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Amp Wire Calculator
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Our Amp Wire Calculator helps optimize your amplifier's power output by recommending properly sized (AWG) wires. Using your current speaker and power wire, current amp power is calculated, allowing you to see any potential losses (in Watts) with undersized cables.
Step 1:
Performance Verification Certificate (PVC)
Start by locating the Performance Verification Certificate (PVC) supplied with your Rockford Fosgate amplifier. We'll use data from the PVC to determine how much current your amplifier will draw from the vehicle's charging system.
What is a PVC?
Continue to
Step 2: Efficiency
Step 2:
Efficiency
Efficiency
, in amplifier engineering, a ratio of the amount of power produced by an amplifier to the amount of power put into it.
... therefore ...
Enter
Output Power
&
Efficiency
from PVC
Output Power
Total RMS Watts
(printed on bottom of PVC)
Efficiency
%
Input Power:
Translate this to Input Current using
Step 3: Ohms Law
Step 3:
Ohm's Law
Ohm's Law states that:
... therefore ...
Power
divided by..
E
gives you..
I
Take the necessary steps to
upgrade the vehicle's charging system appropriately
. This would include, but is not limited to:
Appropriately sized battery
Additional storage in the form of capacitance
Appropriately sized alternator
Properly upgrade power & ground cables
The above results assume the amplifier is driven to full output with test tones. If playing Music, go to
Step 4: Music
. If playing Test Tones, go to
Step 5: Wire Calculation
.
Why does this matter?
Playing Music? Go to
Step 4: Music
Playing Test Tones? Go to
Step 5: Wire Calculation
Step 4:
Music
Because music is dynamic in nature, it will be easier for the amplifier to reproduce than test tones. Our testing has shown that it is typical for an amplifier to consume on average roughly 50% of its maximum input current on such.
So, this amplifier is likely to consume, on average, the following amount of current when driven to clipping with music:
Power
divided by..
E
gives you..
I
multiplied by 50% gives you..
(current draw of music)
I
Take the necessary steps to
upgrade the vehicle's charging system appropriately
. This would include, but is not limited to:
Appropriately sized battery
Additional storage in the form of capacitance
Appropriately sized alternator
Properly upgrade power & ground cables
Proceed to
Step 5: Wire Calculation
Step 5:
Wire Calculation
This section will help determine wire gauge size needed from your vehicle's charging system to optimize electrical current delivery to your amplifier.
How is this calculated?
Amplifier power in Watts from PVC
Number of channels
Channels
Load per channel
Ohms
Length of speaker wire
Feet
Combined length of B+ and GND wire
Feet
Now select the following wire sizes ...
Size of speaker wire
<--select-->
8
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
18
20
22
AWG
Size of power & ground wire
<--select-->
2/0
1/0
1
2
4
6
8
10
12
AWG
actual power delivery to speakers.
Actual power delivered to speakers:
Power lost due to inadequate wire sizes:
change speaker/power wire size to re-calculate
Knowledge Base
Understanding AWG speaker & power wire standards
Measuring amplifier output power
Extended warranty on Rockford Fosgate amplifiers
Upgrading the charging system
Charging system basics
Understanding battery basics
600 S. Rockford Drive, Tempe, AZ 85281 - U.S.A.
© 2009 Rockford Corp. All rights reserved.
Amp Wire Calculator
