How big of a box can I run with this system?

[DUMMYLOAD]

I have a 275 AMP alt, and 3, 1000CCA Optima batteries, all with 1 gauge wire. What is the largest amp I can run without straining my system?


Load

[wrong way]

sounds to me like you can run a 1x2x8 all day with your lights and A/C and whipers and defrost on! Wrong Way

[PYRO-736]

Hey DUMMYLOAD like wrong way said probably an 8 pill but if I were you I would get rid of the optimas a lot of the audio guys have stopped using them due to them exploding. As well as the reserve capacity isn't the greatest when it comes to how we use them for our boxes and the amp hours are pretty low on them. Try where i got my batts from. They have every battery known to man and the specs to look at on most of them so you can compare--run the optimas for now but keep in the back of your mind your mind what you'd replace them with when the time comes. DC Battery Specialists I went with Full River 12 volts 1000 cca's at 0 degrees 1200 ca's at 32 degrees and 1400 at 70 degrees-- their reserve capacity is like 237 per batt and they're 110 amp hours a piece went with 6 of them for my 16

[DUMMYLOAD]

Awesome.....Thanks for the input....I have been looking at the Kinetik Power line of Batts as well.. We shall see.

Load

['Doc]

Total up the max current load of the vehicle. Subtract that from that 275 amp, and the difference is what you can supply for a load (amplifier, audio/RF, whatever).
Batteries tend to get excited when they are required to supply more than they are capable of supplying. A tiny bit more than what's 'normal' for them and they get sort of hot. More than a tiny bit and they tend to blow up in your face. They have a maximum discharge rate. It is NOT a good idea to 'approach' that, much less exceed it. (Same for charging.) Max discharge rate too low for the demand? More batteries, or bigger ones. Let your conscience be your guide (along with your wallet).
- 'Doc

[drdx]

Great points by Doc. What kind of vehicle is it? There is a big difference in having that setup on a passenger vehicle and having it on a big rig with a million chicken lights on it. What other items are relying on that system? What kind of amp do you want? Do you run AM or sideband? Do you like to key a low amount and swing to a higher level? It all adds up to what your system can handle. If you take that 275, and let's say you have 225 left after the vehicle, and the battery will cushion a little, you have a ballpark figure. You can round it out to needing about 10 amps per 100 watts of output. I know everyone starts talking "pill this, pill that" but it boils down to wattage and how you key it. Do you want to key 500 and swing 2000? That system will do it. With 225 amps on demand, you could key 2kw continuously if your setup could handle it. How will YOU do it, with a mashed 8 pill on a cheap meter, or on a 16 pill running cool? Would it do more? Maybe. How long do you key down? If you're long winded allow for some breathing room.

That system will EASILY run an "8 pill" amplifier. And remember, the wattage rating you see for an amp only applies to when it is keyed, and when it is keyed, only a FRACTION of the time will it be pulling that maximum amperage figure. Let's say your setup pulls 180 amps, drivers included, max. Out of 10 minutes of heavy talking, you're keyed what, 2 minutes max? And out of that, how much of that 2 minutes is your voice/radio/driver/amp at peak draw? maybe 20 seconds? Let's say 40. So, that's 40 seconds for every 10 minutes at peak, so that's 240 seconds, or 4 minutes per hour at peak. I think most systems can handle that with a battery(s) cushioning it. Double it. Double it again. Now we're at 16 min. per hour. That's no sweat for that system, especially with the 3 batteries. So............get the 16 pill and you will save money, because you WILL get the 8, get bored, want more, lose on the upgrade, and wish you would have gone with the bigger one first. Wouldn't you much rather baby a 16 pill and have the ability to cruise at an honest 1000 watts on a realistic meter than be whistling, screaming, and wishing with a cheap meter for the same reading running an 8 pill? A 16 pill (16 pills times the needed drive per pill, let's say 10 watts per pill) and a 2 pill will work fine, so don't get caught up in the 1x 2x bla bla bla bla stuff. With any amp, once you're past a certain drive level the amp loses linearity and overdriving will do nothing for you but build heat and draw unneeded amperage, not to mention shortening life of the setup.


-drdx