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Hey all just about done with my system upgrade which consisting of a harpoon amp to run my new 4 sxt65's and a new amp rack and head unit. I am wondering if I can connect the signal wires from the amps together and just run one wire to the head unit?
Thanks Geoff
Yep, 2 amps should be no problem off a single remote turn-on. Good luck with the upgrade and of course post up some pics!
I am running 3 amps total. Will it still be ok?
Should not be a problem
Using a relay for 3 amps would probably be better, but I'm not sure the real issue. I tapped into the switched power wire that feeds the headunit instead of using the remove turn-on wire from the headunit.
Guys-
Proper sequence of powering on and off is important. Picture this: your amps are already on and you power up your head unit. The head unit often will send nasty stuf out the RCA cables while powering up. With the amps on, you can anf often will get noise or a big nasty pop.
Same thing when turning things off. Say you turn off your head unit while the amps are still on. Nasty pop again...
Using the blue, or blue/white turn-on lead introduces the proper timing circuitry and muting circuitry in order to prevent turn-on and turn-off pops. The radio's remote turn-on lead is delayed slightly to allow the radio to fully power up prior to turning on the amps. Similarly, when powering the head unit down, the remote lead is immediastely turned off, and the radio waits a while...
Some folks will have okay luck wiring the amp turn-on leads like Brain-Rinse but others will have a problem with blown tweeters.... It will always be preferred to use the head unit's turn on lead to ensure stuff is truly turned on and off in the proper order.
FYI-
Phil
Kicker
I have 3 amps wired to mine. No problems.
One point of clarification, I don't use my headunit. I have an EQ with an iPod input at the helm that I use for everything. When I first had wired to the remote turnon lead from the headunit I would have to open the glove box to see if the headunit was on just to get my amps to work. Now that the amps are switched independent of the headunit I just hit the stereo on switch and everything is ready to go. But yes, you must make sure you don't get "the thump" as Phil described.
after looking at the wiring under the dash... what a rat's nest!!! Wow the guy that owned the boat before me was messy.....
Just so i'm clear i can run the 3 signal wires from the amps together into one wire behind my amp rack. then i'll run just one wire from those 3 over to the head unit. That way the headunit gets its power first then the amps.. just like it should be...
gEoFf
3 amps is right on the edge, sometimes, depending on multiples of circumstances... As far as tying the three turn-on wires together, yes. You can use a single wire from your amp rack.. But you might want to consider using a relay between the head unit and that single lead from the amps, just in case the current demand of YOUR three amps is larger than the headunit can handle.Quote:
Originally Posted by saskyrider
I have attached a tacky MS paint drawign showing how you would wire it... Do yourself a favor and ONLY look at the right half of the drawing showing the blue wires going to a relay. The left side of the drawing shows a relay used in the radio's primary pwer circuit, and it is not relevant to this discussion.
In writing quickly:
Your blue, (blue.white) wire FROM the head unit connects to terminal 85 on the relay.
Your combined turn-on lead from the amplifiers connects to terminal 87.
You can pull a short wire from your amp's B+ terminal and connect it to terminal 30
Finally connect terminal 86 to ground. A convenient place is the amp's B-, (negative) terminal
Hope that helps! As I say, you might not need it, but using the relay is a sure bet... We know it will work...
Phil
Kicker
awesome Phil!! thanks i will go and get a relay.
thanks again!!
geoff
well got working on the boat again last night... frig!! that compartment is to small.... trying to contort myself in there to get things mounted up. Then to top it off, spent an hour trying to find the problem... my new KMR700-u wouldn't power up? turns out you have to hold the power button on for a real long time to get it to turn on! Was i pissed!!!! but i got it all wired up and will hopefully finish off the install of the amps and relays tonight. Then it's mounting up the SXT-65's and fishing wires. I'll be so gland when this is done!! good thing is when i upgrade the rest of my amps to exile amps there is room and proper wiring to just swap out the other amps and bolt the new ones in. No messing around.
Geoff
I am running the same deck as you and have all three remotes on a single line to the deck. I think the 3 amps on 1 remote is max for this deck but i havnt had any issues and this is the second season im running like this.Quote:
Originally Posted by saskyrider
I think some of the older decks might have an issue but i would like to think the decks that have 3 sets of RCAs are expected to power 3 amps by 1 remote line.
As for the turning on of the deck, if you turn it on at the deck yes you have to hold it about 2 seconds then it powers up. I never use the deck button, i turn it on and then when i use the toggle it will power the deck automatically if you left the deck on and used your toggle to turn it off.
thanks mike... i'll be doing it that way from now on. I am still going to use the relay.. because i already bought it and it was cheap. $5 with the wiring harness to....
Geoff
well. got things all in under the cubby and everything sounded like crap.... WTF!!! anyways i realised my batts were both just about dead. so pulled them and charged them up. Now everything is good to go. Going to install the tower speakers tonight and had to do some cutting of wires up top on the tower. MAN the previous owner must have been in a real hurry when he did the wiring... no crimping no soldering not a connector to be found... just peel back about an inch of covering and twist like hell... then wrap a crap load of electricians tape around it. oh well made for an easy disconnect.
I do have a couple of problems tho.
First... there are 2 accesory switches on my dash, one is a 2 position switch and the other is a 3 position. The 2 position was the one previously used to switch on my amps and then the stereo switch turned on the headunit... when i hook the wiring back up the way it was with the old stuff the light on the 2 position accessory switch stays on all the time... the amps don't power up until i flip the switch but i can't get the light to go out????
Geoff
If I were to bet, you could take the two sets of wires on the two-position switch and flip them. The switch wiorks fine, but the power is going through the switch backwards, so that the power is coming into the switch on the side the light is connected to. Reverse it and I bet the light will turn on and off with the switch.Quote:
Originally Posted by saskyrider
It is a guess, but waht you describe could be caused by having the wires backwards, as I describe.
Phil
Kicker
thanks phil... i'll give it a shot when i get home. The relay works slick!!
I'm thinking your right but i haven't changed anything from when i ripped the old stereo out and it was fine before... maybe a little wiring gremlin popped in to make me scratch my head about it... lol. I'm going to wire my tower lights and in boat led's to the 3 position switch so when it's down the leds are on and when it's up the tower lights and led's are on.Quote:
Originally Posted by philwsailz
geoff