For People Who Love Music On The Move - Four Masters

A
n audio system in a car will draw quite a lot of current from
the vehicle’s electrical system. There is a direct correlation
between current, voltage and heat and this alone puts DIY
installation out of reach for most.
You may have noticed as you read through
the features in Driving Sounds that we
don’t like to burden the reader with too
much technical information. However,
in order to explain some of the highly
complex issues surrounding a good audio
install it is sometimes unavoidable. As
a general rule, if you do not know how
electricity works, you should not go near it!
It can be dangerous stuff.
An audio system can require a lot of power
in order to run. As we are pretty much
stuck with 12 Volt systems in our cars, to
increase the power available we have to
draw more current, which means we have
to use power cables that can handle it. The
thickness of wire used to connect things
together is determined by the amount
of current and voltage it has to handle.
Therefore, more current means larger
cables!
A FOUR MASTER lives with such calculations
every day and is able to quickly assess the
power requirements of the equipment he
installs. This is just as well, as if the cable
selected is too small, then it will quickly
begin to heat up when its maximum
power capability is exceeded and it is not
unknown for DIY audio installs to actually
catch fire due to guesswork, ignorance
or poor installation! It is also vital that
when running a power cable its external
protective covering is capable of resisting
any chafing or friction wear. After all,
your vehicle when on the move will be
transmitting all sorts of vibrations through
the vehicle and its components. Where
wires are run through a hole in a bulkhead,
a grommet of the correct size must be used
to avoid wear and eventual short circuit.
Which once again can cause fire damage.
Grommets should also be sealed against
water ingress.
But it is not only power wires that require
the knowledge and skill of a FOUR MASTER
to select and install. Signal cables, although
not as dangerous, are affected by the
same science as power cables. Any loss in
long runs of cables can distort sound and
affect the signals coming from amplifiers
Worry-Free
It is not unknown
for DIY audio installs
to actually catch fire
due to guesswork,
ignorance or poor
installation!
for instance. Furthermore, the car
audio environment, or any 12V
installation, is complex and
requires deep knowledge
of its operating
conditions. Vibration, dust,
extreme heat, humidity and
chemical substances can
all physically damage
interconnecting
cables.
The
biggest
challenge
however, is the
elimination of electrical
disturbances and electromagnetic
fields created by modern
electronics found in today’s vehicles. This
radiated noise can infiltrate and affect the
performance of some cable resulting in
diminished system performance.
32 Driving Sounds www.drivingsounds.co.uk
Tel: 0800 652 5125