how amateur is this?

[gride300]

i had a system installed with 3 amps. none of the amps had a fuse running from them. in short the system didn't work when i got it in the water and i was told they could have caught fire also. either way the stereo didn't work. i've asked many people, shops and individuals with some knowledge and they have all said that's a rookie mistake or just laughed. i was told i would get a refund for the labor and then they changed their minds. i spend upwards of 1000$ on the install too. i'm about to sue them just to make a point. any thoughts? also, being treated like an idiot hasn't helped them make me want to not make their lives a living hek just so you don't ever go there it was bay area watersports in land o lakes.

[AuMDLST]

RE: how amateur is this?

"running from them" - are you referring to the 12v power cable coming from the battery to the amp?

[AuMDLST]

RE: how amateur is this?

did you replace amps? was one of the amps powering the wetsounds 12 sub?

[gride300]

RE: how amateur is this?

yes battery to amp. and yes the sub channel from the 5 ch. amp was powering the sub. i know about rms and ohms and a few other things but that is about the extent of my knowledge. i wouldnt install my own amps or anything bc i havnt ever done it or watched it be done.

[Hollywood]

RE: how amateur is this?

Sure there isn't a single fuse block where they are hidden? If there is indeed 3 amps powered straight to a battery that is a BIG problem.

[AuMDLST]

RE: how amateur is this?

Did the system work when delivered after install? - the fact that there are no fuses would not make a difference - did you replace the kicker 9??.? amp as well - what amps are you currently dealing with? More details of install would help, you have three amps that were recently installed - what was each for as well as spec of each amp, i.e. are they the same

[SuperSquirt]

Wow, I would double check your amps because some have built in fuses hanging out the side of them. I also have a 3 amp setup and I installed a 200 amp inline fuse after the battery just to be safe, plus my amps were already factory fused. I would ask your installer what the heck is up and have him replace any blown amps, and that was taught in Install 101.

[gride300]

so after i got it fixed somewhere else i told him what the problem was and asked for a refund on the labor of installing the system. he said well i can give you a partial one...i said well you know this was an am mistake and if you weren't comfortable doing it you should have said so and he quickly replied, "i don't have time to argue i'll give you a refund." and hung up. well after waiting a couple weeks with no check or c.c. refund i filed a bbb complaint and his response was, in short, we will not be giving any refund. i called my attorney and he said really all i can do is file a claim myself with the court and it will basically be like court tv minus the cameras. should i do it? i mean these guys are grown men and they act like children. this was an MC not correct craft shop. im very happy with cc so far.

[AuMDLST]

Just so we are all on the same page - the fuses on the amplifier are there to protect the amp - the fuse that is inline with the 12v power from the battery ( located as close to the battery as possible ) is there to protect the wire. Show me an amp without factory fuse protection

[gride300]

i had the guys at ultimate audio in orlando fix it before i sold it because who wants to give someone a bum system right. they said they did not use the correct guage wire and did not run a fuse for the amps. the catch fire thing was what they told me. it's rock solid now with nice wire harnesses, correct set up, and properly tuned thanks to ultimate.

[AuMDLST]

Excellent people at UA - I've seen some of their work on vehicles - one H2 in particular that was outstanding.

[Mikeski]

This is always an issue I struggle with on big systems. Do you guys really think a 100-200 amp fuse is going to protect your boat??? Keep in mine I am an electrical engineer with a background in power systems. I design photovoltaic systems for a living so I have a decent idea for designing boat electrical systems. That said, I take no responsibility for any damage you and your boat could sustain from following my logic.

100 amps is arc welder territory, a partial short can easily cause a fire long before a 100-200 amp fuse gets close to blowing. So by fusing these large power wires you get a false sense for safety.

I use very high quality cables, I run them very carefully, I harness them and protect them from getting near sharp metal edges where they can be damaged and cause partial shorts. My 1/0 fine stranded marine cables are rated to 105C and have the capacity to sustain a direct short long enough to depleat the power from my battery bank if a fault were to occur, so I don't bother with fuses between the battery and the distribution block, just like the factory does not use a fuse on the cable to the starter. My distribution block fuses protect the #4 and #6 wires to the amplifiers, and the amplifiers have their own protection fuses. From battery to amp I feel that my power system is designed well, but I am still hesitant to make general recommendations because somebody is likely to apply my reasoning to a system wired with that gooey looking cabling they sell at the stereo shops.

[gride300]

i don't remember what was used to wire my boat but it was the best available for my application. most likely stinger or tsunami. everytime i go get work done i have to drool over lambos, bentleys, old customs, ranges, and most of these cars get new systems, pain, body kits, gnarly alarms and crazy video nav set ups. after working with them on my truck and boat over the last two years i am very confident in their abilities and pride in work and they really pride themselves on wiring neatly and correctly. when i move back to bama i might check out earmark depending on which is closer. it's 8 hours from mobile to orlando so im sure it will be close. considering that most people, including myself cannot do stereo installs and in my case nav, video, head monitors and a few other things it is very nice being able to hand your vehicle over knowing it is in knowledgeable and skilled hands. i've been an audiophile since i was a kid and that really goes for appreciating the subtle differences between ok sound and phenominall sound.

[Mikeski]

What is your point?

[AuMDLST]

Maybe I am applying the minimum standards to the wrong application - NEC and boats
I figure if you have protection on service entrance cables and all branch feeders why not in a similar application such as a boat. In the marine application you would have a far more difficult time getting a good ground in order to "blow" a large fuse like the 100 or 200's. And yes 200 amps will eat up quite a bit of metal real quick before it stops.
Houses burn down all the time due to wiring - the intent of fuse protection is to try to eliminate the flow of current at some particular predetermined point of time to keep the wire from overheating and causing fire.