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9
Mounting your unit
Mounting your Zapco unit is easy. Just keep in mind a few guidelines:
• The unit can be mounted in any direction, on wood, metal, or carpet but not
upside down as heat rises and will build up if it is mounted upside down
• The metal chassis of the amp can be grounded or left isolated
• The amplifier requires adequate ventilation. Creating power creates heat, and
cooling requires air. Position the amplifier with sufficient surrounding area for air
supply and keep the end plates clear for future access
• Keep the unit out of the engine compartment or other locations that may
cause excessive heat or moisture
• Do not mount the unit to a subwoofer box or other place that may have
excessive vibration
Setting Gains: Input gain pots on your unit should be set so that when playing the
loudest music you will play, the clip lights just barely start to flash, but never stay on. If
the clip lights stay on more that just a bare fraction of a second then you will have audible
distortion on the input stage, and distorted signal at the input will absolutely mean
distorted sound at the output.
8
More words about Power and Ground
The second most common cause of under performing amplifiers is insufficient power
current or a poor power connection. The most common cause of under performing
amplifiers is insufficient ground current or a bad ground connection.
12-volt current: Battery power works only if it travels in a complete circuit from the battery
positive terminal to the battery negative terminal. Main power input, of course, is attached
to the battery positive terminal. Ground current is returned to the battery through the
chassis to the point where the battery is grounded.
The current available for your amplifier to use to produce power will be restricted by the
smallest gauge of wire in the circuit and by the weakest physical connection in the circuit.
Wire Size
It's often surprising how many people will obsess about signal wire but routinely provide
the amplifier with only a fraction of the current it needs to do its job. The most common
wire gauge used in car audio is 10-gauge, and the most common location for amplifiers
is in the trunk. That will only be good for about 100 watts (See the chart next page).
Wire Sizing Chart
4 ft 7 ft 10 ft 13 ft 16 ft 19 ft 22 ft 28 ft
0-20 amps 14 12 12 10 10 888
20-35 amps 12 10 886664
35-50 amps 10 8866444
50-60 amps 88644442
65-85 amps 66442220
85 -105amps 66422220
105-125 amps 44422000
125-150 amps 22220000
Let's look at a fairly small system. If you use a 50 watt/ch amp (25 amps) for the highs and
a 100 watt/ch amp (40 amps) for the woofers, you need at least a 4-gauge and maybe a
2-Guage wire to provide 65 amps at the trunk. Use the Wire Sizing Chart. Add up the fuse
values on the amplifier(s) then choose the proper size wire based on the distance from
the car battery to the amplifier location. Always use the same gauge wire for the main
ground as you do for the main power. Always make your ground as short as possible and
secure it to a clean solid surface, preferably the vehicle frame.
Length of Run