Need some help with car audio stuff....

I am going to replace all my wiring/speakers ect in my car.

I have two main questions so far.

What gauge wire is best for a simple speaker application that will turn into something with a lot more kick. I want something that will be good with just my CD player and at some point to an amp. I have some 18 gauge wire I got to do some simple patch work to get my stuff up and running, but want to install all new wire. I have found some good 16 gauge wire I may use, but want to be sure it will suffice for the whole application.

Second, I want to use some Dynamat on my doors rear deck, and trunk at some point. So far I plan on atleast doing the front doors, since that is my first project to get done. Would it be wise to do the whole door or just the area around the speaker. Also, I want to use XTC baffels to wather protect my speakers, incase water gets in the seals of the window in the door. What sould be the best way to install them? I was thinking of putting them under the Dynamat to hold it in place, but don't want to degradate the purpose of the Dynamat.

I plan on putting base blockers on the door speakers. Should I use them even if right now I only plan on having them hooked up to the CD player and not an amp.

Any input would help. I have dug around looking for some FAQs and instalation hints, but don;t find much that will explain what I am trying to get done.

Thanks,
MD

some 'experts' actually recommend CAT 5 cable.
you can use 2 wires for each connector effectively making an 18 gauge wire from the 22 gauge wires in the cable.
plus, good CAT 5 is cheep.

No matter what guage wire you use, you are only going to get so much sound out of your speakers...example, 10 guage vs 18 guage isn't going to maker a noticable difference to "stock" speakers.

- If you are going to replace your speakers with decent stuff, wire them up with at least 14 guage coming from either the head unit or amp.

- If you are using an amp (or plan to) use at least 8 guage power and ground coming directly off the battery.

- For your deck, depending on what your line-level speaker output wattage is, you can wire that up to existing stereo wires. If your deck puts out high wattage, you might consider going with 10-12 guage wiring directly off the battery.

- If you do any wiring directly off the battery, make sure you put in line fuses, most important.

- dont use black electrical tape...use the shielded wire connects found at any electronics store. (the kind you crimp to hold the wire)

Good Luck!

[quote]Originally posted by MD_Geist:
<strong>I am going to replace all my wiring/speakers ect in my car.

I have two main questions so far.

What gauge wire is best for a simple speaker application that will turn into something with a lot more kick. I want something that will be good with just my CD player and at some point to an amp. I have some 18 gauge wire I got to do some simple patch work to get my stuff up and running, but want to install all new wire. I have found some good 16 gauge wire I may use, but want to be sure it will suffice for the whole application.

Second, I want to use some Dynamat on my doors rear deck, and trunk at some point. So far I plan on atleast doing the front doors, since that is my first project to get done. Would it be wise to do the whole door or just the area around the speaker. Also, I want to use XTC baffels to wather protect my speakers, incase water gets in the seals of the window in the door. What sould be the best way to install them? I was thinking of putting them under the Dynamat to hold it in place, but don't want to degradate the purpose of the Dynamat.

I plan on putting base blockers on the door speakers. Should I use them even if right now I only plan on having them hooked up to the CD player and not an amp.

Any input would help. I have dug around looking for some FAQs and instalation hints, but don;t find much that will explain what I am trying to get done.

Thanks,
MD</strong><hr></blockquote>


14 to 18 ga wire is good for most speakers,(not large amplified woofers)do not use cat 5,you don't want to use single strand wire for any car audio application,(speaker or power or ground)and with the wear and tear and install angles that happen when you run wires in a car,and electricity travels on the outside of a wire,so the best wire will have many strands in it.

On the dynamat,do as much of the door as you can afford,the more the better,

on the xtc baffles,cut them in half and just create a top half cover from water,let the door become the speaker box,it will sound good with the dynamat,

I have been installing and working on 12 car stereo and alarm and electrical systems for about 24 years,so if I can be of any more help,feel free to PM me.

also I have amplifier wiring kits here,that I will be glad to ship you,just pay me for shipping,these are around $50 in most stores.
they have everything you will need to put a system together.

let me know,

now I know what you are all thinking,but I do well with my business and I don't mind helping people out.
:) Dan

I went out asking around to some local shops in my home town. Didn't get much info off of them, I doubt they want to give any tricks of the trade out. But, i did get a suggestion for 12 gauge wire, witch in my mind seams a bit too large... I could see 12 from the am to the woofs or if i were doing a pro install.

My uncle, who has worked on all of his systems bottom up. Told me any where around 14-16 is a decent gauge wire that will work for what I want it.

You guys helped alot, I still am a bit confused on exactly what gauge to buy, but i think 14 will be my choice.

Crazyman, I just might have to take you up on the offer, but it will be somewhere in the summer before I even get enough cash together to start on my amps and subs.


Maybe when I get head long into the project I will do a write up and post it for everyone.

Thanks,
MD

ok... for setting up car stereos, running speakers just off the head unit, i would recommend using 14-16 gauge wire, you will notice the difference from the stock wire in you car, even if you are still using the stock speakers... more power will get thru to them because the impedance of the wires is lower.

if you are running you those speakers off an amp, 12-16 would be very viable as well.. but if you are running subs, the recommended guage is something like 10 i believe... and if you are running your subs in your trunk with the the speakers on the back deck, make sure that you trunk is ported, or the speakers sealed, because when the volume begins to climb, the sound pressure in the trunk will climb and you could ruin whatever speakers you have there.

for hooking up amps, depending on how big they are, you should use 4-8 guage, with a fuse less than a foot from the battery. the ground wire for the said amps should also be about a foot long, and grounded somewhere on the body of the vehicle.

as for dynamat, im not to familiar with it at the second, as i have not had any real reason to play with it.. maybe this summer :)

A larger gauge will carry more current, BUT it will also offer more resistance. For a head unit powering the speakers, I wouldn't do any more than 16 max. Otherwise, you're wasting the power.

10 to 12 is good for a sub, depending on the power. Shot in the dark, but it's towards the noise I head, I'd say under about 300W, 12 is fine, over that, use 10 or larger.

crazy: elecricity doesn't travel on the outside of a wire. It may have less resistance to it because of the tendency of the central protons in the structure to hold electrons better, but electricity travels through the whole of the metal, esp. using copper and other very ductile metals like that.

[quote]Originally posted by PitaBred:
<strong>A larger gauge will carry more current, BUT it will also offer more resistance. For a head unit powering the speakers, I wouldn't do any more than 16 max. Otherwise, you're wasting the power.

10 to 12 is good for a sub, depending on the power. Shot in the dark, but it's towards the noise I head, I'd say under about 300W, 12 is fine, over that, use 10 or larger.

crazy: elecricity doesn't travel on the outside of a wire. It may have less resistance to it because of the tendency of the central protons in the structure to hold electrons better, but electricity travels through the whole of the metal, esp. using copper and other very ductile metals like that.</strong><hr></blockquote>

well my point was multi stranded wire (the more the better)is more eficient at carrying current,in low voltage /low amperage car audio/12volt systems.atleast in the 24 years that I have been doing it,I have found that all the best car audio wires advertise and use many stranded wire for a reason in 12v applications.I also learned a little about it during my MECP cert studying and testing years ago,

but at the same time ,I know I am not an actual technician and expert on electrical theories.I am not an expert on the theory and circuits of what we install.

I know just the basics on the theories,but I do know what works best in an install .
thanks for the info. :)

That was the product of way too much physics and chemistry here at school speaking :) Gotta love engineering schools... heh

thanks for all the help!


I do have another qestion thou...

If I am pushing 45 watts Peak per channel on my high and mids... what would be a good wattage to push for my sub.... I don;t want to drown out and of my highend or mid with too much bass....


I was thinking roughly twice as much for my subs, but I have no clue what I am talking about so I am probably wrong


MD

all depends on what size of sub you are running, what your box is, and the placement of mids and highs....

at the second, when i get my sub back in my car, all it is gonna be powered by is a Fosgate punch 100a amp, and it still hits pretty hard considering how small the amp is... but the fact is that you have to consider the design and placement of your box and sub...

i would recommend using at least 200 watts, and just turn down the gains on the amp

What i can figure so far is... i will have tweaters in the dash, 2 way 6.75s in my front doors, and 6x9s on the rear deck...

Nothing fancy at all...

I want a sealed box with 12 inch sub...

I want it to be able to push atleast 100 clean watts, and still be able to puch more if i need it to.

MD

another thing... what does RMS stand for when it comes to amps?

A idea Monster makes a nice bundle for car radio installs. If I remember right it includes wire, dynamat and all the goodies that make in easier to install. hope it helps.

[quote]Originally posted by MD_Geist:
<strong>
I want a sealed box with 12 inch sub...

I want it to be able to push atleast 100 clean watts, and still be able to puch more if i need it to.

MD</strong><hr></blockquote>

ok.. what kind of car do you have?? is it a hatch back, regular trunk or van??

if its a hatch back, dont worry too much about what im gonna say next except that you should have the sub firing towards the back, as that allows the bass wavelengths more time to travel.

if its a regular trunk, again fire the sub towards the back, and you should somehow port the trunk so you dont screw up you 6x9's. the pressure in your trunk will go thru the roof and the 6x9's will just start to distort then worse.

and what kind of sub are you putting in there???