Well since your not sure if your going to have 1200 or 1700 I went on the high side. So you should use a 1/0 gauge battery feed. You can divide the 1/0 gauge from the battery into 2-4 gauge power feeds to each amp in either a fuse distribution block or a non-fused block. You can use either 4 gauge or 6 gauge for the grounds.

You should get a full size Optima Yellow Top either a D34/78 or the D75/25. I don't think you'll need a new alternator. You won't be drawing a continous 1500 watts so I don't think you have to worry about it. I would add a Cap for when you have heavy draw once in a while, that should cover it.

 

thanks for all your help...i've read a lot of your posts and they are always very informative

 

What are you planning on for a system setup?

 

Darknight,


Whats a good Head unit if you dont care about the amp section? I will be running an external amp.

1 I like the Pioneer head units because they have pretty fast MP3 searching, and the Alpine I had was very slow at MP3 search. Those are the only 2 brands Ive owned recently though. Any suggestions?

2. I also would like to be able to plug in my portable Nano MP3 player on the front panel of the deck.

3. Then I need an interface for the left side S2k controls... suggestions?

Thanks in advance

 

How did you run the power line from the battery after going thru the firewall? Straight down the passenger side?

 

Actually.. he says to run it accross the firewall, under the brake master cylinder, and thru the firewall via a factory grommet. Then down the firewall on the interior side, under the driver door sill, up around behind the seat to the tool well area.

-Chris

 

Exactly

 

I have one small point/opinion to add, from experience... It may save someone a bit of grief down the road:

When running the 'remote turn on wire' from the deck to the amps, I personally run that wire to a 12 v relay that will switch FUSED 12v power back to the amps' remote turn on terminal, rather than splicing and running the deck's wire directly to the amps (also better current available if turning on multiple amps ect.) REGARDLESS: even if not using a relay and just the remote turn on wire from the deck itself, I would surely make sure to add an inline fuse (3 to 5A fast blow) to this wire as close to the deck as possible as to not fry the remote turn on circuit in the event of this wire ever shorting out somewhere. I have had the remote turn on lead short in the past and rendered a Pioneer deck's remote turn on useless. No fun.

I'm going to install my system pretty soon, and this was a great article and pics, Darkknight. Thanks.

 

Interesting. I've never heard of that before or ever seen anyone do it, but it sounds logical, I guess.

 

Good! That makes me feel better, that's exactly how I just ran mine the other day. Now I'm trying to build the sub enclosure...