Battery Options

[emh9009 199]

I currently have two RF P3 12s, a Hifonics 1208D amp, a 1 farad stinger cap. and 4awg wire all around. yet my electrical is VERY noticably weak, headlights dimming a TON and just overall weak flow rate.

im looking at a new battery, like the http://www.soundsolutionsaudio.com/zencart...products_id=101

should i replace my factory battery, put it in line with what i have now, or replace it with where my cap. is? i plan on getting a new, more powerful setup this summer, so there will be even more power needed. any suggestions?

if you need any more information, just ask. i konw i missed something

thanks a ton!

[bassmaniac 0]

do the big 3 from your alt to the battery! ditch the cap and buy a yellow top under hood, then a powermaster or kinetik in the trunk!! you could still put your capacitor in if you wanted, from your second battery to the amp!

also look into a HO alternator....if they make one for your model car!

[RobClay 20]

Id do the big 3, take the cap out and replace it with that d1200.

[sqjeep 9]

I currently have two RF P3 12s, a Hifonics 1208D amp, a 1 farad stinger cap. and 4awg wire all around. yet my electrical is VERY noticably weak, headlights dimming a TON and just overall weak flow rate.

im looking at a new battery, like the http://www.soundsolutionsaudio.com/zencart...products_id=101

should i replace my factory battery, put it in line with what i have now, or replace it with where my cap. is? i plan on getting a new, more powerful setup this summer, so there will be even more power needed. any suggestions?

if you need any more information, just ask. i konw i missed something

thanks a ton!

First off I would ditch the cap they are more harmful than useful.

second if u would upgrade to 1/0 from ur battery to a distrubiton block and then run ur 4 gauge to the amps.

also if u have a dmm u can check what the voltage that is going to the amps to see if there is need for a new battery

also doing the big three is helpful as well

Edited May 3, 2009 by sqjeep

[shizzzon 461]

a 1200w amp shouldnt weigh your electrical down to a "very weak" situation.

Upgrade your power line to 1/0 from front batt to your amp. Use a 4awg reducer or a distro block to run 4awg back into your amp. Do the same thing for ground as well on that amp.

At your starting battery, run 1-2 runs of 1/0 ground off of it to your chassis.

Whiel the car is off, measure voltage at battery. If it's reading 12.4 or lower, take it to Autozone and have them run a CA test on it. It simulates several hundred amps being pulled out of it. If the test fails, your batt is partially damaged.

[emh9009 199]

alrighty, seems like i have a lot of testing to do! thanks for all the quick imput, i never expected such a reply! you guys rock!

couple questions..

"also if u have a dmm u can check what the voltage that is going to the amps to see if there is need for a new battery" dont know what a DMM is. is that the same as checking the voltage of the battery while it is off, as posted in a later reply?

where is a good description/walk through for the big three?

when i upgrade to 1/0 awg i have heard good reviews from Knukonceptz.com are they any good?

[Matt2105 2]

alrighty, seems like i have a lot of testing to do! thanks for all the quick imput, i never expected such a reply! you guys rock!

couple questions..

"also if u have a dmm u can check what the voltage that is going to the amps to see if there is need for a new battery" dont know what a DMM is. is that the same as checking the voltage of the battery while it is off, as posted in a later reply?

where is a good description/walk through for the big three?

when i upgrade to 1/0 awg i have heard good reviews from Knukonceptz.com are they any good?

Digital multimeter. Knukonceptz is fine. Or you could go cheaper and get welding wire.

There are tons of walkthroughs on the Big three. You should be able to find a lot just by googling.

[shizzzon 461]

you dont need to do the Big 3 unless you get a larger alternator.

All you need to do is upgrade your power line to 1/0 and add additional 1/0 grounds off of your starting battery.

If you have a few extra feet of 1/0 left, you can run it from the alt to your battery's positive terminal but not required at this point in time.

A DMM is a digital multimeter.

[emh9009 199]

"Knukonceptz is fine. Or you could go cheaper and get welding wire." thats not very reassuring haha i dont want bad stuff, do you recomend something else? im not set on anything yet

[Matt2105 2]

"Knukonceptz is fine. Or you could go cheaper and get welding wire." thats not very reassuring haha i dont want bad stuff, do you recomend something else? im not set on anything yet

Theres nothing wrong with welding wire. Its just not as flexible. Lots of people use it for big systems because they run so much wire that its a pretty substantial savings.

Knukonceptz is fine. Thats who Im using currently. Kicker and stinger both make good wire also--its just pricey.

[shizzzon 461]

Lots of people go with Knukonceptz.

Audiopipe's wire found on ebay works well too.

I'm surprised they want $5 a foot where u r at. My local shop charges $3.15 per foot and of course he is strictly retail only.

Your shop might be sellin Stinger wire, i know they ain't cheap.

[emh9009 199]

fuse size? 150 or 200? i plan on getting a SAZ1500d in the next couple weeks for my summer project... dont know how much more that would need

[shizzzon 461]

150A fuse

[emh9009 199]

so, the largest kit i can find from knu is http://www.knukonceptz.com/productDetail.cfm?prodID=KFX-PK0

thats 0 awg, not 1/0 is there a difference?

[shizzzon 461]

it's the same thing but proper terminology is 1/0

[pear_b 1]

if your using 1/0 i would fuse atleast 200 so 250, or 300 fuse, for starting battery, D1200 would work, if you want a little more the D5100!

[emh9009 199]

what are the negative effects of too big of a fuse? the wire has a chance to get "burnt" through or whatnot? i can always upgrade with the new system. what should i get for right now? 150 or 200?

another question. will this this D-block work for running ground and power?

ill send power from battery to an *imput*, then through one of the three *outputs* to the amp. and then the ground from amp to one of the side with three *outputs* through to the other *input* to bigger ground wire and then ground source? was any of that confusing?

i *ed the input and output because they say in the description it doesnt matter which way the flow goes. so this setup should work?

Edited May 5, 2009 by watts09