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Message |
    
Audiophile73
New member
Username: Audiophile73
Post Number: 2
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 29, 2004 - 6:43 pm: | 
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hey guys im getting ready to install a x-force 400hd, i bought some 4 gauge wire for power and ground. Pleople are telling me a bunch of different things. Do I need to use thicker than whats comin out the back of the radio? Do I need to upgrade my coax, i have a wilson 1000 roof top mount. It's just the coax that came with the antenna so I don't know what it is. And what do I do about swr, i bought a chearp meter cause the guy said they are all the same. Should I just set my swr before the amp is inline and then leave it, cause I always thought u tuned your antenna to the car. Any help would be good, don't wanna blow a 300 dollar amp, thanks |
Alsworld
Advanced Member
Username: Alsworld
Post Number: 830
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 30, 2004 - 4:49 pm: |
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Audiophile 73,
4 gauge wire should be fine to power that amp. Chances are that the wire coming out of the back of that amp is not 4 gauge but smaller. For such a short run, it would be fine. But the long runs we have to install these amps require a higher gauge wire to provide sufficient amperage to feed the current your XForce will draw. 4 giage should work great. You will have to splice or join the amps wire to that 4 gauge wire. There are many options on doing this to have a professional looking job. Stereo shops sell such connections, but many of these amp related sites can hook you up with what you may need. Quich disconnects for large guage wire make good sense for easy removal/reinstallation when desired.
Your Wilson can handle that power okay. It's only weak spot is the coax (which is pretty good on the 1000). The Wilson is rated at PEP, and your RMS power of the amp is nowhere near that. Yes it may be adviseable to add larger coax but not always easy to do on the Wilson. If it were me, I would give it a shot and see how it works out. I have read somewhere that the Wilson 1000 and 5000 use RG-8X coax but cannot find that now. If it indeed has RG-58, it should be changed. If RG-8X, you'll be okay.
Set SWR's with the amp out of the picture. Just radio/meter/antenna. Try to get the best SWR's that you can. Then put amp inline but off, and recheck SWR's. Should be about the same as step 1, although jumpers can sometimes fool your meter as impedance changes. In a perfect world, 50 ohms is 50 ohms and things would not chage but you may see some differences. Hopefully only minor or no change. Then try it with the amp on. Make sure your radio is set at the watts you want to put into the amp, and you will have to recalibrate your meter and read SWR's with the amp on. Hopefully you will get a good reading. Some go up high, others just marginally.
Where is your antenna mounted on your vehicle? Dead center of the roof is best generally. If trunk mounted, you may see a higher SWR due to reflection.
Your jumpers between the amp, radio and meter all need to be in good shape, and made of RG-8X or better to accomodate the watts that XForce will push.
Hope this is a good start. Don't key down on that amp for very long until you feel comfortable everything is hooked up correctly and SWR's are low.
Good luck
Alsworld |
Audiophile73
New member
Username: Audiophile73
Post Number: 3
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 30, 2004 - 7:27 pm: |
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thanks, that helps a lot |
Marconi
Intermediate Member
Username: Marconi
Post Number: 315
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 03, 2004 - 1:13 am: |
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Audiophile 73, if you see any change in SWR after adding the amp in line without power, then put the meter between the radio and the amp and check the SWR there. You need to have a very good reading at this point. When you turn the amp on and key up you should see little or no change in the SWR meter response from the previous step.
Also check how the RF meter in your radio responds while making each test. It should also remain pretty consistent.
If you have a meter in the radio, you can check the SWR using that meter as well. If this meter shows good without the amp in line, then it should also show to be good when the amp is added, on and off. The XForce stuff should show to be very good in this regard. |
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