i have a circuit in my car for a sunroof motor, but i dont have a sunroof, is there any way i can use that power as an amplifier?
Replies (6)
swez on 03/20/2004 13:48:16
Depends on the wire gage used, fuse rating on that circuit and the power draw of your amplifier.
More details on amp and wiring please.
Swez
trent on 03/31/2004 20:03:52
swez-
to be more specific, i have a 50-A circuit that would run directly from the 12-V (car batteries are 12-V right?) battery in my car, so that could act as a 600 watt amplifier, i could get a sub that could handle 600-watts (4-ohm impedance), but would the current running out of the box be to high to run back into the stereo? is there a way i can get something to step down the current? dont i have to hook up the sub a different way than i would regular speakers? Speaker wire wouldn't be a problem and if you have a recommendation on the proper gauge i would use it would be a help.
sorry to ask so much but any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated
-trent
Pinch on 04/1/2004 02:38:37
Trent,
The problem with your idea is that circuit is not designed to drive a subwoofer. I am all for being creative (nicely done by the way :) but the proposal at hand would likely damage the subwoofer and also the circuit, and probably other components in the electrical system as well. See a large part of the circuitry in an amp is related to filtration of the signal. Besides not having a way to accurately receive the signal from the head unit, your sun-roof circuit would have no way to block higher frequencies and send a pure waveform ot the subwoofer. If you were to somehow connect it, you would hear something resembling a dumptruck driving through a nitro-glycerin plant and then nothing. Plus, your car would smell like my high school electronics class always did. I may recommend using that circuit to automate the windows, or maybe motorize an amp rack or something of that nature. It was designed to make some widget move something, try to use it for that...less chance of an electrical fire :).
Good luck,
Pinch
swez on 04/1/2004 07:40:36
Hehe... that's not the way this gig works. You need an amplifier that converts DC voltage & current to a usable audio signal for a sub.
A 50A circuit for a sunroof? Sounds kinda high for that size motor too. It would have to have a #8 gage wire in that connector box to handle that much current.
Better off reading the DIY posts a while longer. Onced you understand the basics of electricity and amplifier/speaker install process, then proceed with some help from the board or a buddy that knows this stuff well.
Swez COFFEE
trent on 04/1/2004 19:58:18
Thanks for your help, after thinking about it for awhile i realized that i didn't exactly have a full prove plan, and like you said i wouldn't get the right power anyways, so thanks annyway, and by the way the sunroof circuit is like 25 or 30 amps, i just found another option circuit that had a 50 amp breaker
-Trent
swez on 04/2/2004 12:23:13
If you want to add amps to your presen to system, best practice is to run a power feed wire off the + terminal of the BAT. Then an inline fuse of appropriate value, them more power feed wire back to amp(s).
The power feed wire gage and fuse are determined by the amount of current the amp(s) will pull from the system. In most cases, a #4 gage power line will do fine up to about 100A. of current draw. It cab be split with a Distribution block at the amp(s) and use proper wire gages to feed amp input power lugs.
Also, you'll need a bare metal ground from each amp to chassis or floor pan. Must be BARE METAL here. The ground wire(s) should be short and same gage as power lines to the amp(s).
Since this is a smaller vehicle, you're probably dealing with 70A. alternator and a ~500 CCA rated battery. That's what is listed for stock applications on 93 Civic w/ 1.5 & 1.6 Liter engines. Not a lot of spare power here to run larger amplifiers.
If aonly adding a sub amp & subs at this time, stick with a Class D amp in the 250-600 watts RMS range. (40-50A draw) Anything larger than that, will overtax your electricals... BIG TIME.
Swez
Replies (6)
swez on 03/20/2004 13:48:16
Depends on the wire gage used, fuse rating on that circuit and the power draw of your amplifier.
More details on amp and wiring please.
Swez
trent on 03/31/2004 20:03:52
swez-
to be more specific, i have a 50-A circuit that would run directly from the 12-V (car batteries are 12-V right?) battery in my car, so that could act as a 600 watt amplifier, i could get a sub that could handle 600-watts (4-ohm impedance), but would the current running out of the box be to high to run back into the stereo? is there a way i can get something to step down the current? dont i have to hook up the sub a different way than i would regular speakers? Speaker wire wouldn't be a problem and if you have a recommendation on the proper gauge i would use it would be a help.
sorry to ask so much but any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated
-trent
Pinch on 04/1/2004 02:38:37
Trent,
The problem with your idea is that circuit is not designed to drive a subwoofer. I am all for being creative (nicely done by the way :) but the proposal at hand would likely damage the subwoofer and also the circuit, and probably other components in the electrical system as well. See a large part of the circuitry in an amp is related to filtration of the signal. Besides not having a way to accurately receive the signal from the head unit, your sun-roof circuit would have no way to block higher frequencies and send a pure waveform ot the subwoofer. If you were to somehow connect it, you would hear something resembling a dumptruck driving through a nitro-glycerin plant and then nothing. Plus, your car would smell like my high school electronics class always did. I may recommend using that circuit to automate the windows, or maybe motorize an amp rack or something of that nature. It was designed to make some widget move something, try to use it for that...less chance of an electrical fire :).
Good luck,
Pinch
swez on 04/1/2004 07:40:36
Hehe... that's not the way this gig works. You need an amplifier that converts DC voltage & current to a usable audio signal for a sub.
A 50A circuit for a sunroof? Sounds kinda high for that size motor too. It would have to have a #8 gage wire in that connector box to handle that much current.
Better off reading the DIY posts a while longer. Onced you understand the basics of electricity and amplifier/speaker install process, then proceed with some help from the board or a buddy that knows this stuff well.
Swez COFFEE
trent on 04/1/2004 19:58:18
Thanks for your help, after thinking about it for awhile i realized that i didn't exactly have a full prove plan, and like you said i wouldn't get the right power anyways, so thanks annyway, and by the way the sunroof circuit is like 25 or 30 amps, i just found another option circuit that had a 50 amp breaker
-Trent
swez on 04/2/2004 12:23:13
If you want to add amps to your presen to system, best practice is to run a power feed wire off the + terminal of the BAT. Then an inline fuse of appropriate value, them more power feed wire back to amp(s).
The power feed wire gage and fuse are determined by the amount of current the amp(s) will pull from the system. In most cases, a #4 gage power line will do fine up to about 100A. of current draw. It cab be split with a Distribution block at the amp(s) and use proper wire gages to feed amp input power lugs.
Also, you'll need a bare metal ground from each amp to chassis or floor pan. Must be BARE METAL here. The ground wire(s) should be short and same gage as power lines to the amp(s).
Since this is a smaller vehicle, you're probably dealing with 70A. alternator and a ~500 CCA rated battery. That's what is listed for stock applications on 93 Civic w/ 1.5 & 1.6 Liter engines. Not a lot of spare power here to run larger amplifiers.
If aonly adding a sub amp & subs at this time, stick with a Class D amp in the 250-600 watts RMS range. (40-50A draw) Anything larger than that, will overtax your electricals... BIG TIME.
Swez
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