Hi Kevin,

Checked out your great site!

Question: On my boat I had a Alpine CDE-9852 deck installed with two JBL speakers. The volume goes from 0 – 35.  The problem is when you turn it up it cuts off at 20…

I got to two opinions:

1. Alpine says it’s a short…I have not brought it back to my retailer yet.
2. Also was told the the power wire to the battery is too small of a gauge. I figure I could change out the power wire and see what it does. What gauge wire should I use to the battery for the Positive & Negative ?

Thanks,

Ranny

Ranny,

What is the maximum current draw of the stereo? This info should be in the owner’s manual or on a sticker on the stereo. Also, what is the total wire length from the battery, to the stereo, and back to the battery?

Kevin

Kevin,

The draw is 5.5 amps and the wire is about 28 feet.

Ranny

Ranny,

With a current draw of 5.5 amps and wire run of 28 feet, I would run 12 AWG. This will limit the voltage drop to 3% max and keep the stereo from shutting down due to low voltage.

Let me know if you have any questions,

Kevin