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I have an idea to make an artificial load to an amplifier.

I have an old ceramic heater with an infinitely adjustable heat knob. Could I take this apart and take the wires from the heating element, adjust the knob to my desired ohm load, and hook it up to the amp?

Or is there some reason why I shouldn't do it?

I really need your input on this. I don't want to blow anything up.

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imo that is cool and all, but that is how most amps are currently already tested, and those manufacture specs would never be anything near real world power you will see from the amp, especially after impedance rise.

edit: Not to mention there will be no way to check for the power the amp is making is clean or not. You will also still need a way to measure the amps AC Voltage, and AC Current being made, so you would need to clamp the amp for its actual power being made. Id rather know the real power my amp is making, then a dummy load power I will never see due to impedance rise.

Edited by Audiofanaticz

 

 

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yes the heating element should work fine. in fact when i first wanted to test an amp my dad, an electrical engineer, told me to do the same thing. you can put it in a bucket of water to keep it cool too.

he can see if its clipping with an o-scope.

If I answered you in a well mannered, informative way, you asked a good question or had a good attitude. If I was an asshole, you asked a stupid question or you had a fucktard attitude... or I was in a bad mood.

Team BassickHU: Pioneer AVIC Z110Front: Peerless SLS 6.5", Peerless HDS 4", Rainbow tweeter - running activeAmp: JL HD600/4 and DC 4 channel (bridged to midbass)Processor: JBL MS-8Subs: 2x 12" AA MayhemsAmp: DC 3kElectrical: DC power 270xp alt. 1/0 big 4. XSpower D3400 and six D680s.

http://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/topic/121795-29-update-the-buick-is-getting-a-rebuild/

Top career scores: DBdrag 151.7 MECA SQ 82.25My SOTM build

Yeah. im pretty sure they dont warranty retarded people.

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yes the heating element should work fine. in fact when i first wanted to test an amp my dad, an electrical engineer, told me to do the same thing. you can put it in a bucket of water to keep it cool too.

he can see if its clipping with an o-scope.

Sweet!

As for the other questions: yes, its to measure amplifier output.

As for the clipping part, I'll probably just build a clipping indicator. I have an extra day to occupy my time... So it's the perfect chance to undergo a project :)

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he can see if its clipping with an o-scope.

O-scope does not show distortion. So either way most likely he will have to buy an oscope or a dd-1, on top of a quality True RMS AC Current clamp meter, and a True RMS Digital multimeter. So a easy $600 in test equitement just to test something that a reputability company already knows and told you, and backed by many users real world clamp tests.

But in the end, if you buy a legit amp, you can trust its ratings. no need to go thru all this to see what power your amp makes on a fixed resistance.. It will be very simular to the manufactures tests and ratings (as long as your not using sony, pyle jensen, pyrmid, power akoustik, ssl, etc, etc).

 

 

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As for the clipping part, I'll probably just build a clipping indicator. I have an extra day to occupy my time... So it's the perfect chance to undergo a project :)

Not saying you CANT do it, nor know your background,but its more then just a light that blinks... Most the amplifiers on the market now, dont even have anywhere near and accurate clipping indicator, so if multimillion dollar companies building amplifiers cant figure it out, what makes you think you can?

Hell if it was so easy to make a clipping indicator, it wouldnt of took D'amore engineering along with Juan and Steve months and months of time to build the SMD DD-1 clipping and distortion detector beofore going into production, and your gonna built it in 1 day??? and these are head Engineers from Rockford Fosgates in the R&D department for a LONGGGGGGGGG time.

Edited by Audiofanaticz

 

 

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yes the heating element should work fine. in fact when i first wanted to test an amp my dad, an electrical engineer, told me to do the same thing. you can put it in a bucket of water to keep it cool too.

he can see if its clipping with an o-scope.

Sweet!

As for the other questions: yes, its to measure amplifier output.

As for the clipping part, I'll probably just build a clipping indicator. I have an extra day to occupy my time... So it's the perfect chance to undergo a project :)

hahaha, i like this guy. :drinks:

he can see if its clipping with an o-scope.

O-scope does not show distortion. So either way most likely he will have to buy an oscope or a dd-1, on top of a quality True RMS AC Current clamp meter, and a True RMS Digital multimeter. So a easy $600 in test equitement just to test something that a reputability company already knows and told you, and backed by many users real world clamp tests.

But in the end, if you buy a legit amp, you can trust its ratings. no need to go thru all this to see what power your amp makes on a fixed resistance.. It will be very simular to the manufactures tests and ratings (as long as your not using sony, pyle jensen, pyrmid, power akoustik, ssl, etc, etc).

dude. the average noob doesnt come up with something like this. it takes some brains to figure it out lol. im sure he knows he needs meters. and its hilarious that the oscope was the best thing you could get for setting gains until you all got sold on the dd-1 and think minor bits of distortion, that a decent oscope cant see, actually matters. please, i dont want to have that debate here lol. an oscope will work just fine for him.

as to the reason why he's doing it. im sure its just to learn. some people just like to play with shit and see what happens. i applaud him for it.

If I answered you in a well mannered, informative way, you asked a good question or had a good attitude. If I was an asshole, you asked a stupid question or you had a fucktard attitude... or I was in a bad mood.

Team BassickHU: Pioneer AVIC Z110Front: Peerless SLS 6.5", Peerless HDS 4", Rainbow tweeter - running activeAmp: JL HD600/4 and DC 4 channel (bridged to midbass)Processor: JBL MS-8Subs: 2x 12" AA MayhemsAmp: DC 3kElectrical: DC power 270xp alt. 1/0 big 4. XSpower D3400 and six D680s.

http://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/topic/121795-29-update-the-buick-is-getting-a-rebuild/

Top career scores: DBdrag 151.7 MECA SQ 82.25My SOTM build

Yeah. im pretty sure they dont warranty retarded people.

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As for the clipping part, I'll probably just build a clipping indicator. I have an extra day to occupy my time... So it's the perfect chance to undergo a project :)

Not saying you CANT do it, nor know your background,but its more then just a light that blinks... Most the amplifiers on the market now, dont even have anywhere near and accurate clipping indicator, so if multimillion dollar companies building amplifiers cant figure it out, what makes you think you can?

Hell if it was so easy to make a clipping indicator, it wouldnt of took D'amore engineering along with Juan and Steve months and months of time to build the SMD DD-1 clipping and distortion detector beofore going into production, and your gonna built it in 1 day??? and these are head Engineers from Rockford Fosgates in the R&D department for a LONGGGGGGGGG time.

I thought I could just go off of the various wiring diagrams on google.

I am under the impression that a basic clipping detector would illuminate an led if the signal starts to go from ac to dc because of clipping - which is very different from the DD-1 which as I understand it, detects any level of distorion. Since clipping is a form of distortion, then the DD-1 detects it. Since what I want to to is vastly more simplistic, why is it unreasonable to sit down and put it together in a day.

Correct me if I am completely off base since my background is a high school kid who wants to learn about this stuff

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