Need a Straight Answer - Wiring

[Sanitarium]

good CCA wire is as close as 92% the strength/conductivity as OFC while being priced as low as 50% less.

There's ~nothing~ wrong with cca, just be prepared to do your math a little different to see what you really need. (while it can often carry more, consider cca 1/0 at 275 amps @ 20 feet while ofc at 300 amps @ 20 feet)

[snafu]

CCA has 30 - 40% greater resistance per foot than OFC of the same size. Most recommend using one to two cable sizes larger in CCA to get equivalent current carrying capacity as OFC.

Ohms law is your friend here . . . it's a law, not just a good idea.

[Bump4life]

ok guys thanks for all the "straight" answers ahha. so obviously the OFC is better. so it comes down to is Knu CCA close to as good as Knu OFC? so i guess for now im running 1500rms but i might be running up to 4k max ever. I don't see myself running more than 2 M1c @ .5 ohms. so hopefuly ill be getting around 3-4k rms. so maybe it sound slike the OFC would be a good investment. I never want to go cheap on wire because i know from experience it is very important but if i can get away with using the CCA for half the cost that would be cool.

edit: but i think im leaning towards the OFC for my alt to rear batts (stock batt & XS)

[jrchevy87]

if you want to wait till tommorow i can take picks of the excelene welding cable, its true 1/0 ofc and its .50 cents more expensive than the knukoncepts cca, i was in the same boat as you, i needed cheap wire but i also needed wire that will hold its own, so after a bit of reasearch i decided on the excelene

http://www.ebay.com/...984.m1439.l2648

[sprkn_ranger]

It doesn't matter weather you run OFC or CCA...what matters is you have enough of either one to carry X amount of current from point A to point B. you will just end up needing more CCA than OFC to get the job done. It all comes down to what the manufacture rating on their wire says. If it says 250A then you can get 250A regardless if it OFC or CCA.

[Bump4life]

well yea knu claims that their CCA can carry 250 amps. so if im only running 150Amps for sub and 80 amps in highs all max then technically i should be fine? I am a huge knu fan so its either the OFC or CCA from them. I am already running CCA from bat to frame (6 inches long) and engine to frame (6inches long) so my main question is should i change my alt to bat (stock bat is located in trunk, so about a 16-20 ft run) to OFC? or would the CCA be fine for my current setup? then what about later down the road i am thinking about adding a 2nd M1C so another 1500rms. Then forsure do the OFC correct?

[sprkn_ranger]

You should be fine with the CCA, and when you add another amp, double up on your wiring from what you have now. And just use the CCA.

[Bump4life]

alright man will do. thanks. i just know that OFC is better but is is worth double the cost? so i guess in my application i should be fine. i was told to run 2 runs from from to back? ill start that in a new post.

[Bump4life]

bumping for some more opinions.

[Bump4life]

bump it. anyone else have opinions? or thoughts on what i should do?