Installing new amp-Where to hook up power? Direct to battery or selector switch?

[Jay Bird]

I am in the process of installing a new sound system, and questioning where to get power for my amp. I have run positive and negative 1/0 gauge cable for the amp, but don't know if I should run direct to one of my two batteries, or if I should run to one side of the battery selector switch?

Would welcome some help. Thanks!

 

[mrtopgun]

Run it directly to your battery. Make sure you get a inline fuse on the power side. Test your ground where it is the quietest, meaning no ground hum with the engines running and the stereo on.If you put it on the selector switch you will just be able to kill power to it, will have to be selected to get charged as well most likely.

 

[Joel_CA]

I'd suggest u hook it up directy to the non cranking battery.

Joel

 

[Jay Bird]

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

Just to clarify, my boat is a single engine with two batteries and the standard battery switch with 1, 2, both and off positions. I have a Pro-Mariner charger that is kept on when the boat is at the dock. No generator.

My only concern with wiring the amp directly to one of the batteries is parasitic draw when not in use. But the charger should be able to keep up right?

 

[tdschafer]

The charger will provide more than enough power for the amp when it's off.
Even When it's on, depending on the amp draw, you should really be fine as well!


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Todd

 

[Joel_CA]

I would think that so long as the remote turn on lead of your amplifier is not receiving any voltage and the amplifier is off, it would not have any draw whatsoever. You could verify this by doing a parasitic draw test real quick when you install your amplifier to the battery. I'm certain there will be no draw. There's no reason for there to be as the amplifier doesn't have any memory settings that would require it to draw any constant power to retain them. I have pretty much the same set up you described as far as a single engine, dual battery, and on board charger and this is how I have my amplifier wired (to the non cranking battery). If by chance there is a draw, you charger should be able to keep up. Without knowing what type of Pro Mariner charger you have, if it has any type of smart charger technology- it will automatically come back on and charge your batteries whenever needed.

J

 

[Jay Bird]

Is the parasitic draw that much? When I put my amp it, I wired the remote switch so that the amp is only powered when the stereo is in use. Otherwise I did the same, wiring the amp directly to my battery bank. (I have two banks, consisting of two batteries each)
I am not at all concerned with parasitic draw any more than I am about the memory function in all the other devices onboard, personally.

Now if you amp is hot all the time, I guess I could see a concern.

Well if I didn't worry about something... I don't know what I would worry about.

You are right I am not even sure that the amp draws any current when in "standby". I do plan on wiring the amp from the trigger circuit on the head unit. The amp is the Alpine PDX5 and being a complete noob in the area of this stuff I just want to keep the power run as pure as possible, but just a little nervous about hooking things direct to the battery without a master shut off.

So you guys are making me feel alot better about the planned course of action and I will proceed with taking the 1/0 gauge power and ground cables direct to one of my batteries. I will install a fuse or circuit breaker on the positive side at the battery.

Still have not decided if I want to use a reducer adapter to take the 1/0 gauge wire down to 4 gauge to make the connection at the amp. Or if I should use a distribution block with 1/0 input and 4 gauge output?

Also need to find a spot for the sub woofer... thought I had a spot but there is not adequate flat area before it contours concave and convex.

 

[Joel_CA]

If u go with a magnetic circuit breaker, you could just manually trip it during long periods of storage to eliminate any draw that the AMP might have, even though I doubt there would be any draw at all.

Joel

 

[br1212]

I just did a 20 foot power and ground run to a kenwood 5 channel amp at 700 RMS. I used 4 gauge wire instead of 1/0 and fed directly into amp from my battery bank. 60 amp fuse about 6 inches off the battery. If you're just running 1 amp you will be fine. I'm powering all channels and a sub, and it's more than enough. Just get high quality wire. At over 2 dollars a foot it adds up quickly. Just that alone was well over 100 dollars. Then you have to add in good quality speaker wire (70ft) in total for me. If you're adding a multi-amp system then 1/0 to a distribution block to 4 gauge outs would be optimal. Otherwise save the money and get 4 gauge. I'm going on a limb but I'm guessing if I wanted to add 1 more amp 4 gauge would still suffice. 1/0 gauge is for the big players pushing massive wattage. If you have the discretionary income, then have it.

Good luck with the build. An amp makes a world of difference. I can't wait to unleash mine this summer. What are you adding to your boat?

 

[tdschafer]

I ran the 1/0 from one of my batteries to the stbd aft hanging locker on my boat. I bought two dual post blocks to feed 3 amps. They are all JL Audio, class D amps and recommend 4 ga wiring. I'm going to use that to feed each amp off of the second post just stacking the connectors. I'm putting a 100 amp breaker at the battery and using a couple of 50 amp breakers on my mounting board. I'm using these over fuses primarily because I bought them a while back for an electra-san installation on my old boat that I ended up not doing.


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Todd

 

[Jay Bird]

Thanks for all the feedback guys it has really helped.

Since I already had the 1/0 cable and have it ran already, what is a little overkill...

I am putting the amp, a Alpine PDX5 class D in the starboard forward storage closet, running with a JVC head unit with wireless remote, and have replaced all 4 cockpit speakers with the JL Audio 6.5". I will use the amp to drive the cockpit speakers and the sub, and the head unit to drive the cabin speakers replacing them with Polk 6.5". The only obstacle left to over come is where to mount the 10" JL Audio sub? I may have to go to the 8" to fit in the space available.

Hoping to get it going here in the next couple of weeks.