Wiring New Amps on 2013 G23 - Direct to Battery?

[SCNautique210SAN]

Hey guys,

Planning on upgrading the stereo on my 2013 G23 from the OEM Polks to a Wet Sounds SDX-4, SYN-DX6 and SYN-DX2.3HD. I think that from the factory, Nautique runs the amplifiers via 4 awg, and it also runs through a breaker (I think).

My boat is in storage a few hours away from me (otherwise I'd do this myself), so how are the OEM amps ran? Do they run through a breaker? If so, do you think that the OEM breaker will have enough amperage to power these three amps if I replace the 4 gauge wire with 0 gauge?

OR, should I run these amps straight to an accessory battery with in-line fuses (1 on the 0 gauge to a distribution block and then 3 in the distribution block itself).

Wondering if any of you have any recommendations.

Thanks!

[MLA]

Yes, there is a breaker for each OEM amp, and no, I do not think the capacity of the OEM breakers is sufficient for your new amp selections.

With that said, there is no correlation between terminating direct to a battery and having proper circuit protection. You ABSOLUTELY need proper circuit protection and cable gauge, regardless of where you choose to terminate the amps' B+ cables.

Personally, I prefer to wire my audio through the main battery switch, as opposed to direct to a battery. Also, with your upgrades, I would abandon the dedicated OEM B+ and B- runs in favor of a main trunk and brand setup for the 3 new amps.

[SCNautique210SAN]

Thanks MLA ! Can always count on your opinion on this stuff! If there's an option to run these through the OEM battery switch I will probably consider that. Although, if I run direct to the battery, I can technically still combine or seclude the battery via the switch right?

In your scenario, you'd run the amps through the output of the battery switch so that you could select the battery that the stereo runs off of? And in that case the rest of the boat would also run off of that battery selection simultaneously and be tied to the stereo always?

The way I've done it previously is to run direct to the aux battery, which was battery #2 on the Perko of my 04 SAN. This allowed me to still charge both batteries while in the "all" or "#2" selection, run both batteries to power the boat or start it, but also seclude the stereo battery at the sandbar from the boat when I selected battery #1 to safeguard the starting battery. Battery #1 in my 04 was a deep cycle optima blue top and the aux battery #2 was a normal optima red top. Only benefit to this setup would be the separation between stereo and boat (that I can see). That said, my 04 was significantly more simple in terms of wiring. BUT, if I can't use the OEM breakers either way it may end up being down to the same decision I made to do it this way on my 04, or to run it directly to the battery switch itself like you're suggesting.

Thoughts?

[MLA]

When wired direct to a battery, you can never seclude, or isolate, the audio from that battery. Stereo has voltage all the time

If wired to, say, #2, yet the switch is turned to #1, you have the potential of drawing off both banks while at anchor. If everything is wired through the common output of the switch, you can still supply a charge to both banks while engine is running, yet you can absolutely insure ALL loads draw off one bank while at anchor, while keeping the other bank isolated for re-starting.

^^^^ This is likely how the OEM amps are wired in your 03 BTW. 1/2/1+2/OFF switch. Amp breakers' input comes off the switch output.

[bturner]

I'd consider ditching the Perko and installing an ACR like the one Blue Seas makes. This takes the guess work out of charging and lets the ACR take care of it.....

https://www.bluesea.com/products/765...ery_Kit_-_120A

Also completely agree with MLA on wiring directly to the battery. Never a good idea with the exception of possibly a bilge pump and even that I'd probably wire to the switch.

[SCNautique210SAN]

Thanks guys. bturner I'm pretty sure the G23 has a similar ACR doesn't it? When I was talking about a perko I was referencing my old 2004.

[MLA]

A 2013 does have a Blue Sea switch, but do not recall an ACR being an option. It became an option a few MY back though. CC has not used a Perko switch for better then a decade. I point this out, because the Perko switch works nothing like and is not wired like, one of the Blue Sea switch models.

[SCNautique210SAN]

Anyone know for sure if the 2013 G23 switch has an ACR?

[MLA]

If the existing Blue Sea battery switch is a 1/2/1+2/OFF 4 position switch, then im 99% sure there is no ASR.

[SCNautique210SAN]

Thankks MLA Do you happen to know which switches are in the newer boats with the ACR? I'm not all too familiar with an ACR but it looks like you can't manually seclude batteries with them (I'm assuming that's the 'automatic' portion of 'automatic charging relay'). Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like these are really just geared towards the charging portion and less about controlling the usage and which battery usage comes from?

In that case, would the stereo always be forced to pull from one battery since you can't join or switch the battery source with an ACR?

[MLA]

The typical switched used with an ACR is a double pole OFF/ON/COMBINE Blue Sea switch. In one motion, you turn on both banks. You can combine the banks through the switch for emergency starting, but with the double pole switch, you do end up with a dedicated cranking bank and dedicated house bank.

[SCNautique210SAN]

Thanks MLA . Think it's worth going through the trouble to switch out the 1/2/1+2/OFF switch for the ACR?

[bturner]

The ACR is probably one of the best upgrades you can do to your boat from a functionality perspective. Going with the components in the Blue Seas kit and wiring as recommenced will make it very easy to troubleshoot later should the need arise. IMO the effort needed to do this would be well worth the time spent.

[MLA]

The Dual Circuit Plus switch and ACR is more complex on the front side, but very user friendly to use after the install. On the flip side, its hard to beat the simplicity of the basic 1/2/1+2/OFF switch, it just takes some discipline with the switch position depending on the use.