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OK, everyone obviously wants the nuts and bolts - I call this the immediate gratification syndrome (thanks McDonalds). However, if you want to become the expert, you're gonna' have to lower the shields a bit and open your mind.

Consider the following:

There are two voltage thresholds available to us in a vehicle - 12.6 V (not running) and 13.8 - 14.4V (running). For the sake of this discussion, let's use 12.6V and 14.4V and disregard higher voltages.

Now, before we start diving into the minutia, let's assume we have an imaginary vehicle with a perfect battery, a properly functioning alternator, stock wiring, and an amplifier that is well within the size that can be supported by the charging system. Questions:

A. When the vehicle is not running and the key is in the accessory position (so that the audio system works), what does the path of current to the amplifier look like?

B. When the vehicle is running, what does the path of current to the amplifier look like?

Tony Candela - SMD Sales & Marketing
Email me at [email protected] to learn about becoming an SMD Partner!

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the same just gets drained faster? :shrug:

12- DC Audio m2Lvl3 12's1- Hertz HSK3 way2- DC5K's2- ZX350.42- Stinger SP1500D batteries in rear3- runs of 1/0ga. to the rearTeam DC Audiodc-banner.jpgdcsoundlab.com

Quality is all in how you take pictures ;) I have plenty of projects that look WAY better on camera then in person :D

crazy to fit so many in so little. Reminds me of some of the porns I've seen?

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Car on:

Alternating current to regulator, whether internal or external to be converted to direct current, which goes straight towards the battery to be charged/charging, and then the battery's stored energy goes towards the amplifier to power it.

Car off:

Reserved energy of the battery goes directly towards the amplifier to power it.

Edit: I completely guessed on this

Edited by Omega5002

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The amplifier draw their current directly from the batteries in either case. If the vehicle is running and the alternator is charging, then the alternator will supply enough power to keep a surface charge on the batteries and hold 14.4v. Now if you are running more power than you have the alternator power to maintain 14.4v, then the voltage will dip.

Not 100% sure about this, but it makes sense to me. If a battery rests at 12.8v and then when the vehicle is running, charges at 14.4v, once you are drawing enough current to drop your voltage down to 12.8v, you have now maxed out your alternators charging capability and are into your battery reserve. Now is the time to add another alternator if you can, if you cannot, then you need to make sure you have a large enough battery bank to support the amount of power that you want to run. For me, I like to eliminate the alternator from the equation and make sure I have enough battery to support my power if the alternator were not their. I would prefer to have 2x-3x the amount of battery support compared to the amount of power I have. Example: 10000w of amplifier power, I would like to have 20-30000w of battery support. In the case of XS Power, which does give recommended wattage ratings for their batteries, for 10000w of amplifier power, I would like to have 4-6 d3100(XS rates these for 5000w+ of power handling per battery.)

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Are the answers to some of these in your book. I need a cheat once in awhile lol. A In this case it would be from the battery clean straight flow. The electrons flow more fluid like one way. B In the running position it would be the alternator which is generating ac current. Then converted to dc where the battery can filter out any more ripples from the residue ac current. In this flow the atoms would be going back and fourth to a more conformed smooth patter.

Edited by dog24fret
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OK, I'm REAL glad that I asked this question. Here is the answer:

A. Current flows from the battery into the amplifier and is returned via ground to the negative terminal of the battery.

B. Current flows from the alternator into the amplifier and is returned via ground to the case of the alternator.

Tony Candela - SMD Sales & Marketing
Email me at [email protected] to learn about becoming an SMD Partner!

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Not technically for question B, The flow goes to the battery. Which there it helps stabilize the current/voltage. From the battery to the amp. When you are with-in your alternator power range. Your battery gets turned into a huge CAP.

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The amplifier draw their current directly from the batteries in either case. If the vehicle is running and the alternator is charging, then the alternator will supply enough power to keep a surface charge on the batteries and hold 14.4v. Now if you are running more power than you have the alternator power to maintain 14.4v, then the voltage will dip.

Not 100% sure about this, but it makes sense to me. If a battery rests at 12.8v and then when the vehicle is running, charges at 14.4v, once you are drawing enough current to drop your voltage down to 12.8v, you have now maxed out your alternators charging capability and are into your battery reserve. Now is the time to add another alternator if you can, if you cannot, then you need to make sure you have a large enough battery bank to support the amount of power that you want to run. For me, I like to eliminate the alternator from the equation and make sure I have enough battery to support my power if the alternator were not their. I would prefer to have 2x-3x the amount of battery support compared to the amount of power I have. Example: 10000w of amplifier power, I would like to have 20-30000w of battery support. In the case of XS Power, which does give recommended wattage ratings for their batteries, for 10000w of amplifier power, I would like to have 4-6 d3100(XS rates these for 5000w+ of power handling per battery.)

Yes and no? I agree except that the battery is a reserve and used to start the car. With car running, it is mostly alt. Mostly by the means of the alt cant keep up, it will use battery power too, then as the battery drains, the alt must also recharge what it used from the battery. Reason I say no is the directly from the battery while running. A car can run without a battery, but not without the alt. The alt supplies the need power to the car when running...think of the battery as a cap?

I say Battery while off, alt while running, but uses battery if the power needed is greater than what the alt can supply.

Running, it looks as if the alt will supply as much as it can to the needed resource and using the battery as a secondary supply. Maximizing the output for the amp itself

Off, just battery, obviously? LoL. The amp gets its power from the battery, but as the battery drains, the voltage decreases as well, causing the amp to not work at its optimal capabilities. If you have multiple batteries, then your reserve is larger and it can maintain longer.

I think lol

EDIT: Ninja'd by the man...well not ninja'd, but he answered before I assumed. lol

Edited by sayhuh?

10501650_10203332501847103_1859383749711

Blown

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