#11818, "RE: Regarding wire Guage for amp power" In response to Reply # 0
Def move up to 4ga. Outside the amperage draw from your Amp, 4ga makes upgrading much easier in the future. Depending out your long term outlook you may need more than 4ga someday...lol Stay with 4ga for now unless you plan on adding more than 2 of those amps.
Upgrading to 1/0 is overkill for 90% of the people here. Mine unfortuneatly warrents it.
#11829, "RE: Regarding wire Guage for amp power" In response to Reply # 2 Jan-07-06 07:22 PM by SPL_Eclipse
assuming that the 8ga. wire is fuse correctly, upgrading will not improve anything related to safety and will barely improve anything else. you might see a .1-.3 volt drop along the line, but thats not going to produce an audible difference. out of curiosity..what amp?
edit: duh...i forgot about your other post. that kenwood amp puts out 460 watts RMS...so...
460watts/12amps=38.3amps at peak. however...taking into account the efficiency of that amp, the draw is more like 60-70amps. BUT...thats only with sine waves and the like, not musical passages. you will probably average around a 15amp draw with peaks at 30. assuming the fuse (on the wire) doesnt blow, you are fine. as for your question in the other thread...you alternator will be fine. i used to run 1800+ watts of class a/b power in my eclipse and it took several years for that to kill the alt, lol.
#11833, "RE: Regarding wire Guage for amp power" In response to Reply # 3 Jan-07-06 09:48 PM by 95_ESi_Person
Originally posted by SPL_Eclipse assuming that the 8ga. wire is fuse correctly, upgrading will not improve anything related to safety and will barely improve anything else. you might see a .1-.3 volt drop along the line, but thats not going to produce an audible difference
So I'm good with 8ga? I figured that if the manual said it's good I'd be fine, but the demo amp in Best Buy used 4ga, that's why I asked.
Thanks for the assurance on the alternator issue...
The only reason I asked that is because I was hearing some funny noises from that area and my sister's alternator was making some funny noises until it shot all of the bearings out of the back of it, resulting in a fused solid alternator and a belt catching fire in her car. (yeah that's a funny enough story to be posted in the pits!... see "Rusty (no-longer) Trusty Buick".
I guess my noises are timing belt equipment related, and as soon as I get money I'm buying the kit from parts dinosaur.
#11845, "RE: Regarding wire Guage for amp power" In response to Reply # 4
go to 4 AWG. The voltage drop/resistance for an 8 awg wire is TRIPLE that of the 4 AWG wire. Sure the 8 AWG can handle the current but the voltage drop for the 15-20 ft of wire you need is a HUGE difference. and your whole electrical system will be happier you switched to 4.
#11851, "RE: Regarding wire Guage for amp power" In response to Reply # 5
Originally posted by mcgyvr go to 4 AWG. The voltage drop/resistance for an 8 awg wire is TRIPLE that of the 4 AWG wire. Sure the 8 AWG can handle the current but the voltage drop for the 15-20 ft of wire you need is a HUGE difference. and your whole electrical system will be happier you switched to 4.
i disagree. while 4AWG is "triple the size" (sorta), the voltage drop will be next to nothing. even with a minor voltage drop, there will be no audible difference between 8 AWG and 4 AWG. and theres NO possible way for it to effect the rest of the electrical system (assuming its healthy in the first place).
#11854, "RE: Regarding wire Guage for amp power" In response to Reply # 6
Originally posted by SPL_Eclipse
Originally posted by mcgyvr go to 4 AWG. The voltage drop/resistance for an 8 awg wire is TRIPLE that of the 4 AWG wire. Sure the 8 AWG can handle the current but the voltage drop for the 15-20 ft of wire you need is a HUGE difference. and your whole electrical system will be happier you switched to 4.
i disagree. while 4AWG is "triple the size" (sorta), the voltage drop will be next to nothing. even with a minor voltage drop, there will be no audible difference between 8 AWG and 4 AWG. and theres NO possible way for it to effect the rest of the electrical system (assuming its healthy in the first place).
Voltage drop for 8 awg assuming a 15 foot run is .7 to 1 volt depending on the quality of the wire. Voltage drop for a 4 awg assuming a 15 foot run is .2 to .3 volts.
In a 12 volt system a .7 to 1 volt drop is enough to make a difference.
(information per the national electrical code for 90deg C stranded conductors)
Ive had systems with cheap 8 awg wire from radio shack, the lights would blink,battery would drain,alternator couldnt keep up. by simply switching to 8 awg monster cable (better quality) all electrical problems were gone.
This is the same principal as the fuel pump rewire modification. By simply switching the wire guage the voltage drop that the pump sees was reduced greatly.
#11856, "RE: Regarding wire Guage for amp power" In response to Reply # 8
the walmart by me sells monster cable......
Grade of wire is subject to the buyers opinion or standards. Personally i feel monster cable is subgrade. Others will disagree.
Argue wire gauge all you want. To say wire gauge does nothing for you is just proof someone knows nothing of electricity. I could go into specifics but i dont feel like i need to. I upgraded from 4ga to 0gauge and noticed a difference on the SPL meter. same weather conditions ect and my amps will draw 60amps combined on a full draw.
#11861, "RE: Regarding wire Guage for amp power" In response to Reply # 9
"To say wire gauge does nothing for you is just proof someone knows nothing of electricity."
im not saying upgrading will do nothing, just not a whole lot. for an anmp that size, the difference in 8 AWG and 4 AWG is negligable.
as far as brands go, thats going to make less difference. the "skin size" (or surface area of the conductive portion of the wire) of both will be almost unmeasurably close, so the main difference will be flexability/resistence to tearing/etc.
