Technical Potential Major Problem for new ICE Build - how do i get more AMPS?

[psykik]

Having spent considerable time and taken some fantastic advice on these very forums for a new ICE build, i met my first major stumbling block:

The altenator on my type S GT Ishift is rated at 95A. The prospective new build will require + 80A more to run.

2 x 2.9 Audison Amps
1 x Rainbow Profi Vanadium Components
1 x Rainbow vanadium Sub
1 x 3sixty.2 (or alpine hxe 650)

My local fourcars installer at Creative Car Audio in Hornchurch did a similar build in a similar car, and they found this problem a very serious one considering the exact equipment on my shopping list above.

Options of caps or a second battery, apparently are unable to solve the higher required amps.

If i am able to source a more powerful altenator, and I dont even know if there is one for a (57 reg honda civic type s gt petrol 1.8 ) it would affect the warranty?

Does anyone have any advice at all?

Thanks

[Koen]

D*mn, wrote a whole book here, then got a server error.

In short: 95 amps at 12 volts is 1140 watts. Continuous power!? Mind your ears! What? MIND YOU EARS! WHAT? ...

If you plan to go only full power at demos or festivals: get an external power source.

Capacitor: at these high currents, ALWAYS use one or more capacitors. It will flatten out the very short current peaks that make you interior lighting go flicker. Go for decent capacitors. High temp range. Don't be fooled by gold plated terminals or voltage indicators. You won't hear them...

Extra battery: gives extra power for a certain amount of time. Get an extra battery and put it in the back, as close to the amps as possible. (Same goes for the capacitors BTW.) Do not buy a car battery, as they are designed to give high peak currents for the starter motor and glow plugs (in a diesel). Go for traction batteries, as used in e.g. UPS systems, solar power systems or forklifts.

Alternator change: take in account the extra load on the engine, the driving belt, bearings,... You might consider a minor upgrade. I would not do that.

K.

[psykik]

Koen,

Thanks appreciate the suggestions:

OBJECTIVE: INCREASE AMPS AVAILABLE TO power AUDIO SYSTEM BY +80A

1- Will change over to yellow top battery.

2- will put in a power cap

3-will put in a wiring kit like this one:
Car Audio Direct - The UK's leading car audio and stereo resource.
However, gains from using this have been reported at only +5% of altenator capacity, giving me +5amps if im lucky.

4- Altenator - honda have said it would invalidate the warranty to put in any 3rd party altenator, and i dont even know if one with higher capacity exists. If anyone does, please do let me know? Altenator at full load, without an aftermarket audio system runs at 75Amps (Honda said) on a type s gt leaving only 20 amps spare capacity.

5-external power - is it possible to run the car audio system on external power WHILE DRIVING? If so is there a smallish, rechargeable solution available?

Thanks

[Koen]

Originally Posted by psykik

Koen,

Thanks appreciate the suggestions:

OBJECTIVE: INCREASE AMPS AVAILABLE TO power AUDIO SYSTEM BY +80A

1- Will change over to yellow top battery.

2- will put in a power cap

3-will put in a wiring kit like this one:
Car Audio Direct - The UK's leading car audio and stereo resource.
However, gains from using this have been reported at only +5% of altenator capacity, giving me +5amps if im lucky.

Euhh...getting more current from different cable? Don't know where that current might come from. Current is - according to Ohm's law - specified by voltage and load:

Voltage = Load x Current, or U = R.I

In perspective of this: When your cable and connections are only 0,05 ohms all together, when drawing 80 amps, you loose 80 x 0,05 = 4 volts. So your amps will get 8 volts instead of 12... The other 4 volts are used to warm up the cables. Cruel, isn't it?

4- Altenator - honda have said it would invalidate the warranty to put in any 3rd party altenator, and i dont even know if one with higher capacity exists. If anyone does, please do let me know? Altenator at full load, without an aftermarket audio system runs at 75Amps (Honda said) leaving only 20 amps spare capacity.

5-external power - is it possible to run the car audio system on external power WHILE DRIVING? If so is there a smallish, rechargeable solution available?

Yes, that is called an accumulator (accu) or BATTERY. Seriously, you can allways add an extra, pre-loaded battery. But since you will not use the full power of the car stereo 90% of the time (for your ears sake) You can also choose to add an intelligent charger circuit and install the extra battery permanently. These intelligent chargers quite common in solar power applications.

K.