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Hooking up two amps! HELP!!

Old Sep 22, 2012 | 08:30 AM
  #1  
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Hooking up two amps! HELP!!

Hey guys. i need some from some experts.
i hooked up my first sound system yesterday and it works great..
now i would like to install a 2nd amp for my sub. would it be possible to "bridge the amps"
ie: run wires from the installed amp to the new amp??
instead of running splitters or distrabution blocks..

PLEASE look at pic for more of an idea of what i mean.... THANKS
Attached Thumbnails Hooking up two amps! HELP!!-sound.jpg  
Old Sep 22, 2012 | 10:29 AM
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Technically, while a little ghetto, yes this can work but be sure the main power cable running to the first amp can handle the draw of both amps. Generally it is better to wire the second amp's ground to the ground point too rather than the first amp unless this is impractical.
Old Sep 22, 2012 | 02:25 PM
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Thanks for you fast reply... The main reason I wanted to do this is I didn't want to buy a whole new wireing kit..(south Africa) is not the cheapest...
Aswel as cable management..
Not to sure of the gage of my main wire. Will test my ghetto setup and let everyone know how it goes...
Thanks
Fr3ak
Old Sep 22, 2012 | 09:05 PM
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Just out of curiosity, would Fr3ak be wise to put a fuse in the power wire going from the 1st amp to the 2nd? Or would it be pointless in that situation?
Old Sep 23, 2012 | 03:40 AM
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I was planning on putting a fuse there. just to be on the safe side..
Old Sep 24, 2012 | 02:57 PM
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Depends on how much smaller the jumper power wire is than the main power wire and if it can handle the current the underhood fuse will permit.
Old Sep 24, 2012 | 03:54 PM
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So fusing for the 2nd amp isn't necessarily a necessity? (Say that ten times fast.)
If, for some reason, the 2nd amp had a huge draw, and its power wire wasn't fused, how would that draw affect the 1st amp?
The reason I'm curious is because I might add a small 2 channel amp somewhere down the line. I figured I'd be looking at a distro-block for a proper install. But if this "ghetto" setup isn't really a risk to the amps, then I'd consider this route too.
Old Sep 25, 2012 | 02:50 PM
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No different than a distro block, just that the 'block' is the terminal on the first amp.
Old Oct 1, 2012 | 06:12 PM
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I'm no "expert" so take this with a very heavy grain of salt but wouldn't the second fuse just be a hazard? If for whatever reason it does pop the power it was previously using is now backfeeding to the first amp and if that's not individually fused you're going to wipe out that amp. I thought that was the point of distro blocks in the first place otherwise it wouldn't be at all unreasonable to see a pos output to daisy chain amps.. no?

Just my thoughts
Old Oct 2, 2012 | 03:50 PM
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The second fuse would be only to protect the jumper wire and/or potentially the second amp. If one was installed and it popped, there would be no effect to the first amp.

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