1000 watt amp gauge wire

Systems

should i use 2 or 4 gauge? 100 amp fuse?

CPHILHOWER

I would reccomend a minimum of 2 gauge. Possibly a 1/0 gauge if the run is too long. Its always better to OverGauge the wire than to UnderGauge.
Fuse? What make and model amp do you have? What is the fuse on the amp(s) itself?
Chris

[Deleted User]

If you are going to go with 2 gauge, you might as well do 1/0. It's not much difference in size.

PoweredByDodge

yes the made / model of hte amp is important ... only for judging whether it is a "True" 1000 watts... if it IS and your'e going to run it in a manner that uses that true 1000 watts rms, then stictly by numbers you'll need 4 gauge which supports up to 75A loads....
1000 w rms efficient class D amps will draw normally 75-ish amps of current. class AB amps which are less efficient will draw more, in which case you'll need to bump up to 2 gauge... getting to the point I thinkyou should use 2 gauge anyway because 4 would be the absolute BARE **** minimum and only if it was a fairly efficient D. So go with 2 gauge, it can handle up to a 150A load.

0/1 will support to up 300 A loads.

as far as which to use --- well... josh has a good point about size and if you're gonna add anything to your system later, u might want to take that into consideration. However, you've also got to think about cost. Retail on 0/1 is 6 dollars a foot. Retail on 2 gauge is 3 dollars a foot, half the cost of 0/1. when you're needing roughly 25 feet of wire, it makes a difference.

far as fuse -- if its 1000 watts rms class D, I'd use an 85A fuse.
1kw inefficient D / AB, go with 100A

if its something like a Rockford bd1001 or an mtx 81000d or other amps like that that "say" they're 1000w but actually do 300 - 500 over that rating at 14.4 ---> 135 - 150A fuse, and for those, 2 gauge is the recc.

Systems

it's a rockford 1000.1

PoweredByDodge

if that is the only amp you're running -- then 2 gauge for both power and ground with a 135 A fuse under the hood... go smaller and u're gonna cause problems.

sntnsupermen131

really?
that big?
i have like an 80 amp fuse on mine
i accidently broke the 1st one i had and i had a spare 60 amp and was running with it for a long time but it finally blew out too
i go to best buy and heres another best buy wonder story
me:where are your amp fuses?
best buy salesman: *Points* over there
me: thanks
i look around and all i see is 60 amp fuses
me: do you have anything bigger than this?
bbs: no sir, what size amp do you have
me: a rf bd1000.1...puts out a 1000 watts rms
bbs: derrrrrr, let me call the install shop
comes back
bbs: the guy says that 60 is big enough and if you run anything bigger you might let too much current go through and possibly blow your subs or your amplifier
me: are you kidding me!?!...nevermind...can i talk to your installer?
bbs: sorry sir but only employees can use the phone
me: thanks...
i end up buying the fuses anyway in case i couldnt find anyone else open...it was on a saturday
find someone else and buy the 80 amp fuse
go back to best buy to return the other ones
me: i need to return these for a cash refund
best buy customer service: ok sir, what was wrongw with your purchase?
me: wasnt the right size for my amp
bbcs(well there was 2...and the one i wasnt talking to chimed in): what kind of amp do you have?
me: rf bd1000
bbcs: then this should be big enough
me: well its not
bbcs: well i have a 1400 watt amp and a 60 amp fuse
me: no no no....its a 1000 watts rms....not peak
bbcs: mine is too
me: what kind of amp do you have?
bbcs: rockford fosgate
me: has it occured to you they dont make a 1400watt rms amp?
bbcs: yes they do
me: no...they dont...they make a bd1000 and a bd 1500...thats it
bbcs: oo...well maybe its 1400 peak
me: yeah probably....and in that case a 60 amp fuse would be great...thanks...bye
never ceases to amaze me...if not in the sales department...in the return department
-Cody

PoweredByDodge

*chuckling at cody's annectdote*

ya i hate salesmen dude -- they're utterly brainless -- i am very glad u posted that lil story tho -- i needed a good laugh

if u're lookin for future places to buy 80A fuses cheap ....

www.digikey.com has them but they require a minium order of 20 bucks or else u get a 5 dollar surcharge(charge u actual shippin which is usually 2.50)

crutchfield has them but they charge 10 bucks shipping on everything.. and thus -- they are ****... crotchfield. -- with an "o".

fuses often require a certain amoutn of current for a certain amount of time -- so if you're gains are not up to their limit and your not playing 20 hertz sine waves at max volume, you can usually leave a lower sized fuse in there because the power spikes of higher amperage will be of nearly instantaneous time.

however... i usually prefer to use a bigger one -- if the amp "blows" its gonna draw so much frickin current that u could go with a 200A fuse on a single RF 1000bd and if it shorted out you'd blow that fuse maybe a second or two later than the 135 / 150.

stingin

i got a kicker 1000 watt amp andi was wondering what size fuse i should use this is for a car stereo