Should both leads on a mobile amp be hooked directly to car battery?

[Turbo T]

I'm about to install a mobile and was wondering if I should hook both leads straight to the battery? Or can I just run the hot lead to the battery, and then ground the negative lead to the car's body?

Thanks in advance.

 

[office888]

I'm about to install a mobile and was wondering if I should hook both leads straight to the battery? Or can I just run the hot lead to the battery, and then ground the negative lead to the car's body?

Thanks in advance.

That's your choice. Just make sure you sand the paint off wherever you're attaching the ground point to, and make sure its part of the car that is electrically bonded to the majority of the car.

You may experience RFI though.

Be sure to use two fuses...one within 12" of the battery hookup, and one right by the amp.

 

[AudioShockwav]

I have the positive going to the side post of the battery, about 4 inches from the battery I use a 2 position AGU Fuse Block with a 80 Amp Fuse, then to the Amp, all 2 gauge.
The negative drops right down through a plug in the floor of the cab, and is bolted to the frame below the cab.
I cleaned the frame down to bright metal, put a copper lug on the end of the cable, bolted it down, painted the whole thing with Liquid electrical tape.
I use a dual terminal battery, top posts for the truck electrical system, side posts for the Amp
The side post Negative drops straight down, and bolts to the frame just as the amp does.
I feel the frame is a better place to put the neg than any body panel.

73
Jeff

 

[Kornbread]

I run about 8in of 4ga from the batt. to a 100 amp breaker, from there 4ga runs to a stinger sp680 capacitor in the trunk, from the cap the pwr lead goes to a distibution/ fuse block from which all non vehical electronics are supplied with power,ie CB and car stereo.Each with correct fuses. As for the ground at the cap it is daisy chained 4 ga from a cleaned frame bolt on the chassis to the body and on to the cap via a bolt and hd lug. I also upgraded all the factory grounds on the car with atleast double the size of the factory wire. My set up and install works and looks good. I have a dx959 with 2/1446's driving 4/2879'. pep around 1000-1200. So, I think the short answer to the OP's question is, no.

 

[Kornbread]

And no those are not bird watts, rather dosy. So take a few. Still works very good for me.

 

[mackmobile43]

The more connections you have the more resistance on that line.

If you want a fuse locate it at the battery then the positive line to the amp and the shortest negative run possible anywhere to the chassis that is directly connected back to the battery.

buss bars are ghey, no stupid is what I mean

Every appliance needs it's own direct battery connection if it draws more that 5 amps that way there is no way to over load a lead to a buss bar.

 

[n0zna]

running both to the battery

will cut down on alot of noise also.Use good wire and fuses.73s de JW

 

[Turbo T]

Thanks for the responses. I've decided to just run both leads to the batt.

 

[Kornbread]

Yeah, I queer ya.