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How do you keep your amps cool?


Swordlordboy1234

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Posted

So texas heat is a Sumbish. I got my amp in thermal protect yesterday.

In my defense it was after 2 hours of non stop decaf, literally not touching the bass knob or volume. Also unlike at heatwave when it stayed cool the whole day demoing... my trunk was closed (obviously). Might be weird to drive with my trunk open lol.

I am running at .5 ohms nominal...but i hold 13.5 full tilt and after about 10 minutes of non stop will it drop to 13.1. So i dont think voltage is my issue. Since my new grounding location i havent seen 12's unless its at idle, which i dont do anymore.

MY QUESTION IS......

How do you keep your amps cool?

My amps ARE raised off my box, so that should help with cooling slightly.

I was looking into the SMD voltage meter and temp meter, also into fans around amazon and sonic. Just not sure which route i wanna go. I want to hook it up as failsafe as possible since i do like to "Abuse" my equipment during my hour long boom cruises. Ofcourse, playing clean music, gains set properly, and keep an eye on the voltage. But im sure we can all agree that song after song after song full tilt will give almost any gear a work out.

Looking forward to your suggestions!

My old YouTube channel : http://www.youtube.com/user/SwordLords1234?feature=mhee

My old build log : http://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/topic/161872-96-accord-b2-sundown-sky-high-dc-power-re-re-build-for-heatwave/page-37

My New Build - http://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/topic/207041-2016-mazda-6-sql-build/

2016 Mazda 6 Touring

JL Fix 86 - OEM signal correction

B2 prototype DSP 6to8

B2 Ref63 - 3 way active set

2 B2 Class H quattro's

1 B2 Zero.5R @.5

2 B2 HNv3 12 d2

B2 SLIP40 - Lithium in the trunk

Northstar Group 35 under the hood

100ft 2/0 welding cable

30ft 4ga welding cable

20ft 8ga welding cable

All stinger OFC speaker wire

Soundrive custom RCA's

Tons of attention to detail.... Can it be perfect?

Posted

Do what Steve did in his Lexus. Some trunks have one way vents behind the trim panels, flip one side and mount some fans for an intake then mount some fans on the other side for an exhaust. Another thing I saw in the XXX truck that would really help is to take the back of the amp, make a new back out 1/4" MDF and mount some fans to it.

4 fully loaded Fi sp4 15's

2 Crescendo bc5500s

Crescendo c1100.4

6 focal mids

Vifa tweets

5 XS Power d3100's

Pioneer avh-p4200dvd

All crammed into a mustang.

http://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/topic/150569-mikeg321s-fi-nendo-mustang-getting-walled-videos-page-4/

Posted

1/4 inch plexi with fans sounds like a great one. Gotta figure out the budget on that one since i dont have the ability to do it myself. Also thinking having one of those cylinder fans blowing across both amps. It would blow over and under the amps at the same time because i have them slightly lifted.

Everyone who said fans blowing with plexi backs... Would you have them IN or OUT? Or one IN one OUT?

Also, yeah nate. I was driving down the highway and my voltage went from 13.2 to 14.6... and no bass.. i was like Dafuq? And pulled off the highway and seen the red light on my amp... amp was SMOKIN hot. Musta been 160+ lol.

Also, people who said voltage. I agree, but 13.5 full tilt isnt that bad IMO. And i dont have the funds, space, or weight capacity to make stronger voltage then i have. So its down to fans.

Might be a dumb question. But a relay set up sounds like the best way to hook up fans huh? Rather then just hard wiring them on the same wires as like my volt meter or something.

Edit, Gotta figure out the budget for the plexi fans for MY NEXT AMP. This skar is killing me for USACI. 790 RMS at 4 ohms. Sundown 2500v2 is 600 at 4ohms. So are tons of other 3k amps stable down to .5. The skar is treating me good regardless of all the skar crap going around. But since i got the USACI bug for 0-600 stock/0-1000 trunk/SQ/Bass race 139.9.... i gotta figure out the best way to achieve all of those.

My old YouTube channel : http://www.youtube.com/user/SwordLords1234?feature=mhee

My old build log : http://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/topic/161872-96-accord-b2-sundown-sky-high-dc-power-re-re-build-for-heatwave/page-37

My New Build - http://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/topic/207041-2016-mazda-6-sql-build/

2016 Mazda 6 Touring

JL Fix 86 - OEM signal correction

B2 prototype DSP 6to8

B2 Ref63 - 3 way active set

2 B2 Class H quattro's

1 B2 Zero.5R @.5

2 B2 HNv3 12 d2

B2 SLIP40 - Lithium in the trunk

Northstar Group 35 under the hood

100ft 2/0 welding cable

30ft 4ga welding cable

20ft 8ga welding cable

All stinger OFC speaker wire

Soundrive custom RCA's

Tons of attention to detail.... Can it be perfect?

Posted

since your now sealed off your amp has no venting at all, trunks get very hot, my subs get warm before my amp. so find a way to mount a fan

text me tho bud

Posted

Do what Steve did in his Lexus. Some trunks have one way vents behind the trim panels, flip one side and mount some fans for an intake then mount some fans on the other side for an exhaust. Another thing I saw in the XXX truck that would really help is to take the back of the amp, make a new back out 1/4" MDF and mount some fans to it.

This isn't as effective as most people think. Your main heat-producing components are transferring heat directly to the heatsink (which is the metal case on car amps). You need the heat exchange to take place on the heatsink, and surface area is king there. That's why there's so many fins on them, the more surface area you have the more heat transfer can take place.

"Clipping" is the biggest forum boner now. It's like witchcraft... it automatically explains just about everything people don't understand.

My build log: http://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/topic/200295-gckless-2011-chevrolet-impala/

High resolution photos: Gilbert Kless Photography

Posted

1/4 inch plexi with fans sounds like a great one. Gotta figure out the budget on that one since i dont have the ability to do it myself. Also thinking having one of those cylinder fans blowing across both amps. It would blow over and under the amps at the same time because i have them slightly lifted.

Everyone who said fans blowing with plexi backs... Would you have them IN or OUT? Or one IN one OUT?

Also, yeah nate. I was driving down the highway and my voltage went from 13.2 to 14.6... and no bass.. i was like Dafuq? And pulled off the highway and seen the red light on my amp... amp was SMOKIN hot. Musta been 160+ lol.

Also, people who said voltage. I agree, but 13.5 full tilt isnt that bad IMO. And i dont have the funds, space, or weight capacity to make stronger voltage then i have. So its down to fans.

Might be a dumb question. But a relay set up sounds like the best way to hook up fans huh? Rather then just hard wiring them on the same wires as like my volt meter or something.

Edit, Gotta figure out the budget for the plexi fans for MY NEXT AMP. This skar is killing me for USACI. 790 RMS at 4 ohms. Sundown 2500v2 is 600 at 4ohms. So are tons of other 3k amps stable down to .5. The skar is treating me good regardless of all the skar crap going around. But since i got the USACI bug for 0-600 stock/0-1000 trunk/SQ/Bass race 139.9.... i gotta figure out the best way to achieve all of those.

First, you need a relay if you're using fans. I'm assuming you're running your amps and voltmeter and any accessories off your HU remote wire. That wire provides very little amperage. It's only a signal wire, is not designed to power much of anything. Most computer and similar sized fans will draw anywhere from .1-1A, and that remote wire may only provide .25A or less. A relay isn't hard, and you won't have to worry then. Just use the remote wire as the signal, then amps, voltage meter, fans, all accessories off of that relay. That's what I'm doing, and have a switch to each bank of fans on mine.

Best way to set up the fan would be to blow straight across the amp, from left side to right side, with the air channeled across the top of the amp. Think of old Xtant style cooling, but make it on the outside. Reason for all those fins on top aren't for looks, it's to keep the amp cool. The more surface area you have, the more heat can be exchanged. Kinda like in a computer, you don't blow fans on the motherboard, you blow fans through all the heatsink fins.

"Clipping" is the biggest forum boner now. It's like witchcraft... it automatically explains just about everything people don't understand.

My build log: http://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/topic/200295-gckless-2011-chevrolet-impala/

High resolution photos: Gilbert Kless Photography

Posted

true that. I knew about the fins, I was just debating on how i wanna do it all. Yes i have two amps and a volt meter off the remote from my headunit. I do have bigger then normal remote wire if that helps :D i guess a relay and a fan is where i need to go next. Any suggestions on fans? are those metal cylinder ones any good or should i stick to the computer-like fans?

one set of fans that blow enough air (wide) to cover both amps is enough? I dont need a push pull fan set up do i?

My old YouTube channel : http://www.youtube.com/user/SwordLords1234?feature=mhee

My old build log : http://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/topic/161872-96-accord-b2-sundown-sky-high-dc-power-re-re-build-for-heatwave/page-37

My New Build - http://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/topic/207041-2016-mazda-6-sql-build/

2016 Mazda 6 Touring

JL Fix 86 - OEM signal correction

B2 prototype DSP 6to8

B2 Ref63 - 3 way active set

2 B2 Class H quattro's

1 B2 Zero.5R @.5

2 B2 HNv3 12 d2

B2 SLIP40 - Lithium in the trunk

Northstar Group 35 under the hood

100ft 2/0 welding cable

30ft 4ga welding cable

20ft 8ga welding cable

All stinger OFC speaker wire

Soundrive custom RCA's

Tons of attention to detail.... Can it be perfect?

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