I ordered the Exile ZLD w/ the blue tooth adaptor last night from Bakes. Withing three hours I received an email that it had already shipped! Crazy fast.
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I ordered the Exile ZLD w/ the blue tooth adaptor last night from Bakes. Withing three hours I received an email that it had already shipped! Crazy fast.
You'll love it. Make sure you get that extra battery too. I admire your willingness to install yourself!
That's great! You'll need 4 sets of RC cables. 1 from head unit to zld, 3 from zld to amps.Quote:
Originally Posted by Moomba Dad
Understood. Any idea what length I'll need? I'll be running them from the port side battery storage area to the starboard dash area.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shoebox
Also, I'm not sure what gauge wire I should run from the batteries to the Perko Battery Selector Switch, and from that Switch to my amps?
Thanks to everybody who's contributed!
HA! Thanks...I think. I can usually figure complicated things out, if I have enough time. Boy is this taking a "lot" of time. LOL. I'll let you know how it goes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kirby
I’ll try and help where I can.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stazi
Thanks Stazi! You've already been helping.
Well I’m about to start my install of my two amps. Would anybody have any pics of how they installed their amp(s) to give me some ideas?
Thank you.
These are the pics I have. I can get more in a couple of hours.Quote:
Originally Posted by Moomba Dad
Top amp is 5 channel, 4 to cabins, 1 to sub. Bottom is towers. Wiring pics are the tower amp. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...5fbbb8f8aa.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...82779fdb06.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...900d861cb0.jpg
Shoebox,Quote:
Originally Posted by Shoebox
Thanx for the pics. Nice looking install!
How/what did you mount the amps to? It looks like you installed another board or something and covered it with carpeting? How did you attach this to the hull/boat? Pics of your method of attachment would be very much appreciated.
Thank you again!
That board was in the boat, I'm guessing from the factory. Most boats have the amps mounted there now. It's 1/2" hdpe. If I were going to install it, I wouldn't bother carpeting it, just more stuff to hold water, and makes it harder to cool the amps. Epoxy doesn't stick to hdpe very well, so you could epoxy a couple pieces of marine ply to the fiberglass hull, and screw the hdpe to that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Moomba Dad
HDPE...hmmm. I'll have to investigate that.
Thank you.
I used MDF and covered it with the same carpet that the factory uses. So long as you sit the board up off the floor it should not get wet, especially in that cubby. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c56b97b083.jpg
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Stazi,Quote:
Originally Posted by Stazi
Nice and clean!
How did you attache your MDF? Looks like you screwed it in place. I'm nervous about doing that. I don't want to screw through the hull!
Mdf is about the worst thing to use in a boat. It will disintegrate if it gets wet. Wet stuff still finds its way in that compartment on occasion, and it's also where the end of the bow bag sits, and wet kid butts sit right above that in the bow, so water does find its way in there. At least use marine ply.
Actually now I remember it was marine ply, not MDF. D’oh!Quote:
Originally Posted by Shoebox
I screwed it into the two “bolsters” from the factory that ate there for that exact thing!
On the older boats they didn’t put those bolsters in, so a lot of the older boats have the amp rack screwed into the backrest of the front seat. Just use the right sized screws to be long enough, but not too long that they protrude into the cushion.
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Ok, so I’m trying to wire my Perko switch now and have a question. I currently have two wires going to positive and two to negative. Each has a large gauge and a small gauge wire. How do I wire the two positive wires? I’m sure the large gauge goes to the Perko. Does the small gauge go there too?
Next question(s). I have received advice to install a circuit breaker (I bought a 200 amp), and also advice to install fuses on each amp (100 amp and 60 amp). Should I do all of the above? If so, where in my circuitry should I install the 200 amp circuit breaker.
Also, I have a 50 amp circuit breaker from the boat originally. Do I install that also? And if so where in my circuitry should this go?
Thank you all in advance for your help!
I’m trying to finalize this by Tuesday night to take if up North for the long 4th of July weekend. It would great to have some New Tunes to play. Keeping my fingers crossed!!!
One more question (sorry). Where do I find the power to turn on my Amps and Pre Amp so they don’t drain my battery(s)? Thank you all again!
Can you tell I’m right in the thick of the wiring phase? LOL.
Curious how you ended up with an extra breaker.Quote:
Also, I have a 50 amp circuit breaker from the boat originally. Do I install that also? And if so where in my circuitry should this go?
There should be a “remote” wire coming off your head unit. It is almost always blue. This wire can be connected to each of the remote connections on each amp.Quote:
Originally Posted by Moomba Dad
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The 50 amp is what was on the boat originally.Quote:
Originally Posted by MLA
With my two new amplifiers I required more (100 amp & 60 amp) I purchased a 200 amp to run both through.
From what I've read lately I believe I leave the 50 amp in place for the in original boat wiring and install the 200 amp for the amplifier circuit. Would you agree?
Yes. The batteries for the amps should be on their own circuit.
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Stazi,Quote:
Originally Posted by Stazi
Thank you. Should I connect this to the pre-amp (Exile) too? What gauge wire should I use?
Thank you for your help!
Yes anything that needs a “turn on signal“. You can daisy chain this from one device to the other.
The voltage is minimal I think like round about 5 V and very little current, so a 16 gauge wire is more than enough. Usually with most of the amplifier installation kits you get they have a huge spool of this blue wire included for this exact use.
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Cool, thanx!Quote:
Originally Posted by Stazi
Stazi,
For my amp battery circuit what are your thoughts about using a 200 amp circuit breaker and then install separate fuses for each amp?
Thanx!
Seems like overkill. You'll never trip the breaker with the lower amperage of the fuses.Quote:
Originally Posted by Moomba Dad
Exactly.
All you need is a 50A fuse to each amp.
There’s no realistic way on earth that 200A breaker will ever trip.
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Lol right? That's whole-house amperage. My welder is on a 40A breaker. Whole shop is 60A.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stazi
My large amp states that it requires a 100 amp fuse and my small amp requires a 60 amp fuse. I read on this forum that I should add the two together and I can be up to 50% high than that total. It seemed like a lot to me too.
So do you think I can ditch the 200 amp breaker, and run two 4 gauge lines from the same battery terminal to each fuse and then to the respective amps?
Exactly what you should do. Each amp needs its own power supply wire and fuse. The positive and negatives can both be run back to the same positive and negative terminals on your dedicated stereo battery.
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Yes, I understand is was in the boat originally, but was it protection and why is it now extra? I ask, because I do not read that an old amp was removed. My concern is that some circuit is now unprotected.Quote:
Originally Posted by Moomba Dad
The max amperage your amps should ever pull cumulatively, is 160W based on their onboard fusing or the manufacture's spec. Its never safe, not needed, to fuse above that potential load. 200A is about 30% over rated. Now, the real problem is the focus put on circuit protection capacity, but can the cable support a 200A breaker? If not, then cable becomes the weak link and if there is a short, becomes a hot flaming molten rope of death, long before that 200W breaker might trip.
I would suggest a trunk/branch setup over individual amp supply runs. And I do not suggest automotive amp install kits. They rarely work well for boats. Buy the incidentals a-la-carte in the proper lengths and amp ratings for fuses or breakers.
MLA I sent him links to Knu Konceptz individual cables. Those are quality wires that I have seen.
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Not all they sell is quality.
Below is why I was using a 200 amp circuit breaker. I'm not saying I'm right, but this is why I was planning on using it.Quote:
Originally Posted by MLA
philwsailz
Join Date
Nov 2009
Location
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Posts
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Quote Originally Posted by Hydrofoiljunky View Post
Ok, I have a couple questions. I finally got my other amplifier in so I'm ready to hook them both up. I'll be running a Kicker 700.5 and Kicker 550.2. Since my amps have fuses in them do I need to run inline fuses between the distribution block and the amps? Also, will running 4 gauge power from battery to the distribution block and then 4 gauge wire out to the two amps be alright? If not what kind/size of distribution block do you guys recommend and what kind of power wire off the battery to the block and out to the two amps? Thanks in advance.
P.S. Been trying to read up on Capacitors, do any of you guys run one? Did it help? Seems like from what I read that the first time the sub/s need that power it takes it all and then it can never catch back up making it...well pretty much useless, what do you guys think? This audio stuff is fun but man there is a lot of info Guess I should have been installing systems in my car back in high school instead of chasing women LOL
Chad
Chad-
Each amp has its own fuses, to protect the amps. You DO NOT need fuses between the distribution block and the amps. Adding extra fuses between the distribution blocks and amps only adds more individual electrical connections, increasing the chance of failed contacts, corrosion, and other problems associated with open metal-on-metal connections in a marine environment.
You DO need a fuse or a curcuit breaker on your primary power wire between your battery and your distribution blocks, right next to the battery, equal to the sum of the fuse values recommended in the amplifier's owners manuals.
The ZX700.5 has 90 amps of fuses, and the ZZX550.2 has 70 amps of fuses, so you want AT LEAST 160 amps of over-current protection right at the battery on the primary power lead going to the amp distribution blocks. A 200 amp fuse or circuit breaker will do the job, and is safe, as Coast Guard law for new boat production allows overcurrent protection up to 1.5 times the max current draw of the electrical components on the circuit. Coast Guard law also mandates that the fuse or circuit breaker have no more than 7" of wire between the battery and the fuse or breaker. For your own use, you can go further; sometimes it is impossible to really get the fuse or breaker that close to the battery, but try to be within a foot or so... The reason for providing a fuse right at the battery is to prevent an accidental short circuit of your primary power wire, resulting in a very hot hunk of copper, burning insulation and a fire or explosion on your boat.
So starting at the battery positive terminal: You have a short piece of LARGE wire, (I recomment 2 ga or 1/0 ga, NOT 4 ga as you suggested), then a fuse holder with a 200A fuse, (or a circuit breaker if you can find one that big) then you have another LARGE wire, (2 ga or 1/0 ga) going to the positive distribution block near the amps. From the positive distribution block you have 4 ga wires going to each amp.
For the negative side of the equation, us a similarly large ground wire going from the battery to a distribution block, and then 4 ga wires to the ground terminals of both amps. No fuses needed on the ground side...
There are lots of theories on capacitors, and very few facts. Some people use them with good results; I will tell you those folks probably have inadequate charging systems and insufficient amounts of copper between their batteris and their amps. The caps cover up the voltage sag that shows up as a result of poor system design like a band-aid covers up a cold sore.
Proper systems, with alternators, batteries and wiring sized properly for the system do not need caps.
I have attached a very crude schematic showing my preferred wiring method for a dual amplifier setup. It shows the relatve locations of the big fuse, the distribution blocks, and the amps. In this schematic I also show a wiring scheme that moves the radio's power out of the dash wiring, (noisy) and onto the amplifier power wiring, (lots quieter). The relay shown takes advantage of the boats accessory ignition switch position, (like in an older car, where you turn the key backwards). If you have a dash rocker switch for your stereo, you can use it instead of the relay. I have attached that pic, even though it only shows a single amp.
Anyway, if you have further questions, let us know. good luck and have fun!
Phil
Kicker
MLA,Quote:
Originally Posted by MLA
The 50 amp that I was referring to is a circuit breaker. The boat originally did NOT have an amplifier.
Sorry for the confusion.
For the record-I will be using this circuit breaker and connecting it to terminal No. 1 of my Perko battery switch which if for the boat (not the sound system).
LOL, Phil is the last guy id ever say is wrong. If he posts, it correct. But, I have no worries about having a different opinion. In reality, I doubt you would ever see your two amps spike above a cumulative 100A draw. This is why is do not see the need to grossly over-fuse. But as stated, equality important, is the cable side paring with the circuit protection value.
Yes, I completely understand its a fifty amp breaker and that it was mounted in the boat. Again, what was this breaker breaking for? Its a 50A breaker for some circuit, what is that circuit? Was it mounted but not connected?Quote:
The 50 amp that I was referring to is a circuit breaker.
FYI, this circumvents the switch.Quote:
For the record-I will be using this circuit breaker and connecting it to terminal No. 1 of my Perko battery switch which if for the boat
MLA I think that’s the standard 50A breaker that then feed the factory distribution block and fuses under the helm. It doesn’t even need to be messed with in this situation as all the main power demands for the running of the boat stay as they are and run on the main battery and then the additional new battery should just be for the stereo components.
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Thats why im trying to figure how its now an extra.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stazi