Directed Electronics 500 - Manual (Page 4)

© 1999 Directed Electronics, Inc
2
INSTALLATION GUIDELINES
1. Please read the owner’s manual
carefully before you install the
amplifier.
2. Disconnect the battery ground
terminal prior to making any elec-
trical connections.
3. Check for any hazards or obstruc-
tions such as gas tanks, fuel or
brake lines, and wiring harnesses
before mounting the amplifiers.
4. Pick a mounting location that will
provide adequate access and venti-
lation and protect the amplifier
from heat, moisture, and dirt.
5. Avoid sharp metal areas when
routing cables to the amplifier, and
run RCA cables away from the
power cables and other potentially
noisy car harnesses.
6. The amplifier should be grounded
with a short, heavy gauge wire
connected directly to the car at a
bare metal surface. Make sure
that the metal area is part of the
car chassis or frame, not a separate
part with poor electrical connection
to the chassis.
7. Always fuse your power connection
at the battery within 8-10 inches of
the battery terminal. Use a fuse or
circuit breaker rated at about 5-10
more amps than the on board
fuse(s) of the amplifier(s). The
gauge of power wire used should
take into account the total current
draw of the system, and the length
of wire used. IASCA and other
autosound competition organiza-
tions have charts available for this;
you can also find a chart in the
MECP study guide. Minimum wire
gauge recommendations for the
individual amplifiers are listed on
the specification page. It is a good
idea to use the same gauge wire
for the amplifier ground that you
use for the power wire. Be sure to
examine the battery ground cable
of the vehicle and upgrade it to a
gauge of wire that can accommo-
date the extra load created by your
amplifier installation. Remember,
the amplifier can only deliver its
rated output when it is not current
limited by the power and ground
supply wires.
8. This amplifier is designed to drive a
speaker load that measures from 2-
4 ohms. Keep in mind that heat is
the long-term enemy of automotive
electronics and that the lower your
speaker load, the more heat