This is my amp in my trunk. I want to use the existing red 12v cable and the black ground to power my cold cathode as well. Anytime I open the trunk, I rarely have any music going, so I figure it'll be ok.

I'm stuck on how to connect another wire to it. Ring terminal and then put a small bolt over it? Alligator clips might even work ok?

Can anyone recommend a good connector?

Thanks.

 

IMO that wiring needs to be cleaned up a little bit anyway. So i recommend that you take the red power wire out, strip about 1in of insulation from it and twist a new lead to it. May be 12 gauge wire. Then put some flux over it and touch up with the soldering iron and some solder. That will fuse it all together and you will have a clean looking install with available extra power lead.

 

I agree. That wiring is a little scary considering that the + and - terminals are so close together. If those two come into contact, you are going to blow the in-line fuse, or worse, if you don't have an in-line fuse, you could damage the amp, battery, or even start a fire! You need to at least trim some of that wire at the connections and make sure that none of it is capable of coming into contact elsewhere. From there, you could do as Reactor suggested and solder in a "T". Remember, you will need a switch for the cold cathodes. Otherwise, they will stay on and drain your battery. You also may want to include another in-line fuse off this lead for the cold cathodes. Without it, you could easily damage the cold cathodes and their transformer if something were to go wrong.

 

dude, instead of using the red 12v+ cable, use your remote wire to connect to the positive cold cathode wire, that way the cathodes turn on only when you turn the key/amp on, and they won't drain your battery when the car is off. a switch would still be a good idea, but if you forget and leave the switch on, the power will be cut off when you turn the ignition off. also, i agree with the posts above, clean up your wiring a little bit. get the wires cut and re-stripped to the apropriate length so there is no chance of a short.

 

i would def go with the remote wire too. that is how i did my LEDs under my seat

 

Not sure where your remote wire is coming from, but if its the HU, they are not good for a lot of amps and a real PIA to repair if it gets fubared. Typical install = 3 amplifiers max off remote wire or use relay (switched by remote wire) for more amps. Just a thought.

 

This is why I didn't recommend using the remote wire as a source. Most HU's remote wires aren't designed for much load and typically run 1 ampere or less. Cold Cathodes and LEDs take up minimal current, but any spike could be enough to cause damage to the remote wire circuit, which, as Tanakasan stated, would not be a fun thing.

 

you should power the cathodes from the hazard fuse and a switch to turn it off n on i thats what i used when i had them