Going off of RMS power is the true fair way because if my amp is rated at 1500 RMS then it is pretty close to any other amp doing 1500 RMS
(RMS is a mathematical formula which is pretty hard to fudge or lie about).

If one guy runs his amp below the recomended and rated impedience level and gets more power out of it then if he doesn't cook it good for him but that is not the only thing involved in making an SPL meter move

The classes are broke down with the consumer in mind and to try and make it as fair as possible between the competitors in the same classes.

 

For low-level consumer stuff i guess it works. I've been a competitor at DB Drag world finals a couple years(1999, 00, 01), so i get how to make a meter work. But someone who buys a 100$$ 1000 watt amp is going to be at a huge disadvantage to someone with an amp that actually does 1000+ watts. You know all amps aren't created equal. RMS is a formula, but the only numbers you have to work the formula off of is the published specs, which on many cheap amps are simply an outright lie.
If you take on of these cheeseball amps and try to run it at a lower impedance, you very well may fry it. But I've run good amps at half their rated impedence for a long time, and often it's fine. My DB Drag car had 8 crossifre CFA-1000d's all running at .5ohm, and they lasted 2 seasons with no problem.

Again, I'm not trying to bust anyones nuts....I'm just saying power classes heavily favor people who spend more on really good stuff.

 

the last deal i went to that jet put on turned out pretty well, i felt the classes were pretty equal. it was a good time overall, made it worth it-

 

Should have my new alternator, By Excessive Amperage in by the show

 

You gotta think about it like this though.. You spend little amounts of money.. you probably won't be competing anyways.. if so you probably won't place Big numbers anyways.. Also is it the max the manufacturer puts out or what you have it wired at? oh ya my amp is 1000 watts a 1 ohm but i "have it wired at 8ohms.."<---- (just an example..) are you gunna go through and check wires lmao.. cuz if you have it wired at .5 Ohms on a good amp it will last for a competition..

 

theorethicly if i had 4 12's in my trunk, and 4800 watts manufacture stated at 1 ohm load, and i am am new to competing what class would i be in? and would i have a competive chance?


now what if you are running 16 volt batteries - that changes the output of the amps does that change your class?

 

Read the post your questions were all already answered earlier in this thread

 

We have 115 trophies to be given out at this show about half in the car show and half in the audio competition.

There are 1st, 2nd and 3rd place trophies for every class.

So chances are almost everybody that enters will win some kind of trophy and hopefully have fun.

If you are not sure about how to figure out which class you will be in come any way and you will be helped out by one of the judges at the show.

 

I think MECA used to do classes by power wire fuse size. Since it takes power to make power, it would be difficult to cheat too badly this way. I always thought that made sense, especially in the lower power classes. Once you get above a certain point (in wattage or DB) it starts to take a lot more than more power to get louder.

Toby

 

They still do it, by fuses. Amazing stuff I have seen people do, like running 3000 watts off 60 amp fuses.