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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Car Audio / December 2003

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Power wire - what size?

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Gary Rodgers - 30 Dec 2003 17:03 GMT
Okay, going to put 2 amps in the back of my 'stang.

Alpine MRV-F540 (4-channel, 80w RMS at 4ohms)
Alpine MRD-M500 (500w RMS x 1 at 2ohms)

Is 4-gauge large enough from battery to the distribution block?

--
Gary
pick my nose to reply
Eddie Runner - 30 Dec 2003 17:49 GMT
yes, 4 gu should be fine.

> Okay, going to put 2 amps in the back of my 'stang.
>
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> Gary
> pick my nose to reply
sanitarium - 30 Dec 2003 18:42 GMT
Should be OK... unless those amps draw an unusually large ammount of curent
(which they probably dont)

Go for it

Garrett

> Okay, going to put 2 amps in the back of my 'stang.
>
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> Gary
> pick my nose to reply
SFarris - 30 Dec 2003 22:44 GMT
To determine the appropriate Power Cable size use this:

Total 4-ohm rated RMS output x 2 = Total input wattage

Total input wattage / supply voltage = current draw (in amps)

First determine the 4-ohm rated RMS power output of the amplifier(s)
Add these together.
Multply the TOTAL RMS rating (both left and right channels) by 2.
The resulting figure is the total input power draw in watts.
Divide the wattage draw by 13 (the average vehicle supply voltage.)
The number you now have indicates the current draw, in amps, for th
amplifier(s).
Calculate the approximate footage of wired needed for the syste
install.

Example:

An amplifier having two (2) channels at 50 watts per channel RMS ratin
into 4-ohms:

100 x 2 = 200 / 13 = 15.38 Total amperage draw

If the same amplifier is driven into a 2-ohm load:

100 x 2 x 2 =400 / 13 = 30.77 Total amperage dra

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SFarri
Kevin Murray - 30 Dec 2003 22:57 GMT
You make the mistake of assuming an amplifier efficiency of 100%.  This is
never true in the real world and varies by amplifier design.

> To determine the appropriate Power Cable size use this:
>
[quoted text clipped - 35 lines]
> SFarris's Profile: http://www.realcaraudio.com/forums/member.php?action=getinfo&userid=2572
> View this thread: http://www.realcaraudio.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=42869
Mark Zarella - 30 Dec 2003 23:16 GMT
> You make the mistake of assuming an amplifier efficiency of 100%.  This is
> never true in the real world and varies by amplifier design.

Didn't he assume 50% efficiency by throwing a factor of 2 in there
somewhere?
Scott Gardner - 30 Dec 2003 23:37 GMT
>> You make the mistake of assuming an amplifier efficiency of 100%.  This is
>> never true in the real world and varies by amplifier design.
>
>Didn't he assume 50% efficiency by throwing a factor of 2 in there
>somewhere?

Yep, he doubled the "output wattage" of the amp to calculate the
"input wattage" of the amp and went from there, so he's assuming
typical 50% class AB efficiency numbers.

Scott Gardner
Kevin Murray - 31 Dec 2003 02:13 GMT
Ah yes, I didn't check his math. He didn't mention it was deliberate
though...

> >> You make the mistake of assuming an amplifier efficiency of 100%.  This is
> >> never true in the real world and varies by amplifier design.
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
> Scott Gardner
 
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