Anyone using 2 batteries?
04-25-2007, 05:47 AM
#3
kwame, is your installer telling you to get another battery? i didnt htink you were running anywhere near hte set up to warrant another one...
the only time to be honest, you should need another battery is if you areally planning on playing for long periods of time with the car off.
if oyu are going the SPL route like 350zspl, then more batteries help beucae they keep the current flowing when hes burrping his big amp and completely overwhelming his alternator
by the way, 350zspl...ever think about switching to xtatic batcaps? so many of my SPL freinds swear by them...
the only time to be honest, you should need another battery is if you areally planning on playing for long periods of time with the car off.
if oyu are going the SPL route like 350zspl, then more batteries help beucae they keep the current flowing when hes burrping his big amp and completely overwhelming his alternator
by the way, 350zspl...ever think about switching to xtatic batcaps? so many of my SPL freinds swear by them...
04-25-2007, 06:09 AM
#4
Originally Posted by 16psibrick
kwame, is your installer telling you to get another battery? i didnt htink you were running anywhere near hte set up to warrant another one...
the only time to be honest, you should need another battery is if you areally planning on playing for long periods of time with the car off.
if oyu are going the SPL route like 350zspl, then more batteries help beucae they keep the current flowing when hes burrping his big amp and completely overwhelming his alternator
by the way, 350zspl...ever think about switching to xtatic batcaps? so many of my SPL freinds swear by them...
the only time to be honest, you should need another battery is if you areally planning on playing for long periods of time with the car off.
if oyu are going the SPL route like 350zspl, then more batteries help beucae they keep the current flowing when hes burrping his big amp and completely overwhelming his alternator
by the way, 350zspl...ever think about switching to xtatic batcaps? so many of my SPL freinds swear by them...
we buy Kinetic and Stinger at the shop
so i can get them for personal cheap
not sure if ammp of america sells xtatic and thats were we get ours from
will inquire about them though
if he is not experiencing head light flicker at idle with ac on and stereo booming no need for battery
04-25-2007, 06:55 AM
#6
Originally Posted by 16psibrick
kwame, is your installer telling you to get another battery? i didnt htink you were running anywhere near hte set up to warrant another one...
the only time to be honest, you should need another battery is if you areally planning on playing for long periods of time with the car off.
if oyu are going the SPL route like 350zspl, then more batteries help beucae they keep the current flowing when hes burrping his big amp and completely overwhelming his alternator
by the way, 350zspl...ever think about switching to xtatic batcaps? so many of my SPL freinds swear by them...
the only time to be honest, you should need another battery is if you areally planning on playing for long periods of time with the car off.
if oyu are going the SPL route like 350zspl, then more batteries help beucae they keep the current flowing when hes burrping his big amp and completely overwhelming his alternator
by the way, 350zspl...ever think about switching to xtatic batcaps? so many of my SPL freinds swear by them...
I have ordered a 220 amp alternator and have the installer updating all of the grounds and wiring from the alternator, batteries and so on and so forth to 0/1 guage wiring. I really don't see why I need another battery. Can anyone tell me if what I am saying is correct?
My installer's explanation for the second battery is that my Mcintosh amps are really inefficent and will put a huge drain on my battery. I don't understand what that has to do with anything if I don't plan on running the system with the car off. When the car is running the 220amp alternator should be more than efficent for a 1400 watt sound system.
04-25-2007, 07:48 AM
#7
here is my theory on the whole battery and electrical issue thing...take it as my opinion, but a lot of very knowledgable person do share the same opinions
battery: main advantage of a better battery is bigger capacity allowing you to run the system off for longer periods of time. deep cycles, such as the optima yellows, also has the added advantage of staying alive even after being drained one too many times. Some batteries, also have the ability to discharge faster, but again, this is more for SPL purposes, one reason, as i understand it, why the xtatic batcap is popular with SPL competittors is that its almost a cap, in that it can store a ton of power and discharge it very quickly for SPL purposes. I DONT understand the reason why if you are running a daily SQ oriented system and dont plan on listening to bass tones at max volume all day long, that a second battery will really help anything. It is true that macs are pretty dark inefficient, but again, i dont see why the battery is the focus here. Many a IASCA world champions have run single batteries in their systems that have more RMS output than your system will.
Caps: Caps to me, is a bandaid solution to a larger problem. If you get a little lights flickering at big bass notes, its your sound system pulling more current than your electrical system has in rerserve and droppping the voltage. A cap will help in this kind of situation becuase it can store the energry enough for a big bass note and instead of draining the eelctrical system, it drains the cap. Such as you would be using a bandaid on a small cut. But, when the system is severe enough that its really straining the electrical system, such as MAJOR lights dimming, to the point that your engine RPM is dropping, or if you have a voltimeter, you see the voltage drop to something like 12.xx volts on a big bass note, a cap is NOT going to help you, it simply will not keep up with the demand, and infact, a cap in this situation is going to HURT you...beucase now, in addition to trying to keep up with the amp's draw, your alternator now has the added responsiblity of trying to fill your cap too...
Alternator upgrade: To me, this is the best and most direct solution to solving your electrical needs. If you upgrade your alternator to 220 amp as you say, it will now provide enough current to drive your car AND the sstero system wtihout much strain, and there for, no need for batteries and caps. the reason why most people dont do this is because its more expensive and more time consuming, so a cap seems like an easier solution...but again, a cap, even a big 15 farad one, will only take you so far.
so thast it, from my view point, you dont need more batteries, with your 220 amp alternator, you should be fine iwth your mac system, on high levels of bass output, you may still get minimal lights diming, at which point you can add a cap to gain some more breathing room. but i just do NOT see how another normal battery will help you.
thats it...
oh one other thing...a lot of people look at an amp's rated specs, its maximum current draw and go, wow, i am going to need major help, if all my amps toether can draw 150 amps maximum, and i ahve a 100 amp alternator, its gonna be very bad...
well, keep in mind that mid/high amps will rarely come close to their maximum draw, even at max output and a BIG midbass note, it may touch max current darw for a split second, less than a second...so no propblems there. the bass amp will see max current draws for pro longed period of time when you have big, deep, and long lasting bass notes, aside from that, again, very short bursts.
so dont choose caps or batteries or waht not simply reading off specs on all your amps, instead, look at your mid/high amps' current draw separate from your bass amps, and take into accoutn the type of music you most likely will listen to, and make a decision from there on. simply put, someone who listens to 99 percent jazz, rock, classical type of music will most likely need electrical system uogrades less than someone who listens to prodominantly hiphop, even with the same car and same exact audio ssytem
battery: main advantage of a better battery is bigger capacity allowing you to run the system off for longer periods of time. deep cycles, such as the optima yellows, also has the added advantage of staying alive even after being drained one too many times. Some batteries, also have the ability to discharge faster, but again, this is more for SPL purposes, one reason, as i understand it, why the xtatic batcap is popular with SPL competittors is that its almost a cap, in that it can store a ton of power and discharge it very quickly for SPL purposes. I DONT understand the reason why if you are running a daily SQ oriented system and dont plan on listening to bass tones at max volume all day long, that a second battery will really help anything. It is true that macs are pretty dark inefficient, but again, i dont see why the battery is the focus here. Many a IASCA world champions have run single batteries in their systems that have more RMS output than your system will.
Caps: Caps to me, is a bandaid solution to a larger problem. If you get a little lights flickering at big bass notes, its your sound system pulling more current than your electrical system has in rerserve and droppping the voltage. A cap will help in this kind of situation becuase it can store the energry enough for a big bass note and instead of draining the eelctrical system, it drains the cap. Such as you would be using a bandaid on a small cut. But, when the system is severe enough that its really straining the electrical system, such as MAJOR lights dimming, to the point that your engine RPM is dropping, or if you have a voltimeter, you see the voltage drop to something like 12.xx volts on a big bass note, a cap is NOT going to help you, it simply will not keep up with the demand, and infact, a cap in this situation is going to HURT you...beucase now, in addition to trying to keep up with the amp's draw, your alternator now has the added responsiblity of trying to fill your cap too...
Alternator upgrade: To me, this is the best and most direct solution to solving your electrical needs. If you upgrade your alternator to 220 amp as you say, it will now provide enough current to drive your car AND the sstero system wtihout much strain, and there for, no need for batteries and caps. the reason why most people dont do this is because its more expensive and more time consuming, so a cap seems like an easier solution...but again, a cap, even a big 15 farad one, will only take you so far.
so thast it, from my view point, you dont need more batteries, with your 220 amp alternator, you should be fine iwth your mac system, on high levels of bass output, you may still get minimal lights diming, at which point you can add a cap to gain some more breathing room. but i just do NOT see how another normal battery will help you.
thats it...
oh one other thing...a lot of people look at an amp's rated specs, its maximum current draw and go, wow, i am going to need major help, if all my amps toether can draw 150 amps maximum, and i ahve a 100 amp alternator, its gonna be very bad...
well, keep in mind that mid/high amps will rarely come close to their maximum draw, even at max output and a BIG midbass note, it may touch max current darw for a split second, less than a second...so no propblems there. the bass amp will see max current draws for pro longed period of time when you have big, deep, and long lasting bass notes, aside from that, again, very short bursts.
so dont choose caps or batteries or waht not simply reading off specs on all your amps, instead, look at your mid/high amps' current draw separate from your bass amps, and take into accoutn the type of music you most likely will listen to, and make a decision from there on. simply put, someone who listens to 99 percent jazz, rock, classical type of music will most likely need electrical system uogrades less than someone who listens to prodominantly hiphop, even with the same car and same exact audio ssytem
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11-12-2007, 12:16 PM
#8
Administrator
iTrader: (25)
Originally Posted by 16psibrick
here is my theory on the whole battery and electrical issue thing...take it as my opinion, but a lot of very knowledgable person do share the same opinions
battery: main advantage of a better battery is bigger capacity allowing you to run the system off for longer periods of time. deep cycles, such as the optima yellows, also has the added advantage of staying alive even after being drained one too many times. Some batteries, also have the ability to discharge faster, but again, this is more for SPL purposes, one reason, as i understand it, why the xtatic batcap is popular with SPL competittors is that its almost a cap, in that it can store a ton of power and discharge it very quickly for SPL purposes. I DONT understand the reason why if you are running a daily SQ oriented system and dont plan on listening to bass tones at max volume all day long, that a second battery will really help anything. It is true that macs are pretty dark inefficient, but again, i dont see why the battery is the focus here. Many a IASCA world champions have run single batteries in their systems that have more RMS output than your system will.
Caps: Caps to me, is a bandaid solution to a larger problem. If you get a little lights flickering at big bass notes, its your sound system pulling more current than your electrical system has in rerserve and droppping the voltage. A cap will help in this kind of situation becuase it can store the energry enough for a big bass note and instead of draining the eelctrical system, it drains the cap. Such as you would be using a bandaid on a small cut. But, when the system is severe enough that its really straining the electrical system, such as MAJOR lights dimming, to the point that your engine RPM is dropping, or if you have a voltimeter, you see the voltage drop to something like 12.xx volts on a big bass note, a cap is NOT going to help you, it simply will not keep up with the demand, and infact, a cap in this situation is going to HURT you...beucase now, in addition to trying to keep up with the amp's draw, your alternator now has the added responsiblity of trying to fill your cap too...
Alternator upgrade: To me, this is the best and most direct solution to solving your electrical needs. If you upgrade your alternator to 220 amp as you say, it will now provide enough current to drive your car AND the sstero system wtihout much strain, and there for, no need for batteries and caps. the reason why most people dont do this is because its more expensive and more time consuming, so a cap seems like an easier solution...but again, a cap, even a big 15 farad one, will only take you so far.
so thast it, from my view point, you dont need more batteries, with your 220 amp alternator, you should be fine iwth your mac system, on high levels of bass output, you may still get minimal lights diming, at which point you can add a cap to gain some more breathing room. but i just do NOT see how another normal battery will help you.
thats it...
oh one other thing...a lot of people look at an amp's rated specs, its maximum current draw and go, wow, i am going to need major help, if all my amps toether can draw 150 amps maximum, and i ahve a 100 amp alternator, its gonna be very bad...
well, keep in mind that mid/high amps will rarely come close to their maximum draw, even at max output and a BIG midbass note, it may touch max current darw for a split second, less than a second...so no propblems there. the bass amp will see max current draws for pro longed period of time when you have big, deep, and long lasting bass notes, aside from that, again, very short bursts.
so dont choose caps or batteries or waht not simply reading off specs on all your amps, instead, look at your mid/high amps' current draw separate from your bass amps, and take into accoutn the type of music you most likely will listen to, and make a decision from there on. simply put, someone who listens to 99 percent jazz, rock, classical type of music will most likely need electrical system uogrades less than someone who listens to prodominantly hiphop, even with the same car and same exact audio ssytem
battery: main advantage of a better battery is bigger capacity allowing you to run the system off for longer periods of time. deep cycles, such as the optima yellows, also has the added advantage of staying alive even after being drained one too many times. Some batteries, also have the ability to discharge faster, but again, this is more for SPL purposes, one reason, as i understand it, why the xtatic batcap is popular with SPL competittors is that its almost a cap, in that it can store a ton of power and discharge it very quickly for SPL purposes. I DONT understand the reason why if you are running a daily SQ oriented system and dont plan on listening to bass tones at max volume all day long, that a second battery will really help anything. It is true that macs are pretty dark inefficient, but again, i dont see why the battery is the focus here. Many a IASCA world champions have run single batteries in their systems that have more RMS output than your system will.
Caps: Caps to me, is a bandaid solution to a larger problem. If you get a little lights flickering at big bass notes, its your sound system pulling more current than your electrical system has in rerserve and droppping the voltage. A cap will help in this kind of situation becuase it can store the energry enough for a big bass note and instead of draining the eelctrical system, it drains the cap. Such as you would be using a bandaid on a small cut. But, when the system is severe enough that its really straining the electrical system, such as MAJOR lights dimming, to the point that your engine RPM is dropping, or if you have a voltimeter, you see the voltage drop to something like 12.xx volts on a big bass note, a cap is NOT going to help you, it simply will not keep up with the demand, and infact, a cap in this situation is going to HURT you...beucase now, in addition to trying to keep up with the amp's draw, your alternator now has the added responsiblity of trying to fill your cap too...
Alternator upgrade: To me, this is the best and most direct solution to solving your electrical needs. If you upgrade your alternator to 220 amp as you say, it will now provide enough current to drive your car AND the sstero system wtihout much strain, and there for, no need for batteries and caps. the reason why most people dont do this is because its more expensive and more time consuming, so a cap seems like an easier solution...but again, a cap, even a big 15 farad one, will only take you so far.
so thast it, from my view point, you dont need more batteries, with your 220 amp alternator, you should be fine iwth your mac system, on high levels of bass output, you may still get minimal lights diming, at which point you can add a cap to gain some more breathing room. but i just do NOT see how another normal battery will help you.
thats it...
oh one other thing...a lot of people look at an amp's rated specs, its maximum current draw and go, wow, i am going to need major help, if all my amps toether can draw 150 amps maximum, and i ahve a 100 amp alternator, its gonna be very bad...
well, keep in mind that mid/high amps will rarely come close to their maximum draw, even at max output and a BIG midbass note, it may touch max current darw for a split second, less than a second...so no propblems there. the bass amp will see max current draws for pro longed period of time when you have big, deep, and long lasting bass notes, aside from that, again, very short bursts.
so dont choose caps or batteries or waht not simply reading off specs on all your amps, instead, look at your mid/high amps' current draw separate from your bass amps, and take into accoutn the type of music you most likely will listen to, and make a decision from there on. simply put, someone who listens to 99 percent jazz, rock, classical type of music will most likely need electrical system uogrades less than someone who listens to prodominantly hiphop, even with the same car and same exact audio ssytem
11-12-2007, 12:20 PM
#10
Administrator
iTrader: (25)
Originally Posted by 350zspl
i use
1 , stinger 1000 under hood
3, stinger 680 in hatch
contemplating 2 each more stinger 680 in hatch
1 , stinger 1000 under hood
3, stinger 680 in hatch
contemplating 2 each more stinger 680 in hatch
The only place I have to install a 2nd battery is in the passenger's side rear compartment. Do you have any suggestions or pointers on routing the cables? Any suggestions on guage of cable to use also?
I currently have "0" ga. running from the engine compartment to a main distribution block inside the driver's rear compartment, if this helps any.
11-12-2007, 12:31 PM
#11
Originally Posted by vo7848
I saw the pics of your previous set ups. Nice!
The only place I have to install a 2nd battery is in the passenger's side rear compartment. Do you have any suggestions or pointers on routing the cables? Any suggestions on guage of cable to use also?
I currently have "0" ga. running from the engine compartment to a main distribution block inside the driver's rear compartment, if this helps any.
The only place I have to install a 2nd battery is in the passenger's side rear compartment. Do you have any suggestions or pointers on routing the cables? Any suggestions on guage of cable to use also?
I currently have "0" ga. running from the engine compartment to a main distribution block inside the driver's rear compartment, if this helps any.
if not you need to squeeze a very small battery in that 10" hole
stinger 680
kinetic hc 600
will squeeze thru
so your plan is ???
11-12-2007, 12:33 PM
#12
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Kwame, As I posted a couple months ago in a thread much of the same info about batteries/caps/alternators, I agree 100% with bing. With your upgraded alternator, I would just make sure that your battery under the hood is a deep cycle, glass mat, gel cell battery. The advantage is that these glass mat batteries discharge and recharge at a much more rapid rate than the lead plate batteries, which will assist your alternator in providing all the power your car's accessories will need at any given time.
The batteries that I have used and had great success with in the past are the Exide Orbital batteries, but the Optima yellow, Odyssey, Stinger (made by Odyssey), and several other brands are all good too.
The batteries that I have used and had great success with in the past are the Exide Orbital batteries, but the Optima yellow, Odyssey, Stinger (made by Odyssey), and several other brands are all good too.
11-12-2007, 12:35 PM
#13
Administrator
iTrader: (25)
Originally Posted by 350zspl
are you planning on cutting out the 10" metal baffle designed to hold factory 10" sub
if not you need to squeeze a very small battery in that 10" hole
stinger 680
kinetic hc 600
will squeeze thru
so your plan is ???
if not you need to squeeze a very small battery in that 10" hole
stinger 680
kinetic hc 600
will squeeze thru
so your plan is ???
The power distribution block is located behind the baffle panel(driver's side). The distribution block is large. It's outputs will accomodate 4 ga. cables, max.
11-12-2007, 12:38 PM
#15
i would run 0 awg down passenger side into glove box
remove factory plastic tray
then look how much space you got
i would use a ditribution block at that point
1 each 0 awg input and 2-3 o awg out put
from DB block to battery
then 0 awg from glove box to amps in hatch
remove factory plastic tray
then look how much space you got
i would use a ditribution block at that point
1 each 0 awg input and 2-3 o awg out put
from DB block to battery
then 0 awg from glove box to amps in hatch
11-12-2007, 12:38 PM
#16
Administrator
iTrader: (25)
Originally Posted by StreetOC192
recharge at a much more rapid rate than the lead plate batteries
11-12-2007, 12:40 PM
#17
Originally Posted by vo7848
+1. I drainded my Yellow Top Optima down to about 8.5 VDC after running my system for about 20mins. It recovered really quick after starting the engine.
i always run my stereo with car running
thats just me
you may want a stinger isolater relay if you run system with car off
running with car off can result in batteries not getting enough power
and get minor clipping that you might not hear
11-12-2007, 12:44 PM
#18
Administrator
iTrader: (25)
Originally Posted by 350zspl
i would run 0 awg down passenger side into glove box
remove factory plastic tray
then look how much space you got
i would use a ditribution block at that point
1 each 0 awg input and 2-3 o awg out put
from DB block to battery
then 0 awg from glove box to amps in hatch
remove factory plastic tray
then look how much space you got
i would use a ditribution block at that point
1 each 0 awg input and 2-3 o awg out put
from DB block to battery
then 0 awg from glove box to amps in hatch
Does this sound feasible?
I'm not sure if I could sqeeze a 2 ga. cable into the output of the existing distribution block. I know 4 ga. will fit.
I really want to avoid running another cable from the engine bay to the back cubby. I figure the existing 0 ga. cable should be ample enough to handle the current needed for 2 batteries.
What do you think?
11-12-2007, 12:45 PM
#19
Administrator
iTrader: (25)
Originally Posted by 350zspl
you may want a stinger isolater relay if you run system with car off
11-12-2007, 12:51 PM
#20
Originally Posted by vo7848
I've never heard of one of these. Please elaborate.
does not have to be stinger but my choice
what this does is
when using radio when car is not running
radio runs until batteries reaches low level of only having enough juice to allow car to start
in other words keeps you from getting stuck
shuts system down when it realizes batteries are at the point of to low voltage , but leaves enough to re-start car
in simple terms