Need advises about my first install

TactMedic

New Member
Oct 31, 2016
504
Canada
Hi There !

I will do my first install on a friend's truck. He's starting his own business and ask me to install his equipments.

What he have :

- 4 Feniex T3 for the grille ( Total of 3mA or 0.003 A)
- 2 Cannons HAW (2A total)
- 2 T3 in a custom dash shield (3mA Total)
- 1 Motorola CDM 40W (13.5A what I red in the Motorola docs)
- 1 Orion M7100 50W (15A what I red on RadioReference Forum)
- 1 Cypress Chameleon CTM-200 Modem (400mA)

After some researches I plan to do the following :

- 1 x 8AWG on a 50A breaker to a fuse block then:
- 1 x 12AWG to the CDM1550 with a 15A Fuse
- 1 x 10AWG to the Orion with a 20A fuse
- 1 x 22AWG to the CTM200 modem with a 2A fuse
- 1 x 15AWG with a 3A fuse for the Cannons
- 1 x 26 AWG to the 4 T3 with a 1A fuse

Do I make the things right ?

Thanks !
 

unlisted

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
7,333
NA
I'd fuse the T3's at a higher amperage imo.. Probably use a larger gauge wire on them as well.

Whats the distance between the fuse panel to the radios? distance between the fuse panel and the T3's? You could probably get by with smaller gauge wire for the radios dependent on distance..

Negative cable? Bus bar? Grounding to where?

No rear lights? just forward grille? dash/deck/windshield/lightbar? Controller or switch(es) for control? Planning on making a "master" kill switch for everything?
 

TactMedic

New Member
Oct 31, 2016
504
Canada
I'd fuse the T3's at a higher amperage imo.. Probably use a larger gauge wire on them as well.

Whats the distance between the fuse panel to the radios : 3 inches for orion and 2 feet for cdm. distance between the fuse panel and the T3's: 6 feet.

Negative cable: I plan use the same gauge as positive. I have a ground plate on my buse block. Main ground to the frame.

He don't know yet what he will put on the rear but probably 2 T3's and 2 cannons. Controller or switch(es) for control: yes a DnR controller fot he siren and Lights but they already provide me an installatiom guide. I will wire it direct to the battery and separate Ground on the frame. Then the T3's and Cannoms will be wired to the proper place on the controller. Planning on making a "master" kill switch for everything?: Yes I will put a breaker close to the battery for the fuse block as I wrote in my original post and a separate one for the controller
 

MtnMan

Member
Dec 20, 2012
1,533
Eastern PA
The mA (milliamp) numbers can't be right. As a rule of thumb, allow 1 A for each LED head. There's no need to get complicated with different wire sizes for each circuit. You can use 12 AWG, 20 A circuits for the radios and 18 AWG, 5 A for everything else.
 

TactMedic

New Member
Oct 31, 2016
504
Canada
Tha ks a lot !

I red the Feniex specs and they wrote 0.75 mA per T3 so thats the reason why I wrote this. After I used a DC gauge calculator. If you have some docs or website about this that you are ready to share it will be really appreciated
 

unlisted

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
7,333
NA
If you are wiring up a (DNR) controller as well I'd put that on the same main line from the battery. No need running multiple "main" power wires from the battery into the vehicle. Just upgrade the main batt cable wire, increase the breaker and fuse stuff appropriately.

Heck the lights you can run completely off the power from the controller itself.
 

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