US Amps AX Care And Feeding Of Your Batteries, Getting Wired, WIRE GAUGE and AMPERAGE Guide, Amps

CARE AND FEEDING OF YOUR BATTERIES

As mentioned before, most batteries are built for the relatively light chore of starting the engine. Unless you have the room and ambition to install an upgraded high-powered alternator, your system current requirements may exceed the charging capability of your car’s electrical system. When this happens, you have to rely on the vehicle battery(s) to make up the difference. Another factor to consider is voltage. Although the electrical system is considered to be “12 volt”, the battery, when healthy, actually “rests” at 12.6 volts. The average alternator “puts out” 14.4 volts when the engine is on, because it is necessary to “feed” a battery higher voltage in order for it to charge.

GETTING WIRED:

Once you have established the current needs of your system, it will be of the UTMOST IMPORTANCE to properly fuse the amplifier. Remember, power connections are always the last thing. There cannot be enough emphasis placed on the importance of proper fusing. Fuses prevent catastrophes. Always fuse each U.S.Amp product at or less than the recom- mended amperage. Another major consideration is wire. If you wish to build a truly high- powered system, you must take into account the total amperage requirements of the system and select your wire gauge accordingly. The following chart can be used as a guide:

WIRE GAUGE and AMPERAGE Guide:

AWG 14	30 Amps	AWG 6	80 Amps	AWG 0	190 Amps
AWG 13	35 Amps	AWG 4	105 Amps	AWG 00	215 Amps
AWG 10	45 Amps	AWG 2	135 Amps	AWG 000	245 Amps
AWG 8	60 Amps	AWG 1	160 Amps	AWG 0000	275 Amps

These are real numbers, right out of the 1951 U.S.Federal Electronics Code Book.

It takes real wire to do real work.

For each 100 watts, when playing music, count on 10 amps average of average current draw.

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