What would cause sytem to sometimes hit louder than normal?
|
Bronze Member Username: Johnnysanz3Post Number: 23 Registered: Mar-05 | I'll be playing the same song with the same bass line and it will randomly get softer and hit louder, what could cause this? its almost like its hitting normally and other times not gettin full power to the sub?? |
|
nick_sq Unregistered guest | not enough power to the amp...distortion filter or overdrive protection? |
|
New member Username: Velk4425Post Number: 9 Registered: Feb-05 | Probably a voltage fluctuation due to your alternator. The alternator probably can't keep the battery charged up for long periods of time. Just a possibility |
|
Bronze Member Username: Johnnysanz3Post Number: 25 Registered: Mar-05 | That makes sense, does that mean i have to get a better alternator? is there an official way to test this so i dont go buy an alternator and end up not needing it? |
|
New member Username: Kaos15thPhoenix, Arizona USA Post Number: 5 Registered: Mar-05 | WTF? That's the same thing That's happening In one of my cars I only Got a 150 watt sub and a 150 watt amp. My Alternator should keep up with that. When Im Going to stop when the light is red and i press the brake i'ts like the sub Hit's harder And once i press the gas it's like soft bass Kind Of hiting. But once i press the brake it hit's way harder. So ihave to deal with soft bass every time i drive that car. Why does this happen is it because i have a old car It's a 88 Buick Park Avenue, Hey johhny what kind of car do you have? I dont think becauseits old it should matter. |
|
Bronze Member Username: Johnnysanz3Post Number: 26 Registered: Mar-05 | 93 mazda mx-3, ya mine seems to be just at random, i cant really pinpoint a pattern that it does it, even tho i was playing with the amp and when i lifted it up(its not mounted yet) it would hit softer and i put it back down and it hit harder, but it could of just been random...i have no idea, its frustrating tho |
|
New member Username: Kaos15thPhoenix, Arizona USA Post Number: 6 Registered: Mar-05 | I just found out i have a 105 amp alternator that shoulld be enough for my small system right? And I have Also Noticed That The idle gets lower when i turn on the lights And When i put the turn signals the idle moves up and down. And still I have no light dimming or nothing. |
|
Bronze Member Username: Johnnysanz3Post Number: 28 Registered: Mar-05 | ya urs should be enough, my alternator i think is only 70 amps |
|
New member Username: Kaos15thPhoenix, Arizona USA Post Number: 7 Registered: Mar-05 | What kind of system do you have johhny Your problem could be because too big of an amp. But i dont understand My problem because i only have a small system and a 105 amp. Yeah it does get frustrated. where's isaac and jonathan when you need them. |
|
Bronze Member Username: IceflamekillaHartford, CT Post Number: 13 Registered: Mar-05 | Listen to your system and keep an eye on your RPMs. At higher RPMs, your sound should be better. Thats because at higher RPMs the alternator is charging the battery quicker. If thats the case, sometimes a capacitor will do the trick. Changing the alternator is recommended for high power systems. You can also open the hood and listen to the clicking noises from your alternator. It should only click once in a while being idle, but if you hear that its clicking too often than you might have to change the alternator anyway. In any case, you might wanna have it checked out to see that theres nothing wrong with it. |
|
Bronze Member Username: Johnnysanz3Post Number: 30 Registered: Mar-05 | i have a audiobahn 8000t and a 15" audiobahn sub, the amp is rated 400 watts rms at 4 ohm, but i have it wired for 2 ohms, so i guess around 600 or 700 watts its putting out |
|
New member Username: Kaos15thPhoenix, Arizona USA Post Number: 8 Registered: Mar-05 | bump |
|
Gold Member Username: CarguyPost Number: 2166 Registered: Nov-04 | Lil Chris, try this test. Get a DMM and measure your power wire with the engine off. Then do it again with the engine on. Now monitor the voltage as you rev up the engine speed. See if the voltage fluctuates. You could have a bad alternator/battery. The voltage reading with engine off should be around 12.5v or higher. With engine on, it should read 13.5v - 14.4v. |
|
Silver Member Username: Rob_brownPost Number: 214 Registered: Jul-04 | My sh1t has been doing the same thing lately and i didn't know what was causing it. i was thinking about posting to see if anyone had the same problem. I was hoping that it would be something simple like it was compressed bad when i made an mp3 cd. I might have to try and measure the power like isaac said. could it be my rca cables? |
|
Bronze Member Username: Spittin2rockPost Number: 92 Registered: Mar-04 | Check your ground. May not be grounded good enough. |
|
Gold Member Username: CarguyPost Number: 2167 Registered: Nov-04 | The odds of rca cable going bad is very low. Even if it were pinched, as long as it's not shorting out, it will still function. One more note on testing. If the voltage reading is normal, then test the current draw. Every DMM has voltage and current measurement setting. Download a pink noise sound from the internet and record it onto a cd. Then play the same note while testing. Makes it much easier for reading. |
|
Silver Member Username: Rob_brownPost Number: 215 Registered: Jul-04 | i just don't understand what would cause it to hit harder when i'm stopping, it seems like that's when it is happening |
|
Bronze Member Username: Johnnysanz3Post Number: 34 Registered: Mar-05 | i checked the voltage and idling its between 13.8 and 14.0, and it doesnt really change when i rev the engine, it never goes above 14.0 volts tho, so i dont know |
|
Gold Member Username: CarguyPost Number: 2171 Registered: Nov-04 | Okay then, now you should try measuring current flow with DMM. Set it for current testing and monitor with the engine at idle and then at higher rpm. See if you can duplicate the situation with music dipping. If the current flow remains constant while the output power drops, then you have an amp problem. |
|
Silver Member Username: FishyTamarac Ft.Laud, FL USA Post Number: 849 Registered: Sep-04 | Forget that current measuring stuff. Last I checked my multimeter was only suitable for measuring 10 amps or less. You're gonna fry your meter(or at least a fuse) if you continue. Turn on all available accessories(lights, a/c, windshield wipers, flashers. hell, honk the horn if you want) then crank your system and measure those voltages again. If they remain good after about 10 minutes of abuse your alternator is doing its job and the "problem" lies elsewhere. A lot of amplifiers have thermal protection circuits which automatically throttle back power when they start to get too warm. Also if your your amps have non regulated power supplies then they will produce less power with less voltage so if your alternator is having problems keeping up you might notice a difference. -Fishy |
|
Gold Member Username: CarguyPost Number: 2185 Registered: Nov-04 | Fishy, there are DMMs that go higher than 30A. Anyways, you can still get 13.5v - 14v even with a bad connection. However, current flow is a different matter. Unless the contacts/connections are solid, it will not carry high current. He did mention that the voltage reading was consistent, therefore, unless the amp is defective, current flow will have high impact on output power. |
|
Silver Member Username: FishyTamarac Ft.Laud, FL USA Post Number: 850 Registered: Sep-04 | Did he mention that he even had his system turned on? If his system is cranked then current IS flowing my friend. If a bad connection is indeed the problem it will immediately show itself in the form of a significant voltage drop unless its due to a "loose" connection that gets jiggled around while he's driving. And exactly how many peeps do you think have a 30 amp capable multimeter? In fact I'm not sure I've ever see one. Find me one here: http://www.testequipmentdepot.com/fluke/dmm/index.htm If you plan on measuring current in excess of 10 amps a DC current clamp would be a much better choice: http://www.testequipmentdepot.com/fluke/currentclamps/currentclampmeters.htm -Fishy |
|
Gold Member Username: CarguyPost Number: 2188 Registered: Nov-04 | Fishy, just cause a system is turned on doesn't mean it's getting the needed current. Think of a rusted/bad connection. It will give you 13.4v-14v everytime, but it will NOT give full current flow. The easiest way I can put it is, having a 24 gauge wire vs 4 gauge wire. They both will give same voltage regardless of engine rev. However, under heavy load, only one will supply proper current. His connection could have deteriorated bad enough over time and have become a current limiter. There are some high current DMM, but it's not a handheld that you're referring to on your link. |
|
Silver Member Username: FishyTamarac Ft.Laud, FL USA Post Number: 854 Registered: Sep-04 | His connection could have deteriorated bad enough over time and have become a current limiter Yes, which would be evident by a significant voltage drop at the amp while under power. All he has to do is measure the voltage at the amp while at low volume and crank it up and look for a change. Simple. A significant drop in voltage means either he has a bad connection(or very small power wire) and/or his alternator isn't doing its job. -Fishy |
|
Gold Member Username: CarguyPost Number: 2192 Registered: Nov-04 | Guy, you're assuming the voltage will drop. You can have a situation where it will remain almost constant except the current. That's what makes diagnosing electronics tricky and time consuming. |
|
Gold Member Username: CarguyPost Number: 2199 Registered: Nov-04 | I've had an experience where that occured. The voltage drop was very minimal, .3v - .5v., but the current change was much higher. That did have some impact on the overall sound level. |
|
Silver Member Username: FishyTamarac Ft.Laud, FL USA Post Number: 859 Registered: Sep-04 | Errr..... last I checked, given a fixed resistance, you can't have one w/o the other. Its that pesky Ohm's Law dealie V = IR You can have a situation where it will remain almost constant except the current. The only way I see that happening while measuring voltage at the amplifier would be if the supply voltage(voltage at the alternator) changed as well which I guess could happen as you revved the engine to a point where the voltage regulator started taking over while increasing volume at the same time or if your power wires were so big that their resistance was negligible. You have to realize that we're talking about a reduction in an amplifier's output here. Assuming that the amplifier is working properly the only way that could happen would be if the voltage measured at the amp dropped and if its got a properly functioning regulated power supply it'd have to drop a lot. I guess his subwoofer's voice coils could be heating up thereby increasing the impedance his amp is seeing(reducing output), but this discussion may be moot anyways. There could be a problem with the amp or some type of gradual thermal protection thing coming into play. We need to stop, Isaac. I've been out of College and driving boats for a very long time now and you're hurting my brain.  -Fishy |
|
Silver Member Username: FishyTamarac Ft.Laud, FL USA Post Number: 860 Registered: Sep-04 | Lol, after rereading this thread it seems we have 3 different people with possibly 3 different problems and all the suggestions here are a mess. I'll see if I can break each one down and offer possible causes/explanations. Let's start with johnny's. Symptoms: Intermittent and seemingly random output altho output may change when amp is moved: Possible Causes: 1) Something wrong with amp - Could be. After all it IS an Audiobahn. 2) Bad ground or other connection - Maybe. Connections at power/ground, speaker wires, or even low level inputs may be affected when amp is moved. 3) Busted VC with intermittent connection - Had that happen to me a couple times and with a DVC sub wired in parallel power would be halved and again an Audiobahn. 4) Alternator on its way out - Don't think so. That amp has a regulated power supply(I think) so I don't believe any minor voltage changes would be all that noticeable. 5) Problem with h/u preamp - Possibly, but I don't know much about that and really haven't heard of this happening much. 6) Thermal protection circuitry - Probably not. The difference most likely would not be audible and oscillating back and forth with amp movement doesn't make much sense. Anyone have any other suggestions or comments? I'm fresh out of ideas at the moment. -Fishy |
|
Gold Member Username: CarguyPost Number: 2204 Registered: Nov-04 | I beginning to think the same. After a while, the advices tend to drift off from the problem. I would stick to option #2. If it's not the amp problem, then it's most likely a power problem. |
|
Bronze Member Username: Johnnysanz3Post Number: 36 Registered: Mar-05 | im buyin another car anyway, so when i put it in that, i will be able to see if it was somethin wrong with the car i had, or if it was a bad connection, thanks for all the insight tho |
|
Bronze Member Username: Johnnysanz3Post Number: 37 Registered: Mar-05 | but something interesting...when i turn left it gets louder..almost eveyr single time i turn left it hits louder, very wierd. |
Main Forums
Today's Posts- Home Audio Forum
- Home Video Forum
- Home Theater Forum
- Car Audio Forum
- Accessories Forum
- All Forum Topics