I'm running a new amp now. Something I was able to get for super cheap ($20 bucks from a friend of a friend). It's an old Profile California 600 watts (the blue one-Profile California 800sx) pushing my 10'' MTXs. I know it's an old amp, but I'm using it as temporary until I get a whole new setup of subs and amp. You might know from my old post that my Sony Xplod Amp kept going into protection mode from I THINK overheating, but now i doubt that was the case because the amp never felt hot. However, my new amp does not have protection mode or does not display when it is (at least i don't think so), so I was wondering how I can tell if it's about to overheat. After I turn off my car and feel the amp, it DOES feel hot. I'm pretty satisfied with the amp, and i noticed the difference between it and my old sony xplod (much better). I don't want this one to overheat. I got it properly ventilated and everything, it's just I go on hour long drives almost every week so my amp will be running for quite a while. Also if you look on: http://www.crutchfield.com/p_489800SX/Profile-California-800sx.html?tp=14&tab=detailed_info (Wiring Note). Is it fine if I'm running a 4 gauge power cable? Currently I have an 80 amp AGU fuse near my battery, but I also have a 60 amp I can replace it with (if it matters). Or will I need to get an 8 gauge? Sorry if that was a stupid question. On that site it also says something about protection circuit under special features, but I'm not sure what that exactly means.
So it will shut completely off when it's too hot? It doesn't necessarily have to have the protection light/protection mode?
if it shuts of you know you have a problem. you wont need a light to let you know. as far as your wiring why would you want to go to a smaller gauge? 4 is thicker than 8 gauge. one more ?. are you blowing fuses too?
best way to know what kind of fuse you need under the hood would be to get the sum of the fuses of your amp or amps. so if you have 2 50amp fuses in your amp them you'll need a 100amp fuse under the hood.
Okay thanks pedro. The guy I got the amp from says he never had it turned off on him although it got pretty hot at times. I guess I'm just paranoid about burning my amp out because I already burned out a set of subs...especially when my amp doesn't go into a specific protection mode like other amps do. The only reason I asked about running an 8 gauge is because of what this said: Wiring Note: To match the amplifier fuse rating, you may need to use a 4-gauge amplifier wiring kit. A 4-gauge kit will need to be adapted to this amplifier using a two short lengths of 8-gauge wire and two distribution blocks with 4-gauge and 8-gauge connections. Adapting the 4-gauge kit will require connecting a 4-gauge wire between the battery and one distribution block, then running a short length of 8-gauge wire from that block to the amplifier power terminal. Another piece of 8-gauge wire must be connected between the amplifier's ground terminal and the second distribution block, then a 4-gauge wire can be used to connect the second block to a ground point in the vehicle. No I'm not blowing any fuses. Thanks for that tip cccullen. My amp has three 20 amp fuses, so I will replace my 80 amp with my 60 amp fuse just to be safe. Also I heard it's best to bridge the amp I have in order to get the most potential. Do you guys recommend I do this?
you can bridge the amp if your final load is at 4ohms. anything else and you'll just waste your time bridging the amp. most if not all amps can be bridged under 4ohms. Here's the specs of your amp... * Supply Voltage: 10.5-15 volts * Channel separation: 85dB * Idle current draw: 430-870 mA * Maximum output: 400 watts x 2 * RMS output at 4 ohms: 200 watts x 2 * RMS output at 2 ohms: 300 x 2 * Bridged output : 600 x 1 at 4 ohms you can see that if you are at a 2ohm load you'll still get 600watts (300watts per channel) but if you bridge the amp at 4ohms then you get 600 at one channel.. do you have you subs wired for a final load of 4ohms?
ok i see. i think that amp only has the ability to take an 8 gauge. you may be able to strip some of the wire away from your 4 gauge to make it fit into the 8 gauge opening.
I did exactly that. I had to do that with my Sony Xplod amp as well. So I'm fine with my 4 gauge right?
oh yeah plenty fine. i know guys that run only a 4 gauge and have a few thousand watts. i my self just have one run of 4 gauge.
Honestly, that sounds like gibberish to me. I wish I could talk to one of you guys on a messaging program or something because all that ohm stuff still confuses me. I have two 10'' MTX subs (Thunder Pro 500 watts), each has a negative and positive wire coming out from 2 sides of the back of the box. I connected one sub to R- and R+, and the other to L- and L+. I have no idea how the wiring inside the enclosure looks because I never opened it. p.s. sorry if i'm really out of it, i'm still trying to learn.
