Diggles

I have two type r's running off 800 watts rms and tomorrow im installing components with a 300 watt amp (150 to each door) and i feel like the subs are under powered i want to push 600 to each one but that will end up being like 1500 watts , or if thats too much can i run a thousand watt rms amp to the subs and that would be like 300 , how muxh can i do without needing to upgrade the alternator

beezee

iTrader: (19)

Don't worry about the alternator with those. Think about upgrading your grounds and battery (Do the "big 3")

wrecker

just do a big 3 and a decent battery ..
im pushing an easy 4k watt .. and no voltage drop
i think the z stock alt pushes like 120 amps..

Diggles

Ok what i was taught was 10 watts an amp so 120 amp alternator is only good for 1200 watts rms , but i can really just slap some thicker wire on it , cause i got a ton of 2 gauge copper jl amp wire thats just been sitting in the closet will that work ?

beezee

iTrader: (19)

That should be fine. I thought these wires are not expensive so I went big with 0 gauge.
Also most will tell you 2 of the big 3 is still OK (without the battery to alternator).
Thats all I did but that was because the alternator wiring was a bit of a pain to me. If you can do all. Don't forget to upgrade your battery though if you have not

str8dum1

iTrader: (11)

the stock alternator is 90A.

the car needs ~30A to run everything. That leaves you with about 60A headspace.

Power= Current* voltage. So at max voltage you only can power 840 watts rms (14*60)

Anyone saying they are pushing 4000 watts with no voltage drop has failed elementary physics.

the big 3 will not change how much current the alternator outputs. You are still limited to 90A total.

Diggles

Well that sounds more along what i was thinking , now my next question id i found a 200
amp alternator online for like 210$ now im just figuring out how hard it would be to change

ngaving

Thats what i'm thinking as well, thx for confirming.
Btw, i've a question for long time, if the Alternator can satisfy all loads, why would I need a high capacity battery (neglecting the crank amp)?
I hv seen people using 12V8AH rescue jump starter (a low resistance Spiral Battery inside indeed), without connecting the original battery.
The only reason I can think of so far is to keep alarm alive after we leave our car. Say the alarm needs 0.03AH, then a 45AH battery can stand for 62 days (0.03*24*62=44.64).
The question is pretty much like mobile phone. If you fully charge your phone and didn't unplug it and then u use it for whatsoever, the battery won't drop, it stays 100%. Only if u unplug it and use it, it drops. (neglecting self discharge)
Please figure me out~

DarkCreep

iTrader: (1)

7 watts.

wrecker

drops to 13.4v
i wouldnt waist your money on a alt..
unless u listen to your stereo full blast .. non stop ..

graham0599

The battery to alt wire is possibly the most important. The guy with "4k watts and no voltage drop" is on crack. I have 3k with an extra battery and have voltage drop. and my amps are set to not distort.

jerryd87

iTrader: (4)

its because alot of people see the big numbers on boxs and think thats what there system is using all the time. seems to be worst with the guys who buy the cheapest possible stuff so they wind up with a "4k" peak amp that pushs pitiful rms numbers

graham0599

That is very true. Mine is a true 3+K RMS
I'm also on the SMD Audio forum. Stereos is my thing.

orgasm_donor

iTrader: (4)

I too am running just under 3000 watts RMS (clamped at 2854). The stock alternator has no problem after I upgraded my battery, my big 3 and my alternator wire - all with high strand copper 1/0. I do turn it up fairly often and yes I do have voltage drop to about 13.2 with heavy bass notes. 90% of the time I do value my hearing so my voltage is nice and healthy. For most people out there, running the stock alt is fine.

Another thing to keep in mind is the type of amplifier(s) you are running. If you have a class D then it'll run a lot more efficiently than your standard alternator-killing class AB. An Alpine MRV-1500 is about 900 watts RMS but its a class AB. I can't tell you how many cars' alternators have pooped the bed after running these amps - regardless of wiring upgrades! LOL.