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Is it possible to upgrade your electrical system without upgrading your alternator? In other words, I am getting an amplifier that has a total fuse rating of 150amps. Would it be possible to just get three Westco batteries with a AH of 80 wired in a series(3*80 = 240amps) to supply the amplifier with power instead of getting batteries and an alternator? I don't turn my system up that much anymore anyway. If this is possible I would have 90amps left over which I could use to power an amplifier for my highs right?
------------------ And you know this man! check out my ride at www.sounddomain.com/2592 Ill be hitting 150 soon!! :o
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Don't figure currtent draw by the fuses. Those batteries are plenty. Before I would add three batteries. I would add the bigger alt. But I have seen people do it. I have 2 Yellow Tops in my hatch on stock alt.
One thing scared me though you said that you were going to wire your batteries in series...NO.... Parallel
------------------ ******************* Founder: Street Sounds Car Audio Club ******************* If It Don't Read 150+ it Ain't Loud......
[This message has been edited by audioextreme (edited 06-12-99).]
Posts: 289 | From: Howell, MI | Registered: May 1999
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Well if your long term average current draw is below you alternator's max excess current output you'll be fine. Megajam is a good example of huge battery capacity without enough alt. He can jam his amps to max power and just let the crowds have it for a while. He couldn't maintain it indefinitely cause i'm sure the alt couldn't keep up and the batteries would die. But for SPL comps and demoing for bursts, and for normal volume bumping around town it works for him....and me. If you plan to compete SPL charge the batteries completely up and don't play the system until your ready to make your hit.
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Ya about the charging the batteries thing what Tech Man said....There is this one guy here that has..18 Earthquake 12's and earthquake amps. In a odd configuration that works VERY well for Extreme Outlaw. Well he drove all the way to this show last weekend from st louis to Farmington Mo. About an hour and a half drive. Didnt play it at all. Got there as we were finishing SPL. He walked up registered and came over and did a 175.? Extreme Outlaw. When he normally did just under 170 or at 170 at other shows. Now granted a big number in outlaw is not that hard but 170+ is still cool even in that..and this is proof of what tech said charge the hell out of the batteries...
------------------ _____________________ 1999 USAC Finals Qualifier Usac Sactioned Judge -----Judged----- 1999 Spring Break Nationals 1999 Midwest Regional 1983 Camaro-152dB old system..new system on the way. -Irc Chat Room- chat.talkcity.com ports 6667,6668,6669,7000 Room Name #auto-audio I am the room coordinator for this room. Stop by sometime and say hi...We are busy after 9:00cdt usually.
Posts: 8036 | From: Huron,Oh | Registered: May 1999
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If your goal is to build an SPL vehicle, that won't be used for pounding around town, I'd go with lots of batteries. Once the current draw of your amplifiers exceeds the output capability of your alternator, the remaining energy demanded by those amps has to come from THE BATTERIES! If you have four large amplifiers that draw 200 amps of current each, that's 800 amps of total current draw. You would need 4-200 amp alternators to keep up with that, and in my opinion, that's not very cost-effective if each high output alternator is $400 (Streetwires, Stinger,etc.) for a total of $1600! You could do 8 batteries for the four amplifiers, and only spend around $480 ($60/ea.). The situation only gets worse when you start running 12 or even 24 amplifiers! That's why Team Gates, Jay Lovelace, etc. run lots of batteries, and only one or two alternators TO RECHARGE THOSE BATTERIES! Of course, if you have the room and budget for a multiple alternator set-up, GO FOR IT! It's only money.
K.O.B.
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Time for a comeback!
Posts: 219 | From: Monroe,NC USA | Registered: May 1999
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What you guys are forgetting is that when you add extra batteries to a stock alternator you increase the "load" on that alternator...meaning it has to work ALOT harder to charge them up....and it will burn it up...The aftermarket alternator also puts out a higher voltage than a stock...meaning...on an unregulated power supply amplifier...your output will increase by the voltage in...so if your amp puts out lets say 100 watts at 13.8....at 14.4 it'll do 120....(just an example)I'd say if your gonna do more than 2 batteries...then go aftermarket alternator first.
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Posts: 33 | From: Mansfield,ohio,usa | Registered: Jun 1999
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The unregulated increase you would get from a higher output Alt. Would be nice but very expensive, compaired to more batteries. In my car one high out put Alt didn't do much. When I hit my note the voltage droped to battery voltage and drew them way down. So I put a few more batteries and problem fixed I may not have the high voltage, but I have plenty of juice for the amps now and voltage only drops a little.
I would recomend multiple Batteries and take a battery charger with you to the shows. You usually can find some where to plug in. You might also use optima batteries they have a higher charged voltage and would help you keep that higher voltage for a short time.
Besides someone with a entery level system. that draws 200 amps probably isn't going to spend the money on Alts that cost almost as much as half of his amps.
------------------ ******************* Founder: Street Sounds Car Audio Club ******************* If It Don't Read 150+ it Ain't Loud......
Posts: 289 | From: Howell, MI | Registered: May 1999
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One other thing to consider is a charging managment system as used in ambulances and the like . Without going into the whole thing ( I don't understand it all myself :-) ) , it increases the charging / storage efficiency of the alternator and batteries by between 20-25% . eg - allowing amulances to run a 170 Ah battery at 95-100% charge using a 55amp alt . The company that produces this have a web site for which the address escapes me at the moment . I dig it out tonight if anyone's interested...
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Posts: 118 | From: Manchester , England | Registered: May 1999
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I was down at the local fire department today, and was looking through some of their magazines. There was an ad for a company called MPI Vital which makes 270-300 amp alternators for fire trucks, ambulances, etc.
Their address is http://www.mpi-vital.com
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Engineers make the world go -(-(BOOM)-)-
Posts: 245 | From: College Station, TX | Registered: May 1999
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Ok, here is a scoop for HIGH current alts... Check out the alts on Big rigs, most are over 240amp, some 300+... Buy one at a wrecker yard (be sure to get a 12 volt alt) and buy a rebuild kit at a local Truck parts store... Be sure to get bearings with the kit, they usually have high miles, and ro-do it... Or pick up a 4x4 & off road magazine, they always have high current amps for about 20-30% less than audio shops... Or third option, go to a wrecker yard and find an old police car alt, they are usually 125+ amps and fit "most" vehicles with little trouble...
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Posts: 186 | From: Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada | Registered: May 1999
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Another way to think about it is with a conventional alt / batt set-up , you still only charge your batteries to around 70% of their capacity , due to the way the charging is done . Thus adding bigger alt(s) and/or batteries gives an instant improvement but still carries the same problem . Things like emergency vehicles use massive amounts of current when the sirens are blowing , etc , but use ' relatively ' small alternators . Some of them do this by using charging systems which enable the battery to store 95-100% of its charge . How well this system will work in the SPL world I will only be able to tell next week when I get mine fitted and try it !!!
Hammer
Ps. The system costs a LOT less than a second alt ( and I didn't have enough room anyway !!! )
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Posts: 118 | From: Manchester , England | Registered: May 1999
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