How come wire and install gear costs more than the amps!!!

[Pillow]

Just a small rant...

But why does it seem that the actual wiring parts seem to cost more than the amplifiers when all is said and done?

Power wire = 150 ish

Accessories = 150 ish

Amps 200 each x 3, but many people do not spend that much on budget amps.

Perhaps the Stinger HPM stuff is a little more expensive than most as well.

[Bfowler]

raw copper is expensive!

what all are you trying to install. i will try and find some deals for you

[Jacampb2]

Because you are buying the wrong amps???




When I first got started in this, I paid about $800 for my first ZX500, that was far more than my wiring and interconnects.

Electronics as a whole are dropping in price, but on the other hand, copper is going up. It is not likely to get any better either.

[Pillow]

Yah, copper.... Expensive!

I already have it all purchased, sitting in boxes, so I am good... It is just startling on how much all the "accessories" are just to install some amps. Correctly I should add.

My first amp was a RF Punch 40, IRRC was $350 new. The install gear was a whopping $100! I cried at 100 back in the day as well.

That being said I have high end install gear which does not help save a dollar, mostly Stinger HPM. The cheap install gear is, well CHEAP!

[kg1961]

If your running the sundown amp and you got them that cheap ,were the heck could i buy them. just kidding

I know now that im older i want better amps/sound but than spending a mint making sure I don't damage them. Back in the day i did not know any better.. dam sales guys! Im sure they love my friend going through amps like girls. I was lucky i have never damaged amp from miss use or poor install. Now one did get damaged when someone tried to steal it(alpine mrvt1501), another when the car was in a flood(saphire1.5x) and floated down the road (made front page of the city paper in 95-96)

Yes the price of wire is going up but when as a kid would you buy high end rcas or nice batt. terminals,ect other than most wallmart/canadain tire type items. When i worked for A&B sound in the late 90's early 2000 they would charge $100 just to add a extra ground wire off the battery.Got to love the old days....

Also most kids would try to run what you had off a 8gauge or 4 guage wire

[stipud]

If looks don't matter, try buying your wire and ends from a welding shop if you want to avoid the car audio tax.

[oldschoolfan]

If looks don't matter, try buying your wire and ends from a welding shop if you want to avoid the car audio tax.

You right! High quality designed to handle tons of current and much less expensive, just not pretty.

[joyride]

We used welding cable in an SPL vehicle once. It got the job done, but thank god we didnt have to make many tight bends. Maybe it was just me, but the car specific stuff seems to ply a bit more.

[stipud]

We used welding cable in an SPL vehicle once. It got the job done, but thank god we didnt have to make many tight bends. Maybe it was just me, but the car specific stuff seems to ply a bit more.

Depends on what you buy. Like the car stuff, not all welding wire is made the same. Generally speaking though the car stuff is made to be more flexible, though I used to have some very flexible welding stuff too.

[ttocs]

man you don't have to tell me this. Since I decided to do an ENTIRE pg sytem from wiring and connectors to the equipment, its been adding up pretty quick. I think I have about 60 ft of super triple shielded, 22 new pg ends with 8 being right angle, enough 1/0 in power and ground to make 2 runs and upgrade the big 3 to 1/0, 6 - 1/0 ground lugs, battery terminals, dist blocks, bannana plugs, blue/silver twist wire........ I have not taken the time to add it up as it has taken so long to aquire it all but I would not be suprised if I have $400 in the accesories fairly easily.....

[oldschoolfan]

man you don't have to tell me this. Since I decided to do an ENTIRE pg sytem from wiring and connectors to the equipment, its been adding up pretty quick. I think I have about 60 ft of super triple shielded, 22 new pg ends with 8 being right angle, enough 1/0 in power and ground to make 2 runs and upgrade the big 3 to 1/0, 6 - 1/0 ground lugs, battery terminals, dist blocks, bannana plugs, blue/silver twist wire........ I have not taken the time to add it up as it has taken so long to aquire it all but I would not be suprised if I have $400 in the accesories fairly easily.....

But it will look oh so nice! You can't beat the look of PG accessories!

[ttocs]

that is the only way I have been able to justify it! So far all I have done is the big 3 under the hood but with the Akit1 batt terminals and the 1/0 ground lugs I have already collected a couple of compliments on it at car shows. Because it was so hard to get it all together I am also planning a display for both the power and the signal side on the floor behind each seat under plexi with some decals. Another good reason to do the rear seat delete in my book!

[Rold Gold]

This blows my mind............
While I know I've been lucky enough to have gotten things at F&F sales over the years, I have seen install goodies pretty cheap at local shops.... The key is to get to know the guys at the shop..... But ebay is a great place to save some $$$ on these goodies.

[NewOldStock]

I have found the wiring and whatnot at KnuConcepts to be excellent stuff for a real reasonable price... certainly not cheap but by no means nearly as expensive as the Roadster I am running.

[12voltjunky]

Yah, copper.... Expensive!

I already have it all purchased, sitting in boxes, so I am good... It is just startling on how much all the "accessories" are just to install some amps. Correctly I should add.

My first amp was a RF Punch 40, IRRC was $350 new. The install gear was a whopping $100! I cried at 100 back in the day as well.

That being said I have high end install gear which does not help save a dollar, mostly Stinger HPM. The cheap install gear is, well CHEAP!

I feel ya on the memories...i think i paid about $150 for my first 4ga setup to power my punch amps back in the day.
also, i agree with the idea that your wiring shouldn't cost more than the amps fed from it...

[ttocs]

got the last of my old 90 degree connectors from lisounds as well as the last of the super triple shielded cable. Gonna need to get a pic of all the wire and connectors in one place before I start to install them.

I also bought one of the decal sets from lisounds and not sure what to do with it. Part of me wants to put a couple in the stang and part of me is afraid to actually peel the backing off..... The "Wired by Phoenix Gold" will go in for sure, after I take a good scan of it. I will be scanning all of these if anyone wants a copy I can print them and then cut them as well.

[Francious70]

I got a box of 100 ft. 00 gauge welding wire from my local waste management vehicle maintenance facility for free a few years ago. Course, I knew one of the mechanics, but it's always an option!

[ttocs]

so am I wierd that last night after getting out all the rca connectors that I had collected for the GT install to confirm I had enough, that I could not put them away for a few hours? I actually found myself polishing them to ensure that the oils do not etch the metals. Almost thought I was a troll thinking to myself "MY PRETTYS!!!!!!!" Tell me that I am not weird and that if you guys had collected 30 some different right angle and reference series brand new raw connectors that you might not do the same...... It has taken so long to get them all together I think I am happy that I can't remember what I paid for some of them.