kk i just bought the 4 gauge wire i needed, and as u know i alrdy have the other amp kit installed, so i figured i will use that for my other amp to power my door speakers.. my question is how do i add a second amp kit.. is it the exact same as adding a first one, and where do i connect to the battery, in the same spot as the other one like touching eachother, or on the other side or what.. i know this is probably the dumbest question you've ever heard but im a newb and i dont want to screw anything up, so the more info u can give me on this the better, i want to get started on this install before it gets too late though so plz hurry
Replies (13)
swez on 06/30/2007 16:39:30
When running dual power lines for 2 separate amps, we can tap and fuse both lines at the batter terminal. It's not the most efficient way, but it will work.
Also, when running a 2nd power line, follow the same path as the original line. We can bundle both wires together with tape or wire ties as needed to keep them managable.
Tech Tip: Keep your power lines well away from RCA signals lines. If they must cross at the amps, cross the signal lines at 90 degree angles to minimize noise pick up issues.
Swez
Bass_bass_10 on 06/30/2007 17:14:12
and how to i connect the second earth wire
swez on 06/30/2007 20:03:51
If the 2nd amp is physically close to the original one, use the same ground location. If not, choose a new ground location that limits grown wire length to under 3 feet.
Swez
PS Rear seatbelt harness bolts are effective if you ca get to them, clean them well and then terminate with the proper ring terminals.
Ender2 on 07/1/2007 00:55:45
Perhaps this was mentioned earlier, or ruled out in a previous post. But more often than not this is the more effective way to fuel multiple amplifiers (this is what is done on my car).
1.)You run a Power Wire from your battery to your trunk that is BIG enough to supply power to both of your amps (ie. it needs to be abler to handle the amperage of both of your amplifiers safely.)
2.)The LARGE wire in the trunk goes into a Distribution block which turns the single LARGE power wire into two smaller power wires. These two smaller wires go directly to the amplifiers.
3.)In addition, the GROUND (EARTH) cables each tie into another distribution block which, in turn, runs to a single ground. Take a look at these pictures of my setup to "see" the picture.
You'll have to copy/paste these links into your internet browser to view the pictures.
https://home.comcast.net/~kulingar/distributionblocks.jpg
https://home.comcast.net/~kulingar/full.jpg
Quite simply, the way you're planning to do it (2 power, 2 ground) wires is a big hassle, not to mention will take up much more room around your trim when ran through the car.
I'm almost always on AIM (DruidEnder), and your setup sounds a lot like mine (two amps, one for Bass engine, and one for a nice four channel setup.) So if you get any questions and need immediate answers, just Instant Message me.
Hope I helped. :)
swez on 07/1/2007 10:34:44
Agreed... if you need to run a another power wire anyway and it's apain to do them, might as well go full boat and not have to bother with this even more, if you upgrade to a larger amp kit later.
A pair of dual #4 lines are good up to about 80A's per line at 20 feet with minimal series resistance in the lines. They are bulky and about the same power handling as a single #2 gage line alone. If you do as Ender mentioned and used 1/0 or #2 line, good to go and with the added D-blocks for power and grounds, you're done.
Swez
Bass_bass_10 on 07/1/2007 13:25:45
thnx :) sounds good.. i ment the remote wire or w.e you know the small one that goes into the HU...and i am starting to get fed up with the system i dont know if its because i am never satisfied or just like to upgrade a lot but i am thinking of selling my system and with the help of you guys mybe picking out a brand new setup.. i wasted almost 1,000 on this and it isnt even that great soo looks like ill have to put more money into it.. i am going to adjust the gains and stuff one last time n if it doesnt turn out then im done with it :P.. anyone have any suggestions for 12" subs though? i heard L7's r pretty nice.. i wonder if even just 1 of those would be better than my system
Bass_bass_10 on 07/1/2007 13:31:11
Kicker 1500.1 mono block amp to power 2 L7's? or no
swez on 07/1/2007 18:22:45
Great bass engine combo if you have the space for the subs and enough power to feed the amp. Also, don't even think about installing your subs in the face up orientation. (Firing into the trunk lid)
Also, have you done the vent we discussed yet? This will help bring some of that bass that is now trapped in the trunk, into the cabin.
I would not suggest throwing out the baby w/ the bath water here just yet either. You may have a solid system in hand, but have yet to fine tune it for the best performance possible. This takes time, patience and a well trained ear.
What's the biggest complaint you have now?
Swez
Bass_bass_10 on 07/1/2007 20:43:36
to tell you the truth it doesnt sound bad now that i adjusted the gains..and yes i cut out the vent (big diff) so this setup will do for now..i'll probably keep this system for a good yr. and then its time to upgrade.. im looking for a system that shakes my whole body lol.. like this one will shake loose change when i put it on the trunk, and all the mirrors but thats about it.. nothing too impressive
ShootuhMcBustaCap on 07/1/2007 21:45:04
Glad to see everything has worked out for you Bass. Rember though, before you buy new amps/subs ect., there are many other bases you can cover in term of overall installation techniques, really basic upgrades (high quality connectors, RCA's), speaker placements for optimal acoustical benifits ect, that you can employ to get practally free performance.
Also, what kind of box are you employing again? A redesigned, custom made box will seriously suprise you with the difference it will make.
swez on 07/1/2007 21:46:08
Did you also reposition the sub box more toward the center of the trunk or closer to the rear bumper in the trunk? That will help as opposed to butting the sub box up against the rear seat backs and blocking the vent you just cut out. (Experiment a bit with enclosure locations and see what sounds best)
Also, did you use an AC voltmeter when adjusting the sub amp gain? If not, there may be even more available too. It depends on your amp power and how much the subs can take as well. We can help you with that, if you have a good AC voltage meter on hand.
Was the vent cutout worth the effort?
Swez
Bass_bass_10 on 07/1/2007 22:38:11
the box is just a sealed one that i bought at bestbuy.. i am thinking of changing it to a ported...and yes swez i found from a while ago that positioning the box closer to the rear of the trunk increases the bass greatly..the cut-out is not that big but still makes quite a bit of difference.. i am thinking of a way to increase the size of the vent.. maybe even removing the backsteats? < probably wont go to that extreme lol i need the backseats :P.. and no i did not use a AC voltmeter.. i dont even know what that is lol..are they expensive? if not i will look into buying one soon and we can go from there.. and yeah shootah i was surprised that the rca's make a difference.. i experimented using my old rca's and the new one and it seemed like a 25% increase or more and they are not even high quality rca's
swez on 07/2/2007 09:33:20
If you are serious about car audio, buy a low priced DMM, (Digital Multimeter) for electrical troubleshooting. They are not too expensive, (~$20.00 USD) and a very handy tool for most any electrical projects we get involved with.
One of these will get you in business:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103174&cp=2032058.2032235.2032305&parentPage=family
Avoid analog meters as they are much harder to learn and easy to misinterpret the readings unless one is very familiar with how to use it properly.
Swez COFFEE
Replies (13)
swez on 06/30/2007 16:39:30
When running dual power lines for 2 separate amps, we can tap and fuse both lines at the batter terminal. It's not the most efficient way, but it will work.
Also, when running a 2nd power line, follow the same path as the original line. We can bundle both wires together with tape or wire ties as needed to keep them managable.
Tech Tip: Keep your power lines well away from RCA signals lines. If they must cross at the amps, cross the signal lines at 90 degree angles to minimize noise pick up issues.
Swez
Bass_bass_10 on 06/30/2007 17:14:12
and how to i connect the second earth wire
swez on 06/30/2007 20:03:51
If the 2nd amp is physically close to the original one, use the same ground location. If not, choose a new ground location that limits grown wire length to under 3 feet.
Swez
PS Rear seatbelt harness bolts are effective if you ca get to them, clean them well and then terminate with the proper ring terminals.
Ender2 on 07/1/2007 00:55:45
Perhaps this was mentioned earlier, or ruled out in a previous post. But more often than not this is the more effective way to fuel multiple amplifiers (this is what is done on my car).
1.)You run a Power Wire from your battery to your trunk that is BIG enough to supply power to both of your amps (ie. it needs to be abler to handle the amperage of both of your amplifiers safely.)
2.)The LARGE wire in the trunk goes into a Distribution block which turns the single LARGE power wire into two smaller power wires. These two smaller wires go directly to the amplifiers.
3.)In addition, the GROUND (EARTH) cables each tie into another distribution block which, in turn, runs to a single ground. Take a look at these pictures of my setup to "see" the picture.
You'll have to copy/paste these links into your internet browser to view the pictures.
https://home.comcast.net/~kulingar/distributionblocks.jpg
https://home.comcast.net/~kulingar/full.jpg
Quite simply, the way you're planning to do it (2 power, 2 ground) wires is a big hassle, not to mention will take up much more room around your trim when ran through the car.
I'm almost always on AIM (DruidEnder), and your setup sounds a lot like mine (two amps, one for Bass engine, and one for a nice four channel setup.) So if you get any questions and need immediate answers, just Instant Message me.
Hope I helped. :)
swez on 07/1/2007 10:34:44
Agreed... if you need to run a another power wire anyway and it's apain to do them, might as well go full boat and not have to bother with this even more, if you upgrade to a larger amp kit later.
A pair of dual #4 lines are good up to about 80A's per line at 20 feet with minimal series resistance in the lines. They are bulky and about the same power handling as a single #2 gage line alone. If you do as Ender mentioned and used 1/0 or #2 line, good to go and with the added D-blocks for power and grounds, you're done.
Swez
Bass_bass_10 on 07/1/2007 13:25:45
thnx :) sounds good.. i ment the remote wire or w.e you know the small one that goes into the HU...and i am starting to get fed up with the system i dont know if its because i am never satisfied or just like to upgrade a lot but i am thinking of selling my system and with the help of you guys mybe picking out a brand new setup.. i wasted almost 1,000 on this and it isnt even that great soo looks like ill have to put more money into it.. i am going to adjust the gains and stuff one last time n if it doesnt turn out then im done with it :P.. anyone have any suggestions for 12" subs though? i heard L7's r pretty nice.. i wonder if even just 1 of those would be better than my system
Bass_bass_10 on 07/1/2007 13:31:11
Kicker 1500.1 mono block amp to power 2 L7's? or no
swez on 07/1/2007 18:22:45
Great bass engine combo if you have the space for the subs and enough power to feed the amp. Also, don't even think about installing your subs in the face up orientation. (Firing into the trunk lid)
Also, have you done the vent we discussed yet? This will help bring some of that bass that is now trapped in the trunk, into the cabin.
I would not suggest throwing out the baby w/ the bath water here just yet either. You may have a solid system in hand, but have yet to fine tune it for the best performance possible. This takes time, patience and a well trained ear.
What's the biggest complaint you have now?
Swez
Bass_bass_10 on 07/1/2007 20:43:36
to tell you the truth it doesnt sound bad now that i adjusted the gains..and yes i cut out the vent (big diff) so this setup will do for now..i'll probably keep this system for a good yr. and then its time to upgrade.. im looking for a system that shakes my whole body lol.. like this one will shake loose change when i put it on the trunk, and all the mirrors but thats about it.. nothing too impressive
ShootuhMcBustaCap on 07/1/2007 21:45:04
Glad to see everything has worked out for you Bass. Rember though, before you buy new amps/subs ect., there are many other bases you can cover in term of overall installation techniques, really basic upgrades (high quality connectors, RCA's), speaker placements for optimal acoustical benifits ect, that you can employ to get practally free performance.
Also, what kind of box are you employing again? A redesigned, custom made box will seriously suprise you with the difference it will make.
swez on 07/1/2007 21:46:08
Did you also reposition the sub box more toward the center of the trunk or closer to the rear bumper in the trunk? That will help as opposed to butting the sub box up against the rear seat backs and blocking the vent you just cut out. (Experiment a bit with enclosure locations and see what sounds best)
Also, did you use an AC voltmeter when adjusting the sub amp gain? If not, there may be even more available too. It depends on your amp power and how much the subs can take as well. We can help you with that, if you have a good AC voltage meter on hand.
Was the vent cutout worth the effort?
Swez
Bass_bass_10 on 07/1/2007 22:38:11
the box is just a sealed one that i bought at bestbuy.. i am thinking of changing it to a ported...and yes swez i found from a while ago that positioning the box closer to the rear of the trunk increases the bass greatly..the cut-out is not that big but still makes quite a bit of difference.. i am thinking of a way to increase the size of the vent.. maybe even removing the backsteats? < probably wont go to that extreme lol i need the backseats :P.. and no i did not use a AC voltmeter.. i dont even know what that is lol..are they expensive? if not i will look into buying one soon and we can go from there.. and yeah shootah i was surprised that the rca's make a difference.. i experimented using my old rca's and the new one and it seemed like a 25% increase or more and they are not even high quality rca's
swez on 07/2/2007 09:33:20
If you are serious about car audio, buy a low priced DMM, (Digital Multimeter) for electrical troubleshooting. They are not too expensive, (~$20.00 USD) and a very handy tool for most any electrical projects we get involved with.
One of these will get you in business:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103174&cp=2032058.2032235.2032305&parentPage=family
Avoid analog meters as they are much harder to learn and easy to misinterpret the readings unless one is very familiar with how to use it properly.
Swez COFFEE
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