JL Audio HD1200/1 Owner's Manual page 4

Power and turn-on ConneCtions
Before installing the amplifier, disconnect the
negative (ground) wire from the vehicle's battery.
This will prevent accidental damage to the system,
the vehicle and your body during installation.
+12 VDC Ground +12 VDC Ground Remote Remote
+12V battery Connection
You will need to connect a power wire to
the vehicle's positive battery terminal, using
an appropriate power ring or specialized
battery terminal connector, such as the JL
Audio XB-BTU or XD-BTS. This connection
must be tight and corrosion-free to ensure
proper connectivity. This wire MUST be fused
appropriately for safety. Any power wires run
through metal barriers (such as firewalls), must
be protected with a high quality insulating
grommet to prevent damage to the insulation
of the wire. Failure to do so may result in a
dangerous short circuit.
Power wire requirements
The HD1200/1's "+12 VDC" and "Ground"
connections are designed to accept 4 AWG power
wire. 2 AWG or 1/0 AWG pure copper wire is
recommended for any power wire run longer
than 72 inches (180 cm). This larger wire should
be reduced to 4 AWG using a distribution block
within 36 wire inches (90 cm) of the amplifier's
"+12 VDC" connector. For runs shorter than
72 inches, 4 AWG pure copper power wire is
acceptable.
If you are installing the HD1200/1 with other
amplifiers and wish to use a single main power
wire, use 1/0 AWG pure copper wire as a main
power wire. This 1/0 AWG power wire should
terminate into a fused distribution block mounted
as close to the amplifiers as possible and should
connect to the HD1200/1 with 4 AWG pure
copper power wire.
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Please note that lower AWG numbers mean
bigger wire and vice-versa (1/0 AWG is the largest,
2 AWG is smaller, then 4 AWG, then 8 AWG, etc.).
We do not recommend the use of "copper-
clad aluminum wire" or "CCA" wire because
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this wire is significantly less conductive than
pure copper wire. Only use pure copper power
Inputs Preouts
Remote
Level
wire, such as JL Audio's Premium Power Wire.
Control
R R
Tinned copper wire (silver color) is acceptable
as the tin-plating is only a very minor
component of the wire.
Fuse requirements
The installation of a fuse on the main power
wire, within 18 wire inches (45 cm) of the positive
battery terminal is vital to protect the wire and
the vehicle from fire in the event of a collision
or short-circuit. The fuse value at each power
wire should be just high enough for all of the
equipment being run from that power wire. Do
not use a fuse with a value that far exceeds the
total fuse rating of the electronics connected to
the wire.
If only the HD1200/1 is being run
from that power wire, we recommend a
100A fuse be used. MaxiFuse™ (big plastic-
body fuse) types are recommended.
If other amplifiers are also being powered
from a main power wire and all the amplifiers
together exceed 100 amps in total fuse rating,
we recommend the use of an ANL (large-blade)
fuse and holder at the battery plus a fused
distribution block near the amplifiers. Each
amplifier must be fused independently at the
outputs of the fused power distribution block.
We recommend appropriately rated MaxiFuse™
fuses and a JL Audio fused distribution block.
Please consult with your JL Audio
dealer to make sure that the wire, fuse
holder and fuse ratings are appropriate
for your system's needs. The safety of
your installation depends on appropriate
power connections and fuse protection.
ground Connection
The chassis ground connection must be made
using 4 AWG pure copper wire and should
be kept as short as possible, while accessing a
solid piece of sheet metal in the vehicle. The
surface of the sheet metal should be sanded at
the contact point to create a clean, metal-to-
metal connection between the chassis and the
termination of the ground wire with a brass or
copper power ring. For optimal grounding, we
recommend the use of a JL Audio master ground
lug (XB-MGLU). Alternatively, a sheet metal
screw or bolt can be used with a star washer.
Many vehicles employ small (10 AWG - 6 AWG)
wire to ground the battery to the vehicle chassis
and to connect the alternator's positive
connection to the battery. To prevent voltage
drops, these wires should be upgraded to 4
AWG pure copper wire (or larger) when
installing amplifier systems with main fuse
ratings above 60A.
turn-on wire
The HD1200/1 uses a conventional +12V
remote turn-on wire, typically controlled by
the source unit's remote turn-on output. The
amplifier will turn on when +12V is present at
its "Remote" input and turn off when +12V is
switched off. If a source unit does not have a
dedicated remote turn-on output, the amplifier's
turn-on lead can be connected to +12V via a
switch that derives power from an ignition-
switched circuit.
The HD1200/1's "Remote" turn-on connector
is designed to accept 18 AWG – 12 AWG wire. 18
AWG is more than adequate for this purpose.
To connect the remote turn-on wire to the
amplifier, first back out the set screw on the
bottom of the Power Connector Plug, using the
supplied 2.5 mm hex wrench. Strip 1/2 inch
(12mm) of wire and insert the bare wire into the
receptacle, seating it firmly so that no bare wire
is exposed. When using smaller wire, it may
be necessary to strip 1 inch of insulation from
the wire and fold the bare wire in half prior to
insertion. While holding the wire in the terminal,
tighten the set screw firmly using the supplied
2.5 mm hex wrench, taking care not to strip the
head of the screw and making sure that the wire
is firmly gripped by the set screw.
amplifier Power Connector Plug
To connect the power wires and the remote
turn-on wire to the amplifier, unplug the power
connector plug from the amplifier chassis (pull
back firmly) and back out the set screws on
the connector plug, using the supplied 4 mm
hex wrench for the "+12 VDC" and "Ground"
connections and the supplied 2.5 mm hex wrench
for the "Remote" connection. Strip 3/8 inch (10
mm) of insulation from the end of each wire and
insert the bare wire into the receptacle on power
connector plug, seating it firmly so that no bare
wire is exposed. While holding each wire in place,
tighten each set screw firmly, taking care not to
strip the head of the screw.
Never make power connections with a "live"
wire. Always disconnect the negative battery
post before making any connections or
adjustments to a 12V power connection!
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