I hear that if you have more than 3 amps you should have a relay, Need to know how that would work?

Question

I am going to have 4 nonfactory amps and one factory amp in the car. I now use a switch to turn the radio on and off and have two other switches to turn on the amps I have in the car so I don't have to kill my ears all the time I want to turn it up. I wired it up so the amps still will not turn with out the radio being on. How and why would I hook up a relay? I have the factory amp on the front speakers, one on the back, one on the 12" and one for the 2 10" and have one more amp that I am going to put in so the 10"s have here own amps. You can see in my pic that I made a fiberglass box that replaces the back seat. and does that set up mean that I have a WALL in spl comp rules?

hi Akiyoshi A, do you work for google, I asked on yahoo. google was no help. and couple of people I know know the answer on yahoo and am only going to trust them

Answer 1

Just use a standard Bosch-type automotive relay. There should be five terminals, labelled 85, 86, 87, 87a, and 30.

The easiest place to install the relay is behind the head unit.

Connect 85 to ground.
Connect 86 to the blue/white remote output from your deck.
Connect 87 to the red wire in your deck harness.
Connect 30 to the wire(s) that run to your amps' remote terminals. You can run a separate wire to each amp, or run a wire to the first amp, then connect a wire between that amp's remote terminal and the next amp, and so on.
Leave 87a disconnected.

The best way to attach wires to the relay's terminals are female, insulated 1/4" quick-disconnect terminals.

Dennis, the purpose of the relay is to avoid overloading the head unit's remote output with too much current.

Answer 2

Your question indicates a good understanding of the electrical hookup, a relay would eliminate the loss of power in the wire to and from the switch. But it depends on the switch location.

Come see me in a couple years and I will fit you for the hearing aid you are going to need if you don't get some good hearing protectors and use them!