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Power switch?

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Old Apr 6, 2006 | 09:01 PM
  #1  
TheBandit's Avatar
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From: Sayreville, NJ
Car: 72 Fbird. Want another 3rd gen :(
Engine: Poncho 350
Transmission: Turbo 350
Power switch?

Well.. im complete noob at all this audio stuff but oh well.. just bought some 12s and an amp got it all in place and hooked up.. now i was just wonderin about a power switch for the amp?.. like is there a relay or soemtin to the front of the car for a switch? or just the way you wire it.. Ie. if i wanted the subs on for one song but not another ?..


=/ sorry if this is a stupid question.. just never really worked with this kinda stuff
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Old Apr 6, 2006 | 09:12 PM
  #2  
lurch241's Avatar
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From: Northlake IL
Originally Posted by TheBandit
Well.. im complete noob at all this audio stuff but oh well.. just bought some 12s and an amp got it all in place and hooked up.. now i was just wonderin about a power switch for the amp?.. like is there a relay or soemtin to the front of the car for a switch? or just the way you wire it.. Ie. if i wanted the subs on for one song but not another ?..


=/ sorry if this is a stupid question.. just never really worked with this kinda stuff
nah it isnt stupid i got 10s i just put a regular switch in the power wire and make sure u have a fuse i made that mistake at the start
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Old Apr 6, 2006 | 10:38 PM
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From: Readington, NJ
Car: 88 GTA
Engine: 350 TPI
Transmission: T-56
Axle/Gears: 9 bolt w/ 3.73
Originally Posted by lurch241
nah it isnt stupid i got 10s i just put a regular switch in the power wire and make sure u have a fuse i made that mistake at the start
Lack of fuses cause car fires.

Your headunit has a wire called the remote wire in its harness. It's usually blue/blue with a white stripe. Run that to your amp's remote turn on. I guess you could wire your amps to a switch if you really wanted to but that's a somewhat ******* way of doing it IMO.
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Old Apr 6, 2006 | 10:43 PM
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From: Central Alberta,Canada
Car: 88 Iroc Vert/ 1980 Z28
Engine: 305 TPI/ 350
Transmission: 700R4/ TH350
Axle/Gears: 2.73posi/ 3.08 Open
If you want the option of turning the subs off then yea just put a switch between the "remote turn on wire"(blue w White stripe) from your head unit and the amp. Then you can turn your amp off when ever you want.
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Old Apr 7, 2006 | 06:23 AM
  #5  
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From: Westminster, MD
Car: 89 IROC-Z
Engine: 355 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
^^^ What they all said. Don't put it in the power wire, put it on the 'rem' wire.
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Old Apr 8, 2006 | 08:50 PM
  #6  
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From: Joplin, Missouri
Car: '91 Z28
Engine: L98 H/C/I - 400whp
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: Moser 12-Bolt(4:30 w/spool)
Another option is having an aftermarket head unit with subwoofer control... you can turn your subs up/down as well as off just by using your head unit.
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Old Apr 12, 2006 | 11:14 AM
  #7  
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From: Sayreville, NJ
Car: 72 Fbird. Want another 3rd gen :(
Engine: Poncho 350
Transmission: Turbo 350
ahh well i just bought a headunit.. so i wont be getting a different one.. thx for the help.. do i need a fuse if i put a power switch in the remote wire?
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Old Apr 12, 2006 | 11:20 AM
  #8  
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From: Westminster, MD
Car: 89 IROC-Z
Engine: 355 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Wouldn't be bad, but you really don't 'need' one. Most manufactures don't put a fuse on the wire, some do.
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Old Apr 12, 2006 | 11:29 AM
  #9  
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From: Sayreville, NJ
Car: 72 Fbird. Want another 3rd gen :(
Engine: Poncho 350
Transmission: Turbo 350
ohh ok.. so i can do without.. also what kind of switches you guys use?.. and where did you mount them?
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Old Apr 12, 2006 | 12:43 PM
  #10  
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From: Yellowknife, NWT, Canada
Car: 84 Z28
Engine: 357
Transmission: TH-350C
Axle/Gears: 3.43
I had my old setup rigged with a rocker switch in the remote line to turn my amps off, but just got my new deck so i got rid of that switch...
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Old Apr 12, 2006 | 01:53 PM
  #11  
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From: Westminster, MD
Car: 89 IROC-Z
Engine: 355 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
I don't use one. But most any switch would work. Could be a SPST, DPST, SPDT, DPDT, lighted or not, rocker or togle,... Just don't get a momentary switch.
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Old Apr 12, 2006 | 01:59 PM
  #12  
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From: Readington, NJ
Car: 88 GTA
Engine: 350 TPI
Transmission: T-56
Axle/Gears: 9 bolt w/ 3.73
Originally Posted by TheBandit
ohh ok.. so i can do without.. also what kind of switches you guys use?.. and where did you mount them?
Virtually none of us run switches. I can only see wanting a switch under one condition: you're using a line out converter coupled to a stock headunit and don't have any other way of turning on the amps.

The vast vast majority of head units out there have an option for controlling the volume of the subs as well as a full out mute (ie no sub output) so there’s really no need for the switch.
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Old Dec 8, 2006 | 03:06 PM
  #13  
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From: Kansas
Car: 1988 camaro rs
Engine: 305
You can also put a switch on your remote wire.
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Old Dec 8, 2006 | 03:36 PM
  #14  
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From: ludlow mass
Car: 02 Mustang
Engine: 3.8 about to be punched out to 4.3
Transmission: 4R70W
Axle/Gears: 3.73 Detroit true trac
Originally Posted by Gummie
Lack of fuses cause car fires.

Your headunit has a wire called the remote wire in its harness. It's usually blue/blue with a white stripe. Run that to your amp's remote turn on. I guess you could wire your amps to a switch if you really wanted to but that's a somewhat ******* way of doing it IMO.
ya, run a fuse, i know about that

+1 on the blue wire, i do have a switch though just because its easier to just flip that off then to figure out how to screw around with the headunit to turn the sub off
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Old Dec 8, 2006 | 05:05 PM
  #15  
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if your deck doesn't' have a Remote wire, you could tap into the accessory wire. Then the amp will turn on/off with the key.

What type of deck do you have?
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Old Dec 8, 2006 | 05:48 PM
  #16  
TheBandit's Avatar
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From: Sayreville, NJ
Car: 72 Fbird. Want another 3rd gen :(
Engine: Poncho 350
Transmission: Turbo 350
it does have a remote wire.. i just wanted to be able to turn the subs on/off for different types of music..

atm i have a pos audiovox headunit.. i hate the thing, but unfortunetly i dont have the money right now to buy another one..
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Old Dec 11, 2006 | 11:19 AM
  #17  
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Car: 1988 camaro rs
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but then you have to get in the ingetion
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