Ok, here we go...I got my box carpeted, top only, for like 10 bucks. They didnt have the black carpet that I wanted, but the grey was dark enough for me. Here is a couple pics.





Here is the 4 gauge wiring that I ran. It's for the JBL 1200.1, but the Planet Audio is handling it pretty well.





And here is my new Alpine CD Player. I posted earlier bout it, but I figured I'd add it in here since I'm postin the new stuff.







And a quick pic of the new Cobra Radar Detector...


And finally, my planet audio story and why I love'em. I was hookin the 4 ga to it, forgot do disconnect the power wire at the battery (stupid me ), and the power wire jumped off and touched the amp chassis. Well the amp goes *ppppppsssshhhhh**POP**kkkkksssssssshhhhhhh* and then smoke rolled out both sides. I was like oh **** there goes a $250 amp I have to buy cuz it aint mine. So I hooked up the wire and tested the amp...and sure as ****, it kicks on like nuthin happened. I was so happy and amazed and happy cuz no fuses were blown so I was sure that amp was toast. But it still sounds the same and all components still work flawlessly. Well, give me your comments on the new stuff!

 

Looks good. But 4 gauge is too small for 150 amps.

 

They told me at the audio store that 4 guage was best and that 2 gauge was overkill. The reason I have a 150 amp fuse is because the JBL I bought pulls aprox 120 amps and the 4x400 clarion I have for highs pulls the other 30, so we decided to start at 150 and see if we needed to go to a bigger fuse. I dont have the Clarion yet but will get it friday, and I dont know when the hell that JBL will be in, I ordered it from Ikesound. Im trying to find a distribution block that has 1 four gauge input, and 1 four gauge out and one 8 gauge out....anyone know if they exist?

 

I would no way put 4 gauge in with a possible 150 amp draw. I don't know any mfg that recommends 4 ga at that current level.

If you want a 4 ga out, you'll most likely need to buy a 1/0-4ga in with two or more 4-10 ga outs. A Phoenix Gold MBBx2 comes to mind.

 

Whats the highest amp fuse that you would go w/ when using 4 gauge? I've heard from almost every person I've talked to (2 audio stores, and 5 or 6 friends who have twice the system as mine) and they all said that I would be fine with for gauge until about 170 to 180 amps, or more. If having 4 gauge makes my car a risk to fire or something, then I will probably change it, even though I just spent $40 on wire and fuse holder. I would have to buy new wire and a new fuse holder.

 

How many feet of 4 ga are you running?

 

There is about 18 to 19 feet of power, and 3 ft of ground.

 

About the power wire grounding to your amp, shouldn't effect an amp at all. It's just 12V grounding to the amp casing, I've done it a few times myself, and now I practice safe installs, and disconnect the negative side of every battery I do any install on. It'll lose the presets, but oh well.

 

Did your amps smoke out both sides and get a terrible burning smell? Also the screw terminal got instantly hot and I burnt my fingers on it.

 

i am not having any problems running a 150 amp fuse on 4 gauge high strand power wire.

whats the deal?


adam

 

the wire will probably never see 150A in it's lifetime of powering the system.

- Andy

 

According to IASCA's rule book:
a 16' to 19' length power wire
0-20amps is 8ga
20-35amps is 6ga
35-50amps is 4ga
50-65amps is 4ga
65-85amps is 2 ga
85-105amps is 2ga
105-125amps is 0ga
125-150amps is 0ga

 

Unless you plan on running your system at full capacity alot, such as spl burps, I don't think you'll have a problem. The clarion if used for your highs won't pull 30 amps. Total fuse count on my setup is 140 amps and i run a 60 or 80 amp fuse (can't remember) and have never had one pop.

 

I agree. I'd just use a 100 amp fuse and keep your 4 ga so you don't have to buy more wire. Unless your running all your amps at the min impedance at full volume, they wont draw max current anyways. But I would try that 100 amp fuse - you dont want a fuse on a wire that can't handle the amount of current the fuse will allow.

 

:nono: never run the power wire by the Distributor thats how you get feed back in the power line and you get the nasy buzzing noice you should of ran it across the front of the car and then back to the fire wall.

 

someone correct me if i'm wrong, but i dont believe you pick up noise through power wire......

 

Only time I ever get feedback is when I run speakers wire Parallel to power wires. Never got feedback from powerline to powerline induction *shrug

 

you sure can. ask any high end installer and they will tell you thatyou can get feedback in the power line. look at the 'Vetts they arevery well known for feed back noise because of the fiberglass body, they can't get a good ground. now it is a V-6 so its most unlikely that you will get any feedback unless you had it turned all the way with no music playing you should be able to hear the feedback. now if you have a 50,000 volt HEI Distributor like me you would get alot of feed back.

 

I had minor problems with my MSD box but just got a noise filter for the box itself. I actully have my amp power wire and my rca's on the same side of the car and am having no problems.

 

having the RCA's and powerwire on the same side is a no no but the noise filter will help with that like you said.

 

Actully there is no noise filter on this car. I also do not have the MSD ignition in it.

 

yea feed back in the powerline on where is is ran and what other wires is a well known problem who makes the noisce filter that you have?

 

I don't have one on this car. The MSD setup and noise filter were on my old car. And I don't recomend that anyone runs their wires this way I just got lucky and didn't have any interference with this setup.

 

LoL nor would i! LoL but you did get lucky about the feedback

 

I ran the wires the same way the 8 gauge was ran...across the back side of the engine compartment and on the same side as the RCA's and I have no noise what so ever. If I would have installed the 8 gauge, it would have ran it on the opposite side of the RCA's, but I got my system installed for xmas, so I didnt do it origionally.