to that box is to small to even feed the 4 channel amp alone and that doesn't account for what it already has to handle, come off the battery with a new wire for your amps.
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FYI, your 4 channel has 4 gauge power connections and 2 25 amp fuses so at it's peak it could pull 50 amps, here is a chart
basically add up your fuses on your planned amps (this will be the number across the top of the chart) then go down that column and look for the length in feet of run you will need (no less then 18 but would go 23 to be safe) then see what gauge wire is called for by taking the 23 feet row for your amps and seeing what gauge is in the left side of the row. your stock wire there looks to be about 8 gauge going to that box.
there are variations in the quality of the power cable kit depending on manufacture and whether it's copper clad aluminum (which handles about half the current) or Copper so this chart is a general guideline.
basically add up your fuses on your planned amps (this will be the number across the top of the chart) then go down that column and look for the length in feet of run you will need (no less then 18 but would go 23 to be safe) then see what gauge wire is called for by taking the 23 feet row for your amps and seeing what gauge is in the left side of the row. your stock wire there looks to be about 8 gauge going to that box.
there are variations in the quality of the power cable kit depending on manufacture and whether it's copper clad aluminum (which handles about half the current) or Copper so this chart is a general guideline.
Last edited by Daniel Richards; Nov 29, 2013 at 02:19 AM.
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Last edited by WhiteBird00; Nov 29, 2013 at 03:27 PM.
NOOOOOOOOOO, that is the Copper clad aluminum, you don't want that. Get real COPPER cables, that kit is a shining example of just how bad CCA is, it is rated at 250A with the longest run of cable being 6 feet, Knukonceptz 0 Gauge COPPER wire is rated at 375 amps @ 20ft. thats 50% more over 3 times the distance.
Yes I know where talking extreme numbers here that really are probably above what will be needed so the CCA would be seen as a cheaper alternative to some people but CCA is also not well suited for underhood temperatures, the heat under the hood increases the resistance of the wire causing further voltage drops as well which defeats the main purpose of going to the larger wire, if you wanted to do it cheap you can get welding wire (google "ROYAL EXCELENE WELDING CABLE") it can be gotten at under 2 dollars a foot for 1/0 (0 gauge) and is regularly used by many SPL competition system builders.
Yes I know where talking extreme numbers here that really are probably above what will be needed so the CCA would be seen as a cheaper alternative to some people but CCA is also not well suited for underhood temperatures, the heat under the hood increases the resistance of the wire causing further voltage drops as well which defeats the main purpose of going to the larger wire, if you wanted to do it cheap you can get welding wire (google "ROYAL EXCELENE WELDING CABLE") it can be gotten at under 2 dollars a foot for 1/0 (0 gauge) and is regularly used by many SPL competition system builders.
Last edited by WhiteBird00; Nov 29, 2013 at 03:26 PM. Reason: Removed non-sponsor link
I already bought the DB Link PK4Z 4 gauge kit off eBay & received it on Friday. I'm assuming I can just hook it directly up to the battery, where that other wire comes off the battery going to that terminal box?
Hmm, I see there's only 17 feet of power wire (plus another foot or so on the other side of the fuse), hope I have enough.
Hmm, I see there's only 17 feet of power wire (plus another foot or so on the other side of the fuse), hope I have enough.
I decided to do all the wiring today, in preparation for installing the amp. Wow, what a job that is, to tear apart the interior, re-route the speaker wiring, & install the RCA connectors & power lead. I'm a little concerned that my power wire is going to be about a foot short. Maybe if I use an angled terminal end, it'll work. The RCA connectors on the HU made it so that I couldn't tighten the install kit bolts down quite all the way, it was bumping on some plastic behind it. However, when I attached the trim panel, it's fine, so that was a sigh of relief.
I have another question. The Hifonics amps has channels 1 & 2, and 3 & 4. I'm not even sure they're color-coded. My Pioneer HU just has them labeled as front & back. How do I match them up, other than trial & error?
Thanks Daniel.
I re-routed some wiring last night. Without thinking, I had routed the power lead with the speaker wiring, so I took it out & am going to route it down the passenger side with the power wire. I also decided to move the wiring under the seatbelt mount (instead of over it, where there's not really enough room). What a pain in the neck that is, if you don't have a torx big enough for the seat belt bolt!
I re-routed some wiring last night. Without thinking, I had routed the power lead with the speaker wiring, so I took it out & am going to route it down the passenger side with the power wire. I also decided to move the wiring under the seatbelt mount (instead of over it, where there's not really enough room). What a pain in the neck that is, if you don't have a torx big enough for the seat belt bolt!
^^^^ General rule of thumb is to always run power wire separate from the rest, I did power down the passenger side, RCA and remote down the center tunnel and if in the future I need to bring wires for the front doors forward they will come up the driver side. I used to do satellite dish installs and they specifically taught us NOT to run the coax cable in the same direction as power wires in a house and if we had to cross power wires to do it perpendicular to the power wire, the purpose of this is to prevent interference from the power lines.
