Edit: Setting My Gains .... Help

[audiofanaticz]

Update:

OKay so I set the gains Wed morning. 34.0 volts AC, it was about 1/4 gain maybe less.

I have since turned it up to just under 1/2 gains because I wanted it louder. I put an Amp-meter (uses the magnetic B field so you just put it aruond your power wire) and its taking in approx. 80 amps at almost full tilt (as fult tilt as i go with my voltage which isn't anywhere near actual full tilt)

its 84% effecient (My T1K) so that means its about 7-800 watts output at 1 ohm, 12-12.5 volts.

My question is - the T1k has a birth sheet at 1600 watts. If I wanted closer to 1400 wats versus the 7-800 i'm getting now, do I turnt he gain up to more like 3/4?

I DON'T want to clip the amp but w/o an o scope how do i tell?

hope this all made sense!

Thx

No, no, no, and no......

your technically already clipping the amp since you turned it up to a little under half, when it makes its rated power at about a quarter gain like you said. So you doubled the gain adding clipping.

If you want the amp to do full power, upgrade your electrical system.

The birthsheet with the amp that says 1600 watts is at a certain voltage, I think its 14.4 volts. Since you said your voltage is in the low 12 to 12.5 volts, your amp is starving for more power.

You dont really tell if your clipping the amp, unless you hear distortion, but to hear the subs distort is vary hard by the human ear, unless you are clipping the signal that bad.

Increasing the gain to 3/4 like you want will do a lot of things.

It will make the amp work harder, and draw more power.

It will clip the amp.

It will lose its effiecny rating, so kiss that 84% good bye! (actually already kiss it good bye since your already exceeding the output voltage with the higher gain).

It may fry the amp within time.

It may fry your subs, the clipped signal will make your sub(s) xmax a lot less, so instead of 2 inches of cone throw, you may have 1 inch for example, which will result in dirty power on the coil and the coil will get hotter faster and not cool as needed because the xmax is not the same.

Also your amp will run way hotter, heat is a effiency and wattage killer.

put the gain back to 1/4th where it was origional set, and get a higher amp alternator, bigger powerwire if your not using 0 gauge, or try to get a battery in your trunk.

Only thing you are looking at doing with the high gain is trashing your gear ( ie: subs, amps, both )

[meade916]

bro, listen. your putting WAY too much thought into it. Stop. You have one amp, one sub. Positive, negative.

Hook it up, bump that shit, enjoy it.

[01xtreme]

bro, listen. your putting WAY too much thought into it. Stop. You have one amp, one sub. Positive, negative.

Hook it up, bump that shit, enjoy it.

X2. it is a simple setup, dont make shit harder than it needs to be.

[Bass4Lyfe]

okay cool i'll turn it down to 1/4 and just enjoy it. thanks guys, thanks steve

[99vic]

so where are the vids?

Edited August 1, 2008 by 99vic

[Bass4Lyfe]

Tonight! at 5 i will add them to member builds/showoff

[Boon]

You're only getting 80 amps of draw because a subwoofer is a reactive load. It's not 1 ohm all the time (in fact it almost never is) - at the tuning point of your box it's probably 20 ohms or more.

Even 1/4 gain will give you a tiny bit of clipping because it's set unloaded which means it doesn't allow for the rail voltage drop as the efficiency of the amp falls with more current... but it's close enough for daily bumping

[Torres]

I have since turned it up to just under 1/2 gains because I wanted it louder.

if you want it louder...then that just means you need more subs and amps

[David]

add a h/o alt and a better battree up front and it would get louder.

[Bass4Lyfe]

next on my list ^^^ ....