Any other uses for twisted speaker wire?

Twisted strand copper wire is just what it is - wire.  Speaker wire is two strands of insulated copper strand glued to each other.  Rip it down the middle to use one wire.  Wiring is rated by gauge to allow for heat dissipation.  Amperage (current) creates heat.  If the amperage is low no heat will be created because it will be dissipated by the wire.  A remote turn-on is less than 100 mA (1/10 amp) and anything larger than 20 gauge is not needed but can, of course, be used.  A strand of speaker wire will do the job just as well as anything.  Remote turn-on is considered a power wire and should run with the power wiring on the opposite side of the car from the signal wires.

Use grounding recommendations from PAC....I don't believe grounding is necessary.  And you can use the extra speaker wire for any use where a copper stranded wire of 14 gauge will be sufficient, such as tapping into an OEM speaker wire to pick up a signal.  The signal-sensing wire would be considered a signal wire.

And you don't have this done yet?

"Twisted pair apparently prevents the pick up of engine noise by that wire so I was wondering if it could be used as power wire with similar noise reducing benefit."                       

No.  And I'll add a note about power wire:  use one wire for power.  Period.  Never use two wires to do the work of one wire, and this includes remote turn-on wires.  The proper thing to do is to fuse this wire near the source, using a 1 amp fuse.

The insulation on a wire is to help keep it from contacting ground, and it acts as part of the heat dissipation qualities of the wire.  It does not act as a shield to minimize interference.  If you want to tear apart the speaker wire, twist the individual wires tightly around each other....then use one of the wires for remote turn-on....go ahead.  Do it.  Won't hurt a thing....but it won't help a thing either.

Remember what I said in my first post to you?  "Don't worry about noise unless you get it."  This is as simple an install as they get.  It doesn't need to be complicated.  Just follow the standard procedures that you are now already aware of and everything will be cool.  Here's a good web site for you to read before this weekend...it will clear up a lot of questions you aren't running out of... (j/k)

http://www.bcae1.com/

Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.

Good LOC's like the PAC have a ground loop isolator built in and normally do not require additional grounding to the chassis.  Ground it only if PAC specifically states that you must.

Use that twisted wire for any speaker runs, whether pre-amp or output.  Don't tear it apart...it's expensive wire.  Don't waste it using it for the remote turn-on wire, just use cheap 20 ga. Bell wire found at your local hardware store.  Pick up a small fuse holder and a pack of 1 amp fuses while you're there.  And make sure you have the fusing requirements for the amp power wire, too.  Have fun with it.

I don't like trigger devices that sense signal in OEM speaker wires, and I don't like to ground a device that's a part of the signal path if I have an alternative.  So if it were me, I would run a remote wire to the amp from a switched power source.  That wire would be fused (1 amp fuse) close to the power source.  The amp will be on when the car is on, off when it is off.  The LOC will act like an LOC and not be depended upon to trigger on the amp.  And you will have one less ground plane....because as you know....or will know by this weekend if you study BCAE1.com....ground planes are the primary reason for noise.

It's a good idea to have a digital multimeter on hand when you do any car audio electrical work.  You'll be able to find a wire in the trunk area that goes dead when the ignition key is off, and reads 12 volts DC when the key is on.

Use the 50 amp fuse supplied with the power wire.  Fusing a wire is to protect the wire, not the amp.  The amp has its own fuse.  There is no rhyme or reason to change the value of the power wire fuse, and it should be of a higher value than the amp fuses.

If nothing else it will make one hell of a Belt if yours breaks...It worked for me today...

Leather is crap...Gimme good old Copper wire anyday...Plus as an installer it shows that I am very creative when wiring anythign 

Man I really need to go to bed...Night

Making the World A Louder Place

Thanks Stevdart,

I may do what you suggested, especially since I almost always listen to the radio anyway and thus the amp would also pretty much always be on anyway.  

But I'd really prefer to have the option to be able to run the Prius without the amp on because of this info posted on PriusChat:

"The [aux] battery has been said to be 35AH, and the DC/DC converter is rated at 80A. Now realize that there are other 12V devices on the car, so you can't just use up all that 80A continuously. The battery can handle short term loads over 80A if the accessory is connected directly to the battery, but again, it is only a 35AH battery."

Then again, if I kept the radio off, the amp wouldn't draw that many amps in the absence of the radio anyway?

I've posted a request to locate a switched 12v somewhere in the back but so far no one has responded.   I'm sure there is one but it may mean removing more panels and (eventually) unsightly and potentially troublesome exposed wires.    Hopefully time will tell.  Thanks again.