[cheatham]

A few of the things I have learned from hooking up amps:

Use a good size + and - wire. The ground wire (and it's size) is just as important as the power wire. I always use 4 gauge when running amp power wires. Sometimes it is overkill, but I have caught a carpet on fire with too small a wire and not having everything fused well. Use the correct fuses for the amp you are using. Also, be sure no stray copper is jumping from + to - this can cause fires, too. Amps can get pretty darn warm, but I haven't encountered them getting too hot to touch if everything is hooked up right.