Looking For Help with Fusing my Multi Amplifier Setup

[JasonInDLH]

Alrighty folks…will someone please check my fusing with my proposed amplifier fuse setup as I’m totally frying my brain with this.

Here’s my setup:

I will have three amp: 300 W, 1000 W, and 200 W. The recommended fuses for each are 30A, 100A, and 20A, respectively.

I am also installing a D-Block/Capacitor Combo (the NVX XCap10H).

I’m confused about the main in-line fuse (do I install 150 amp fuse at the battery and the recommended fuses for the amps individually. In other words…do I install three extra fuses after the NVX d-block/cap for each amplifier’s respective fuse rating (as circled in the above schematic)? Based on the following I should not (granted this is in reference to a capacitor separate from the d-block)…

I’ve always installed a straightforward single mono block and a couple subs, this is my first multi amp setup with a distribution block/capacitor and am over thinking this like crazy. ?‍?



@lashlee …I’m sure you know!

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[Mx5red]

Interested in responses..
Fuses protect wire so I’d guess you would want to fuse individually if you ran different wire to each amp… or, run same wire and just use the initial fuse after battery?

 

[JasonInDLH]

Oh shoot…I think I’m going to scratch the idea of adding the 1000 watt amplifier as I now see that 4awg wire ampacity is much less than 150amps.

Although…ampacity is defined as continuous power. I definitely won’t be cranking the music up for long, so maybe 4 awg will work?

 

[Mx5red]

When you Google 1500W amp wiring the results are 4g kits?‍
However, looking at Crutchfield they offer 4g for 1000w of class D amps or 1/0 for more power (2000w).
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_20646PKD1/Kicker-46PKD1.html?tp=2919

looking back at your diagram, you plan on a system with a 1000w 15”, 300w 10”, and 200w of bass speakers? I thought it was a system of components plus sub.
Were you going to add anything but a ton of bass??

 

[JasonInDLH]

The 200W amp is going to power some Dayton Bass Shakers. The 300W is for a 10” JL Audio driver side Stealthbox to complement the factory passenger side factory 10” Alpine sub. And I got to thinking might as well add one of the square 15” Kicker Solo-Baric L7S sub for the kid in me.

Those bass shakers will be very helpful since I love to feel the bass and will be able to keep the SPL down at the same time. The amp driving these will definitely have it’s own separate gain knob run to the dash.

Kind of funny though…I much prefer listening to Tony Bennett, Sinatra, 90’s Alt and pop over rap. ? I do like to venture over to SXM channel 47 from time to time, however. And I do have some various genres of good bass heavy songs I frequently listen to in my personal collection.

Also…I’m glad you mentioned about the wire size. Sounds like I’ll be good!

 

[Mx5red]

Love the bass shakers idea?

 

[Txcomp]

Here is a chart we use for audio competitions to help define wire size and fuse rating installed at the front within 18” of the battery.

Per this chart, if you mount your amps in the back, you’re going to need a minimum of a 2 ga main power wire. I typically go one size larger than required on main power wire and fuse for the load so I’d run 1/0 with a 150 amp fuse. I HIGHLY recommend using welding cable and avoid eBay or Amazon car audio wire since it is typically CCA (copper clad aluminum). You want pure copper wire and welding cable is the cheapest way to buy good wire.

Hope this helps!

 

[JasonInDLH]

Here is a chart we use for audio competitions to help define wire size and fuse rating installed at the front within 18” of the battery.

Per this chart, if you mount your amps in the back, you’re going to need a minimum of a 2 ga main power wire. I typically go one size larger than required on main power wire and fuse for the load so I’d run 1/0 with a 150 amp fuse. I HIGHLY recommend using welding cable and avoid eBay or Amazon car audio wire since it is typically CCA (copper clad aluminum). You want pure copper wire and welding cable is the cheapest way to buy good wire.

Hope this helps!

Thanks, Helps a ton! My wire is about 10 feet long, so I should be good at 4 awg.

I like to use Crutchfield OFC wire that I can purchase by the foot. I’ve never looked at welding cable before. Would the welding cable be as bendable as the Crutchfield wire?

 

[Txcomp]

At 10' 4ga should be fine unless you're hammering on the system constantly and pulling a lot of amperage. If you enter a competition, expect to be questioned though since you're right at the upper edge of amperage and distance.

I've never used Crutchfield wire but I know a lot of their suppliers and if it's labeled OFC then it is OFC.

This is exactly what I bought. I typically get my welding cable on eBay. The picture is not exaggerating. I tend to use odd color power wires, especially for the + lead.

25' 1/0 HIGHLY FLEXIBLE WELDING WHIP CABLE ORANGE 600V USA MADE EPDM COPPER AWG | eBay

 

[lashlee]

Sorry I'm late to the party @JasonInDLH , I've been working on the JLUR getting ready for the trip to Moab. In my opinion, the two smaller amps don't need and won't really benefit from the cap. I would use the cap on the big amp, with the proper fuse on the battery side. I would use one 4 awg wire from the battery to the fuse holder for the cap, then to the cap and on to the big amp. Then run a second 4 awg wire to a fuse holder and to a distribution block (either fused or not) to power the two smaller amps.

 

[JasonInDLH]

Sorry I'm late to the party @JasonInDLH , I've been working on the JLUR getting ready for the trip to Moab. In my opinion, the two smaller amps don't need and won't really benefit from the cap. I would use the cap on the big amp, with the proper fuse on the battery side. I would use one 4 awg wire from the battery to the fuse holder for the cap, then to the cap and on to the big amp. Then run a second 4 awg wire to a fuse holder and to a distribution block (either fused or not) to power the two smaller amps.

Moab! Man…that should be great fun! Truly jealous of you. (Did you tell us all you were heading out there? I have a really bad memory).

Thanks for the input. I’ll mull this over tomorrow when my brain is working again. ?

 

[lashlee]

Moab! Man…that should be great fun! Truly jealous of you. (Did you tell us all you were heading out there? I have a really bad memory).

Thanks for the input. I’ll mull this over tomorrow when my brain is working again. ?

Yeah, in a separate post a few weeks ago. Been planning this trip for about a year. There's my wife's JLUR (MC GC 3.5, 37" KM3's, Motobilt bumpers and spare tire carrier, Artec aluminum skid and inner fenders, AAL lights, Baja LP6's, GenRight rockers and steps, Warn winch, Apex steering booster kit), my best friend is taking his JTR with Dynatac 60's and 40's, and another friend with a JTD on upgraded 44's and 40's so it should be a fun trip!

As for the wiring, there's more than one way to get it working. FWIW, I have a three or four caps on the shelf that I haven't used since the early 2000's!

 

[JasonInDLH]

Yeah, in a separate post a few weeks ago. Been planning this trip for about a year. There's my wife's JLUR (MC GC 3.5, 37" KM3's, Motobilt bumpers and spare tire carrier, Artec aluminum skid and inner fenders, AAL lights, Baja LP6's, GenRight rockers and steps, Warn winch, Apex steering booster kit), my best friend is taking his JTR with Dynatac 60's and 40's, and another friend with a JTD on upgraded 44's and 40's so it should be a fun trip!

You mustn’t go on! ?.

 

[JasonInDLH]

As for the wiring, there's more than one way to get it working. FWIW, I have a three or four caps on the shelf that I haven't used since the early 2000's!

Yeah…I’ve actually received some other advice (including from Crutchfield, NVX, and an Audio forum). I guess I like to cover myself. ? I think I like your way best…I just need to draw it out on paper and then I’ll understand it better.

I finished slow charging my cap last night Strangely, I had to wire in an additional resistor (not shown) or the included charging resistor would smoke. Has this ever happened to you?

Sadly, I’m all done wiring things up for now (until I get my other amps). Now I don’t know what to do with myself! I s’pose it’s back to Netflix. ???

 

[lashlee]

My way is fairly simple, you'll need to make a bracket to hold the two fuse holders under the hood. I did a similar thing in other Jeep that I did the two amps, each had its own dedicated power wire and fuse coming from the battery. It also minimizes the lump from using one big wire under the carpet.

I've seen that a few times where the resistor on the card is damaged and you'll need a separate resistor, but it's no biggie!!

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