rca cables

**c a m a r o** · 07-05-2005, 07:00 PM

I recieved my amp installation kit today. The rca cables have a small wire attached to them. What is it for? I'll post a picture if no one understands what I'm talking about.

**Cheekz185** · 07-05-2005, 07:36 PM

It carry's a remote signal (switched ignition, meaning your amps turn on when your Head Unit does). So you dont have to run an extra wire from your head unit to you amp.

**c a m a r o** · 07-05-2005, 08:36 PM

Originally Posted by Cheekz185

It carry's a remote signal (switched ignition, meaning your amps turn on when your Head Unit does). So you dont have to run an extra wire from your head unit to you amp.

so i have to splice it into the ignition wire that goes to the stereo?

**pancit175** · 07-05-2005, 08:38 PM

NEVER!?! That wire is too small of a gauge to run the remote wire from the hu to the amp. In some cases i've seen people attempt that and smoke the wire because the wire was too small and caused too much electrical friction.

The real reason for the extra wire is to ground the amp and the hu together so that it would decrease any ground differential between the two. Thus cancelling out ground looping noise.

**shakes** · 07-05-2005, 08:40 PM

what pancti said ...

you should use 14 or 16 guage wire for the trigger wire

**mbuchman** · 07-05-2005, 09:07 PM

Originally Posted by pancit175

NEVER!?! That wire is too small of a gauge to run the remote wire from the hu to the amp. In some cases i've seen people attempt that and smoke the wire because the wire was too small and caused too much electrical friction.

The real reason for the extra wire is to ground the amp and the hu together so that it would decrease any ground differential between the two. Thus cancelling out ground looping noise.

Haha, yeah, I used it as the remote turn on wire and it definately didnt work. A few months later, I had to rerun a new wire in for the turn on. Funny thing is that it was for my friend, so I just did it to save time and money (yes, that whole 2 dollars for 20 ft of wire). I guess thats why you never should just assume what somethings for, heh.

Originally Posted by shakes

you should use 14 or 16 guage wire for the trigger wire

How do you figure on needing that thick of wire for the signal? I think except for the time mentioned above, I have used 18 with no problems.

Matt

**shakes** · 07-05-2005, 09:12 PM

18 works too ... I was just saying you don't want to go much smaller than that and better too big (within reason) than too small.

**pancit175** · 07-05-2005, 10:06 PM

Originally Posted by shakes

you should use 14 or 16 guage wire for the trigger wire

Especially if you are running more than one amp. The more you split off the voltage the more current you're going to run through the wire.

**Peoples** · 07-05-2005, 10:37 PM

hmm.....i'm using the tiny wire no problem......its fused to .5 amps so i'm not too worried

**SickVette** · 07-05-2005, 11:01 PM

If that wire can not handle enough current to turn on a amp how is it going to handle the current it takes to turn on a radio? As in the wire is used to ground the head unit to the same location as the amps.

It can be used for ground or turn on. Personally I clip them off and just run the wire.