what voltage is bad

[toy2008 1]

What voltage is bad on amps.

[nigel 148]

depends on the amplifier.  Most manufacturers list an operable voltage range for the amp.

[shizzzon 461]

ugh.. this is hard to answer because the question is to broad to answer so i'll attempt.. 

 

You have a working range for amps.. (which isnt concrete), and you have a working acceptable range for batteries' DOD cycles(depth of discharge).

 

Typical working range of amps- 9-10v to 16-19v.

 

So, let's say 10v-16v.

 

That doesn't mean 10.4v, for example, is still fine.

 

Under maximum potential output power, it will be pulling the most current.

Adding the fact of low low low voltage, the time it will take for amplifier failure will increase greatly.

 

So an amp can still die within it's operable voltage range just stressing over current draw.

 

It's based on time.  Time can be a second to whenever..  It's the context of the scenario.

 

Batteries' DOD.

 

The DOD cycles are higher with less discharge.

 

Discharging 20% all the time and recharging will net the battery much longer life, many many years.

 

AGMs have this typical life expectancy under lightest duties-

 

8-10yrs average til 60% life or 20yrs under complete failure.

 

This is probably best best best case scenario though. 

 

Every time you cycle a battery, discharge then recharge, it potentially prevents it from resting at the same voltage it did from the beginning.

 

After several hundred cycles or a couple thousand, it will only rest at 60% of what it used to.

 

Voltage levels are not linear so 60% of 13.0v may be around 12.3v, for example, best potential.

 

For daily usage, try not to allow your battery to have dynamic peaks where the battery drops below 12.0v.

 

If it does, it's not bad, just, harder on the battery.

 

Batteries subdued to drops at or below 11.4v for continuous usage over period of months are going to have a much shortened life due to abuse and high DOD.

[Lee Carter 150]

great info.

[kj4jaq 5]

using ohms law, you can easily see what Shizzzon is saying:  ohms law, voltage= current x resistance...  resistance of the amp stays the same, voltage and current are inversely proportional, as voltage drops, current spikes up to counteract the drop in voltage... 

 

non automotive example: This is why brownouts are so bad for a power grid as compared to a blackout ->  (most of the time the speed of the rotor slows down) resulting in voltage dropping, the load (resistance) stays the same, to trying to keep up and maintain power to the load, current increases, burning out all your electrical equipment...   this is the same in the automotive world.

[On3Hundr3dProof 19]

^^what shizzzon said 

[RF-ChipmunK 5]

I'm scared to let mine go below 13.6v.

But at full full tilt and probably some distortion it will hold 12.6v.

So I guess my electrical is all good?

[shizzzon 461]

yep.  The deeper the discharge, the lower the DOD obviously as that's what that means.  Doing this all the time, like daily listening will result in shortened battery life.  

 

By the word THIS I mean discharging the battery allowing it to dig deeper into it so that you could save some money on not buying another battery.

 

I compete.  I'll dig into the low 11s if i need to.  I only do this maybe 10-20x a year.  That's nothing compared to worst case scenario DOD which for AGMS can still be several hundred cycles before battery is completely impossible to sustain it's normal resting position any longer.

[RF-ChipmunK 5]

Cool thanks

[jonbearsmt 919]

according to my yourtube channel anything below 14.5 is bad for my amps and im a "noob" but  they dont have a car .. nor a stereo