# Dual 8AWG wires equal to 4AWG ? does this make sense to you ?



## guilty (Apr 16, 2010)

so guys a friend of mine has this logic... and i quote...



> lts suppose ,
> 4 Awg contain 100 copper wires and deliver 50 amps over 5 feet @ 40`C
> having resistance 5 Ohms / 5 feet length
> 
> ...


and yes his english is bad...but thats how he is :laugh:



*But my logic is that if given multiple paths... Current will automatically choose the path of least resistance...* 

^^ do u agree with this statement of mine ? i strongly recommended him atleast 4AWG wire and that too proper OFC wire... not bulk aluminum ones that he is using...

This guy up there is using two 300 rms each subs on a 0.5 ohm load...claiming to feed them 1200W RMS and claims that his dual 8AWG run to the amp is more than enough... even though he agrees that the wires get pretty warm while playing music... he has a 60A alternator and a 40amp battery... he's just arrogant.

^^ what wud you say to him ? his volts are droping to 9.4v on bass notes but he still says system aint clipping and neither is the electrical insufficient for the said 0.5ohm load... amp settings are 80% gain and 75% bass boost...

pls solve this dilemma for me... for he is arrogant and wont listen...he says he will add a 3rd run of 8awg wire which will make his wiring better than even 4AWG... close to 2AWG... all i gotta say to that is :laugh: !

awaiting replies good folks...


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## HIS4 (Oct 6, 2005)

If you go by the actual current rating of the conductors 2-8AWG has more capacity than a 4AWG. Its actually closer to 3AWG. This is based on the cross sectional area of the conductors. Copper vs aluminum will make a difference so that would have to be taken into account when doing the comparison.


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## mosconiac (Nov 12, 2009)

Please tell me where you find speaker wire with resistance of 5 Ohms per 5 feet! You need to resolve that practical issue before you try to understand the mathematics of parallel resistance.


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## kyheng (Jan 31, 2007)

If my maths are still good, that's mean 1ohm per ft, which is pretty high.


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## DS-21 (Apr 16, 2005)

HIS4 said:


> If you go by the actual current rating of the conductors 2-8AWG has more capacity than a 4AWG. Its actually closer to 3AWG. This is based on the cross sectional area of the conductors. Copper vs aluminum will make a difference so that would have to be taken into account when doing the comparison.


Actually, twin 8AWG wires have slightly less cross-sectional area than a single 4AWG. They sum to a single 5AWG wire.


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## HIS4 (Oct 6, 2005)

DS-21 said:


> Actually, twin 8AWG wires have slightly less cross-sectional area than a single 4AWG. They sum to a single 5AWG wire.


Sorry, my mistake. Looks like you're correct. 8 AWG = 16510 mils and 4 AWG = 41740. I'm not used to calculating parallel conductors for smaller wires. I typically work with much larger cables when talking about parallel conductors. Looks like 6 AWG is kind of the threshold where doubling up on the wire is still less than going up 2 sizes. For 4 AWG and larger, the parallel set would have more cross sectional area than a conductor 2 sizes larger.


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## sqshoestring (Jun 19, 2007)

I would say the guy needs to stay in school....then he might learn that wire gets warm and is causing resistance, restricting current, when you measure lower voltage you are actually getting lower voltage, how to look on an internet site like bcae1.com and find out about wire mills and current capabilities even amplifier topology and what draws what, and also maybe learn a little humility to verify what he is saying before he spouts off. I mean everyone makes mistakes but JFC. Any idiot can find out in 5 min that most car amplifiers simply multiply voltage so if you have a drop you lose max output. A few will regulate, but many don't do it that well.

In general for wire you have X lb of copper running Y foot to your amp and it will carry Z current with < .5v drop. Damn physics again....at least for power supply use. It matters not how many wires that adds up to or what size they are.


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## nervewrecker (Oct 5, 2009)

to give you a rough idea of a comparison between 4awg & 8awg: twice the diameter = 4 times the cross sectional area.


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