hum too much bump?

[chillinmp]

ok I have noticed that my headlights dim when I bump, is there a possiblity that I will need to get a need alternater? if so who has don't this and what do you recommend?
dav

[Gator]

If you don't already have one add a Cap to your system, generally 1 farad will do the job. Try this 1st and see if it helps and then if necessary go the higher output alternator route.

Richard
"Gator"

[chillinmp]

my friend who works on my audio cause I know jack about it, had a bad experience with caps, and refuses to work with them again. something about getting thrown across the room on a discharge, I am to exaclty sure. what are some name brands of alternaters that I could look into.
dav

[Mattcoool]

conversation between AMIGRAND and myself on this subject.

AMIGRAND:
A cap may help, but for a few more bucks, I usually recomend adding a second battery. You can pick up a good second battery for $149 or so, and I would recomend a dual battery relay, $60 or so. A few extra connectors and whatnot, your in it about $249 or less, unless you pay somebody to install the relay (pretty simple) or do a trick mount with the battery in back (again, a little patirnce will get the job done).

Some people here disagree with me here, but in my years of experience this is the best fix unless you wanna get a high output alternator and whatnot. The stock alternator will have no problem with the second battery if it's installed right, and the batt is a far better voltage leveler for a big system than a cap.

ME:
Is there anyway you can post exactly what i have to do, because i always thought that a second batterey would drain my system more or something, actually, can you just explain how it works in detail, i am very interested in doing that, i might be able to come up with some cash for it.

AMIGRAND:
EASY.

Just run a 4 ga or bigger wire from the main battery, to the second one. + to +. The one you have for your amps is probably fine for the job. The relay goes in between somewhere, preferably under the hood. The relay gets an ignition wire so it flips when the engine is turned on. The power wire connecting them also gets two fuses, one within 18 inches of each + post. The rear battery gets grounded to the frame, just like an amp. Run your power & ground for the amps directly to the new battery.

Done!

Make sure the new batt is securely mounted. Get a Gelcell or Drycell unit, no fumes. It should be deep cycle, most audio batteries are. Make sure you have a good ground, also easy.

That's it! It will not drain your alternator, the difference in resistance is negligable. The batt has more reserve capacity than a cap, and the Drycells have a high enough peak discharge to handle anything short of a truly sick system (like the Camaro, LOL). If you still wanna add caps, you can, but you shouldn't need them. The only way tyou'll ever see a problem with this setup is if you listen to you system FULL POWER, ALL THE TIME. As long as it gets a rest periodicly with the engine running, it'll last for years.

ME:
Dude, that sounds so simple. What do i look for with the relay and fuses and stuff, because i know NOTHING about it. I really wanna do this. Im leaning twords getting an optima yellowtop but i don't know should i put that one in the back or should i put it in the front and switch the two? I don't know. Thanks for all the help man, you've been great. I don't think ill add caps unless i need it, but i from what your telling me i won't. And when ever im in the car i listen to my system, but i guess i could turn it down from time to time to let the battery in back charge or do whatever its gotta do.

AMIGRAND:
Stinger SPV-44 Battery ($149), Stinger SR200 dual battery realy ($59), Stinger s4prg 4ga ring terminals ($4.99), and whatever fuse holders you want, just make sure they can handle the alternator - so either circuit breakers (spendy but easy) or ANL fuses (less simple, but cheaper). CB100's are $59 each, a couple seanflh's (anl fuse holders) are under $20 apeice, the ANL's themselves in a 1-00 or 125 rating are $10 to $15 EACH.

There's your parts list as it would exist from Stinger's book, which is where I do my shopping, LOL. All the prices are retail, you oughtta get them cheaper easily enough.

Good luck!

[GrandAmGT99]

I've always heard that adding a second battery isn't gonna do crap...so im against that....and caps.....just get a higher output alternator, that'll take care of it.

[pounder]

adding a second battery can help IF..you have a HO alt..on the stock alt all a second battery is going to do is kill your stock alt that much faster..think of the load your batery puts on the alternator..now double that..your stock alt is not suited to handle that and all you will do is lower your operating voltage, and kill your stock alt in time..now a cap is a band-aid solution..i myself run 2 1 farad caps and find they work great..for some, they work..for others, they don't..go to the soursce if you want to get serious about it..your alternator is the main source of electricity..hell its the only source when the car is on..(until the voltage drops to 12.5 or so)..if you upgrade the alt then its time to look into a secomd battery, but not until the alt is upgraded.. www.mralternator.com has 160 amp alts for us (case cs-130d) for 205 i think..or you could look into sting or ohio generator..take a look into batt caps..ive heard great things from them..they don't put a load on your alternator like a battery does, and they discharge as fast as a cap..if your power wire to the amps is less then 4 gauge i suggest upgrading to at least 4 gauge..and it wouldn't hurt to upgrade the power wire from your alt to your batt either..later

[GrandAmSC/T]

Adding a second battery is definately the best way to go. If it isnt then how come all the major competitors are doing this. Granted, the major competitors are using beefed up alternators as well, but thats not a necessity as long as its done right. If its done wrong you can blow the cells in your battery or worse blow your alternator.

[GrandAmGT99]

What are you talking about all the major competitors? Are you talking about people with competition systems? Wait, that's right, they have ho alternators, too. You basically just posted a bunch of pointless words with nothing at all to back them up. Secondly, you don't blow an alternator, you'd have to be a complete idiot to hook up a second battery the wrong way, it isn't that difficult.

[GrandAmSC/T]

someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning :wtf:

[GrandAmGT99]

I don't wake up, I work third shift, I never sleep. All im asking is for some evidence that what you're saying is BS...maybe I AM wrong, but you need to teach my why what you're saying is correct, i need proof! it's your responsobility as a fellow forum member....:confused:

[Mattcoool]

actually, a second battery is the best way to go as i hear it, think about it for a second, its like a really big cap isn't it? About killing the alternator, i don't think it does, i trust amigrand, maybe he will explain it to you, but i take his word for it.

[GrandAmSC/T]

First of all what i ment about the major competitors is guys into SPL. People who compete in car audio..... They use many batterys and a High output aftermarket alternator or two because of the voltage their amps are pulling. And yeah you can blow an alternator. If your constantly putting stress on the alternator it will eventually give out. You can get to the point when the alternator can no longer provide enough current to effectively supply the car and charge the main battery. Thats when you have to get an extra battery and a bigger alternator. But like i said in my very first post, a bigger alternator is not a necessity especially in Grand AMs (stock alternator is decent) unless you have a monstorous system with many amps demanding lots of power. Id be willing to bet hooking up a second battery the wrong way is more common than you might think. Dumb people (like myself) don't know that when you hook up an extra battery you have to also include a solenoid and fuses so your alternator also charges the second battery as well as the one under your hood- and of course fuses for your protection.

Adding a second battery, i think is better than a cap. I look at a cap as a temporary fix and a second battery as a more permanent fix. Second battery also has an advantage that a cap doesn't, you can listen to your stereo with your car off ALOT longer, and if you drain your battery all that you will drain is the second one. You can still start up the car and drive off.

The difference between the battery and a cap is that while the capacitor can supply a large amount of current immediately, their voltage quickly drops making them ineffective. That is why i recommend a battery.

[grandGTR]

LOL

all this info all about the same issue, I love it! :)

Anyway like said a cap is the easiest way to fix you problem. And also like mentioned "sort of" the installation of a cap is easy but can be dangerous to a point. Just follow the instuctions to prevent a discharge from the cap. It really is easy to install. An addational battery will help the longevity of your start, but will still only supply the same as a cap "sort of". The cap will basically stiffen the source to yoru amp, so you will not drag down teh battery, adding an addational battery will still only give you 12v, and it will supply the entire car (depsnding on the install). A biger alternator is a great way to beef up the amps and volts to teh entire car. :) They are a great addation, but I would always start with a cap or two, then the alternator....

Good luck.

[Hurricane]

If your system is consistently causing your alternator to run near it's peak output the alternator is going to have a significantly shorter life.

Adding a second battery, cap or a beefier alternator should solve the problem of your lights dimming. The alternator is probably the most expensive option, I don;t know for sure cause I've never priced one out.

It is a misconception that adding a second battery or a cap will kill your alternator. If a battery or cap is charged properly, it doesn't draw any current from your alternator. With a cap, the only time it discharges is when the current demand of the vehicle exceeds the current supply of the battery. The peak demands are not constant and are transient in nature. Therefore once the peak demand passes, the cap recharges from the alternator. Once the cap is recharged it doesn't draw any more current until it is discharged again.

A second battery works in much the same except that a battery has significantly more storage capacity than a cap. It does have a higher output resistance which means it can't supply as high of a peak current as a cap does. But if the peak current supply of both batteries exceeds the max current demand of your vehicle it doesn't matter.

The second battery also has the advantage that you will be less likely to kill your batteries while playing your system with the ignition off.

[pounder]

2 batteries and a stock alt is not a good option..do it if you want..but i tell you you will be charging your batteries every week..and your voltage system will be running in the 12's for your batteries to discharge when the car is on..if the car is off then thats no problem, but current runs from the highest point of voltage first..from your alt...if your alt can't supply the demand then the voltage drops to increase the amount of amps being produced..when the dip hits 12.5 or so(the battery's operating voltage) then it will start to discharge..now..what happens to that battery after your done bumping..well its partially discharged and want to fill itself up basically from your alt..now you have 2 battery's doing this..now imagine constant pounding..your batteries will not discharge as fast as a cap or a battcap..there is too much ESR in a battery(unless its a lighning audio or a deep cycle)..all this means is your alternator is going to see twice the load at all times..trying to compensate for the batteries being depleted..on a HO alt..sure this is ok, but when delco made our alternators they didnt expect them to be ruinning 2 batteries..that's where the problem is..do it if you want, but don't come in here complaining you can't see at night because your electrical system is at 12.3 volts constantly (not just dimming, but dim all the time..yes it happens), and your going through an alt every 6 months..trust me i have done this in my car and it is not the answer..upgrade the alt..the main source of current (the only source when the car is on)..its going to cost you 205$ for the alt..roughly the price of a good battery..remember if you run two bateries make sure they are of the same kind, age, and condition..a weaker battery will feed off a stronger battery..anyways i would upgrade your wiring a little bit..i run 2000RMS all day long on my alt, and its more then fine..i could use the upgrade but i dont have the cash for it right now..good luck :thumbs:

[chillinmp]

Thanks guys, good info, but I am think I am going with a new alt, do to the simple facts--- I am running a Rockford Fosgate 800 series amp, and 2 12 RF HX2, and I am have the light dimming problem. here is where is problem exists, I am getting ready to put a second RF 800 series amp into the mix. so I am thinking a better alt is the answers, and maybe a second batter if I need it after the install. I check out that mr alt web site and all they got is stuff for the Grand Prix, and nothing for my 01 GT with the engine size, more web sites please. thanks
dav

[pounder]

chill email him..he has it..and besides im pretty sure the Gp and GA alts are the same..cs-130d is what you need..i think GM only makes 2 types of alt cases now..the cs-130d and cs-144..i know mralt has them for our cars..later

[Gator]

I ran a 2 battery, 1 farad cap system on a STOCK alt in my old car and never had any of the problems mentioned. I only worked in the car audio industry but WTF do I know....I am really getting tired of people on here who think they know everything and that THEIR opinion is the ONLY right opinion. Chillin, here's the BEST solution...go to a bike shop and buy one of those lights that runs off the tire as it goes round, remove the bulb assembly and wire the leads up to your amp and then mount it strategically in your tire well such that it contacts with your tires as they go round.....viola constant energy source! This thread is almost as bad as the OTG header thread....God help this forum!

Richard
"Gator"

[pounder]

Originally posted by Gator
I ran a 2 battery, 1 farad cap system on a STOCK alt in my old car and never had any of the problems mentioned. I only worked in the car audio industry but WTF do I know....I am really getting tired of people on here who think they know everything and that THEIR opinion is the ONLY right opinion. Chillin, here's the BEST solution...go to a bike shop and buy one of those lights that runs off the tire as it goes round, remove the bulb assembly and wire the leads up to your amp and then mount it strategically in your tire well such that it contacts with your tires as they go round.....viola constant energy source! This thread is almost as bad as the OTG header thread....God help this forum!

Richard
"Gator"

hmm you "work" in the car audio industry..but really who doesn't? It really doesn't say much for your knowledge when you run a stock alt with 2 batteries..anyone that "works" in the car audio industry should know the value of the alternator..and upgrading it when necessary..chillin's making a good choice in upgrading the primary source of electricity..but what do I know..I only work in the car audio industry. :thumbs:

[GrandAmSC/T]

Originally posted by Gator
I ran a 2 battery, 1 farad cap system on a STOCK alt in my old car and never had any of the problems mentioned. I only worked in the car audio industry but WTF do I know....I am really getting tired of people on here who think they know everything and that THEIR opinion is the ONLY right opinion. Chillin, here's the BEST solution...go to a bike shop and buy one of those lights that runs off the tire as it goes round, remove the bulb assembly and wire the leads up to your amp and then mount it strategically in your tire well such that it contacts with your tires as they go round.....viola constant energy source! This thread is almost as bad as the OTG header thread....God help this forum!

Richard
"Gator"


Amen on that, i hear you there. Im sick of people saying im full of **** and they know everything. Starting to **** me off, there just running off the people on the forum that add to the knowledge and know stuff. I wouldn't bother posting anything to the boneheads they know it all already. And yeah people it is possible to keep your stock alternator and run a 2 battery setup. I guess seeing it work on many cars doesn't give enuff proof. At this point i could really give a **** less. :rage: :rolleyes:

[Gator]

Originally posted by pounder


hmm you "work" in the car audio industry..but really who doesn't? It really doesn't say much for your knowledge when you run a stock alt with 2 batteries..anyone that "works" in the car audio industry should know the value of the alternator..and upgrading it when necessary..chillin's making a good choice in upgrading the primary source of electricity..but what do I know..I only work in the car audio industry. :thumbs:

All this coming from a guy running Cerwin Vega!! HA HA HA HA HA

Please do me a favor and re-read your statement!

"hmm you "work" in the car audio industry..but really who doesn't?" <-----Poor attempt at sarcasm? I stated I WORKED (it was many years ago)

anyone that "works" in the car audio industry should know the value of the alternator..and upgrading it when necessary

guess what might be the key part of that statement

I am not going to get into a pi$$ing contest with you, but trust me, the system that we had in my car was top shelf. If you would like to continue this in a PRIVATE setting then I would be happy to, otherwise I am done with this. Good luck Chillin with whatever route you take, & thanks for the support GA SC/T.

Richard
"Gator"

[pounder]

Originally posted by Gator


All this coming from a guy running Cerwin Vega!! HA HA HA HA HA

Please do me a favor and re-read your statement!

"hmm you "work" in the car audio industry..but really who doesn't?" <-----Poor attempt at sarcasm? I stated I WORKED (it was many years ago)

anyone that "works" in the car audio industry should know the value of the alternator..and upgrading it when necessary

guess what might be the key part of that statement

I am not going to get into a pi$$ing contest with you, but trust me, the system that we had in my car was top shelf. If you would like to continue this in a PRIVATE setting then I would be happy to, otherwise I am done with this. Good luck Chillin with whatever route you take, & thanks for the support GA SC/T.

Richard
"Gator"

LOL i love people like this..yes I run CV subs..big deal..you of all people should know its 90% install and 10% product..for the 800 i spent in subs (or less)..they have incredible sq and hit over 150..so laugh it up while your running whatever your running..probably rf or something :rolleyes: ..your sick of know it all's? well, so am I..you being one of them..do you really hate life or something? because I see all these negative posts around this forum and all of them are coming from you..your setup worked..thats all fine and good..but don't sit there saying 2 batteries is good for a stock alt..cus you know thats just plain out crap..but whatever dude..your opinion really means didly..and yes..when necessary means when it is required..running a 2 battery system is one of these instances..it is required..you can do it on a stock alt, but it's not the optimal setup..top shelf? give me a break

[pounder]

Originally posted by Gator


All this coming from a guy running Cerwin Vega!! HA HA HA HA HA


haha way to brand bash man..seriously..it really shows your maturity :rolleyes: ..if ive learned anything, it would be that someone that has nothing else to say will bash your "brand"

I also run Orion, ID, and MMATS if you need some more material :rolleyes:

sad really..

[GrandAmSC/T]

I got one question? Pounder are you HAUNZ cause you sure you sure sound like him, if not your just as much of an idiot.

[GrandAmSC/T]

By the way is it 90% install and 10% product. Coming from a "stereo god" id think you knew better than to throw in that BS statement. Sounds like a cover-up for using bad brands to me. SO your saying if you buy some road gear 12" subs from walmart and you build a fancy 2,000 dollar fiberglass box with plexi-glas and the works that it will outpound and sound better than some lets say jl audio's or mtx or oz audio's. HA. I THINK NOT. As for the brand bashing thing, i seriously doubt bashing brands and immaturely are remotely related. Maybe you should read the dictionary. Yeah back in the day CV was good, if you wanted to build a huge ass box. FYI 150 db with 4 12" subs isnt all that good, so dont flaunt it. Maybe you need to go to more stereo shows and get some ideas and see what people with 4 12"s are really hitting.

As for the 2 batterys and a stock alternator. Really think what you want, if you want to be blessed with ignorance thats fine with me. more power to ya. I never said that you could use a stock alternator EVERY time. There ARE some cases where the stock alternator puts out 90 amps and totally sucks. Therefore you would need a HO alternator. But in this case one isnt needed, but whatever. If your in the stereo industry, id read some more books or something before i admitted that i was. my .02.

Hey anytime Gator. This guy just isnt all there.

[grass]

cant we just get back to the topic?

[AmIGrand]

Um.... I dunno if I wanna step in this....

Lighten up, people!!

OK, I've been doing competition and street setups for about 10 years now. I am an Assistant Store Manager for a local 4 store chain here in Vegas. I have worked for 8 shops in various parts of the country. Vehicles I have personally worked on have placed as high as 4th at the World Finals. I do this all day, every day. I am the audio forum moderator on another site with over 10,000 members. I hope that brief resume' lets ya'll know where I'm coming from.

1st off - The "drain" associated with a second battery is minimal. The resistance present in a battery is very slight, so the "load" or "strain" offered by the additional batt isn't gonna hurt anything. I have DOZENS of cars out there with setups like this, some on stock alternators, some on built ones, not one of them has ever killed their alt.

2nd - Brand bashing is pointless, everybody will use what they like and have had good luck with. Can we get past that please?

We just started this forum again from scratch, and already the bickering. Differences of opinion are a fact of life, but how we deal with them is up to us.

Anyway - most of the above technical points are valid in one way or another. Adding a second battery is a more effective fix than a cap. Upgrading the alternator is the best way to go, but some people don't like that idea because it WILL void parts of your car's warranty. Mralternator is a great source, I use them a lot, nothing but good experiences.

Hurricane - nice to see you again, it's been a while!

[pounder]

Originally posted by GrandAmSC/T
By the way is it 90% install and 10% product. Coming from a "stereo god" id think you knew better than to throw in that BS statement. Sounds like a cover-up for using bad brands to me. SO your saying if you buy some road gear 12" subs from walmart and you build a fancy 2,000 dollar fiberglass box with plexi-glas and the works that it will outpound and sound better than some lets say jl audio's or mtx or oz audio's. HA. I THINK NOT. As for the brand bashing thing, i seriously doubt bashing brands and immaturely are remotely related. Maybe you should read the dictionary. Yeah back in the day CV was good, if you wanted to build a huge ass box. FYI 150 db with 4 12" subs isnt all that good, so dont flaunt it. Maybe you need to go to more stereo shows and get some ideas and see what people with 4 12"s are really hitting.

As for the 2 batterys and a stock alternator. Really think what you want, if you want to be blessed with ignorance thats fine with me. more power to ya. I never said that you could use a stock alternator EVERY time. There ARE some cases where the stock alternator puts out 90 amps and totally sucks. Therefore you would need a HO alternator. But in this case one isnt needed, but whatever. If your in the stereo industry, id read some more books or something before i admitted that i was. my .02.

Hey anytime Gator. This guy just isnt all there.

dude your a moron..have fun living your life as a net commando.
I won't justify your moronic attitude by replying to it..you have absoltuely no clue about anything do you? you can take a cheap sub and install it properly and make it sound great and have decent spl..and you can take a great sub, and install it improperly and have a really crappy setup..FYI 155 is very good from the trunk with 1200 rms and tuned to 33 Hz..go to school son your really showing your idiocy..god now I know why i left this forum..too many idiots like you running around..you say you need a HO alt with a stock 90 ampere one? well what the hell do you think our alt is..duh 105..so 15 amps makes the difference eh? hmm way to go buddy..i think you should graduate high school before claiming someone doesn't have knowledge..your an idiot..go to bed

[grass]

Originally posted by pounder


your an idiot..go to bed

i dont know why i laughed so hard at that last comment, go to bed, maybe i should

back to topic plz

[AmIGrand]

I won't justify your moronic attitude by replying to it..

Ok.... Rude, but to the point....

you have absoltuely no clue about anything do you? you can take a cheap sub and install it properly and make it sound great and have decent spl..and you can take a great sub, and install it improperly and have a really crappy setup..FYI 155 is very good from the trunk with 1200 rms and tuned to 33 Hz..go to school son your really showing your idiocy..god now I know why i left this forum..too many idiots like you running around..you say you need a HO alt with a stock 90 ampere one? well what the hell do you think our alt is..duh 105..so 15 amps makes the difference eh? hmm way to go buddy..i think you should graduate high school before claiming someone doesn't have knowledge..your an idiot..go to bed

Even more rude, and defeated the point made previously.

Can we stop with the flaming already? Comments like "....now I know why I left this forum...." don't make a lot of sense coming from someone contributing to the problem.

Like grass said, back to topic. PLEASE.

[GrandAmSC/T]

ROTFLMAO.... thats all i gotta say lol lol :vomit: lol lol

For some reason i feel like a moron now for lowering myself to your standards. Im done.

[grass]

i'm gonna have nightmares bout that avitar SC/T



bottom line, is 2nd battery w/ OUR (not another car, a grand am) car a smart idea, or should we upgrade the alt?

[GrandAmSC/T]

grass, im gonna tell ya im sure AmIGrand will tell you, and a few others will. Yeah im positive adding a second battery will be fine without upgrading the alternator.

Now we'll have another war because we have some people in this section that like to argue about things they dont know about but thats ok.

LMAO im glad to hear you like the avitar. lol

[pounder]

lowering yourself to my standards? alrighty then..you were the one that attacked me first..remember that..anyways im done net arguing..ive stated my point..and its been morphed into something else..so whatever..good luck on the setup..getting a bigger alt would be optimal..you can run 2 batts on the stock alt..i never said you couldn't..just stated that it was not designed for this..if you wanna do it..best of luck to you..like I always say..if it works for you..run with it..out

and sc/t im glad you made the point of expressing that you don't know anything about car audio..first step is admitting it..now you can stop talking about it like you have a clue..cus its aparent you do not..ive been doing this for 8 years..i know a little bit of what I am speaking of..

[grass]

just stop the damn arguing, just post good info leave it at that,

i'm glad you both finally agreed on the topic,

2 batts on stock alt will work, upgrading the alt is a good idea though right?



just get along, play nice kids :)

[pounder]

Originally posted by grass
just stop the damn arguing, just post good info leave it at that,

i'm glad you both finally agreed on the topic,

2 batts on stock alt will work, upgrading the alt is a good idea though right?



just get along, play nice kids :)

yes..although i wouldn't trust the stock alt to live to its full potential..who knows..some alts will last 15 years..some last 1 year..you could have your system set up with 2 batts for years and not have a problem..but it is creating another load on the alt..whoever tells you different is an idiot..see above..

[AmIGrand]

OK, so in 8 years you've learned to be an ass to people, and in 10 years I've become an idiot.

If you want to educate people, your tone MIGHT not be the best way to go about it.

Yes guys, the upgraded alt is the best alternative. It's also far from the simplest. Unless you're running a MONSTER system, a 2nd battery will do, the load presented to the alternator is virtually unchanged, and you get to crank your system with the car off.

If this thread was in the audio forum I moderate, it would be SO closed by now. :rolleyes:

[Hurricane]

Originally posted by AmIGrand
Hurricane - nice to see you again, it's been a while!

Thanks, haven't been on the forums too much in the past couple months. I was gone for two weeks getting hitched and didn't even realize the board was down.

Between that and the fact that most of the posts here have been along the lines of "What amp/sub/HU should I buy?" I haven't bothered posting much since I haven't bought anything in a couple of years.

[grass]

AIG,
what site do u moderate?

[pounder]

Originally posted by AmIGrand
OK, so in 8 years you've learned to be an ass to people, and in 10 years I've become an idiot.

If you want to educate people, your tone MIGHT not be the best way to go about it.

Yes guys, the upgraded alt is the best alternative. It's also far from the simplest. Unless you're running a MONSTER system, a 2nd battery will do, the load presented to the alternator is virtually unchanged, and you get to crank your system with the car off.

If this thread was in the audio forum I moderate, it would be SO closed by now. :rolleyes:

umm I wasn't insinuating you were an idiot..so i don't know what your talking about..you said the second battery load will be minimal..and I agree..when the battery is charged..but when its depleted its a far bigger load..

anyways I wasn't saying you were an idiot..you sem to know what you are talking about..

[Gator]

Originally posted by pounder


umm I wasn't insinuating you were an idiot..so i don't know what your talking about..you said the second battery load will be minimal..and I agree..when the battery is charged..but when its depleted its a far bigger load..

anyways I wasn't saying you were an idiot..you sem to know what you are talking about..

I wasn't going to comment on this thread again, but....

"but when its depleted its a far bigger load.."

This statement would be correct but the point AIG, SCT/GA and I are trying to make is that in a properly installed system you would rarely have a level of your secondary batt that would require FULL chare (ie increased load on alt.) Perhaps if you ran the system for long periods of time at idle or with the car not running, but this is rare and most of the time you are keeping the batteries at sufficient charge levels that the alternator sees a minimal load increase. I hope the original poster is not totally turned away by all the bickering and is able to get his system working to his satisfaction. I agree with AIG that this thread would have been locked long ago if it were in my section! :)

Pounder, things got a little out of hand here and I apologize for my part in it. I hope there is no hard feelings.

Richard
"Gator"

[pounder]

Originally posted by Gator


I wasn't going to comment on this thread again, but....

"but when its depleted its a far bigger load.."

This statement would be correct but the point AIG, SCT/GA and I are trying to make is that in a properly installed system you would rarely have a level of your secondary batt that would require FULL chare (ie increased load on alt.) Perhaps if you ran the system for long periods of time at idle or with the car not running, but this is rare and most of the time you are keeping the batteries at sufficient charge levels that the alternator sees a minimal load increase. I hope the original poster is not totally turned away by all the bickering and is able to get his system working to his satisfaction. I agree with AIG that this thread would have been locked long ago if it were in my section! :)

Pounder, things got a little out of hand here and I apologize for my part in it. I hope there is no hard feelings.

Richard
"Gator"

thats cool gator..I didn't act very maturely either..just when i get called an idiot it kinda goes to my head..anyways you seem to know what you are talking about also, and I do apologize. The systems I mostly work on or have seen run their car off for long periods of time and once they're started the operating voltage is below 13 volts..just to compensate for the added battery..you are right tho..in a properly maintained system 2 batts can be fine..i never said they couldn't..just the alternator can be upgraded so easily it would be foolish to pass on it..anyways there are no hard feelings..now back to the topic.. :thumbs:

[grass]

bout time :)

i think you all know what your talking bout, just different ideas / different minds clash alot. either way glad we stopped the bickering

[GrandAmSC/T]

like everyone else im apologizing for my part in it. We all had valid statements and some of us like myself had some maturity issues, hopefully theres no hard feelings for me, i have no hard feelings for anyone on here. Anyways hopefully we came to a happy medium. Lets get back to posting good stuff from now on.

But i gotta go out and have some fun, you guys take it easy :thumbs:

Kyle