Can you use any wire for a ground cable?

 

Unregistered guest
????
 

Gold Member
Username: Theelfkeeper

Stockbridge, GA USA

Post Number: 1029
Registered: Feb-05
color - yes, just insallation, just remember which is which if you use the same colors

type - yes, but it is best to use an oxygen free, multi strand wire thats meant to be used in car audio to keep interference out and corrosion down. also, it is a lot easier to deal with since its a lot more flexable then solid wire.

is that what you were wanting to know, or did i miss something?? question isn't specific.
 

Unregistered guest
I think that is pretty much what I wanted to know, so you could use a bit of old speaker wire as-long as you connect it to a bare bit of metal on the car?

Thanks for the help
 

Silver Member
Username: Blainew

Post Number: 963
Registered: Nov-05
the ground wire needs to be the same exact size as your power wire
 

Gold Member
Username: Rovin

Trinidad & T...

Post Number: 5662
Registered: Jul-05
Also ground wire is recommended 2 be 3ft maximum in lenght - preferably shorter though .....
 

Nanbakat
Unregistered guest
Speaker wire won't work as a ground wire because the gauge is too small. Unless, of course, you like having a fireworks show in your back seat or trunk.

Oxygen-free wire is important only for speaker-wire. It is irrelevant for power and ground wire applications. You will pay more for no discernable improvement in function.
 

Gold Member
Username: Theelfkeeper

Stockbridge, GA USA

Post Number: 1043
Registered: Feb-05
yeah, you'd melt speaker wire because it too small a gauge to handle the current.


 

Silver Member
Username: N2audio

Lawrence, Ks USA

Post Number: 589
Registered: Mar-04
"Oxygen-free wire is important only for speaker-wire."

Actually it's not important for anything in car audio. OFC has it's uses, but they exist in industrial applications, not in your car. It's an all-out marketing term.
 

Silver Member
Username: Lewass

Bloomfield Hills, MI USA

Post Number: 103
Registered: Jan-06
I can't believe nobody mentioned this yet:

The ground has to be as big as, if not bigger than the power!!!!!!!!

You could use speaker wire if you had large enough gauge.

Remember the concept behind a ground. It has to be able to take 100% of the power and redirect it out of the amp in a split second if needed. So whatever your power wire is, just make sure your ground wire could "beat up" your power wire in a fight. In electrical terms, this means, equal gauge or bigger (smaller gauge # = thicker wire), and much shorter in length.
 

Gold Member
Username: Tdeaton1021

Near Tampa, Florida USA

Post Number: 1978
Registered: Sep-04
lewass, sorry to bust your bubble but some1 already mentioned that. read blaine's post lol.
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