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Hanapi

Frying alternator...overload or not

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what you need to do is get a battery charger so your alts dont have to recharge all your batteries.

it sounds like thats what happened to your other one.

see your alt had to charge all the batteries when playing your system.

which led to the alt failing.

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In addition to the too-large pulley not allowing the alt to speed at the rate it needs to, you were at idle. At idle, high output alternators actually put out less amperage than stock alts a lot of the time. High output alternators are meant to have the RPMs up in order to get the amperage they are rated for, while stock alternators are made to run at idle more often. chances are you were probably getting only something like 100 amps out of your alternator at idle at the airport. That's not going to fly trying to charge that many batteries with a 5,000 watt draw from the amps. It was simply overloaded trying to keep up with demand.

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Advice on what, you already bought more alt than you need.

Hahaha funny.

So you realize I do not know how much I actually need. But your answer makes me feel safe.

Thanks.

What I meant with playing as loud as I want and for as long is ...being able to play it maybe one song at the really high output and not having to watch ..oh wait...I have been playing at this high level for 45 seconds so I have to stop before I fry the alt.

The pulley is straight forward. I wasn't aware that the smaller pulley was changed back to the stock larger one. I have a smaller belt being FedEx'ed right now so Ican use that small pulley. Basically the new kit will have an additional tension-er as well if I choose to run the second alt.

Just one last question please. Will one 350 amp Alt be enough or do I absolutely have to run both if I want to be able to play for any extend of time???

This is some good advice guys..Many thanks.

Edited by Hanapi

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Advice on what, you already bought more alt than you need.

Hahaha funny.

So you realize I do not know how much I actually need. But your answer makes me feel safe.

Thanks.

What I meant with playing as loud as I want and for as long is ...being able to play it maybe one song at the really high output and not having to watch ..oh wait...I have been playing at this high level for 45 seconds so I have to stop before I fry the alt.

The pulley is straight forward. I wasn't aware that the smaller pulley was changed back to the stock larger one. I have a smaller belt being FedEx'ed right now so Ican use that small pulley. Basically the new kit will have an additional tension-er as well if I choose to run the second alt.

Just one last question please. Will one 350 amp Alt be enough or do I absolutely have to run both if I want to be able to play for any extend of time???

This is some good advice guys..Many thanks.

if you do as i said and buy a battery charger you shouldnt have any problems.

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Depends on the conditions of "when & how". As requested already some more details of what your typical use will be would help a ton. For instance if it is all at idle, an HO or 2 might not at all be the right choice.

Curious as to how you set your gains as well, not that it caused your trouble directly.

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Depends on the conditions of "when & how". As requested already some more details of what your typical use will be would help a ton. For instance if it is all at idle, an HO or 2 might not at all be the right choice.

Curious as to how you set your gains as well, not that it caused your trouble directly.

I just want to be able to play the system at a high output for maybe a song or so with out having to worry about the alt frying.

One thing.........I'll make damn sure, of is that I have the smaller pulley installed and certainly not at idle ever again.

The Gaines right now are at about half since they recommended I do not play the subs at full power until they( break in?)

In reality do you want to take a stab at what this system would be putting out in terms of power? 2 x Hifonics Brutus 2610D amplifiers stating to put out 2600watts RMS at 1 Ohm.

Both FI 15 BTL's are wired for 1 Ohm.

All zero gauge wires from batteries directly to amplifier. No power block. Ground and all other wires from alt have also been upgraded to zero gauge.

You suppose if I keep these into consideration just the 1 350 amp alt would suffice?

thanks,

JR

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If installed and used correctly it will be more than enough, if not then you'll have troubles again.

2 songs isn't really very long and won't pull all that much. Gains at half isn't a valid gain setting, an oscope should become your friend as you might already be clipping those things. If you expected those amps to do more than 90% of rated then guess again, so if all else is fine you are in the neighborhood of 4500w when set properly.

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Of course to put that in perspective if you turned the gains down to 3000w you wouldn't be able to hear the difference between them set at 4500w or 3000w.

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Of course to put that in perspective if you turned the gains down to 3000w you wouldn't be able to hear the difference between them set at 4500w or 3000w.

Great.

I know the amps were not clipping cause the controller I used has clipping warning.

This was not the case.

I think there was a combination of things that caused the failure.

The reason I got pissed actually was because if the system was not putting out what I assumed then the problem it self became different. Ok there are not putting out that much....et,etc, well then what the hell did the alt in??..these thoughts were crossing my mind. I think the combination of the stock pulley being on there, idling and cranking it at what ever it is putting out did it.

I also did not charge the batteries to full capacity before installing them.

I assumed (again) that driving the van without the system being one would charge them in a hurry with a 250 amp alternator.

As soon as the new stuff arrives, I'm charging the batteries with an independent charger and then install them. In one forum I asked how many batteries did I need. All suggestions were basically as many as you can. So I guess the two Kinetik 3800 along with the two BATCAP 4000's will be wired into the regular charging system with the 350 Amp alternator.

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Don't trust the clipping indicator, it's like an idiot light for oil pressure instead of a gauge.

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Don't trust the clipping indicator, it's like an idiot light for oil pressure instead of a gauge.

Ok what do you suggest then?

After I have all this stuff installed I'll measure the voltage at the last battery to see what happens when I crank it. But the clipping what do you suggest?

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Of course to put that in perspective if you turned the gains down to 3000w you wouldn't be able to hear the difference between them set at 4500w or 3000w.

Great.

I know the amps were not clipping cause the controller I used has clipping warning.

This was not the case.

I think there was a combination of things that caused the failure.

The reason I got pissed actually was because if the system was not putting out what I assumed then the problem it self became different. Ok there are not putting out that much....et,etc, well then what the hell did the alt in??..these thoughts were crossing my mind. I think the combination of the stock pulley being on there, idling and cranking it at what ever it is putting out did it.

I also did not charge the batteries to full capacity before installing them.

I assumed (again) that driving the van without the system being one would charge them in a hurry with a 250 amp alternator.

As soon as the new stuff arrives, I'm charging the batteries with an independent charger and then install them. In one forum I asked how many batteries did I need. All suggestions were basically as many as you can. So I guess the two Kinetik 3800 along with the two BATCAP 4000's will be wired into the regular charging system with the 350 Amp alternator.

im tellin you man you dont need 6 batteries along with that 350 alt.

at most three in the back and 1 under your hood. and probably need even that.

youll just put more strain on your alt if you do this.

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Of course to put that in perspective if you turned the gains down to 3000w you wouldn't be able to hear the difference between them set at 4500w or 3000w.

Great.

I know the amps were not clipping cause the controller I used has clipping warning.

This was not the case.

I think there was a combination of things that caused the failure.

The reason I got pissed actually was because if the system was not putting out what I assumed then the problem it self became different. Ok there are not putting out that much....et,etc, well then what the hell did the alt in??..these thoughts were crossing my mind. I think the combination of the stock pulley being on there, idling and cranking it at what ever it is putting out did it.

I also did not charge the batteries to full capacity before installing them.

I assumed (again) that driving the van without the system being one would charge them in a hurry with a 250 amp alternator.

As soon as the new stuff arrives, I'm charging the batteries with an independent charger and then install them. In one forum I asked how many batteries did I need. All suggestions were basically as many as you can. So I guess the two Kinetik 3800 along with the two BATCAP 4000's will be wired into the regular charging system with the 350 Amp alternator.

im tellin you man you dont need 6 batteries along with that 350 alt.

at most three in the back and 1 under your hood. and probably need even that.

youll just put more strain on your alt if you do this.

Ok...The van has two batteries to begin with. I Only added the two kinetik 3800's.

Lets see what happens with the 350 Amp alt and the smaller pulley.

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Of course to put that in perspective if you turned the gains down to 3000w you wouldn't be able to hear the difference between them set at 4500w or 3000w.

Great.

I know the amps were not clipping cause the controller I used has clipping warning.

This was not the case.

I think there was a combination of things that caused the failure.

The reason I got pissed actually was because if the system was not putting out what I assumed then the problem it self became different. Ok there are not putting out that much....et,etc, well then what the hell did the alt in??..these thoughts were crossing my mind. I think the combination of the stock pulley being on there, idling and cranking it at what ever it is putting out did it.

I also did not charge the batteries to full capacity before installing them.

I assumed (again) that driving the van without the system being one would charge them in a hurry with a 250 amp alternator.

As soon as the new stuff arrives, I'm charging the batteries with an independent charger and then install them. In one forum I asked how many batteries did I need. All suggestions were basically as many as you can. So I guess the two Kinetik 3800 along with the two BATCAP 4000's will be wired into the regular charging system with the 350 Amp alternator.

im tellin you man you dont need 6 batteries along with that 350 alt.

at most three in the back and 1 under your hood. and probably need even that.

youll just put more strain on your alt if you do this.

Ok...The van has two batteries to begin with. I Only added the two kinetik 3800's.

Lets see what happens with the 350 Amp alt and the smaller pulley.

and your talkin about putin the other batteries in also.

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