LimpCroissant Posted June 29, 2021 Report Share Posted June 29, 2021 Hey guys. I should really know this by now but I somehow have never done this. I want to measure the voltage of my battery/alternator. I've measured the voltage of my battery while slapping full blown when I first started and it was in the 14v range. However I think I'm supposed to measure the voltage at my alternator instead of the battery right? I want to get a better idea of what power my amp truly is putting out and also look for voltage drop when my bass is at maximum output. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dafaseles Posted June 29, 2021 Report Share Posted June 29, 2021 1 hour ago, LimpCroissant said: Hey guys. I should really know this by now but I somehow have never done this. I want to measure the voltage of my battery/alternator. I've measured the voltage of my battery while slapping full blown when I first started and it was in the 14v range. However I think I'm supposed to measure the voltage at my alternator instead of the battery right? I want to get a better idea of what power my amp truly is putting out and also look for voltage drop when my bass is at maximum output. Thanks. Take your voltage from the amp input and ground to find that out. Here's a video that will show you how to find out what you want to know as far as what your amplifier is really putting out in real life conditions 2011 Chevy Silverado under construction My build log here. Check it out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LimpCroissant Posted June 29, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2021 Thank you for the video. So where do I go about measuring voltage to test how much stress my system is putting on my electrical in the car? Thank you for your input man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dafaseles Posted June 29, 2021 Report Share Posted June 29, 2021 The battery will tell you that. If it dips into the low 12 volt range, I would be worried, but, I think if you drop into the 10's, that can actually be damaging to the equipment. 2011 Chevy Silverado under construction My build log here. Check it out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSkippyJ Posted June 29, 2021 Report Share Posted June 29, 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwxlnSDv9wY F150: Stock 2019 Harley Road Glide: Amp: TM400Xad - 4 channel 400 watt Processor: DSR1 Fairing (Front) 6.5s -MMats PA601cx Lid (Rear) 6x9s - TMS69 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LimpCroissant Posted June 29, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2021 Ok thank you guys. So looking for voltage drop is just simply putting my multimeter on the pos and neg of the battery then huh? Ok, I'll do this again now that my system has changed quite a bit(and is always changing haha). Is there any need to ever get readings directly from your alternator? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dafaseles Posted June 30, 2021 Report Share Posted June 30, 2021 2 hours ago, LimpCroissant said: Ok thank you guys. So looking for voltage drop is just simply putting my multimeter on the pos and neg of the battery then huh? Ok, I'll do this again now that my system has changed quite a bit(and is always changing haha). Is there any need to ever get readings directly from your alternator? If your system is always changing (which is normal lol) it wouldn't be a bad idea to just invest in an in dash voltage meter that will give you real time feedback whenever you're in the car. The SMD VM-1 is, in my opinion, the best one out there (it'll show quick dips and spikes a lot faster and more accurate than any other volt meter) but it's kind of pricey (but well worth it in my opinion) but a lot of people also use the Stinger volt meter. As for testing at the alt. Really the only time I can see doing that is if you're having these dips into the low 11's or 10's and you suspect the alternator is going bad. 2011 Chevy Silverado under construction My build log here. Check it out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LimpCroissant Posted June 30, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2021 Ok awesome. Thanks for your help man. Ya, I've been lusting over a digital voltmeter mounted somewhere in my vehicle and was looking at the SMD one just yesterday but it's a little too expensive for me right now. I don't appear to have a voltage problem, but as my system changes I'm sure that one day I will need to invest in one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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