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New member Username: VaioPost Number: 5 Registered: Dec-04 | LIGHTS dem on my truck with the (2) JL 500/1 AMPS What can i use are do to my truck to stop the lights from deming in me. I asking my friend what to do and he told me to use an another Batter are 3 FARAD CAPACITOR. WHAT do you guys think i do????? |
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Bronze Member Username: DrumjunkyBoulder, Colorado Post Number: 46 Registered: Nov-04 | your best bet is to get an alternator that is able to supply the current that you need. capacitors are only effective for brief peaks in power usage. when your alternator cannot supply enough current for your car, it uses the battery to help suppy the juice. when your battery can't pick up the slack, your lights start to dim. so every time your lights are dimming, you are running your battery down. getting a quality battery will help by making sure your car will start after so much of the dimming, but only will an alternator really fix your problem. a cap could be used, but it wont help all the time...especially if you crank the sub all the time. as a general rule you should have 1 Farad for every 1000W in your system...so for your case, 1 Farad |
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Bronze Member Username: DrumjunkyBoulder, Colorado Post Number: 47 Registered: Nov-04 | a HO alternator...heres some companies frequenly recommended by the people on here www.4alterstart.com www.mralternator.com |
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Anonymous | Dimming is caused by the alternator not keeping up with the system. More batteries or capacitors are just things for the alternator to charge. Get a higher output alternator. |
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New member Username: VaioPost Number: 6 Registered: Dec-04 | IF i use a 200A alternator will do any bad to my truck because the alternator in my truck now is a 95A. I asking if it will the fuses because of the high 200A's? are use a 150A?? |
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Anonymous | a rf battery will do the trick |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 7254 Registered: Dec-03 | Alternators and Charging Systems Upon reading and answering many questions about car audio, one question always pops up: "Do I need a high output alternator or just a capacitor?" If you want a killer system, you may think that all you need are big amplifiers and huge speakers. Not so! Adding a bunch of car audio components to your vehicle without the proper charging system may lead you to disappointment, distortion and damaged equipment. Let's say you install a 1,200 watt amplifier in your ride. Your rides charging system must produce enough electrical current to run the amplifier. Now how do you know how much current is needed? Simple: divide the RMS power rating of the amplifier by the amount of voltage your cars electrical system will produce then add in amplifier inefficiency based on amplifier class. Most vehicle electrical systems are 12.5VDC at idle, and between 13.8 and 14.4VDC above about 900rpm but we use 12 volts as the standard for these calculations, so 1,200 watts divided by 12 volts equals 100 Amperes of current. If this is a class D amplifier, it'll be ~80% efficiend, so we'll add 20% of 100A to the total, and we get about 120A of current demand continuously at peak amp output. This means that the electrical system of the vehicle will need to produce an extra 120 Amperes of electrical current to power your amplifier and subwoofer at peak levels. Keep in mind that the factory electrical system is designed to produce enough charging power (alternator and battery) for the vehicle's stock equipment, and was not designed to accomodate high-powered audio systems. The biggest mistake made by consumers and (some) installers is failing to beef up the charging system to handle the extra load of the audio system. First, you need to understand how the electrical system operates. This must be one of the most mis-understood systems of the entire vehicle, so here's a brief summary: Turning the ignition key begins the process of cranking the motor. The battery supplies the power to get things started. Once the engine is running, the electrical burden is shifted over to the alternator. The alternator uses the engine's mechanical power to produce electrical (AC) current. The AC current is passed through a rectifier and changed to DC current which is then sent through a voltage regulator to smooth out and set the voltage rails for the car . The alternator also has the duty of recharging the battery after starting the vehicle by providing a forward bias voltage higher than that which the battery produces on it's own. Everything works perfectly so long as the power requirements of the vehicle do not exceed the capabilities of the alternator. If the peak output is surpassed due to excessive load, then power will be pulled from the battery. If the alternator and battery combined cannot meet the demand, then the vehicle's voltage rails, and subsequently the electrical devices are diminished (dimming lights, spark plug misfires, audio distortion and amplifier clipping, or even the car stalling.) The first place to look to determine if your charging system is up to the task is the alternator itself. If possible, look for the HOT RATING on the alternator. IF you can't see it easily, call a local auto-parts store or car dealership and ask them to look up the stock alternator size, or rating for your vehicle. The hot rating will tell you the amount of power the alternator will produce once the engine reaches it's operating temperature (this is a lower rating than the cold rating). I suggest using your stock alternator unless you experience problems. That's how you know if you need to upgrade, since there is no concrete way to tell if a stock alternator has enough reserve to handle your additional burdens. Now, if you do need a new and larger alternator, after finding the stock rating, then allow your alternator about 10 Amperes credit or buffer area. As a note, when calculating your required current for your audio system, this is an easy way to do it: 1: calculate the total RMS wattage of your system based on how the amplifiers are wired (2 Ohm load, 4 Ohm load etc) 2: take that total RMS rating, and divide by 12 (volts.) 3: add 20% for class D and T or 40% for class AB. (this compensates for efficiency based on amplifier topology) 4: add amplifier totals together for a combined measurement. (in amperes) This is how many Amperes your audio system will require in addition to what your car already needs (stock alternator rating) at full output. For more information on charging systems and alternators, see here: http://www.bcae1.com/charging.htm http://www.bcae1.com/chargin2.htm |
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Bronze Member Username: DrumjunkyBoulder, Colorado Post Number: 54 Registered: Nov-04 | GlassWolf's website is also a good place to get some great info on car systems...you can find the link by clicking on his name on a post. it's also one of the places I go for a quick reference, or a way to explain car audio fundamentals(he explains it really well). ...hope you don't mind the reference Glass |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 7282 Registered: Dec-03 | not at all. that post above of mine was a direct paste from the capacitor article. figured it had more chance of getting read this way |
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New member Username: VaioPost Number: 7 Registered: Dec-04 | thanks alot glass for all your help |