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Bronze Member Username: James_gTN Post Number: 60 Registered: Jul-05 | My KX1200.1 calls for 1/0 GA power wire. I'll also be running a KX450.2. What GA wire will I need to run to the dist. block? Is there a 0/0 GA wire? Is that what I need? Do I need 8 GA speaker wire ran to my DA D612D4 subs? |
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Bronze Member Username: James_gTN Post Number: 64 Registered: Jul-05 | Anyone? |
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Silver Member Username: Basshead86Ocala, FL USA Post Number: 530 Registered: Aug-05 | 1/0 ga. is the biggest you can get(i think) i believe most dist. blocks, at least stinger's use 8 ga. wire and the majority of speaker terminals are 8 ga. |
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Bronze Member Username: James_gTN Post Number: 65 Registered: Jul-05 | Hmm. If dist. blocks only handle upto 8 GA, then what do you guys with these large mono amps use? How do you branch off the main power wire to each individual amp? I thought that was what dist. blocks were for, so I assumed they made them to handle even the largest power wires. |
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Anonymous | they do |
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Bronze Member Username: James_gTN Post Number: 66 Registered: Jul-05 | Okay, thanks. So, do they make power wire larger than 1/0 GA? It seems to me that if I have 1/0 GA running from the block to the mono amp and 4 GA running from the block to the mid amp that I would need an even bigger wire running from the battery to the dist. block. Is this correct? |
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Anonymous | no that wire (1/0) is big as hell, if you run that to the back from the battery itll be as good as you can git. |
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Bronze Member Username: James_gTN Post Number: 67 Registered: Jul-05 | Does 1/0 GA = "Zero" GA? I know I've read lots of messages on car audio forums where people claim to use "Zero" GA. |
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Anonymous | heres a link with info and a chart http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm {they do make bigger} |
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Anonymous | this page is better http://www.reade.com/Conversion/wire_gauge.html |
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Bronze Member Username: MrmbqPortland, OR USA Post Number: 40 Registered: Aug-05 | 1/0 guage is only used from the battery to the distribution block, not the distribution block to the amps. 4 guage is what is used from the distribution block to the amps (8 guage too, but only for small amps). No manufacturer that I have ever seen makes a distrobution block that accepts more than 1/0, although thicker wire does exist. However, I have seen some that have dual 1/0 guage inputs and six 4 guage outputs and that is the way to go if 1/0 isn't enough. |
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Bronze Member Username: MrmbqPortland, OR USA Post Number: 41 Registered: Aug-05 | "Do I need 8 GA speaker wire ran to my DA D612D4 subs" No. 12 guage speaker wire is what you need. As a matter of fact, I don't believe 8 guage speaker wire exists in car audio. Streetwires only makes 12 and 14 guage and I assume all other manufactures are the same as far as that goes. 8 guage is a power wire, and power wire is not suitable for use as a speaker wire. |
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Bronze Member Username: MrmbqPortland, OR USA Post Number: 42 Registered: Aug-05 | Oh yeah, Streetwires also makes 16 guage, but that is their entry level speaker wire. |
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Bronze Member Username: James_gTN Post Number: 68 Registered: Jul-05 | So, no one makes dist. blocks with 1/0 GA outputs? The manual with my KX1200.1 specifically states that 1/0 GA wire should be ran to the amplifier and that 1/0 GA should be used for the ground as well. Others have recommended 8 GA speaker wire. Now I'm confused. Are you saying that 12 GA is sufficient for sending 1490w RMS to my subs? |
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Bronze Member Username: MrmbqPortland, OR USA Post Number: 43 Registered: Aug-05 | Well...look around on ebay. Conduct a search via google. Call some car stereo shops. See if you can find a distribution block with larger than 1/0 guage inputs and 1/0 guage outputs. While you are at it, see if you can find some 8 guage SPEAKER wire (as opposed to power wire). Get back to me with your results. I couldent find speaker wire larger than 12 guage and I couldent find a disrto. block like the one described above. I have seen some 200 doller per foot speaker wire that is designed for home audio systems valued at nearly 200,000 dollars. Home audio speaker wire is very similar if not the same thing as car audio speaker wire, so if you really want it go for it. There seems to be more variations in speaker wire for home audio than car audio and as far as I can tell, they will interchange. In home audio, it is not uncommon to use rather long wire and thus a need for extreemly high quality wire is there (directional, 100% oxygen free, solid silver etc). Home audio speaker wire tends to be less flexable and more difficult to route up, under and around things, but it will work. And yes, I would say that 12 guage would work fine for speaker wire for that amp as along as it is less than 30 feet long. After that, sound degradation becomes significant. And realistically, speaker wire for subs shouldent need to be much more than 15 feet long. |
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Bronze Member Username: MrmbqPortland, OR USA Post Number: 44 Registered: Aug-05 | www.streetwires.com |
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Bronze Member Username: James_gTN Post Number: 71 Registered: Jul-05 | I guess 12 GA it is. What do you recommend for my power wires? Do you think 4 GA is sufficient even though my manual calls for 1/0 GA? Can 4 GA handle the current draw of that KX1200.1? |
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Bronze Member Username: James_gTN Post Number: 72 Registered: Jul-05 | Street Wires has dist. blocks on their website with 1/0 GA outputs. I'll assume the inputs are also 1/0 GA. Is this what you would recommend? |
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Bronze Member Username: MrmbqPortland, OR USA Post Number: 50 Registered: Aug-05 | 1/0 GA in and 1/0 GA out is the same as a solid 1/0 GA wire. That is not what you want. If your amplifier clearly calls for 1/0 GA power wire, you will have to run a wire form the amp to the battery. No distribution block will help you with this installation. In this case, it would make sence to run a power wire (4 GA) from the other amp to the battery also, assuming that there are no other amps in the system as it wouldent be practical to use a distribution block for one amp. As for the speaker wire, if it calls for 8 GA, you will probably have to turn to a home audio retailer. I find it difficult to believe that a car audio manufacturer would make it this difficult to install their equipment. My guess is that it takes 4 GA power wire and 12 guage speaker wire. If that is the case, you want 2 distribution blocks: Both with a 1/0 GA input and 4 GA outputs. One for power and the other for ground. |
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Bronze Member Username: James_gTN Post Number: 74 Registered: Jul-05 | The 8 GA speaker wire recommendations came from other people. The manual doesn't specify a required speaker wire gauge. Here's the specified recommendations for power wires and fuses: KX400.1 - 4 GA - 40A fuse KX600.1 - 4 GA - 60A fuse KX1200.1 - 1/0 GA - 150A fuse - My amp. KX350.2 - 8 GA - 50A fuse KX450.2 - 4 GA - 60A fuse - My amp. KX550.2 - 4 GA - 70A fuse KX850.2 - 2 GA - 120A fuse |
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Bronze Member Username: MrmbqPortland, OR USA Post Number: 55 Registered: Aug-05 | It looks like I was wrong with my assumption that it took 4 guage (I have never used a Kicker amp, hence my lack of knowledge of their specs). I wouldent second guess the manufacture...just do what it says and remember that you are probably not going to find a distribution block that will help. You will have to run wire from the amp to the battery. As for the 8 GA speaker wire, again, your best bet is a home audio store. |
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Shelpie Unregistered guest | Go to a store that sells electrical supplies to contractors or a welding shop and look at their giant cable. Also, you could run 2x or 4x the 1/0 wire to cover any extreme current demands/needs. That is a tremendous amount of current. Consider 2 dist. blocks. Remember, a machine shop can make a custom grounding block if needed! |
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Silver Member Username: BananakrillVallejo, California Post Number: 163 Registered: Jul-04 | Here's 8awg speaker cable for cheap. http://www.knukonceptz.com/productDetail.cfm?prodID=KAR08BLS |
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Silver Member Username: James_gTN Post Number: 173 Registered: Jul-05 | What would you folks recommend for speaker wire running to my mids? I'll be running approximately 225w RMS per channel. I'll be using two runs of wires per terminal on the amp for two sets of components. I have a few rolls of 24 GA 2-conductor speaker wire that I use for pyrotechnics. It's the cheapo Radio Shack wire. Is this a no-no? What GA should I use? |
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Bronze Member Username: XkawnPost Number: 94 Registered: Jul-05 | what brand or what gauge??? for speakers you use 16gauge and for woofers 12gauge. the watts don't matter. ` |
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Bronze Member Username: XkawnPost Number: 95 Registered: Jul-05 | oh, and sorry, for brand here is a site to purchase good wire off of. i'm using the karma wire. http://www.knukonceptz.com/productMaster.cfm?Category=Speaker Wire |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfWisteria, Lane USA Post Number: 9836 Registered: Dec-03 | 1/0 is good for both amps. use a dist. block to split power to both amps. 14 or 12AWG is more than enough for speaker wire for subs. |
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Silver Member Username: James_gTN Post Number: 174 Registered: Jul-05 | I've been shopping around at Knu Konceptz. I was actually considering their 8 GA speaker wire, but now that GlassWolf says 12 GA is fine, I'm guessing that 8 GA is just overkill. That 8 GA is pretty cheap, though, considering I only need a few feet. I'll go with the 16 GA for my components. I'm definitely gonna run 1/0 GA power wire to the dist. block, but I had decided to use 2 GA to the amps if I can find the correct dist. block. Haven't checked on that yet. Anyone have any negative remarks about Knu Konceptz? They are completely new to me, but I'm thinking of using their wires and cables. |
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Bronze Member Username: XkawnPost Number: 96 Registered: Jul-05 | knukonceptz is what was recommended here to me and now i have used them. they are a good company with high quality products. |
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Silver Member Username: James_gTN Post Number: 181 Registered: Jul-05 | I contacted Knu Konceptz tonight and asked them about 2 GA power wire since they don't have it on their website. A man named Bill said they don't have 2 GA in their line and said I didn't need it. He said that since I was running 1/0 GA to a dist. block that I would only need 4 GA to my amps. He claims that 4 GA can handle 200A in lengths of 5 ft. or less. He said the 120A rating they give for 4 GA is for 20 ft. lengths. Is this correct? I'll be running 3-4 ft. from the dist. block to my amps MAX. Is it true that 4 GA power wire can handle 200A of current at these short lengths? |
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Silver Member Username: James_gTN Post Number: 182 Registered: Jul-05 | I contacted Knu Konceptz last night. They don't have 2 GA power wire in their line. A guy named Bill told me that I didn't need 2 GA from my dist. block to my amps. He said as long as I ran 1/0 GA to the dist. block that I only needed 4 GA from the block to the amp. He claimed that 4 GA can carry 200A of current as long as it was less than 5 ft. in length. Is this true? Will I be okay using their 4 GA from the dist. block to my amps? These wires will only be about 3-4 ft. in length. |
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Gold Member Username: InvainMichigan United States Post Number: 3577 Registered: Aug-04 | "Does 1/0 GA = "Zero" GA? I know I've read lots of messages on car audio forums where people claim to use "Zero" GA." Zero gauge is usually called "Awt" (not sure on the spelling, but that's how you pronounce it. There are different sizes of "Zero" gauge wire, which is also called cable because of the size. 1/0 gauge, or 1 Awt is the smallest 0 gauge. The next size larger is 2/0 gauge, then 3/0, etc. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfWisteria, Lane USA Post Number: 9948 Registered: Dec-03 | http://www.the12volt.com/info/recwirsz.asp and http://www.the12volt.com/wiring/awg.asp |