I thought I'd provide a free service to this board to determine if you need an alternator upgrade. Below is a battery of questions that'll help you decide. If you answer yes, then yes, you need an alternator, if no, then no:
1. Competing in DB Drag or Loudness competion
a. Do you want to win? Y/N
b. If so, do you want to spend $1000s? Y/N
2. My lights are dimming
a. Does it remain dim until you turn down the radio? Y/N
b. If not, does it bother you? Y/N
c. Are your lights dim in between bass notes? Y/N
d. Did a capacitor solve that Problem? Y/N
This pragmatic approach will save you time and confusion arguing...as well as money. It works on all vehicles made on the 3rd Rock from the Sun, and comes with a 100% money-back guarantee.
Keep in mind, you paid nothing, but it has never failed thus far.
Have fun PROUD
Replies (13)
swez on 10/3/2006 16:21:22
Can you find a different term for this: "a battery of questions"?
How about, "Things to consider", "what's your goal" or "grouping of concerns".
Uhmmm, get your own lines bro... I laid out that 3rd Rock from the Sun thing and it's not new or original. However, it does make a point we're not talking about Mars, Pluto or Zetta Reticuli. lol
swez
Victor on 10/3/2006 16:31:13
Oh Nooooo.. Not again... CK is flooding with Alternators...
MrBrownstone on 10/3/2006 20:06:36
It's the Capacitors of 1999 all over again. This, however, is a little more cut & dried, though.
swez on 10/3/2006 20:08:16
Not to worry Victor. These things run in cycles (Hertz huh?) and in a few weeks, we'll be looking at other strange phenoms under the hood.
Hummmm, let's see...
A battery of questions... or
A bank of concerns... or
A Mono block of Q's... or
A passle of ducks...or
A gaggle of geese... or
A whole bunch flocking Q's...
Take your pick and draw sucka!
swez
PS What would really be interesting, is in a few weeks as these new guys get their gigawatt system going and many wind up frying their tiny stock Alternators... then what?
MrBrownstone on 10/3/2006 20:12:16
TESTQUESTION
1. If you have an amplifier consuming 100A current, and are using 16 guage wire running 20ft, will you be able supply the load?
a. Yes
b. No
2. If you suspect that the amplifier is overheating due to current consumption--using same said wire, will using a larger or smaller wire cure the heat problem.
a. Larger
b. Smaller
3. Why? to question #2
PS any answers with more than 100 words are disqualified. Admin, please delete any post over 100 words below this line.
___________________________________________
cybersailor420 on 10/3/2006 21:04:02
1) b. No (although you might have a bonfire in your car :p )
2) a. Larger
3) Increased # of strands of wire increases surface area of wire, allowing easier flow of electricity.
-Ian-
MrBrownstone on 10/3/2006 22:34:23
Nice answers. I like them.
#2 & 3 are incorrect.
#2 is smaller
If you amplifier is overheating, getting more current to it will increase the heat. This is why you can put your hand on a Christmas light bulb, but not the one on your lamp next to your bed.
Putting a smaller wire will put less current, yielding less heat.
However, the wire, if you continue to request the same load, will heat up. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to answer #1 correctly.
cybersailor420 on 10/3/2006 22:47:44
huh... i was thinking of it on the ground side, that a larger ground would help current flow.
MrBrownstone on 10/3/2006 22:54:28
why would u want more current? current = heat
Think of the christmas tree bulb vs the 60 watt. which could you hold in your hand the longest? they both use 110 volts....
cybersailor420 on 10/4/2006 00:58:19
i wasn't disagreeing with you. what i meant was that i just looked at it as the amp heating up, and ignored the part about it receiving too much current. i understood what you said once i reread the question.
MrBrownstone on 10/4/2006 02:07:22
You'd be amazed, but a number or people who argue the concept...even after it's explained to them.
Identicle vehicles, except:
Vehicle 1 has 400W of brake lights added to the vehicle.
Vehicle 2 has 400W RMS amplifier added to the vehicle
1. When Vehicle 1 depresses the brake pedal and when V2 is listening to 60Hz sign tones at 400W output power, which vehicle has a higher load on the electrical system in amperes?
a. Vehicle 1
b. Vehicle 2
2. If a 400W amplifier heats a 250W RMS woofer to 500 degrees and melts it, why doesn't this same load melt the power wire providing the current from the electrical system?
_____open ended question.
swez on 10/4/2006 09:47:52
Vehicle 1 will give the heaviest load as the lamps are a steady and constant load of power consumption with a 100% duty cycle.
400 watts/13.5 volts = 29.6 amperes of current. That large a load will need it's own dedicated circuit and a relay to manage that large a flow of current.
V2 will draw less current due to efficiency factors of a given amplifier design. Even if this amp is running test tones, it's duty cycle will be lower due to the switch mode power supply factors.
swez
Pinch on 10/11/2006 11:28:23
You would not want to ADD resistance between the amplifier and the supply as a cure to an overcurrent condition due to the inherant inefficiency. Current != heat. Loss due to inefficiency = heat. Right? The real questions are what are we asking that overheating amp to push (load impedance) and how are we tuning that amp? From an ideal connectivity standpoint, we would want that amp power terminal welded straight to the +12V alt/batt terminal if possible, and the Gnd term straight to the Negative post on the batt. Connecting a 50 Watt amplifier to the batt with 0 AWG wire will not make it draw 100+ amperes no matter what.
Sorry...that's 112 words.
:)
-Pinch
1. Competing in DB Drag or Loudness competion
a. Do you want to win? Y/N
b. If so, do you want to spend $1000s? Y/N
2. My lights are dimming
a. Does it remain dim until you turn down the radio? Y/N
b. If not, does it bother you? Y/N
c. Are your lights dim in between bass notes? Y/N
d. Did a capacitor solve that Problem? Y/N
This pragmatic approach will save you time and confusion arguing...as well as money. It works on all vehicles made on the 3rd Rock from the Sun, and comes with a 100% money-back guarantee.
Keep in mind, you paid nothing, but it has never failed thus far.
Have fun PROUD
Replies (13)
swez on 10/3/2006 16:21:22
Can you find a different term for this: "a battery of questions"?
How about, "Things to consider", "what's your goal" or "grouping of concerns".
Uhmmm, get your own lines bro... I laid out that 3rd Rock from the Sun thing and it's not new or original. However, it does make a point we're not talking about Mars, Pluto or Zetta Reticuli. lol
swez
Victor on 10/3/2006 16:31:13
Oh Nooooo.. Not again... CK is flooding with Alternators...
MrBrownstone on 10/3/2006 20:06:36
It's the Capacitors of 1999 all over again. This, however, is a little more cut & dried, though.
swez on 10/3/2006 20:08:16
Not to worry Victor. These things run in cycles (Hertz huh?) and in a few weeks, we'll be looking at other strange phenoms under the hood.
Hummmm, let's see...
A battery of questions... or
A bank of concerns... or
A Mono block of Q's... or
A passle of ducks...or
A gaggle of geese... or
A whole bunch flocking Q's...
Take your pick and draw sucka!
swez
PS What would really be interesting, is in a few weeks as these new guys get their gigawatt system going and many wind up frying their tiny stock Alternators... then what?
MrBrownstone on 10/3/2006 20:12:16
TESTQUESTION
1. If you have an amplifier consuming 100A current, and are using 16 guage wire running 20ft, will you be able supply the load?
a. Yes
b. No
2. If you suspect that the amplifier is overheating due to current consumption--using same said wire, will using a larger or smaller wire cure the heat problem.
a. Larger
b. Smaller
3. Why? to question #2
PS any answers with more than 100 words are disqualified. Admin, please delete any post over 100 words below this line.
___________________________________________
cybersailor420 on 10/3/2006 21:04:02
1) b. No (although you might have a bonfire in your car :p )
2) a. Larger
3) Increased # of strands of wire increases surface area of wire, allowing easier flow of electricity.
-Ian-
MrBrownstone on 10/3/2006 22:34:23
Nice answers. I like them.
#2 & 3 are incorrect.
#2 is smaller
If you amplifier is overheating, getting more current to it will increase the heat. This is why you can put your hand on a Christmas light bulb, but not the one on your lamp next to your bed.
Putting a smaller wire will put less current, yielding less heat.
However, the wire, if you continue to request the same load, will heat up. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to answer #1 correctly.
cybersailor420 on 10/3/2006 22:47:44
huh... i was thinking of it on the ground side, that a larger ground would help current flow.
MrBrownstone on 10/3/2006 22:54:28
why would u want more current? current = heat
Think of the christmas tree bulb vs the 60 watt. which could you hold in your hand the longest? they both use 110 volts....
cybersailor420 on 10/4/2006 00:58:19
i wasn't disagreeing with you. what i meant was that i just looked at it as the amp heating up, and ignored the part about it receiving too much current. i understood what you said once i reread the question.
MrBrownstone on 10/4/2006 02:07:22
You'd be amazed, but a number or people who argue the concept...even after it's explained to them.
Identicle vehicles, except:
Vehicle 1 has 400W of brake lights added to the vehicle.
Vehicle 2 has 400W RMS amplifier added to the vehicle
1. When Vehicle 1 depresses the brake pedal and when V2 is listening to 60Hz sign tones at 400W output power, which vehicle has a higher load on the electrical system in amperes?
a. Vehicle 1
b. Vehicle 2
2. If a 400W amplifier heats a 250W RMS woofer to 500 degrees and melts it, why doesn't this same load melt the power wire providing the current from the electrical system?
_____open ended question.
swez on 10/4/2006 09:47:52
Vehicle 1 will give the heaviest load as the lamps are a steady and constant load of power consumption with a 100% duty cycle.
400 watts/13.5 volts = 29.6 amperes of current. That large a load will need it's own dedicated circuit and a relay to manage that large a flow of current.
V2 will draw less current due to efficiency factors of a given amplifier design. Even if this amp is running test tones, it's duty cycle will be lower due to the switch mode power supply factors.
swez
Pinch on 10/11/2006 11:28:23
You would not want to ADD resistance between the amplifier and the supply as a cure to an overcurrent condition due to the inherant inefficiency. Current != heat. Loss due to inefficiency = heat. Right? The real questions are what are we asking that overheating amp to push (load impedance) and how are we tuning that amp? From an ideal connectivity standpoint, we would want that amp power terminal welded straight to the +12V alt/batt terminal if possible, and the Gnd term straight to the Negative post on the batt. Connecting a 50 Watt amplifier to the batt with 0 AWG wire will not make it draw 100+ amperes no matter what.
Sorry...that's 112 words.
:)
-Pinch
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