I have a Sea-Ray 240 Sundeck with a stock clarion stereo system. I just wired in my kicker sub/amp combo and it works but when I turn the volume up it cuts in and out on the peak spikes and doesnt sound good. Ive got a switch and the cables to install dual batteries. What are the absolute best batteries to go with now? We will usually be going off battery power 4-6 hrs while partyin in "cocktail cove"

What guage wire did you use for power and grounds to the amp and how long are the wires????

I will have to double check when I get home. In the cabinet where I put it, there wasnt a good place to ground to so I just spliced into the ground on the clarion system. Will that be ok?

The main power cord is probably about 17-20ft as its on the stbd side and has to wrap around the back of the engine and then connect to the battery. Then the ground isnt but maybe 2ft at the most and the remote is again 2-3ft at most connected to the power cord off the head unit.

your ground isnt sufficient..

The amp needs to be grounded direct to the battery using 4 or 8 guage wire. The power wire also needs to be 4 or 8 guage. The wires should be the same size and the size depends on the amp output. What is rms power rating??

Ground wire needs to run to the battery bank and needs to be the same or bigger then the Power wire feeding the amp. Especially if its a long run.

Premierpower,

The best thing to remember is the same amount of current runs on the ground as it does on the power. Think of it as a closed loop.

You can test by measuring the voltage (Both +/-) right at the amp and turn it up. If the supply is the problem, you'll see it.

yeah, what they said - proper gauge and ground connection are CRUCIAL for amps...both for performance and longevity; a poorly grounded amp tends to run hot.

Ok thanks guys. I will re-do the ground.

What would the ideal battery setup be? I want dual batteries. Optima or Odyssey? And what model of each? I know the optima have marine specific, but are they really better than the yellow or red top?

Kinetic or Stinger batteries. Don't waste your money on Optima for a stereo.