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Tony Nelson

Installation Questions for new system

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I will be soon upgrading some components in my system. I have a new SAZ-1500d v.2 that will be paired up with an Xcon 12. I will also be getting a DC Power 180 amp alternator and will do the Big 3 also. I just have some questions. I haven't ever worked on a system dealing with this much power, and just want to make sure I have everything that I need. First, my current setup is a dual amp setup using Rockford 1000-1bd amp and alpine pdx-4.100. I used a 1 Farad capacitor (Ya, I know :suicide-santa: ) basically as a distrubution block for those amps. Electrical is stock.

The capacitor will go away when I upgrade, so I have been looking at distribution blocks.

I know I will need an inline fuse for the new sundown amp. Close to 160 amp, but 150 Amp is readily available. I'm just not sure if I should get fused distibution block and fuse the amps that way? Or get a non-fused block and just run an inline fuse to the sundown amp? The alpine has built in fuses on it, so I don't think another fuse is necessary?

Also, if I do go with a fused block, will I need an inline fuse next to battery? I also read that people run fuses between alternator and battery. Is that necessary?

I just don't want to skimp out on anything with this new install. I will do it right, just need a little instruction.

Thanks guys,

Tony Nelson

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Fuse by the battery is for safety in case the wire jacket ever gets compromised and comes into contact with bare metal. It is there to keep the car from going up in flames.

If your Alpine amp has built in fuses you shouldn't need another fuse by the amp after the distro block, but the only thing it would hurt is it might drop your voltage at the amp by .1 or .2 volts or so.

As far as fuses on the charging wire from alt to battery, I have heard arguments both ways for and against. All I will say is I have one on mine "just in case."

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I will be soon upgrading some components in my system. I have a new SAZ-1500d v.2 that will be paired up with an Xcon 12. I will also be getting a DC Power 180 amp alternator and will do the Big 3 also. I just have some questions. I haven't ever worked on a system dealing with this much power, and just want to make sure I have everything that I need. First, my current setup is a dual amp setup using Rockford 1000-1bd amp and alpine pdx-4.100. I used a 1 Farad capacitor (Ya, I know :suicide-santa: ) basically as a distrubution block for those amps. Electrical is stock.

The capacitor will go away when I upgrade, so I have been looking at distribution blocks.

I know I will need an inline fuse for the new sundown amp. Close to 160 amp, but 150 Amp is readily available. I'm just not sure if I should get fused distibution block and fuse the amps that way? Or get a non-fused block and just run an inline fuse to the sundown amp? The alpine has built in fuses on it, so I don't think another fuse is necessary?

Also, if I do go with a fused block, will I need an inline fuse next to battery? I also read that people run fuses between alternator and battery. Is that necessary?

I just don't want to skimp out on anything with this new install. I will do it right, just need a little instruction.

Thanks guys,

Tony Nelson

If I were you I would get a 2nd batt. and run an inline fuse between that and the sundown amp.

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Nice post Tony Nelson. It really pays to plan ahead.

The main purpose of inline fuses is to protect the wire. Fuse ratings are decided based on the wire manufactures ratings for the wire size and length. For instance a 1/0 length of 20" will be able to carry more amperage then a length of 20'. It is rather simple to figure out and there are many charts available.

I fuse all positive wires within 18" of the battery. This includes the charge wire from alternator to battery.

I do not like to use distribution blocks. I prefer to run all connections directly to the battery. They manufacturer excellent small batteries that will out perform capacitors.

Upgraded alternator, starting battery and a small auxiliary battery mounted near the amplifiers sounnds like an excellent electrical system for your needs.

These diagrams may help

dualbattery2.jpg

DualBattery3.jpg

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Fuse as close to the "source" as possible and it is okay to underfuse, but do NOT overfuse based on the wire size. I wouldn't say the fuse is there to protect the wire, but the car but the end result is the same. :)

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Thanks for the replys. Total amperage that both amps would need max would be 220 amps. 160 for the sundown, and 60 for the alpine. If I only did one run of 0 guage wire from the battery, I would need to fuse that line at whatever the max draw of the amps would be right? So figure I would need to fuse rating of 220 amps.

Also, an inline fuse rating of 150 amp should be fine for the sundown amp too right? I know they are rated for 160 but I'm positive I will never even get close to that with daily music liistening habbits. At least I hope I don't even come close to the max amp draw.

Also, just need an estimate of amp draw I will be experiencing from the setup. I am only using 2 channels of the four channel amp, so I think I would be able to knock the 60 amp in half to 30. Then music power would roughly half that again right? So around 15 amp draw from the alpine amp for everyday music listening? Same thing for the sundown. Probably around 80 amp draw for daily listening, hopefully less. Unless I have read false information or really misunderstood it, I think that is how it works right? I am just trying to make sure the H.O. alternator (DC Power 180 amp) I am about to buy will be enough for daily driving to power this setup? The stock alternator on my car is 115 amp, and my current setup does pretty well on it.

I will be upgrading the battery under the hood also, so I'm hoping that and the HO alternator will be enough so I do not need a secondary battery, as I don't really want to run a second one.

Thanks again for the help on this, I appreciate it.

Tony Nelson

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Just fuse to whatever the manufacturer suggests. You're over complicating things.

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Are you sure you need an HO alt ?

I have quite the same setup on a stock alt and a stock 75a batt with no problem. And I check my voltmeter continually !

I don't know nothing about my alt , and my engine is a diesel.

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Are you sure you need an HO alt ?

I have quite the same setup on a stock alt and a stock 75a batt with no problem. And I check my voltmeter continually !

I don't know nothing about my alt , and my engine is a diesel.

I was just assuming mostly. My current system has some decent voltage drop, my lights dim pretty bad. Although I haven't done the Big 3 yet, so that may help some. I just don't see how a 115 amp alternator can support the upgrades, just adding up the numbers. For most of my listening it should be fine, but once in a while I let things go and just want to try to keep the voltage drop low.

When I get back to school (xmas break), I will hook my car up in buddies shop to see what I'm pulling now at full tilt and go from there.

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I would add a second battery before worrying about a HO alt. With an upgraded main battery and an aux battery, you should be fine. A 1500 isn't that much power on music. Under comp conditions its a different story.

For instance a 1/0 length of 20" will be able to carry more amperage then a length of 20'.

Not true. Either length will flow the same amount of current without melting. The fuse size would be the same regardless of length. It all has to do with the amount of heat the wire can dissipate per unit length. That is a constant regardless of length. The charts that are available are based on voltage drop and thus usable capacity, not actual capacity. If the wire is too small for the length, you will lose so much voltage over the transmission length that the amps will operate inefficiently and you will lose a lot of your power from the alt in the form of heat in the wire.

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