Stupid question about OPUS wiring

**RS3RS** · 08-26-2004, 04:55 AM

Well, my OPUS 150 watt PSU is ordered and should be here in a day or two. I went out to walmart and bought a 200 watt amp. wiring kit for 10 bucks, I figured this would help with running power to the carputer.

However, when looking at it, I realised that there is only one wire meant to come from the battery (+) to the amp (or OPUS in this case), and then a 2 foot grounding wire is meant to be used for the ground.

Anyway, how exactly should I wire the OPUS? Obviously it will have a 12v positive and a negative, should I just run the OPUS's 12v + to the battery's 12v +, and then ground the OPUS's - to the frame of my car? Or am I going to have to run a wire all the way back to the battery's negative terminal?

Thanks

**SuzukiAerio** · 08-26-2004, 05:51 AM

It is my understanding (through testing) that you only need a good ground and need not run it back to the battery. (someone will correct me if i am wrong im sure)

What I did was ..... removed a BIG screw that held the back seats in place and grinded the paint off the screw and the area around the hole the screw gets secured to.

Then I tested the conductivity of the connection and it worked fine.

It was alot easier this way ..because now I only have 1 wire running from the bat and the other is only about 12 inches long from the screw already in the trunk to the ground.

Hope that helps

**swingpoha** · 08-26-2004, 05:57 AM

The ground wire should be as short as possible, meaning DO NOT run it back to the battery's negative find a connection to the frame of the car as close to the opus as possible.

**RS3RS** · 08-26-2004, 08:19 AM

Alright, thanks a lot for the replys guys. That's what I was thinking, just wanted to make sure I didn't fry anything by hooking it up wrong.

One last question, and I think I'm good to go. A 20 amp fuse is plenty for powering a carputer plus a 7" lilliput, correct?

**SuzukiAerio** · 08-26-2004, 10:21 AM

I currently have a 50 self resetting circuit breaker coming directly off my battery and mounted under the hood ( This part has been completed already) This will break the whole system in case of a large draw/jolt.

I plan to adda few "inline fuses" to break components as deamed needed by thier rating.

not saying you are righ or wrong .... just my plans.

**bosstone74** · 08-26-2004, 01:07 PM

According to the opus setup info, you ARE supposed to run a wire to you neg terminal, and your possitive terminal on your battery. But who really follows instuctions....

**pip** · 08-26-2004, 03:15 PM

I think a 30A fuse is needed.

**bosstone74** · 08-26-2004, 03:27 PM

That would be a 30amp fuse ....over...did I hear a niner in there?

**RS3RS** · 08-26-2004, 05:16 PM

Ack... The amp wiring kit I bought came with a 20 amp fuse with 12 guage wire...

Can I just buy a 30 amp fuse for it, or will 12 guage not handle that? Time to move up to 10 guage?