Optima batteries?
Comments
-
Is it possible my gaims are too high? I had them set for a Blaupunkt Austin 3 volt output. Now I am running a Blaupunkt San Jose 4 volt output. My gains are only about 1/4 way opened.
Chris -
Since the problem is mostly occuring when using the sub amp. Is it possible that there is something wrong with the amp?
Chris -
i wouldnt think the amp would make it skip or repeat
try switching out headunits for a day with a friend and see if thats the problem
but with the low volt readings youve had you have a bad battery or alternator or both
you should rarely if ever get below 11.4
-Cody -
i'm stickin with cody on this... i think its a power problem somewhere... and what you said about the bass boost tends to increase my belief in such...
when you raise your bass boost at 40 hertz, you are increasing the amount of power that the amp has to put out (assuming you leave your gain the same)... its not a whole lot more power, but it is more power.... greater wave amplitude means a need for more power to create such amplitude...
so if you're "struggling" for power as it is.. and u go and make it then want to draw more current ... then you're going to get a worse effect of the problem.... if u decrease the power your amp / system / whatever needs to draw due to decreasing your bass boost to zero, then you see the effects of hte problem diminish or all together stop...
the problem with yoru electrical system could have been caused by a number of things, or a combiniation, or whatever (as was discussed all before in this post), but i still think its that problem that is causing your troubles... not your equipment (unless of course it's the quipment that caused the problem in the first place... but fixing/ replacing the equipment now would not solve your problem completely, you'd need to also fix the problem as wel... fixing the equipment would only mean that then you would not have the problem re-created... dont ya just love Sequential Math I high school logic? lol.. god i hated that ****).The Artist formerly known as PoweredByDodge -
You guy's both think the alternator is at fault? I read in the Ford service cd-rom that the alternator may only be 95 amp. But in another place it is listed as 110 amp maximum. I suspect the amp. Tonight I was checking the rca's at the Punch 800.2. When I was making sure the jacks were tight, I saw a blue flash and heard a pop. The amp was on. But it seems to be working. The red led was on.
So, I should get the alternator and see what happens? Thank you both for your input. I hate to be sounding like a pain in the a**. But as you both probably guessed. Electronics is not my strong point. I know enough to get by as an Auto tech. I could just have my alternator checked at a local shop tomorrow. Oh, I do have a new voltmeter and air temp sensor purchased from Summit Racing that I plan on installing. My other gauge doesnt seem to be reading correctly. I plan on installing both in a dual pod on the center of my dash. Above the radio. Just need to mount and wire up three leads. power, ground and a + dimmer lead.
Chris -
like u said, i'd get the alt CHECKED before swapped out (money is money and none of us are made of it...)
if it checks out 100% happy doodle, then hell maybe it is the amp... a screwed up amp drawing XYZ too much power could result in the V dropping and the other equipment not getting the power that it needs to put out steady sound... thus clipping / chipping / sounding like junk.
i'd check hte alt // if it doesnt' check out - new one // if it does ... check amp // if amp is bad -- new one // if amp is good... get a Molson and a pack of Kool's and give up on life
i've got the wiring ghost causing crap in my car too i think -- weekend is gonna suck
The Artist formerly known as PoweredByDodge -
PBD, I had the alternator checked this afternoon at a local generator shop. Seems to be putting out fine. My amps are drawing about 38 amps when tested. The factory unit being only 95 amps, He reccomended a HO alternator.
This morning I went to local stereo shop. When I told him about the lights dimming when the sub amp was on with no audio signal. he said the amp was bad. It should only draw about 1/2 amp at idle (No music signal) He told me to try replacing the fuse with a 40 and see if it pops. Never popped.
I am going to call RF and see what they have to say. This is annoying. its either one or the other casuing this.
Chris -
I just got off the phone with RF tech support. They reccomend a new alternator. And if I was to use a BD, a BD500 would be ideal for my subs. He said they have seen some produce 700 watts rms @ 2 ohm. I would get at least 500. And with the efficiency, I may not have to use a new alternator. Would cost about the same either way. I am going for the alternator. In case I ever upgrade (Amps, Lights, whatever) i'll have the extra power.
Chris -
man i feel sorry for you getting the run around like that
my 500w rf amp puts out 810 watts
but its not a bd
i hope you find your problem cuz i thought it was the alternator or battery...
lol
good luck
-Cody -
chris... looks like you're gettin a good run of bad luck... i'm glad at least the alt checked out -- and the radio shop guy was right... they shouldn't draw like much of anything with the remmy lead on but no signal going in... i wish you had the ability to like demo somebody else's gear for a week and see if it happened with their amp as well ...
the HO alt is a good idea anyway though for the future... GOOD LUCK!!The Artist formerly known as PoweredByDodge -
Would you guy's belive this. I havent had a problem since Thursday. But when I can, I will still get the alternator. Maybe a BD amp. I like the looks of last years models. More importantly, I need to get new tires. My front are down to 4/32" and the rear are 9/32". I dont like the Firestones Wilderness HT's that came on my Escape. Looking at goodYear Wrangler RTS or Dunlop Radial Rover AT. In the 255/70/16" size.
The amp is weird. I turned it on with no audio input. The headlamps dimmed. The tech at RF thinks maybe there is noise in the wiring that the amp was trying to play. My rca's are Scosche EFX. The power lead has a 2 Farad cap in it. Maybe its could be picking it up through the turn-on lead. Its a seperate switch run off the fuse box under the dash.
I'll let you guys know if I finally figure it out. Thanks for the input.
Chris -
I finally got my new voltmeter and air temp gauge installed last night. Was easier than I thought to wire them up. Was able to fish the harness through the dash without drilling. Popped up a screw cover in the middle and slipped the harness through behind the radio. They wanted a switched + lead. So I used the Cigarette lighter harness for power and ground. Grounded the dimmer lead so that it runs full brightness. turns out my other gauge was inaccurate. Kept reading low.
Chris -
regardin the amp causin u're lights to dim when u turn it on but have volume on zero.... could be a bad power supply inside the amp... only thing that makes sense... either that or something else inside the amp cuasing excessive current draw.
more importantly -- tires... you've got an escape -- you'd prolly like the tires i've got -- they're pretty on the cheap far as tires go, and they're nice, durable, and ride like a dream.
Bridgestone Dueler HL series 16" P245/70R16's suv/light truck tire. last i checked they were like 169-ish each.
they're not all seasons... u can try to run them all season if you've got a 4x4, but w/ 2wd i went and ended up gettin a set of the same series "blizzak snow tire".
far as true all season tires, i've never ridden on anything i liked more than the "Goodyear Workhorse" line. they ride smooth enough on dry pavement, yet they're gritty enough to dig out of a pretty good pile of snow. same price as the HL's me thinx... but that was when i was buyin 70R15's ... prolly 180 for the 16"The Artist formerly known as PoweredByDodge -
As far as tires. I am going with GoodYear Wrangler RTS. They normally sell for $124 each. Not sure what my "Employee" price is.
Like I said, The stereo is weird. Has not happened since Thursday. But now with an acurrate voltmeter in my truck. I should be able to see what really is going on. I'll check tonight and see if the headlamps dim again. And what the voltage drop is.
Chris -
PBD, I just found a brand new BD500 on Ebay. Makes 668 watts at 2 ohm. For $200 + shipping. I just bid a maximum of $210. Now I am running about 250 watts each. They would see about 334 watts each with this amp. They are listed at 350 watt rms each.
Chris -
a new bd500.1 for 200 bones is like dirt cheap, go with it ... hell, if it turns out its not the amp, u can always sell eht one you got or the new one for what you paid for the new one...
how's that voltmeter workin out for ya (assuming u read this by the end of the day and have had the whole day to overserve it) ?The Artist formerly known as PoweredByDodge -
PBD, The voltage drop on initial start of the Punch 800.2 (Radio off) is .5v. Then comes back up. Like maybe the caps inside need to power up. Driving home, The LEDs are not too bright. Voltage fluctuates about .5v. From 14.2 to 13.7v. Stereo problem hasnt happened. A coworker thinks I should put a "Ranging voltmeter" on the power and ground leads. And check the drop at the amp when it happens. Problem is has not happened in days. What do you think? Unless it happened because of the extreme cold we had.
The BD500 is last years model. I dont really like the looks of the new models. I think SoundDomain wants $300. I'll check them out for the price.
Chris -
cody.. a 0.5 volt drop is "nothin".. its normal.. its supposed to happen...
when i first flip on my amps, my lights dim, if i have my heater fan on high it slows down for a second, interior lights all dim.. then come back in like a 3 second interval of time.
far as voltage drop... the needle "twitches" then comes back...
once i start to play the system at half - 3/4 volume my needle drops a solid half to 3/4 volt... and i get 13.5 - 13.8 volts... i never get a true 14.4 ---- its excessive current drain -- i'm pulling 225 amps nominally off of a buck and a quarter alternator. so if you're drawin 100 amps off a 80 amp alt,, then you shoudl expect similar but maybe less severe phenomenon.
as i said.. expect 0.5 votls... expect 0.75 volts.... dont expect 1 or more volts though.The Artist formerly known as PoweredByDodge -
My stock alternator is rated for 95 amps. I would like to know if I can get a 150 amp unit. I am a little leary of the 200. Most have little or no output at idle. assuming my draw is about 60 amps. This should work out fine. The BD500 is rated 30 amps music, 50 Sine waves.
Chris -
PBD, I just won an Ebay auction for a Brand New BD500. Cost me $274 with shipping ($259 + $15 ship) Its coming from TX. So I should be seeing it sometime next week. However, I am still going to get the alternator. Just in case. Once its checked out and if all is good, I will post my results on The Yahoo EscapeCentral club and here as well.
Chris -
good luck dude...
**lights one up**
we await results with eager ears... :cool:The Artist formerly known as PoweredByDodge -
PBD, I think I was had. The dude said on Thursday that he would ship the amp on Monday 2/10. I have not heard from him since Thursday 2/6. The payment was sent via Paypal using a creditcard on 2/6. His seller rating is 10 Positives. What do you think? Is it possible this amp is stolen? Or am I just jumping the gun? I have had many bad things happen to me since Saturday. 1st, My house vac broke. 2nd, carpet shampoor bottle leaking. 3rd, truck wouldn't start (Bad IAC to be replaced under warranty). 4th, I awoke this morning to find my 11 week old baby bunny peeing blood (Took day off work to take her to vet, Bladder infection. On antibiotics for 2 weeks). 5th, This amp issue. These are just the major problems. On a Good note, I did get my new rims. ARE "Widow" 16x7.5". Next month I will get new tires and mount them.
Chris -
Well the vaccuum and shampooer broke cuz you're just a clutz who has the "hands of a surgeon"... lmfao.. j/k.
honestly tho,sorry to hear the whole world is kinda givin ya hell there. i hope the bunny gets better -- between my girl and i we've got 13 animals, so i know how it gets when one isn't doing so well.
far as the amp goes -- i dunno man.. u might be jumpin the gun -- sometimes people just get clogged up with stuff -- i mean what if he's havin as bad a weekend as u did... he certainly would be late mailing it out.
rest assured with one thing -- pay pal -- if he cannot prove delivery to your home confirmed pay pal address, it may take up to 30 - 60 days but you'll get your money back... people dont ususally screw you on paypal because they know they'll be in a world of crap if they try to pull one over on you. check out their site for more info -- i had to "envoke" the claim service on an old 1000D i bought... thing was fried, kid tried to say "no its fine" -- ended up gettin my money back in about 2 weeks time.
I'd send him an email or two -- NICE ones... stern but nice -- just let him know u're concerned and want an update... give it like 10 days.... if u dont hear from him in that time -- file a paypal claim -- after which IMMEDIATELY call your credit card company and file a complaint with them for non delivery of paid for item... they'll go after the guy too for ya.
good luck kimosabi.
if u need any words of wisdom on the bunny, email tiggr930@aol.com --- she's a wildlife rehabber, animal trainer, and wildlife biology student to boot, has probably handled like 100 bunnies in the last 2 yrs, and i'm sure she'd be glad to offer any assistance she could.The Artist formerly known as PoweredByDodge -
Thanks for the advice. I do have a Rabbit breeder friend who is a member of the county 4H. I dont know about where you live. But here in NJ, I only know of one GOOD rabbit doctor. Most animal hospitals wont look at a rabbit. My sister is looking after her right now. She's also in the 4H and raises rabbits. Tomorrow, She has to show me how to give the medicine properly. Its through a Oral Syringe. Basically you just squirt some into their mouths and let them eat it.
Thats basically the story of my life. Cant get ahead. Lucky to keep what I have.
I did e-mail him twice about the amp. He never responded. I'll wait 10 days from the date of sale. Then I'll disput the charge.
On a good note, I did manage to jury-rig my cleaners. Smoke poored from the head of the vac. Took the head apart, Couldnt find anything wrong. just a worn spot on the belt. However the motor hasnt been sounding healthy for a while. Tonight, I used it. Got most not all of the dirt of the floor from the litter trays. The shampooer, I was able to use some silicon sealant to patch the crack. I do have a new bottle on order.
Chris -
PBD, I just received an e-mail from seller. He said they ran out of the amp. Maybe he'll get more on Thursday. I told him, I will wait and see what is available. If no BD500 then please isssue a refund to my credit card.
Chris -
true, most vets wont touch a rabbit for teh reason that rabbits have a tendency to go into shock (which is often deadly) from the stress if 1)being handled by someone else 2) being scared 3)being sick handled too rough --- and rough for a rabbit is like gentle... the only ppl around here that really deal with them are the local SPCA rehab center.
i cannot BELIEVE that son of a b*tch with the amp! -- "we ran out of them!!?!!?!!" he ran out of htem what the hell... who puts up an auction for an amp that they dont have! if the item is up for sale... it should be already set aside. that is absolutely ridiculous.
if/when he sends u one, it damn well better be new. and he should be crawlin on his knees begging u forgiveness.The Artist formerly known as PoweredByDodge -
PBD, The dude with the amp has others on Ebay. BD1000 and 700S. He said he would send me the "New model" if he doesnt get the older unit in. Personally, I like the looks of the older unit. Matches me Punch 800.2. Wait and see.
Tonight, I am picking up my bunny. She stayed with my sister last night. We thought it best since I work during the day. I had to drive her from Trenton to Marlton circle. About 40 mile ride (I think) Wher rt 70 and 73 come together. She is on medicine for two weeks. My older bunnt misses her. keeps looking at the empty cage next to her. Her name is Dutches, And is over 1 year old. My new bunny is Peaches and is 11 weeks old. Both are Holland lopps.
Chris -
I like small fuzzy things that romp around the house -- if my parents would let me, i'd have had something of the sort already... then again my terrier would probably declare hunting season which woul dnot be a good thing.
far as amp boy goes -- if he'll give u a 1000.1 for the price of the 500.1 -- take it ya know... if not.. the 501 really is like the same thing... i wouldn't sweat it... i'd complain about the whole debacle but i wouldnt get worried.The Artist formerly known as PoweredByDodge -
PBD, I still have not seen the amp yet. It was supposed to be shipped last Friday. This morning, I e-mailed him. I asked for the tracking number. Still have not heard from him. I am getting really P'OED. Tomorrow night, If I dont see the amp. I am calling the credit card company and disputing the charge. 2 weeks and nothing to show.
Chris -
that really is frickin retarded... if/when u get your money back... check out ...
http://www.ikesound.com/1024.htm
1000db for 399 // 500bd for 294 .... maybe u'll have better luck with a "store"... lol... not sure if ike is reputable but some of the guys in aol - car audio chat reccomended them, and they're usually on the ball.
watch tho -- with your luck you'll order like 4 of these things and everybody will screw you.
luck tends to come infrequently and only in the bad manner...
for example -- today on the way to school i smell smoke -- i'm like "did i drop a cigarette in the truck or something???" ... i stop... turn around... my JBL GTQ190x2 is on fire (well smoking... but bad enough). i now have a little black smoke line on my nicely carpeted wall... and hte amp is toast -- i'm guessing some work could fix it, but the fact is i'm tired of this damn amp -- i've repaired it twice since i got it 6 months ago, and it seems like every month or two something else breaks on it. output transistor went // then the damn rca line input shorted out and had to replace an IC chip because of it (god bless JBL tech support which 99.999% of the time is non existant but that time they actually helped me and knew what they were tlaking about) // now it smokes... forget it.. junkage.
so now i'm spray painting an old Optimus 200xl (dont laugh, i knwo its radio shack but its ok... i swear...lol) white to match my other two JBL's and am going to orange letter the optimus tag so that it "blends" ..lol.. its a double agent! ... that way at least this crap will match.
well off to radio shack for heat sink compound i go... i hate taking apart amps -- especially when the only reason is for painting it.. its like u waste all u're efforts not even for fixing something.. AGH!The Artist formerly known as PoweredByDodge
