I think I might have posted this question before and never got an answer, but I was wondering why my lights never dim. I have a hifonics 2000 watt amp, 2 gauge wire, and a stock electrical system in a Ford Escape. I can have it cranked all the way and I have yet to see any sign of a voltage drop.
This doesn't seem right, and I don't want it to happen, but it makes me wonder if I am really getting 2000 watts. Any help?
do you have a DMM? If so, connect the multimeter to the electrical system, set it for DC voltage, 20VDC range, and see if the voltage drops below 12VDC. An older analog VOM is ideal for this, as you can see the needle sweep better than with a digital display.
not without a test bench, and proper gear, no. you'd need a dummy load, regulated power supply, and oscilloscope, along with test tones, and input source.
Do be aware that an amp rated for 2Kw is not going to put out that much power 100% of the time. 2Kw is measured on a resistive load, at full output, with a 20Hz-20KHz white noise tone. Speakers present a reactive load, their impedance is affected by both the frequency they are producing and the enclosure the speaker is placed in, as well as the vehicle environment. Also, the input source is dynamic, not static, and the volume knob on the stereo isn't at 100% most times, either.
Now take into account that to double audible volume, you need 10 times the power from reference. This works both directions, so half volume from full (audibly) is a tenth of the power output. Halving the volume again, reduces the power by a hundred times from full, and so on, and so forth.
End result is, that for typical listening levels, your amp is probably putting out about a couple of hundred watts on average, with very short, momentary bursts of more power as the music plays.
Do be aware also though, that this is how it should be, as your power supply in the amplifier should be able to produce at least 3 times the amount of power as the amplifier is rated to produce. This allows the amp to have plenty of reserve power to respond to those sudden demands for more juice, even when the volume is cranked up, and the amp is being driven very hard.
The ability to produce that extra power on demand is a sign of a well-designed amplifier.