Drawbacks to HO alternators??
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New member Username: ChippaPost Number: 30 Registered: 12-2003 | Are there any drawbacks, any at all, to upgrading to a high output alternator? |
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jay amaro Unregistered guest | i am not aware of any and as long as the upper limits of voltage in the charging system arent exceeded which id say is in the 15.5/16 volt on up range then the higher amperage should be fine. im not sure what type of car it is but most newer cars all have pretty high amperage in the 80 amps on up range and older cars seem tame with their 40 amps or so but nowadays its all high amperage. if its a well made quality alternator and vehicle specific then i would think its safe to use. i have one car with a 140 amp alt and the other has a 95 amp and if anything they both seem to like it better or atleast i know i do! in most cases factory alternators are pretty close to the cars needs and todays cars need alot with power accessories being more standard and by the time you add electronic stuff especially high end audio then reaching the limit of what the factory intended comes pretty quick. jay |
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New member Username: GlasswolfPost Number: 406 Registered: 12-2003 | If the voltage regulator is set to 14.4VDC (what I consider ideal) then the only drawback is the initial cost. onec ya get past that, it's a gift from the Gods  I've never "felt" any lag in horsepower from the added draw of the larger alternator, and I've had a 150A Lestek (Delco casing) alternator in a Ford Festiva, which has all of about 86HP to start off. So, you should be just fine. |
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New member Username: ChippaPost Number: 32 Registered: 12-2003 | About how much can I expect to pay for about a 150 amp alternator? None of the Alt. sites have prices. |
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New member Username: GlasswolfPost Number: 409 Registered: 12-2003 | depends on the vehicle and if they have a drop-in replacement for your car. 150A? probably under $200. try mralternator.com or alternatorparts.com |
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New member Username: ChippaPost Number: 33 Registered: 12-2003 | How is the customer service and reliability of products from these companies? |
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New member Username: KalelPost Number: 2 Registered: 12-2003 | I paid 350 for my powermaster alt. It's rated at 150/200 and will get it tomorrow for my 91 Z28. Will post later to show the results. |
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New member Username: GlasswolfPost Number: 415 Registered: 12-2003 | I wouldn't suggest the sites if I thought they were poor. |
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New member Username: ChippaPost Number: 35 Registered: 12-2003 | Should've know that huh! I, like everybody else I guess, just doesn't wanna get F@#$%&!. Thanks Bro!!! |
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New member Username: Zen936Post Number: 10 Registered: 01-2004 | How do you know what type of alternator to get for your car? What has the amps got to do with it? Sorry I'm a bit blur on this. I'd really like to get a better alternator. "If the voltage regulator is set to 14.4VDC (what I consider ideal) then the only drawback is the initial cost. onec ya get past that, it's a gift from the Gods" Glasswolf what's a voltage regulator and how do I know if it's set to 14.4v. My biggest fear is that my engine would just start smoking after changing the alternator. |
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New member Username: GlasswolfPost Number: 719 Registered: 12-2003 | have an alternator and starter shop do the work for you then. they know what to do, and how to do it. you add up the total RMS wattage of your system, and divide by 12. Then, add that figure to the HOT rating of your alternator, and that's the size high output alternator you'll need. |
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New member Username: Zen936Post Number: 17 Registered: 01-2004 | Ok thats like around 106A. So will I get the same power if I was just to change my cables t0 4gauge? I read that it's equivalent to getting 150A (somewhere in this forum). Any recommendations? |
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New member Username: Zen936Post Number: 20 Registered: 01-2004 | Sorry just an update. Here are the details Clarion head unit 70w rms Alpine Componenet Speakers 200w rms Kenwood Mono Amp 400w rms Sansui Amp 340w rms LA Subwoofer 300w rms From the specs given, and adding into account the requirements of the car, how large of an alternator do I need? |
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New member Username: Dr_crankensteinPost Number: 13 Registered: 12-2003 | changing your cables won't give you any extra power, they will just increase the amount of current that can flow through the line. think of it like a drinking straw, the bigger the straw, the more fluid you can suck up at one time. the only thing you can do is upgrade your alternator. Your audio system will use about 68A so you add that to the hot rating of your stock alternator and then add 10 extra for good measure. the hot rating is the amount of amperes the alternator produces when the engine reaches its operating temperature. |
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New member Username: GlasswolfPost Number: 742 Registered: 12-2003 | call it 75A to allow for efficiency loss. |
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eclipse fan Unregistered guest | will a second deep cycle battery decrease the size of alternator needed to run a system? I'm running 2 300 watt amps for mids and a 2000 x2 watts max or 1000 x2 rms for subs. any suggestions on what I should do? |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 1674 Registered: Dec-03 | no. there's no alternative to a high poutput alternator if its needed. the alternator supplies current when the car is running. the batteries, only when the motor is off. if the batteries are used up, the alternator has more work recharging them as well as running the system, so a deep cycle battery can actually add stress to the alternator. |
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eclipse fan Unregistered guest | on the HO alt. site they have a calculator which tells me I need over 300 amps. No one even carries that big of an alt. does this mean I'm just plain screwed? I do know something has got to be done. this stereo already destroyed one vehicle from the power drain and is on it's way to destroying another. so any help would be appreciated. |
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Bronze Member Username: SquattingdogPost Number: 22 Registered: Mar-04 | I was surfing around yesterday and saw a site that had alternators up to 800 amp. Unfortunately I can't find that site in my history so try looking around more. And I'll keep my eye open if I spot that site again. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 1676 Registered: Dec-03 | there are companies that make alternators over 300A, or you can run multiple alternators. |
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Unregistered guest | The calculator on our site shows peak demand. Like during a full burb. During normal listening you can get by with much less. There are many other factors to keep in mind, such as listening style and type of music. As for the bigger alts, normally the bigger the alts work only at higher RPM's. Some won't charge at less then about 1500 RPMs. If you have any questions feel free to email me at Rick@H-O-Alternators.com or visit our website at www.H-O-Alternators.com |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 1802 Registered: Dec-03 | true but who drives a car at lower than 1500rpm? anything above idle charges the batteries, and supplies full current from the alternator. The point is that at full output *nothing but the alternator* is going to supply the current needed for the system. not more batteries, not a capacitor, not bigger wire.. nothing but the alternator. |
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Bronze Member Username: Ducati1331Post Number: 36 Registered: Apr-04 | hey Glass, im going to be running 1000watts, can i go with a 105 Amp Alt instead of the 160Amp Alt? |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 2404 Registered: Dec-03 | a 1Kwatt amp at full output will draw over 100A of current by itself that's not counting the current needed for the car itself. I'd say no, you want something 160A or larger |
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Anonymous | i have 2 500 watt rms amps, will a 200 amp ho alternator be enough to power them?...and what if i add another 4 channel (maybe 600 watts) amp, would i need to get something bigger than a 200 amp ho alternator? |
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Bronze Member Username: Ducati1331Post Number: 38 Registered: Apr-04 | alright thanks |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 2443 Registered: Dec-03 | ~110A for the two 500w amps together (class D) ~75A for a 600w 4 channel amp (class AB) that's about 185A for the audio system. your car probably needs between 50 and 110A on top of that. depends on the stock alt rating. |
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