Ground for 1400 watts
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 981
Likes: 134
From: Vancouver Canada
Ground for 1400 watts
Gents,
Wiring up 2 800.4's in the fairing...running 4guage from the battery to the distribution block in the fairing.
My last amp I simply ran the ground (10 gauge) back to the battery. Watching a video by NVS audio, it seems that the main frame ground would be better. On the 09 Ultra, the main ground is on the transmission behind the dip stick...should I just run it from there, or create a new one on the frame in front of the battery...or am I ok just going back to the battery?
Any thoughts?
Wiring up 2 800.4's in the fairing...running 4guage from the battery to the distribution block in the fairing.
My last amp I simply ran the ground (10 gauge) back to the battery. Watching a video by NVS audio, it seems that the main frame ground would be better. On the 09 Ultra, the main ground is on the transmission behind the dip stick...should I just run it from there, or create a new one on the frame in front of the battery...or am I ok just going back to the battery?
Any thoughts?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 5,749
Likes: 1,603
From: High Point, NC.
If the main ground is near the dipstick, why not connect to battery? The cable is already long enough and you're right there? Without getting into the whole debate on battery or frame grounding. lol
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 981
Likes: 134
From: Vancouver Canada
Battery it is.
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 276
Likes: 28
From: Jacksonville, FL
He runs a new ground from the battery to the frame as an upgrade so the regular 8 gauge ground doesn't have to support the load of all the added audio. He doesn't run a bunch of cables directly to the battery because it's a cleaner install and it's less stuff for the dealer to mess up if you have to take your bike in for something.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 5,749
Likes: 1,603
From: High Point, NC.
He runs a new ground from the battery to the frame as an upgrade so the regular 8 gauge ground doesn't have to support the load of all the added audio. He doesn't run a bunch of cables directly to the battery because it's a cleaner install and it's less stuff for the dealer to mess up if you have to take your bike in for something.
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 981
Likes: 134
From: Vancouver Canada
He runs a new ground from the battery to the frame as an upgrade so the regular 8 gauge ground doesn't have to support the load of all the added audio. He doesn't run a bunch of cables directly to the battery because it's a cleaner install and it's less stuff for the dealer to mess up if you have to take your bike in for something.
Either way...it's done now...to the battery.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 1,354
Likes: 399
From: Vancouver, BC
We recently saw this when someone posted here about loose ground straps causing horrible screeching noise while pressing the starter switch. Had that strap completely failed his problem could have been so much worse. He fixed his problem by tightening the ground bolts but he really should have also moved his amp ground to the frame.
As a best practice, you shouldn't connect amp grounds (or any accessory that might be conductively connected to the frame) directly to the battery negative post IMO.
Don't offer accidental/unintentional paths to ground. It's a basic principal in electrical engineering
Last edited by hamah; Mar 10, 2022 at 01:44 AM.
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Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 981
Likes: 134
From: Vancouver Canada
This is the correct way to do it as long as that 0 AWG cable from the battery connects directly to the frame first and then the distribution block or directly to the block itself if it's conductively attached to the frame. Otherwise, you run the risk of having your amp grounds having to carry the full current load of the starter circuit if the battery-transmission strap fails.
We recently saw this when someone posted here about loose ground straps causing horrible screeching noise while pressing the starter switch. Had that strap completely failed his problem could have been so much worse. He fixed his problem by tightening the ground bolts but he really should have also moved his amp ground to the frame.
As a best practice, you shouldn't connect amp grounds (or any accessory that might be conductively connected to the frame) directly to the battery negative post IMO.
Don't offer accidental/unintentional paths to ground. It's a basic principal in electrical engineering
We recently saw this when someone posted here about loose ground straps causing horrible screeching noise while pressing the starter switch. Had that strap completely failed his problem could have been so much worse. He fixed his problem by tightening the ground bolts but he really should have also moved his amp ground to the frame.
As a best practice, you shouldn't connect amp grounds (or any accessory that might be conductively connected to the frame) directly to the battery negative post IMO.
Don't offer accidental/unintentional paths to ground. It's a basic principal in electrical engineering
I didn't ground at the frame...ran the 4g ground directly to battery and back through the wire tunnel into the fairing to the distrubtion block. For 2 800.4's that may be overkill (max current 80 per amp, 40 for music).
Last edited by fastsoup; Mar 10, 2022 at 08:47 AM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 5,749
Likes: 1,603
From: High Point, NC.
Interesting you say that...I have a horrific noise when trying to start the bike...I thought it was my starter...save that for another thread.
I didn't ground at the frame...ran the 4g ground directly to battery and back through the wire tunnel into the fairing to the distrubtion block. For 2 800.4's that may be overkill (max current 80 per amp, 40 for music).
I didn't ground at the frame...ran the 4g ground directly to battery and back through the wire tunnel into the fairing to the distrubtion block. For 2 800.4's that may be overkill (max current 80 per amp, 40 for music).