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SPLSQ Unregistered guest | Will it do anything if I use a 5 gauge power wire and a 9 gauge ground wire, because I heard it better to use same gauge power and ground wire. |
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New member Username: Gary_ukPost Number: 10 Registered: Apr-05 | you need to use the same gauge. as long as your amp is ok on 9 then using 5 should be ok as it is thicker. ? |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 7762 Registered: Dec-03 | wire gauge requirements are based on the amount of current, and the length of the wire. http://www.the12volt.com/info/recwirsz.asp use same size wire for power and ground. period. |
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Gold Member Username: FishyTamarac Ft.Laud, FL USA Post Number: 1028 Registered: Sep-04 | as long as your amp is ok on 9 then using 5 should be ok as it is thicker. ? I agree. Just keep the 9 gauge run as short as possible. 9 gauge wire has about two and a half times the resistance per length as 5 gauge so from a voltage perspective 1 foot of 9 gauge is analogous to 2.5 feet of 5. The 9 gauge will get a bit hotter, but 10 gauge wire is good for 55 amps open air(normal insulation). From here: http://www.epanorama.net/documents/wiring/wire_resistance.html As long as your amp draws less than say 50 amps(to be safe) you should be fine. People think that wires are analogous to water pipes in that really small sections create "bottlenecks". If that were the case then we'd be using some awfully big fuses. Nah, length is every bit as important as gauge. Its just easiest to tell everyone to just use the same size wire for power and ground. -Fishy |