i am putting an aftermarket stereo system in my rig and was wondering if it matters which battery i tap for the amp's? thanks for the replies in advance.

 

i would say it shouldn't matter. but depending on the wattage you run i would install a 1 farad capacitor to help with voltage spikes and to provide a momentary kick of power if the amp needs it

 

huh? i am a when it comes to this stuff. hence the question about which battery. the last time i did something like this was every bit of 20 yrs ago. please explain about the cap and how to install it. thanks.

 

The batteries are connected already, so, it doen't matter where you make the connections -- it will be connected to both. Where are you going to get the stereo? You can ask them for a capacitor that's made for that and they can tell you how it's used. You probably don't want a capacitor though. A capacitor is helpful when you have A LOT of bass (large subs). Even then, the capacitor only holds even juice to power the sub(s) for a very short time, like a big hit or two, before it needs to recharge, and charging takes time. What I'm saying is that it can't help you with continuous loud bass. I say screw the capacitor, especially since you don't already know about using them for audio and you don't seem to be real big into this stereo thing like some guys.

 

i am putting in an alpine 9857 head unit, infinity reference 6010cs in the front and inf, 6012i in the rear, and a alpine mrp-f250 under the seat to run them. for now the sub is out of my semi and will sit on the floor behind my seat. it has a phoenix gold sapphire attatched to it.

 

this should help
http://www.caraudiohelp.com/car_audi...stallation.htm

 

In my current system I use a supply and ground wire of 2/0 to the distribution block at the amps. It is important to run adequately sized wire for the draw you need (my system runs conservatively at 2k wrms) and to run them up the opposite side of the truck that the signal wires run up. It wont matter what battery you take the power off but it will help in large power systems to upgrade the ground from your batteries to the engine block and frame. I ran 2/0 from each battery to the block/ from the block to the frame/ from the frame to the cab/ cab to a 3/8 brass bolted thru and double nutted so I have a grounding stud in the back for all my grounds. A weak ground is the problem in most failures in car audio IMO
drolex is right on about the cap. Unless you are competing and doing short SPL burps it wont help. The wire upgrade is cheaper and safer.

 

YFZ run a relay in between the amp and the battery. That will insure you have a constant voltage supplied to the amp no matter how many accesories are on. I run a 600 watt Rockrord Fosgate amp to 12" sub in the back. No issues with my setup.......

Dave

 

as the above posts state, it is true that most use the capacitor for running subs, and good gauge wire is a must. what i was getting at was That a capacitor is a kind of 'shock absorber' for your electrical system. running an amp of substantial power beats your alternator up,-more so the voltage regulator & diodes. the capacitor helps to 'cushion' this load with an instant source of power,or an instant source of absorption of power [ they charge\discharge in milleseconds]. here is an example of voltage swing,14.4v-11v-16.v-12v. the capacitor helps to steady the voltage, IE. more controlled output of your amp=better sound. i have a spec sheet for this somewhere, I'll look for it and post it.

 

so much good info i can not comprehend it all. i will be running 2 amps. 1 60 wrms and 1 75wrms. that shouldn't draw too much as i won't bumpin' all the time. yes no ?

 

You will have no problem with those two amps

 

OK now we have some #s to play with. with that current setup then i would agree with the others on not needing a capacitor.[ i assumed you were going to run 100dreds of watts]. i would say though to run at least 12awg wire min for your power and ground. with those amps you'll only be pulling 10-15amps[approx]

 

This is my 2 cents worth of advice. Read the specifications of the amplifiers of your choice and install the largest gauge wire the manufacture specifies (usually 8 or 4 gauge). The rule of thumb is 1 fared for every 1000 watts of power. The caps will make your batteries and alternator last longer. It isn't the power draw this kills, but the voltage spike when the bass hits. If you do not install a sub, you may be ok; but 1 fared caps cost about 100 dollars. It is a small price to pay compared to batteries, alternators, and the audio gear you installed. The above posters are correct about having a good ground. The ground is equally important as the power cable. Also, as another poster stated, maintain a minimum of 3 feet between power cables and any audio cables including speaker wire. Speaking of speaker wire, make sure the gauge is large enough also. Solder all of your connections and cover them with heat shrink. This will insure positive connection. If you want to get super ****, (like way way over board) and have lots of money, you could get your solder connections x-rayed to "see" how well the mechanical joint is. (we do this at work sometimes)

Hope this helps and enjoy your audio system!!

Joe

 

well i changed the fronts to alpine type "r" and,
one more question before i tear into it.
i am bypassing all the factory wires but i do want to tap into the power and dimmer and a memory wire? ok, 2 questions. also which wire to tap for the amp remote? thanks for all the replies.

 

ah, i just installed two 6.5 alpine componets in the door, and 2 6.5 2 ways in the rear. Type r's of course. i ran all these through a 4 channel amp. in the head unit i didnt tap into the dimmer wire or the power antanna wire or the telephone mute wire . All i spliced into was the +12 hot, ACC power, and the ground. I ran an ACC hot to the remote inlet on the amp.

i also installed a type R 12" sub. i hooked the mono amp up for this the same way. i got power to both amps off of the drivers side battery.

and i used all new wires to all the speakers.


and for as long as i live i will NEVER and i mean NEVER install another stereo system......


oh, and it sounds GREAT!