Difference between 8 and 10 guage wire

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Jun 25, 2014 | 04:59 PM

powderhound77

Thread Starter

2nd Gear

Joined: Oct 2012

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From: The Mitt

Difference between 8 and 10 guage wire

I am installing a SoundStream Pn4.520D 4 channel amp. The manufacturer recommended wire for power and ground is 10 ga. I have been reading on this forum that many have used 8ga. How much difference is there between the two? Is it worth going with the 8 guage wire? I will be powdering two 6.5 Polk db 651 and two Polk 5.25 speakers.

Thank you all.

Jun 25, 2014 | 05:51 PM

AAWAV

Road Warrior

Joined: Aug 2013

Posts: 1,505

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From: Las Vegas

10 will work just fine... It is a Class D amp, not sucking AMPS like class A/B
I got MM651 and 6x9 Pioneers running and had 10G in bike already due to RF300x2.

EDIT: ensure you use good quality wire, some cheapo stuff does not turn out to be the Gauge they say it is.
I used the RF 10G set. good quality...

Jun 25, 2014 | 06:14 PM

rwb1

Tourer

Joined: Feb 2012

Posts: 257

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From: stillwater,NY

I bought 2 10 gauge kits for my RFpbr300x2....first was an e-bay cheapo, and the 2nd was a RF 10gauge install kit....difference was night and day. The RF wire was 2x the thickness of the cheap "BOSS AUDIO" kit.

Found it @ new egg for $19...

Jun 25, 2014 | 06:31 PM

acchd

Stellar HDF Member

Joined: Apr 2008

Posts: 2,999

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From: Charlotte Metro

You have to consider on bike wire length is much shorter vs car install 10 gauge should be fine.

Jun 25, 2014 | 09:42 PM

1HD2NV

Road Captain

Joined: Oct 2008

Posts: 531

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From: Des Moines, Ia

Noticed on the 2180 I installed tonight that both + & - was only 14 awg. Need to extend the - & will obviously just go 14 but seems smaller than what everyone here is suggesting. Perhaps just amp specific...

Jun 26, 2014 | 05:11 PM

jamess71

Road Captain

Joined: Oct 2013

Posts: 563

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From: Raleigh, NC

I just asked this same question in another thread about 10 minutes ago. Looks like you can get the good RF kit in 8 for about half the price of the 10 awg.

1HD2NV? so how long do the power cables need to be to get from amp under fairing to the battery? I'm assuming you got a kit with a 3 foot piece of gnd cable?

Jun 26, 2014 | 06:43 PM

UltraNutZ

Extreme HDF Member

Joined: Nov 2007

Posts: 14,670

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From: East of the Sun, West of the Moon

the length from fairing mounted amp to battery routed under tank through the wiring channel is less than 6'. 6' give you plenty of slack for fuse install and routing to + terminal on amp and you'll probably still cut about 6" off of it.