Optima Yellow Top or Ground Kit needed for these amps?
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I plan on running an Alpine PDX 2.150 as well as a PDX 1.600 for my upcoming install and was wondering if a ground-kit or Optima battery would be beneficial.
2.150 = 300w ------> 300w / 14.4v = 20.83 amps (per Alpine spec)
1.600 = 600w ------> 600w / 14.4v = 41.67 amps (per Alpine spec)
Total = 62.5 amps for the amplifiers, correct?
I've read that the stock alternator puts out 110 amps so I think I will be fine on the alternator side of things. I just don't want to finish the audio installation only to find that I have dimming lights or something of that nature.
Any comments appreciated
2.150 = 300w ------> 300w / 14.4v = 20.83 amps (per Alpine spec)
1.600 = 600w ------> 600w / 14.4v = 41.67 amps (per Alpine spec)
Total = 62.5 amps for the amplifiers, correct?
I've read that the stock alternator puts out 110 amps so I think I will be fine on the alternator side of things. I just don't want to finish the audio installation only to find that I have dimming lights or something of that nature.
Any comments appreciated
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youll be fine. just make sure you have some quality ground and power wires, ground your amps correctly and you should be fine. IMO caps are useless and a waste of money, build your system properly and you shouldn't need one.
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Some things that will help:
If you do these and still see a voltage drop, add a basic 1+ farad cap close to the amp running your sub amp. This should keep you from seeing any voltage drop.
- Upgrade the stock ground from the - battery terminal to the chassis with a 4AWG wire
- Add a 4AWG wire from the motor to the chassis
- Upgrade the - wire from the alternator to the chassis
If you do these and still see a voltage drop, add a basic 1+ farad cap close to the amp running your sub amp. This should keep you from seeing any voltage drop.
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Thanks everyone
I was leaning towards doing the "big 3" upgrade (4 gauge) and calling it a day, and I believe I'll stick with that idea.
I'd like to stay away from caps
I was leaning towards doing the "big 3" upgrade (4 gauge) and calling it a day, and I believe I'll stick with that idea.
I'd like to stay away from caps
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for what you have listed
factory alt okay
big 3 in 0 awg not 4 awg , if you want to comprise 2-3 awg
when you need a new under hood battery Yellow optima or Stinger 1000
and for right now
upgrade all wire to 0 or 2 awg
put stinger 680 as rear suppot
so fatter wire and 1 small hatch battery
i can get you stinger battery , and wire direct
factory alt okay
big 3 in 0 awg not 4 awg , if you want to comprise 2-3 awg
when you need a new under hood battery Yellow optima or Stinger 1000
and for right now
upgrade all wire to 0 or 2 awg
put stinger 680 as rear suppot
so fatter wire and 1 small hatch battery
i can get you stinger battery , and wire direct
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Originally Posted by 350zspl
for what you have listed
factory alt okay
big 3 in 0 awg not 4 awg , if you want to comprise 2-3 awg
when you need a new under hood battery Yellow optima or Stinger 1000
and for right now
upgrade all wire to 0 or 2 awg
put stinger 680 as rear suppot
so fatter wire and 1 small hatch battery
i can get you stinger battery , and wire direct
factory alt okay
big 3 in 0 awg not 4 awg , if you want to comprise 2-3 awg
when you need a new under hood battery Yellow optima or Stinger 1000
and for right now
upgrade all wire to 0 or 2 awg
put stinger 680 as rear suppot
so fatter wire and 1 small hatch battery
i can get you stinger battery , and wire direct
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Originally Posted by Ge|atinousFury
I was planning on ordering a 2 gauge dual amp wiring kit and doing the "big 3" (2 gauge for that now). Are you saying that if I did not upgrade my battery I would need a backup stinger 680 in the hatch? I don't want to have a 2nd battery, so if I have to get an Optima Yellow Top battery then I will. I just need to know if I should do it now or is a 2 gauge amp kit along with "big 3" upgrade fine for my needs.
start off with stock alt , stock battery
all 2 awg wire
if lights dim than new underhood battery
then re -acess
if still dimage or voltage drop than
hatch battery
lets cross that bridge when we get there
upgrade wire 1st than re-access
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I have the Alpine PDX 4.100 and 1.600 and just had to replace my stock battery. It needed to be jumped every so often after I put in my audio system. Plus I have an 03 so my battery could have been on it's last leg.
I just installed the Optimal Yellow Top today and so far, so good. I like to play my system sometimes without the engine running, plus I wanted to get a deep cycle battery as this isn't my daily driver, so this was a good investment for me.
I just installed the Optimal Yellow Top today and so far, so good. I like to play my system sometimes without the engine running, plus I wanted to get a deep cycle battery as this isn't my daily driver, so this was a good investment for me.
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Thanks for all the replies people
I'm going to make my own "big 3" kit with some 2awg wire and some ring terminals, but I notice on some sites they include 2 M6 x 10mm bolts along with 2 M6 x 16mm bolts
like this one
http://www.z-xtreme.com/installation.html
Will I have to find some of these M6 bolts or can I use the stock hardware that's already on the car?
And one other question, where do I get a tool that can crimp 2 gauge ring terminals lol??
I'm going to make my own "big 3" kit with some 2awg wire and some ring terminals, but I notice on some sites they include 2 M6 x 10mm bolts along with 2 M6 x 16mm bolts
like this one
http://www.z-xtreme.com/installation.html
Will I have to find some of these M6 bolts or can I use the stock hardware that's already on the car?
And one other question, where do I get a tool that can crimp 2 gauge ring terminals lol??
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Originally Posted by BootieMAN
I have the Alpine PDX 4.100 and 1.600 and just had to replace my stock battery. It needed to be jumped every so often after I put in my audio system. Plus I have an 03 so my battery could have been on it's last leg.
I just installed the Optimal Yellow Top today and so far, so good. I like to play my system sometimes without the engine running, plus I wanted to get a deep cycle battery as this isn't my daily driver, so this was a good investment for me.
I just installed the Optimal Yellow Top today and so far, so good. I like to play my system sometimes without the engine running, plus I wanted to get a deep cycle battery as this isn't my daily driver, so this was a good investment for me.
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Originally Posted by Ge|atinousFury
Forgot to ask in my last post...did you experience dimming of lights or voltage drops on the voltage meter while on the stock battery?
If your car is a daily driver and you're not going to add anymore amps or major electronics to your setup, you should be ok with the stock battery.
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Originally Posted by BootieMAN
With everything turned on, including all my aftermarket gauges, led lights, etc, etc I would get some dimming with the stereo turned up quite a bit. Normal listening levels..no dimming with the stock battery.
If your car is a daily driver and you're not going to add anymore amps or major electronics to your setup, you should be ok with the stock battery.
If your car is a daily driver and you're not going to add anymore amps or major electronics to your setup, you should be ok with the stock battery.
Gives me some hope for the stock battery
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Anyone know if I'll need the bolts I referenced 3 posts up (for big 3 installation)?
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Originally Posted by Ge|atinousFury
Anyone know if I'll need the bolts I referenced 3 posts up (for big 3 installation)?
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No problemo, I already have a Dremel so that works out nicely.
One more thing...
Anyone know the lengths of the 3 ground cables off the top of your head?
I haven't checked under the hood yet so I don't know how easily measurable they are.
One more thing...
Anyone know the lengths of the 3 ground cables off the top of your head?
I haven't checked under the hood yet so I don't know how easily measurable they are.
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Just take an length of 4AWG wire and feed it from one point to another, allowing for proper routing and a little slack. Once you have your path figured out cut the other end and terminate.
In the first photo you can see in the center of the pic is where I used one of the factory ground points to attach a 4AWG wire to the chasis:
![](http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/Pork_Flaps/FRANK/IMG_0099.jpg)
In this pic you can see the bolt on the motor I used to attach the other end to:
![](http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/Pork_Flaps/FRANK/IMG_0100.jpg)
I didnt do the alternator ground cable upgrade... didnt need to.
In the first photo you can see in the center of the pic is where I used one of the factory ground points to attach a 4AWG wire to the chasis:
![](http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/Pork_Flaps/FRANK/IMG_0099.jpg)
In this pic you can see the bolt on the motor I used to attach the other end to:
![](http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/Pork_Flaps/FRANK/IMG_0100.jpg)
I didnt do the alternator ground cable upgrade... didnt need to.
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right after I installed my pdx 2.150 and 1.1000 my stock battery went south. I replaced it with a NAPA branded oribital battery (same type as optima and exide orbital). it's been good since then, no dimming at all even with the system hitting, the stock alternator can keep up and voltage remains above 13volts. I did upgrade the ground at the battery to 1/0ga and the main power is 1/0ga to dist block then two 4ga runs to the amps. Each amp has a 3F cap. Don't know if I would get the same results with out the caps but they are cheap enough that I thought I'd just throw them in for insurance.
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Thanks a lot for the pics Ichigo. Did you upgrade the alternator power wire and the battery to chassis ground?
If I understand what I've read correctly, the battery ground cable should not go to the car body, but the car frame or the engine block. So the battery ground cable could go to the bolt on your motor that you've shown in your pics? (In fact, I believe it's what the 2nd ground cable is in the pic...)
If I understand what I've read correctly, the battery ground cable should not go to the car body, but the car frame or the engine block. So the battery ground cable could go to the bolt on your motor that you've shown in your pics? (In fact, I believe it's what the 2nd ground cable is in the pic...)
Last edited by Ge|atinousFury; 11-12-2007 at 06:53 PM.
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