1. How many watts would you truly have to run before you would NEED an xtra battery in your trunk?
2. I'm running a 1000W amp. Do you think my 0.5 Farad amp is sufficient?
3. I've heard that turning your speakers around facing the front of the car can help reduce rattle and that you don' t sacrifice much, if any sound quality from it. Is this true?
1) listening
2) You dont need a cap, there are a few running 3k and 4k RMS without a cap just fine.
3) have you ever thought about sound deadening?
I've considered dynomat, but I haven't really got that much money.
(If I could run 3k RMS, I'd be real happy
, but once again, thanks to having kids and a place of my own now, the money just isn't going as far as it used to :\ )
Still doesn't answer my question about whether or not moving my speakers would decrease the amount of rattle in my trunk, though.
Also have another new question. I've heard of people using other materials to sound deaden their trunk that are cheaper than dynomat. Anyone know of anything?
expanding foam from wallyworld seems to work, also that scosche accumat works just as well when I asked about it a while back. There's some liquid tar or liquid concrete or something that someone asked about too.
About turning around your subs, I find that if I open up the rear seats in my camry with the subs facing me (while sitting as close to the latch as possible) it's alot louder, but you can hear each and every little thing wrong with the subs. I dont think it'd make a difference in sealed boxes because what I'm talkin about is my bandpass boxes/subs. my radar detector liked to dance while I did it though XD
sound deadening= dynamat, fatmat, whatever. its pretty much the same crap. little difference...unless your a sound FREAK and really need specifics.
1) upgrade your big 3. check the stickys for a guide.
2) make sure your using proper wiring, and its all fused up, and installed RIGHT. (NO GHETTO, NO SETTLING, NOTHING!)
3) understand...caps do little to nothing. more for show than function. honestly i want one just to have a fancy voltmeter back where my amps will be.
4) you dont go by watts, go by CURRENT DRAW. stock cavvy alt's put out around 105 amps if im not mistaken. so putting in a amp that draws 20-30 amps, will kill that alt pretty quick. an amp that draws 15 wont kill it so bad..and unless you have your heater, defroster, etc. all on at once...you should be fine providing you follow the above steps.
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this useless post brought to you by the alcoholic known as LUNDiS
I do have a sealed box. I used to do the same before I had kids. Now I have a carseat to contend with, so I don't have the option of putting my rear seats down and placing the box there anymore :\
Got another question while I'm at it. My wiring is all ran on the same side; RCA cables, remote wire, power wire. I wondered if rerouting everything put the power wire would improve my sound any. I haven't heard any noticable distortion, but I seen suggestions on another post that suggested that you route the RCA cables on the passenger side and power wire on the drivers side to avoid any interference.
NEVER run your RCA next to your power wire. Thats a big NONO. Run your RCA's down the other side of your car, away from the power wires, it will sound alot better.
I've heard alot of convincing arguments about the power and RCA interference. In a nutshell, some say RCA on the other side for no interference, some say RCA doesnt matter. I personally route the RCA and power wire on the same side (I say "hey, seeing as this side of the car is opened up anyway, may as well save me some time") For subs, it shouldnt really matter much. If you want clarity in your interior speakers, then yeah, you might hear a difference. I personally have been an SPL guy, I wanna go with SQ with my next setup, but RCA's on the same side as the power wire was still loud as hell, and being sealed off in the trunk, you probably wont hear the distortion/interference anyway.
As an example, I had two 1000w 10" Ultra Linear subs powered by a 1200w amp, they pounded as hard and just as good as a buddies RF 12" subs, but as soon as you open up the trunk, it sounds like utter crap. Sounded like they were blown (they werent, but still). Bought them at a garage sale for a grand total of $170 with the amp and 4 ga wire.
Whether you will get noise or not depends on a few things. The voltage of the outputs on your radio, the type of RCA cables, and the current draw of your amp(s) all have an effect on the level of noise. Higher voltage outputs decrease the amount the amplifier actually amplifies the signal, so you won't hear noise as easily. Twisted RCA cables pick up a lot less noise than regular cables. The more current going through the power wire, the bigger the magnetic field around the wire will be, making it more likely to induce noise into the signal cables.
-Chris
lundis wrote:sound deadening= dynamat, fatmat, whatever. its pretty much the same crap. little difference...unless your a sound FREAK and really need specifics.
1) upgrade your big 3. check the stickys for a guide.
2) make sure your using proper wiring, and its all fused up, and installed RIGHT. (NO GHETTO, NO SETTLING, NOTHING!)
3) understand...caps do little to nothing. more for show than function. honestly i want one just to have a fancy voltmeter back where my amps will be.
4) you dont go by watts, go by CURRENT DRAW. stock cavvy alt's put out around 105 amps if im not mistaken. so putting in a amp that draws 20-30 amps, will kill that alt pretty quick. an amp that draws 15 wont kill it so bad..and unless you have your heater, defroster, etc. all on at once...you should be fine providing you follow the above steps.
Where would I find out how much current my amp draws from my alt?
I have used proper wiring, and it is all fused up. As far as installed right, I'm not entirely sure, as this is the first time I'd ever done anything like this. I'm still learning about audio systems. When it comes to my audio system, I am, unfortunately, like most people are about computers (to calrify, I'm not this way with computers):
1) I like quality equipment, but don't know exactly what is quality.
2) I like my music loud and CLEAR, but not sure how exactly I should hook it all up and what equipment to use
3) I know how to turn it on and enjoy the sound.
4) I know crap about how it works, but contrary to the average computer, I do want to learn
In other words, I know how to turn it on and adjust the settings. That's about it
Michael ... wrote:
Where would I find out how much current my amp draws from my alt?
I have used proper wiring, and it is all fused up. As far as installed right, I'm not entirely sure, as this is the first time I'd ever done anything like this. I'm still learning about audio systems. When it comes to my audio system, I am, unfortunately, like most people are about computers (to calrify, I'm not this way with computers):
1) I like quality equipment, but don't know exactly what is quality.
2) I like my music loud and CLEAR, but not sure how exactly I should hook it all up and what equipment to use
3) I know how to turn it on and enjoy the sound.
4) I know crap about how it works, but contrary to the average computer, I do want to learn
In other words, I know how to turn it on and adjust the settings. That's about it
As for the current draw, just look at the fuses on the amp. They're usually how you can tell if an amp is its said wattage (just take the fuses and multiply by 14.4, the best situation in a single battery stock alt car)
Your questions:
1) Alot of people will guide you to the better brands. RF is well known, but apparently not that great. Price isnt always a factor, Hifonics has some monster amps for damn cheap.
2) Same as above, but also components will help alot with clarity. Alot of people talk about sound stages but I dont know wtf they're talkin about so dont feel bad.
4) It's not that hard to get the basics. You dont need to know absolutely everything about electricity to know how to set up a system... unless you're a guy who loves custom work, but then you could probably build your own amps
The only things I know how to do are: Wiring, Tuning, Connections, resistance (for speakers) and I know a little bit about amps. I've installed several audio systems for myself and a few friends though.
Going by your method, I have two fuses in my amp, both 30s. So if I read right, that would be 30+30=60 60x14.4=864 current draw?! If I do it multiplied by one fuse, I get 30x14.4=432! That's still a lot.
864 is your wattage. That's not a lot of current draw. Amperage = current draw.
Lanman31337 wrote:864 is your wattage. That's not a lot of current draw. Amperage = current draw.
k...so how do I get my amperage?
Also, thats the max current that can pass through those fuses without blowing them, so you're not actually drawing 60 amps all the time.
-Chris
K, I think I get it now. The amount of current passing through the system is based of course upon how loud your system is turned up. The max amperage, or amount of current is based upon how much your amplifier can handle. The fuses, more than likely, are set up to blow before the amplifier would, so they are rated slightly under what the amplifier can handle. Assuming you have kept with the manufacturer's recommendations on the amp capacity of the fuse, you're fuses will tell you the maximum amount off amps that may be going through your system at any given time. This amount of amperage, will of course, be drawn from the battery's power, and the alternator that charges it. If your alternator is the factory 105 amp, then running your amplifier at it's max capacity, could blow your alternator, provided your amplifier pulls enough amperage to do so, along with the other many systems that may run in your car. For instance, if I make a regular habit of driving with my lights on, the heat, and the defrosters (such as in cold weather or high humidity), I have a greater chance of my alternator blowing. Also, it may be possible, due to the pull on the rest of the system, that lack of amperage capacity being sent to the car not being sufficient enough to power all of the cars systems that are currently running, and could possibly shut down the stereo due to that lack of power needed to properly sustain the entire electrical system at one time. Is that close?
close enough
In a nutshell: The fuses added together on the amp is the maximum current draw your amp will use. the maximum wattage it will handle is the fuses added together x 14.4 (and even then I'm told getting 14.4 volts is unlikely in a car with a stereo)
To determine whether or not your alt will be damaged, add up all the fuses in the car (including the ones on your amp or other aftermarket equipment, unless there is a fuse that leads to something else and is smaller, aka the radio fuse powering the CD player, or if the fuse is smaller on the power wire for the amp, count that instead) and subtract the total from the output of the alternator (you may have to research to find out the output). Of course, this is saying you're going to have the radio maxed out, and everything turned on, which of course is very unlikely, but better to be safe than sorry.
14.4 is tough sometimes even without a stereo. Try multiplying it by 12.5 or 13 for some realistic results, unless you have a damn good alternator and wiring.
to find your current draw, you need to measure it with a meter. not a multimeter, an rms clamp meter that measure amps. and at the same time measure the voltage with another meter.
then just plug the numbers into ohm's law. voltage X current = power.
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GO TO CARAUDIOFORUM.COM OR TALK TO WYSIWYG. I HAVE SEEN MAYBE 2 OR 3 PEOPLE OTHER THAN HIM ON THIS FORUM TELL FACTS AND GIVE GOOD ADVICE.....CALVIN DI BARTOLO STOP GIVING ELECTIRCAL ADVICE IN FORUM OR GET YOUR FINGERS CUT OFF FOR CHRIST SAKE IF EVERYONE LISTENED TO YOUR HACK ASS ADVICE THIS COUNTRY WOULD BE FULL OF RETARDS WITH VERY UNSAFE VEHICLES IM SICK OF SEEING MISINFORMATION AND BAD ADVICE IN THE ELECTRICAL FORUM. JESUS... end rant
On the other hand....you have other fingers.
i had lots of toys when i was young.slinky,etc.but once i found my penis,that was all she wrote
/me does the retarded dance, and goes yeah yeah yeah yeah. Dude, everytime i see that sig, i think of some crazy dick dale surf music. Anyways, wysiwig is right, an ampprobe is the only tool that'll show you true current draw.
haha i love my sig, gunna change the quote on the bottom of it soon, but i love that lil .gif of the puppet dancing
On the other hand....you have other fingers.
i had lots of toys when i was young.slinky,etc.but once i found my penis,that was all she wrote
While I'm thinking about it, what all supplies would I need to update my big 3? May not be able to do it right now, depending on cost, but I'd like to slowly upgrade my system (and eventually add an alarm). At the very least, having an idea of cost will help me to know how much money I'm gonna need. I also wonder if I should use 0ga for my big 3. I'm planning on upgrading my system from Xplod to something else eventually (maybe JL or kicker. not sure at this point...need to find out what I like), in case I decide to increase the power. This is something I may not do, though. I'm pretty satisfied with how loud my system is, just want a little better quality. Bandpass would be nice eventually, too. Anyway, right now just interested in the big 3, since I don't have a whole lot of money to put out right now and I'm not even completely sure I'll have enough to do the big 3 depending on cost. I know the wiring itself will be the biggest cost, though.
Also, I have a sealed box. If I turned my subs around to face the back seat, I could not only have a better place to mount my amp and cap than on the spare tire cover, but also be able to use the rest of the trunk for groceries and such without worrying about causing further damage to my subs. I'm already missing paint off of one. Would this affect my sound any?
as far as aiming and such, your ears will be your judge for that. turn em forward and see how u like the sound, if they sound better to you, leave em, if they sound better facing backwards to you, get some grills so u dont worry about stuff damaging them, the grill on my JL has got rust on it and dents from springs and other things rolling around back there, take the grill off and the sub looks as good as the day i bought it. As far as the big 3, all u need is the wire and connectors. bigger is better, 4 gauge will work fine, if u wanna do 0 go for it, doesnt hurt anything to go bigger.
On the other hand....you have other fingers.
i had lots of toys when i was young.slinky,etc.but once i found my penis,that was all she wrote
