Wicks

Hmmmmmm, a battery charger as a power supply? I haven't really tried that but it could work... I'd be curious about the pulsing mode that it goes into while charging batteries. It's designed to provide a constant charge to batteries so I don't know how it would handle the dynamic output to the amp...? If it works fine then hey, you have an intelligent battery charger as well! Bonus!

Thanks and thanks again! lol Really appreciate this info. That's actually a good price for the amps. The only thing I might have trouble with is working it. I was looking at the data sheet and it looks very confusing. It also says it has "Built-in remote ON-OFF control". Not sure how to turn it off and on, as it seems it's triggered by a sensor? Yeah, they're not very user friendly. Its very configurable depending on how you want to operate it. In the datasheet, you see the terminals "RC" and RCG". Looks like you can just put a simple switch there to turn it on and off. This unit does have exposed AC input terminals so you'd have to be very careful to not leave those accessible. Maybe mount the PSU in a case or something. When you're all said and done, maybe one of the other commercial power supplys would be cheaper in the long run...

Most PC power supplies only put out like 10-15A unless you're dropping $150-$200 on a power supply. Computer PSU's also only have 12V outputs (for the hard drives). You should feed an amp the 13.8V that it would expect from an auto environment. In case you do have voltage drop, you'll have more headroom with 13.8V than you will with 12V. if you have a smaller amp then no sweat. If its current hungry then you might get issues.

2 XL12's, D1, Direct Leads, CF Dust Cap, White DC Logo 80134 Thx!

No problem, glad to help. The 30A supply is a switching power supply. They use a different method to produce the power. Less expensive parts. Usually no large transformer/capacitors inside. Here's some info on the differences: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switched-mode_power_supply I've played around with a cheap 40A switching supply on an amp and the power supply freaked out with the dynamic current pulses that the amp drew. They're probably fine for constant and even power draw but when amps draw large current spikes, the cheaper power supplies may have a problem keeping up. It may work fine but I'd hate for you to get it and it not work like you want. If you go with a switching supply, I'd shoot for a higher current rating to make sure you don't have any issues. Hmmm, looking around online, the prices sure jump up when you go over 30A. One of the reasons I haven't gotten a good bench supply either.... Is this one too much? http://www.trcelectronics.com/Meanwell/psp-600-13.5.shtml This has a little more headroom and has PFC (power factor correction) which may help the capacitive load that the amp will draw. I don't see PFC in the manual for the pyramid and for the price, I doubt it does. These simple encased power supplies will have better internals rather than the extra money for the flashy case. Although it may need some extra effort to wire it up... Options options...

Yup. The amp will require ~382W of input. The power supply is also <100% efficient so it requires more power at its input (AC wall power). Power supply input = 450W. Subtract inefficienies from power supply (heat) = ~380W to the amp. Subtract inefficienies from amp (heat) = ~270W to the speakers. Every piece of electrical equipment will have inefficiencies and give off heat. Therefore it inputs more power than it outputs. These numbers aren't exact either. Depends on how the amp is loaded and ultimately how efficient it is. PS. Running a power supply directly at its output will give off a good amount of heat so ventilation will be key. Always a good idea to run a power supply at about half its rated power. Not necessary but good for reliability.

Depends how efficient the amp(s) are. If they output ~268W then they require an input of 268W/70% = ~382W. Depending on the amp class (A, AB, D) and how its loaded. Class A is maybe 50%. Class D is best at 70-90%. So we're looking at about a 25A supply. If you're not pushing the amp very hard then a 20A supply may work. If you draw too much current from a power supply then the voltage droops just like in a car. Too much of that and you could damage your amp. You also don't want to run a power supply directly at its rating. Sure, it'll work for a while but you always want some headroom for dependability.

Without more details, I'll ball park it. Let's say the 300Wrms amp is 70% efficient = ~430W input. With a 13.8V output. P/V = I. 430W/13.8V = 31A. To not overstress the power supply you should up the current capacity to at least 40-50A. If its for a home theater, you may be able to get by with less due to the dynamic nature of movies and such. If you're listening to more constant bass heavy music/test tones then you need all of that 40A. It'll be more expensive, but you'll want a linear power supply. A switching supply may not be able to handle the peaky current draw of the amp. Don't forget a 50A fuse between the power supply and amp. In case something happens to the amp, you don't want a home fire. The PS46kx (35A) looks to be a good choice. The PS64kx would be better, when you want to upgrade that amp in the future!

Item purchased: DC Audio 2.0K Date sold: Jan 2012 Experience: Positive Shipping: Very fast and well packaged. Included insurance and marked package as fragile. A+ Comments: Fast and detailed communication. Extra pictures on request. Overall: Great seller, would definitely do business with again!

Could try a portable music player and directly connect it to the RCAs on each amp. If it's the headunit or the RCAs (probably not since you changed those) then the noise should go away with the portable player since its not connected to anything in the car. Could also use a separate battery directly connected to the amp and disconnect your car power supply (batteries/alt). If the noise stays with all these scenarios then something probably came loose in the amp. Loose ground somewhere sounds possible. Have a DMM? Could check the resistance between the amp ground terminal and the RCA grounds. Should be directly connected (depending on the amp) and read ~0.3ohms...

Without an isolator, all three (Alt, front battery, rear battery) are interconnected regardless of which wire goes where. They have to be for the Alt to charge the batteries. While the engine is running, the alternator has the highest voltage in the circuit and therefore provides current to both batteries. Each wire in the system should be able to handle full current. Which ever run is the shortest (Alt to rear battery or front battery to rear battery) should be used. Shorter wire = less voltage drop.

VERY interested. PM'd.

Possible option: http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=320-220

An electrical "system" is only as good as its weakest link.........

Can't forget this one...

Classic.....and hits lowwww!

Mass produced consumer electronics are tested initially at the factory and have the potential for workmanship issues (loose screws, connections, solder, etc). A refurb product has already discovered those issues and had them fixed. Either that or somebody returned a perfectly good unit and it was tested twice (or more). So in essence, they should almost be better than new (except for the fact that they may have a scratch or two). Electronics have something called infant mortalities which means that most of the failures will happen in the first year (hence why most warranties only cover that period). I would think that most refurb products should come with a warranty. If you have to purchase a warranty it should be less than the difference in price that you saved from not buying new. If you like the amp and are getting a good deal then jump all over it. Thinking about buying a refurb PS3 myself...

I jumped in and grabbed a pack on Monday! The website lists the weight at 25lbs but the UPS tracking info shows 12lbs... Is this normal?

http://www.current-logic.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=214

I've got experience being dinged for quoting this spec: http://www.powerstre...m/Wire_Size.htm Maximum amps for power transmission 1/0 150 These numbers are for "power transmission" in a home environment which relies on AWG and NEC rules which are VERY conservative because you're dealing with house fires if overloaded. "Power transmission" basically means an RMS continuous current for an extended amount of time. If you ran 150A through 0 gauge cable for an hour, it would get warm. Car amplifiers are fed off of DC voltage, but they do draw current mostly in pulses, unless you're playing a LOT of test tones. Since the current is pulsed DC, you can stretch that rating quite a bit. Since the wiring is in a car, there are outside air cooling abilities which aren't available if the wire was used similarly in a house wall that's insulated. The lead acid Duralast/marine batteries may be affecting the system too. Wet batteries hold a TON of charge but they can't release it as fast as an AGM battery (XS Power). Wet batteries will also have higher series resistances which will add to the drop. As stated previously, more wire runs and maybe adding or switching to AGM batteries should help. Bigger/more alternators would also help so you're not so reliant on batteries.

VERY cool seeing such an innovative product go from an idea to an actual consumer product! Even cooler seeing a fellow car audio addict coming up with great products rather than some corporation. ...is that really a Kenwood o-scope?

Ahh got it. I can't find anything in the PPI Art manual about the red LED turning off while the unit is powered. How was the shipping box when you got it? I bought an A300 from eBay a few months ago. The seller strongly claims that it worked fine when shipped. I received the box with a nice big gouge in the side. Thanks USPS... When I turn the remote on, I get nothing but red solid LED (won't turn on). I can't find anything visible inside the amp so I think it got banged around in shipping and something inside was jarred... Soo it might be damaged.? Any chance you're a member of the DIYmobileaudio forum? There's a few PPI experts on there that might know.

The amp is turning on (green LED) so it should be getting power. The plugs may add some resistance but you should still get "some" output. Do you have a DMM (multimeter)? If so, probe the RCA's (Vac) to double verify that there is signal going to the amp. Then (with the RCA's and all plugs connected) probe at the speaker plug and see if there is any signal there (Vac). You might be able to tell if the signal is getting through the amp or whether its a headunit or speaker issue...

Just got notice that my DD-1 (and cap and beanie) just arrived at home. Ordered on Friday afternoon and arrives Monday early afternoon. You don't see that everyday. Can't wait to get home and check it out. Now that is customer service right there!