i know that kinetiks are really expensive so i need to know if i just use 2 yellow top batteries would that be enough for a kx2500.1 amp?? i dont want to spend 400-500 on batteries if i dont have too.
depends what group optimas? personally they are deep cycle and shouldnt even be used in car audio aplications if you ask me. kinetik is definatly the way to go
I am using a blue top with a 240 amp alternator. Running a Kx2500.1 and a kx800.4. Seems to work pretty good. I think that the alternator is more important than the battery, but you need both.
i have a 240 amp alternator, 12 farad capacitor and a Batcap400 too. Thats why I only need one battery. I'll sell my amp whenever I can afford to buy two cadence 2500's.
phillip get a kinetik man its still better then a blue top, in lucas case hes pretty good because his alt can pretty much support his system so it isnt pulling much from the battery.
get a kinetik they have low internal resistance so they charge and discharge faster then optimas they also ahve a large reserve, i wouldnt tell you to get it if it wasnt better
i think kinetik recommends the 1800 under the hood but if you live somewhere warm i think you could get away with a HC800 or something. i live in mo and my batt is 750 CCA and its always started fine for me in the morning
Before you spend a fortune or all your savings, do a battery test. Get the best battery money can buy and a normal one. Now power exact audio system and switch the power source. If you can tell any difference by ear, then you are superman. The point I'm trying to make is, the money you spend doesn't justify the value you get in return in terms of being able to distinguish just by listening. Cost of expensive battery can range $300 - $600. Cost of 160A+ alternator range $140 - $350. Alternators GENERATE power, batteries release stored energy. At the end of the day, what will give you current when you need it the most? Also do the math, which is cheaper?
My cousing is runnig a Kx2500.1 w/4- L7 15's and a JL 450.4 for his components. He only has 1 battery (optima) and a nice cap, he has no problems with dimming lights or starving the amp. Just something to thing about.
I have a Yellow top, 2 Orion 1200D's, Two Orion H2 12.4's, and a 2.4 Farad cap with a stock alternator @ 105a.......My lights never dim, and I always get 14.6v when actually driving and 13.8v when idle.......My point is different setup's are going to have varying results. I wouldn't be able to play my music loud continuously unless my car was in motion. If you are trying to show off, then an upgraded ALT would be quite essential, unless you like being embarrassed when your battery dies.
I've killed many lead-acid batteries with my systems, even with a high-output alternator. Once you kill the battery then you will be able to hear the differance. Seems like the dry-cells are much tougher. Plus if your going to run a second battery then you don't want a nasty lead acid battery inside of your vehicle.
Isaac batteries are far more important at times than a alternator.As soon as your bat runs out due to high draw your alternator is toast instantly.Even if you have a 300 amp alternator it can still fry so very easily if you don't have the proper charging to back it up.Now that being said...if you have 3 full batteries and a stock alt you'll be fine but not forever as soon as you run through your reserve(Being your batts)that's when the alt kicks in and has to hold all the load and that's when you need a strong alt.The main thing I'm getting at is you can run a high power system without a HO ALT but you have to be very careful not to let your voltage dip too low or you'll be in trouble.If you run with a stock alt and have multiple batts just be very careful to not drain them so much that your alt is forced to charge everything at once.When you burp your system in comps the alt is doing nothing,think about guys that run 30KRMS and beyond,do you think an alternator can do anything there?Of course not that's why competitors use so many batteries in their setups because no alt could support that,although I heard of a vehicle with 13 300 amp alternators that were chain driven and required 450 HP just to turn the alts but for the most time the battery is more important.For a while I ran 3KRms off of a stock alt and a Kinetik Hc1800 in the back and I was just fine because I always carefully watched my voltage
Hey Rob, let me ask you a question. What do you think happens when you draw more current than what the alternator can produce? Let's say you have 75A alternator (standard), and your amp needs 100A. Where do you think the extra current will be coming from? According to your post, it will come from the battery first, then whatever it can't supply will be produced by the alternator. If your theory is true, then get a DMM and monitor your car's voltage. Car's battery is only 12.5v. Your car reading will say 14.2v - 14.8v. How can that be possible? Turn off your car and measure it again, now you'll see 12.5v. Shouldn't that tell you that the voltage first COMES from the ALTERNATOR, not the battery? In case you forgot, alternator supplies all the power needed in the car once the engine is running. The power hungry amps will start drawing power from the battery ONLY after the alternator can no longer produce them. This is why your voltage reading will fall from 14.4v to 12.5v or less depending on your amps. If the reading stays 12v or below, you'll be shortening your battery and alternator's life. Having 3 or more batteries with stock alternator will only cause more strain on your charging system. If you have any doubts, go to bcae1.com and read. Another thing, when's the last time you went to a competition that allowed cars to have their engine running full time?
Isaac I somehow ran 3KRms off of a Stock Alt and just an extra Kinetik in the back but somehow my sub lived miraculously My point was that even with a HO ALT you will still fry it if you draw too much from it and that's where BATTS come into play.The more charged batts you have the safer you are.At my buddy's shop he has a RF T40001BD and he has it hooked up to 2 Yellow tops and he powers random sub setups for a decent period of time.HOW CAN THAT BE WITH NO ALT OH EM GEE!?! Then he hooks it up to a battery charger,it's a pretty neat set up You are right about not needing 3 batts for a 1.5kRMS setup though but who said that?}
Rob, did you go to bcae1.com and read up on car audio electronics? I don't doubt you can "get by" with multi batteries, but you should know that by doing so, you are risking the life of your alternator, as well as getting stranded with dead batteries. Sure if your demos take place in the garage then you have nothing to worry about, but how many people do that? Also, how many people can magically turn off their system before the batteries get fully drained during a demo? Multi batteries are a must in a competition cause lot of them will not let you have the car running. "he powers random sub setups for a decent period of time" Have you actually measured the time? 2 batteries will not last long at all if you power that RF to it's full potential. I doubt you can get 1 hour or more. I urge you to think carefully before you say multi batteries are a good solution. Next time you feel like blasting your stereo and dropping the voltage to 12v or less, put your ear next to the engine and tell me what you hear. From my experience, the guys that are too lazy to install proper charging system or don't know jack about it, always recommends multi battery to solve any electrical problem. I'm not saying you are, but here in Canada, that's very true. These mechanics with no electronic background what so ever, tells customers that having another battery in the trunk will get rid of all dimming and power problem, and HO alternators are useless. They also say if they have to install HO alternators, they will charge $300 - $500 cause it's a special item. These same guys, if you tell them that it's just a stock alternator, will install it at the going rate of $110. I've said this in the past, just cause you have 1500w or 2500w amp on a stock alternator does NOT mean you are getting that much power. What happens to an amp like that is, if you can't supply the current it needs, then it'll reach certain point and flat out, giving you distorted/clipped music. Rob if you are good with test equipments, then take some time out and run some experiments for yourself. Get a signal generator, a scope, DMM and disect your system. If after that, you can honestly tell me multi batteries are better than having adequate charging system, then I'll believe you.
I would do those tests that you mentioned Isaac but I have no reason to.I have a 300Amp alt from Dominick and my big three was done loooong ago.However, my 300 amp alt is still not quite enough so I have Kinetiks to back me up.I also have my remote line on a switch so when I see a dip in my voltage via a voltmeter I shut the amps down instantly and I let my alt get my batts back into a better state One last thing Isaac,why would you demo subs for an hour?He demos that setup for couple of minutes and then charges the batts up Although your advice is appreciated,I would much rather listen to a multi time Usaci World Champ-(Pro Stock(0-1000)).
Good for you, but not everyone can afford a 300a alternator. I don't think they even make one for my car. There's a similar post in the sub section regarding batteries and caps. Hey you can listen to anyone you like, I was only pointing out the basic principles of electronics. I know some guys that compete are very knowledgeable in electronics, while others are very, and I mean very questionable. They may have won the "loudest" noise/music contest, but it doesn't mean they can diagnose and repair anything.
Well what ever works to win World Finals is good enough for me lol...and like I said if you can afford the amps and subs to have a big draw you should be able to afford a 300 amp alt.
