connect where for audio amplifier

Happy Dayz

Active Member
Jun 26, 2017
543
Sarasota, FL
Boat Info
'06 260 Sundancer, 6.2, BIII, Kohler 5kw
79' classic Kona Family Cruiser jet boat..
Engines
6.2 w/ BIII, 502 w/ Berkekley
i did some searching but didnt find a definitive connection point for my amp power connection. had read to connect direct to battery switch? where?
seems the 12v panel has 2 feeds from switch to separate bus bars?
..i am running a circuit breaker..

thank you..


 
I wired my amps directly to the battery. As in directly on the battery terminals, not through any bus bars nor switches. Separate fused connections running straight to the amps in the cabin.

You'll still be able to use the switch for its intended purpose - to isolate or combine the batteries. But if you wire directly to the battery you can't really turn the amps "off" without pulling the fuse. Pros/cons...
 
I wired my amps directly to the battery. As in directly on the battery terminals, not through any bus bars nor switches. Separate fused connections running straight to the amps in the cabin.

You'll still be able to use the switch for its intended purpose - to isolate or combine the batteries. But if you wire directly to the battery you can't really turn the amps "off" without pulling the fuse. Pros/cons...

thanks but i prefer to have the amps on the battery switch to make sure off and to cycle batteries to draw from one or the other...
 
i did some searching but didnt find a definitive connection point for my amp power connection. had read to connect direct to battery switch? where?
seems the 12v panel has 2 feeds from switch to separate bus bars?
..i am running a circuit breaker..

thank you..




I connected my + to battery 1 at the switch and then ran the ground to the negative bus bar.
 
I wired my amps directly to the battery. As in directly on the battery terminals, not through any bus bars nor switches. Separate fused connections running straight to the amps in the cabin.

You'll still be able to use the switch for its intended purpose - to isolate or combine the batteries. But if you wire directly to the battery you can't really turn the amps "off" without pulling the fuse. Pros/cons...
Wired mine the same way...No harm with that setup, signal wire from the head unit turns the amp off.
 
I wired mine to the battery switch so the amp and stereo runs off the battery selected on the switch. I have two batteries that I alternate between, I don't use them has a starting or house, both are used as a starting and house if they are selected. I like to know that EVERYTHING is powered off (except the bilge pumps) when I turn the battery switch off.
 
I wired mine to the battery switch so the amp and stereo runs off the battery selected on the switch. I have two batteries that I alternate between, I don't use them has a starting or house, both are used as a starting and house if they are selected. I like to know that EVERYTHING is powered off (except the bilge pumps) when I turn the battery switch off.

this is what i would like to do... where did you connect?
 
its been my practice to terminate audio amp's B- directly to the/a battery and the B+ to the output of the main battery switch. No ground BUS or switch/breaker panels, no helm BUS or fuse/beaker boxes, etc. This insures you are not overloading a supply circuit that may not have been designed with that amp's draw in mind. It insures the least chance of unwanted noise. It allows voltage to be removed from the amp when the boat is put away.

At the same time, you need to make 100% sure, that head unit also shares the exact same terminations.
 
At the same time, you need to make 100% sure, that head unit also shares the exact same terminations.

the head unit is powered thru the house panel in the cabin with the breaker switch...

are you saying i should disconnect that and power thru the same power as amps? is this to reduce noise? thank you..
 
its been my practice to terminate audio amp's B- directly to the/a battery and the B+ to the output of the main battery switch. No ground BUS or switch/breaker panels, no helm BUS or fuse/beaker boxes, etc. This insures you are not overloading a supply circuit that may not have been designed with that amp's draw in mind. It insures the least chance of unwanted noise. It allows voltage to be removed from the amp when the boat is put away.

At the same time, you need to make 100% sure, that head unit also shares the exact same terminations.

I powered my amp through the battery switch like above. The headunit is powered from the power distribution under the dash, I reused the power / ground wiring from the old system - the SeaRay installed one. I have not had any problems with noise etc, but would have to agree Wylie's way would be best. Everything on my boat is powered through the same battery based on the battery switch position.
 
@Happy Dayz
Dont have to rewire necessarily. The idea is to have all the audio draw from the same battery. Directly is best, but indirectly does not always mean noise. However, there are times when we have a lot of electrical distance between where the amp terminates and the head unit terminates, even though they are drawing off the same battery bank, that we get some unwanted noise. An example would be if the amp is wired to the main battery switch and head unit draws off helm or main electrical panel. In this case, we relocate the head units power harness.
 
okay i get it... will try on OEM power feed and switch to new power if noise...

thanks all! this place is the greatest!
 

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