customer asks...how do I keep my lights from dimming when the bass hits?

[TJElite]

...says he doesn't care what it takes...

I'm going to keep this picture handy, for everytime someone says

'I've got one bazillion watts on my stock Neon battery. My lights dim when the bass hits. My buddy says I need a better ground and a cap. What do you guys think?'

Toby

[GradeA_TireFryer]

Wow - What Ever It Takes - Let Me See - Upgrade To A 250 Amp Alt, Run Seperate Battery For System Only With Smart Isolator Switch, And Put A Huge Cap Directly On The Amps Positive Terminal. And About $500 In Labor!!!!!

[TBSpyder]

Ask him why he's running an open throttle body while you're at it.....

[TJElite]

Ask him why he's running an open throttle body while you're at it.....

I just hadn't put the intake back on yet...sheesh


Toby

[Miles]

i need to print that out and take it into work with me.

[TJElite]

Wow - What Ever It Takes - Let Me See - Upgrade To A 250 Amp Alt, Run Seperate Battery For System Only With Smart Isolator Switch, And Put A Huge Cap Directly On The Amps Positive Terminal. And About $500 In Labor!!!!!

Actually, this is a truck we are doing. His last rig had a 250 amp alternator, 3 seperate batteries, running through an isolater. About 5000 watts RMS, and he runs it HARD. Lights would still dim, since there was still only one power plant (alternator).

New setup. Second 250 amp alternator runs 3 optimas. System is now about 6000 watts RMS. Now, his audio stuff is completely seperate from everything else. Next step is to kick the second alternator up to 16v...

Toby

[TBSpyder]

I just hadn't put the intake back on yet...sheesh


Toby


Oh, thank god. I thought it was some new fast & furious trend or something.


So do his lights still dim? :lol:

[GradeA_TireFryer]

Actually, this is a truck we are doing. His last rig had a 250 amp alternator, 3 seperate batteries, running through an isolater. About 5000 watts RMS, and he runs it HARD. Lights would still dim, since there was still only one power plant (alternator).

New setup. Second 250 amp alternator runs 3 optimas. System is now about 6000 watts RMS. Now, his audio stuff is completely seperate from everything else. Next step is to kick the second alternator up to 16v...

Toby

NICE.....................

[Notladstyle]

I'm interested in a life span comparison with the 16v operating voltage. And also where do you get regulators that can handle the voltage? My only solution is to use 6 50amp in parallel

[TJElite]

I'm interested in a life span comparison with the 16v operating voltage. And also where do you get regulators that can handle the voltage? My only solution is to use 6 50amp in parallel

Most amplifires are rated for use on 10-16V, so that shouldn't be a problem. I'll probably go with 14.4 volt batteries, so as not to boil them constantly.

Several alternator manufacturers make adjustable regulators, that can handle 16 volts without a problem.

In reality, power will really remain the same on the charging side, since the alternator has a wattage limit, and will produce less current at the higher voltage. All we'll gain is more power out of the unregulated, class D amps.

Toby

[Notladstyle]

Most amplifires are rated for use on 10-16V, so that shouldn't be a problem. I'll probably go with 14.4 volt batteries, so as not to boil them constantly.

Several alternator manufacturers make adjustable regulators, that can handle 16 volts without a problem.

In reality, power will really remain the same on the charging side, since the alternator has a wattage limit, and will produce less current at the higher voltage. All we'll gain is more power out of the unregulated, class D amps.

Toby

Is that what the box said or what the board components were actually capable of operating at? I would imagine there will be some increase in heat
.

[TJElite]

Is that what the box said or what the board components were actually capable of operating at? I would imagine there will be some increase in heat
.

I'm basing it on info from Crossfire. I'm not an electronics expert, but I can't see specs on the components being so tight that 14.4 works, and 16 doesn't. If that were the case, then the components would already be working near their capacity at 14.4 V, which would be a very bad design. Even audio manufacturers aren't that cheap :D

I would definitely expect an increase in heat, but only at the higher output levels. Even then, I don't think it will overwhelm the heat sinks. Class D's are very efficient, and I suspect 'over sinked' as it is. And if it does, the amp will protect itself. Again, the guy would still have the same reliability, at the same power levels now...he'll just have more headroom.

Toby

[GradeA_TireFryer]

i remember some us amps that said they would work up to 18v and even seen them use the speaker leads to weld with..

[Notladstyle]

I'm basing it on info from Crossfire. I'm not an electronics expert, but I can't see specs on the components being so tight that 14.4 works, and 16 doesn't. If that were the case, then the components would already be working near their capacity at 14.4 V, which would be a very bad design. Even audio manufacturers aren't that cheap :D

I would definitely expect an increase in heat, but only at the higher output levels. Even then, I don't think it will overwhelm the heat sinks. Class D's are very efficient, and I suspect 'over sinked' as it is. And if it does, the amp will protect itself. Again, the guy would still have the same reliability, at the same power levels now...he'll just have more headroom.

Toby

I would tend to agree that higher end designers would have at least a 10 - 16v window. But cheaper amps will probably be like the cheap LED kit I built for my car - They were rated 2.8 - 3v, I miscalculated the resistor combo on my voltage regulator and drove them at 3.2 volts and they suffered a 40% failure in two weeks 60% in three weeks and I dismantled and rebuilt them after that.

[TJElite]

i remember some us amps that said they would work up to 18v and even seen them use the speaker leads to weld with..

Those were some cool amps. I was actually up at UF when they came out...they were the brainchild of a local engineer and a stereo shop owner. Supposedly took technology from the MRI (same engineer worked on that, too). I remember guys running down below 1/10 of a ohm on that little 2x25 amp. Another cool thing at first was that no two looked alike, because they used surplus heat sinks for cases.

I know US is still around, but I don't know much about them anymore. I still see some of the original KA50 (stood for Kick Ass) amps on ebay sometimes. One of these days, I'll pick one up.

Toby