Stereo Install - need switched power

[TGViper]

Hi all - installing a stereo on my standard.  Have speakers mounted and working on Amp.  Thought I would install under seat but now need switched power. 

1.  Where is the easiest place to tie the amp power to the battery? 
2.  Assume that you tie the red wire to the switched power and tie the black into the battery black, yes?

I think I found a brown/blue in the tail light that I would tie the red from the Amp into but isn't there something easier?

Thanks in advance,

Viper

[Walküre]

Hi all - installing a stereo on my standard.  Have speakers mounted and working on Amp.  Thought I would install under seat but now need switched power. 

1.  Where is the easiest place to tie the amp power to the battery? 
2.  Assume that you tie the red wire to the switched power and tie the black into the battery black, yes?

I think I found a brown/blue in the tail light that I would tie the red from the Amp into but isn't there something easier?

Thanks in advance,

Viper

How much current draw is the amp? It should say how much current it will pull, someplace. You'll want to make sure you don't have it tied into a low-current circuit, or it will take out that circuit at best, take out that circuit and the wiring at worst, if you replace the fuse with a bigger fuse. Best way is to have it on a relay, with it's own fused input directly to the battery. Have the relay triggered by something that is "switched" by the key. Under the right side cover, there's a boot, that has a switched "accessory" circuit, that's rated at 5 amps, if I recall, that should be able to run the amp. It would only be on, when the key is turned on. there's two wires in that boot, one hot and one ground. Whatever you do, don't just look for a wire that's 12 volts, and tie into it, especially if it's a fairly thin wire. I haven't played with an amplifier, for a long time, but I know some of them can pull some pretty heavy duty current.

You can go to Chet's pages, for wiring information. You'll want the information on extra lighting, as it will be handled the same way as the amp. The link is here:

Chet's Circuits

Don't have a schematic in front of me (at work), so can't tell you what the brown/blue wires are, but I would guess probably DON'T want to tie into them...someone close to a schematic will probably chime in.

Roger

[Bone]

This spring I installed the Motorcycle Tunes 500 watt Amplifier and speakers. Just checked their website and they list the Power Draw - 2 Amps. I used the switched "accessory" wire.

[X Ring]

Hi all - installing a stereo on my standard.  Have speakers mounted and working on Amp.  Thought I would install under seat but now need switched power. 

1.  Where is the easiest place to tie the amp power to the battery? 
2.  Assume that you tie the red wire to the switched power and tie the black into the battery black, yes?

I think I found a brown/blue in the tail light that I would tie the red from the Amp into but isn't there something easier?

Thanks in advance,

Viper

Here's the safest solution for you.  Under the right side cover is a pair of switched wires for the auxiliary circuit.  Use those wires to power a relay.  Run a wire from the battery to the relay and them to the amp.  Make sure you put a fuse in between the battery and the relay.

Marty

[Madmike]

Hi all - installing a stereo on my standard.  Have speakers mounted and working on Amp.  Thought I would install under seat but now need switched power. 

1.  Where is the easiest place to tie the amp power to the battery? 
2.  Assume that you tie the red wire to the switched power and tie the black into the battery black, yes?

I think I found a brown/blue in the tail light that I would tie the red from the Amp into but isn't there something easier?

Thanks in advance,

Viper

Here's the safest solution for you.  Under the right side cover is a pair of switched wires for the auxiliary circuit.  Use those wires to power a relay.  Run a wire from the battery to the relay and them to the amp.  Make sure you put a fuse in between the battery and the relay.

Marty

I may be reading this with a different perspective but would suggest that you use the accessory wires to control the relay - not sure if this was what Marty was meaning or not.

[X Ring]

Hi all - installing a stereo on my standard.  Have speakers mounted and working on Amp.  Thought I would install under seat but now need switched power. 

1.  Where is the easiest place to tie the amp power to the battery? 
2.  Assume that you tie the red wire to the switched power and tie the black into the battery black, yes?

I think I found a brown/blue in the tail light that I would tie the red from the Amp into but isn't there something easier?

Thanks in advance,

Viper

Here's the safest solution for you.  Under the right side cover is a pair of switched wires for the auxiliary circuit.  Use those wires to power a relay.  Run a wire from the battery to the relay and them to the amp.  Make sure you put a fuse in between the battery and the relay.

Marty

I may be reading this with a different perspective but would suggest that you use the accessory wires to control the relay - not sure if this was what Marty was meaning or not.

Power, control.  Toe May Toe, Toe Mah Toe.

Marty

[Walküre]

Power, control.  Toe May Toe, Toe Mah Toe.

Marty

Not quite true - I can CONTROL a million volts at 100 amps, with a .1 amp switch, if I can find a big enough relay to pass the voltage/current. However, I can't POWER a million volts at 100 amps, if it goes through the switch.

A relay is for CONTROL. You use a very low current to a relay's coil, to CONTROL the high current through the relay (POWER) contacts.

Sorry, two different animals. That being said, the "accessory" power leads under the right hand cover, are fused at 5 amps. that's enough to POWER the amp, if nothing else is on that circuit, that takes it up to close to 5 amps. If you have additional lights, etc, on that circuit, you would want to definitely run those leads to a relay, then have a bigger current-carrying FUSED wire, going to the relay contacts, to POWER the amp.

More like Toe May Toe - Egg Plant....

I linked to chet's pages, but there's a LOT of info, on relays and their usage on google. Once you understand how they work, and what they are for, you'll be a lot more competent in your bike wiring.