posted
I have a stock alternator in my Tahoe and I was looking to see what "increases" in SPL ocurred from people going from stock to 200+amp alts...Does it gain you like 1.5 db's or so? Just looking for some REAL-LIFE examples of what a high-output alt brought to the table....
Posts: 4564 | From: Carolinas, USA | Registered: Sep 1999
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1.How starved your amp is for voltage/current. 2.How much total power you have. 3.How much increased output your amp does with higher voltage. 4.How much battery capacity -vs- Current draw.
I have tested an amplifier for a certain anonymous company at different voltages and here are the numbers....just for a comparison of an amp that really likes voltage..
I know you may not run 17.8 volts but you may want to be aware of the POSSIBLE gain when running that voltage, if your amp can handle it.
What exactly do you have in your system and I may be able to tell you an approx. spl gain.
If you have 10,000 watts, you will probably only see a tenth or two gain with a high output alt. Your total current draw is so much greater than your alts capacity, all you get out of the alt is having the batts topped off to the max when you run through the lane. Now if you have 1200 watts, you could possibly gain a db or two. In this case your current draw is probably only going to be 150 amps or so. If you have a 220 amp alt, your voltage will probably not budge and give you more power. You would also benefit from an adjustable regulator in this scenario. You could set the voltage to 16.0 or so and probably maintain within a tenth of a volt or so and have even more power. There is alot to be said for tweaking a system. If you do 10 things to gain .1 db....you now are 1.0 db louder.
Actually, to give you an example....A friend of mine, Eric Coulter, went from a 140 amp alternator to a 300 amp alternator. From what I remember, he gained 1.2 db or so when the truck was running at 2000 rpm. Im gonna have to ask him about the exact result.
Hope this helps.
Dominick Iraggi
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2002 UsaCi Super Modified 0-1000 World Champion 173.6 2002 UsaCi Legal World Record Holder Expert 0-600 (B&K) 171.0 (171.4) 2003 Meca XX-Class Record Holder 172.0 (backed up with a 171.9) Posts: 1194 | From: LaVergne TN. | Registered: Sep 2001
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posted
Thanks DOM once again proving you are da man...I just have one 2400a right now, but in the near future I'll have another....Anyway, just trying to find ways to "steal" db's.....I'm adding a line driver this weekend to see what that will do...
Posts: 4564 | From: Carolinas, USA | Registered: Sep 1999
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can that HONDA CIVIC alt you built me somehow be coaxed into seeing 16v? will a bd1500 like that? will the hondas electrical system like/care that im doing that?
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posted
Hey how much would a high output alternator be? I have been thinking of upgrading and in about a month I will running one RE 35.1 amp and another kenwood 640watt amp. I will also be upgrading the wiring under the hood? This is going into a 96 Pontiac Grand Am with a 3.1V6. I dont know that much about alternators so if anyone can help me out, it would be much appretiated.
-------------------- USACI 2003 150.0DB's (Current System) Kenwood Excelon 559 Deck Fosgate 700 Amp 1 12" RE SE Sub Alpine Components Pioneer Amp for Mids and Highs (Coming Soon) RE 12 HC or XXX another set of alpine components Kenwood 640watt 4 channel amp for 2sets of mids and highs Unknown amp for sub. Posts: 32 | From: Utah | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
can you post DOM's website or email addy please?
thanks.peace
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Disclaimer: Thoughts and ideas expressed are soley of the opinion of the poster and do not reflect upon actual results. Posts: 464 | From: SFV,CALI | Registered: May 2002
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quote:Originally posted by trafficjamz: If you have 10,000 watts, you will probably only see a tenth or two gain with a high output alt. Your total current draw is so much greater than your alts capacity, all you get out of the alt is having the batts topped off to the max when you run through the lane. Now if you have 1200 watts, you could possibly gain a db or two. In this case your current draw is probably only going to be 150 amps or so. If you have a 220 amp alt, your voltage will probably not budge and give you more power. You would also benefit from an adjustable regulator in this scenario. You could set the voltage to 16.0 or so and probably maintain within a tenth of a volt or so and have even more power. There is alot to be said for tweaking a system. If you do 10 things to gain .1 db....you now are 1.0 db louder.
Actually, to give you an example....A friend of mine, Eric Coulter, went from a 140 amp alternator to a 300 amp alternator. From what I remember, he gained 1.2 db or so when the truck was running at 2000 rpm. Im gonna have to ask him about the exact result.
Hope this helps.
Dominick Iraggi
i don't understand.what do you mean?why a high output alternator will give less differnce in i high power system?i think you mean that a high power system will have more batteries,so the alternator's main job will be to keep the batteries charged.
let's take this example and tell me your opinion.
1 system with 2000watts and 2 batteries or 1 system with 8000watts and 2 batteries again
both systems fed by a stock alternator 100amps.then changed to a high output alternator of 300amps.
i believe that the second system will ha ve more difference after changing the alternator.
posted
i don't understand.what do you mean?why a high output alternator will give less differnce in i high power system?i think you mean that a high power system will have more batteries,so the alternator's main job will be to keep the batteries charged. -----------------------------------------------
Kind of. When your total current draw way exceeds the capacity of the alt your voltage has no choice but to drop. In a system where your alternator can handle all the current the amps need, your voltage will be in the 14's or possibly the upper 13's under full load. This will yield more output from the amplifier and higher spl. In the system where your pulling 1000 amps, the voltage will fall straight to the level of the batteries. In this case the alternator is basically a battery charger. Your voltage will be in the 12's......and if you dont have enough batteries to handle it, probably in the 11's
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let's take this example and tell me your opinion.
1 system with 2000watts and 2 batteries or 1 system with 8000watts and 2 batteries again
both systems fed by a stock alternator 100amps.then changed to a high output alternator of 300amps.
i believe that the second system will ha ve more difference after changing the alternator.
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The system with 2000 watts will pull approximately 250 amps under full load. A 300 amp alternator will be able to maintain its voltage and not drop, as long as the rpm is high enough to produce 300 amps. With the stock alt, the voltage will drop to the batteries. Probably 12.2 or so.
The other system with 8000 watts will pull around 1000 amps. With either alt the voltage will drop. With 2 batteries and a 300 amp alternator, it should drop to around 11.0 or so. Depending on what capacity battery you have.
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2002 UsaCi Super Modified 0-1000 World Champion 173.6 2002 UsaCi Legal World Record Holder Expert 0-600 (B&K) 171.0 (171.4) 2003 Meca XX-Class Record Holder 172.0 (backed up with a 171.9) Posts: 1194 | From: LaVergne TN. | Registered: Sep 2001
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posted
I have looked and looked for a diagram with a good explanation of how to hook up multiple batteries to a system and run the engine to charge them while playing the system. I have been told countless times that adding a second battery is just used for playing your system with the engine off. So, my question is, can anyone tell me how to do a loud daily driver with between 1500 and 3000w of total power? How many batteries, what amp alt, how to get it all to go together?
Posts: 39 | From: Japan | Registered: Mar 2003
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