Optima batteries?

[Chris Philhower]

Hey all. I have a question about Optima Batteries. Do they have problems with it being below freezing? I have an Orange top in my 2001 Escape. Have had it since last summer. I have a Whistler digital voltmeter that is plugged into the Power Port. When I go out to my truck in the morning it reads about 10.6 VDC. Starts up fine. Drive to work (About 9 miles) voltmeter reads about 13.6VDC. Get off work at 6pm. Reads about 10.3 VDC. I noticed my stereo acts funny at high volume (Skips, repeats, and garbles). Only when cold out. I shut the sub amp off and it clears up. And the voltmeter reads about the same 13.4-6. But after running for a while. When things get warmed up no problems.
Any ideas? Like maybe something with the cd player or changer. Doesnt matter which I use. I drive mostly short trips. Tomorrow, I'll try driving to work with the radio off and see what happens on my ride home.
Thanks
Chris

[PoweredByDodge]

i dont have a clue -- but i'll tell ya 10.6 is WEAK... something is wrong somewhere, i would not let that go idly by -- one way or another u gotta figure that one out.

if all else fails in your endeavor - borrow a friend's battery for a few days, and see if it does it with that -- if it does that its not the batt.

[Chris Philhower]

Well it happened again today. I live in NJ. Its been below freezing all week. Well when I am driving anyway. Maybe its something wiith the radio. Once warmed up no problems. My voltmeter has not exceeded 13.7 VDC today. Maybe the cold is causing this to happen. When hot, The volts were above 15 VDC. Its annoying. I am almost home when the problems disappear. I know not to turn up a radio on full when the speakers are cold. About 20 degrees F. For long term reliability. I always let them run for a couple of minutes to warm up. So, I dont think the speakers are the cause of the garble.
Chris

[PoweredByDodge]

i had nt thought of this before but when u said its over 15v when its warm out ---------

your alt should not break 14.5, especially in a non-foreign car. usually you'll get 13.8 - 14.2 in a domestic suv/truck from ford / chevy / mopar.

if your alt is going bad, it coul dbe causing abnorma **** in your car's electrical system which could lead to erratic behavior of lights / radios / heaters , etc etc.

might wanna have the alt checked -- unless ford's come out with a difft alt that does 15v as of late (and if so -- i want one :) )

[sntnsupermen131]

im glad i dont have to worry about that
its been in the 50s this week and itll be in the low 70s next week:p
-Cody

[PoweredByDodge]

50's ... u prick -- i went to rinse down my truck at the "robo wash" today -- cuz its too cold to actually wash it by hand... so they got these like pull in bays where u have a power washer hose, and for 5 bucks for like 10 - 15 minutes u can do a power rince / power wash with soap / rerinse / jet wax all with the power washer so its quick as hell and gets all the grime off --- well as soon as i shot the HOT water onto the truck, it FROZE ... so now the damn thing is covered in a "blanket" of ice. its clean... but its iced solid.

buffalo, ny -- with the windchill we got -12 today... yay!

[Jstas]

Uh, this is not a problem with the battery or alternator. Although, that battery may have caused it.

This points more to a problem with your voltage regulator. First things first, check the connection at the alternator for any water. Freezing water could cause this kind of a problem and explain why it works better when warm. If there is water in the connection, it may have fried your voltage regulator. If you car is still under warranty, take it to the dealer. If not, time to get all mechanic-like on it. Remove the alternator, take it to Pep Boys and have them test it. They can also test your battery. Since your vehicle ain't gonna be running without an alternator, might as well take the battery to test too.

Inside the plug, there should be electrolytic grease caked in there. It's supposed to be, it diplaces water so you don't have this problem. If there is none or very little, make sure you get a new pigtail and cut the old one off and splice the new one on. Use waterproof butt connectors and tape them up with electrical tape or shrink wrap. The reason why is because the contacts down, inside the plug where the wires connect to the blades in the plug, may be corroded. Only way to fix that is replace it.

But 10.6V is way too low. Your battery light should have come on at about 11V. It is normal to see a voltage drop during initial operation after a time being parked. This is because the charging system is recharging the bettery but it shouldn't drop below 12V. The reason things sound garbled is because there is not enough juice to go around and your amplifiers are pulling too much current from the charging system. This is that problem there the was a huge argument over about the proper use of capacitors.


The only other thing I can think of that would make sense in being wrong is that you have been drawing too much current from the system for a long time and one of the battery cells has fried causing a voltage drop when you are trying to charge it. If your charging system can't charge a high current battery fast enough, you end up overworking your charging system and it breaks at one point or another.

Get your parts tested. It's the only way to find the problem for sure. If it is your alternator, consider using a higher rated one in place of your stock one to provide extra power for your stereo. If it is the battery then, your battery may be too big for your charging system. You should consider a smaller battery or a bigger alternator.

[Chris Philhower]

I noticed that when I turn on my sub amp(Even with radio off) My headlamps dim. I do have a 2 farad cap on my sub amp and a 1 farad cap on my stereo amp. I think the volts at the battery is fine. But when I have a chance (Weather permitting) I'll check the battery. The HO alternator is nice. However, After being out of work for over a month (With no Unemployment checks) I cant afford one yet. Besides my Alternator is buried in back of the engine. You have to remove the axle shaft just to remove it. And I forget what else. I would rather have it done than to try it myself.
Chris

[PoweredByDodge]

alt is buried ? --- is the escape a side mount engine? (like not straight up like you see in trucks / muscle cars -- i saw a chevy celebrity -- 1988 -- with a side mount engine, the damn alt was like pressed against the firewall in back part of engine compartment and under some other crap. this is why i fear eventhe slightest-ly complicated of engines... i'm afraid either i'm going to break them or that they will break me.)

what Jstas said actually sounds more like it makes sense than anything else that's been tossed around.

[Chris Philhower]

Yes, Execpt mine is underneath. Its the DuraTec otor based on the one used in the Taurus. Has few changes. like the intake, Location of waterpump, and so forth.
I did notice my headlamps didnt seem as bright last night. I used to have a factory sub. I removed it and sold to a guy with another Escape. Also gave him part of the wiring harness. I didnt remove the fuse out of not knowing what else was powered. Maybe i'll pull the fuse and see what happens.
By the way, It's 6 degrees F this morning in bordentown, NJ.
Chris

[Jstas]

The Escape, like all modern mini-utes, is FWD in it's standard configuration. Even in the 4WD configuration, it stil has a transversely mounted engine and transaxle. Just an extra output shaft that runs to a rather wimpy rear differential.

If the alternator is buried behind the engine then I can promise you that it will be expensive to get serviced due to labor hours.

As far as the fuse goes, I think that if you pull the stereo fuse, your current stereo will not work.

[Chris Philhower]

The fuse I was referring to was for the Factory sub amp. I removed the fuse.
I did check the Battery volts this morning at 6am (6 degrees F outside) was reading 12.18. This afternoon, I checked the voltage at the battery with the engine running. Was reading 14.5 at idle. So that tells me that my plug-in voltmeter is reading low.
The stereo garbled this afternoon again at full volume. I did notice that the dash lights flashed when it happened. The Alternator is getting weak. I need an HO model. Now I need to find one. Wrangler NW wants to sell me a model with external regulator and brackets. Which tells me this might not fit well. AIS has helped me in the past on a 93 Escort GT. Brand new 150 amp alternator. Kept the car for over a year and no problems. I wish they made one. Would definately buy from them again!! Bolted right up and used the factory plugs.
Could anybody at Polk tell me where to find one? I know you had to replace the factory unit on your Escape demo cars.
Thanks
Chris

[sntnsupermen131]

6*F !?!
it was 42 this morning
it got up to like 58
i was walking around outside in pants and a long sleeve tshirt with the sleeves pushed up to my elbows
just though id rub it in :-)
im beginning to hate these engines now
theyre so hard to work on
they probably do it on purpose so youll have to pay someone to fix it
i saw a 99 ford truck and half the engine was where the fire wall used to be in older model trucks
same way with dodges
chevys arent that bad but they have so much plastic crap to take off
i was taking the alternator off my 96 truck last month or so and it was pretty easy
its right in front
but i was taking out a bolt and hit a hose and the damn hose broke off
i broke it good too...
the part you screw in was still there but nothing above it where you could take pliers and screw it out
i had to get a hack saw blade...grind it down to where it would fit in the hole
and make about 8 cuts through the part stuck in it by hand
no handle
just the blade
pos crap
my dad sold a 74 cj a month ago to a friend of his
old straight 6
there was so much room under the hood you could hide in there
no plastic crap
no electronics
dont make them like they used to
-Cody

[PoweredByDodge]

haha -- you could hide in the hood... i like that... ya i've still got plenty of room in my dodge 1500, but i agree... they're getting a lot worse --- my 88 D-150 was much like the CJ -- you can fit a dead body under the hood.

this cab forward design crap is what's pushing the engine into the firewall -- people want to be able to not have a big front end on a car so they can drive like retards and not hit stuff... so they want litle rollerskates with cab forward design. its's like a ford econoline van... ever worked on one of those? you open the hood and its like "um... where's my hand go?" -- the whole thing is PACKED with equipment and the guts of the engine are buried so far under the dashboard / firewall area that you gotta jack the car up off the ground to even get a rough idea of what you're lookin at.

for alts -- try www.mralternator.com -- he doesnt' ahve an escape listed on his website, but i was lookin for alts for other stuff so i mailed him a while ago and he bascially told me "i'm too busy working on my parts to update my site -- if you want an HO alt, just tell me the car and i'll get it for you / make it for you". he's got a good repuatation too.

most will run you like 200 bucks at most with all the brackets and crap you need... but getting it put in will probably cost you coin if you cant get back ther eyourself.

[Chris Philhower]

Thanks PBD. I e-mailed 4 places today for one. I even tried SummitRacing and was told to call Powermaster. I might try to tackle the job myself. Just a shortage of time and with this cold weather. There is supoosed to be a place in MD that makes alternators for limos. Dont know the name or phone number. They supposedly have one. A local speedshop told me this about a year ago. But I dont like dealing with him. Had problems in past with orders not coming in and not being able to reach him on the phone.
Chris

[CPHILHOWER]

You all are not going to belive this. But I am a member of the club Polk. I forgot all about it.
Chris

[goingganzo]

i have a queston i have a 2001 alero with a alpine mrv 1000 amp and a ppi 2200 power class amp when i turn up my sterio to real loud i get a bit of dimeing if i add a seccond optomi baterey will i kill my altinator?

[CPHILHOWER]

I was told by SummitRacing that if you use a Solenoid you wont have a problem. It's supposed to isolate the batteries so that only one gets charged at a time. dont know. Never used one before. I always belived a second battery would make matters worse. However in my case, The factory alternator cant charge the one battery enough. I think you would still need a HO alternator to charge both at a faster rate.
Chris

[PoweredByDodge]

chris -- powermaster alts aren't bad -- they're not creme-de-le-creme, but if you get a good price, then by all means they are a known company so you should do fine.

regarding the alero -- if your lights dim just a little -- get one or two one farad caps... probably solve your problem... if they dim a good deal, then you're going to need another battery.

whether or not your car can handle another battery is another question... i've found most pickup trucks / suv's can handle up toe 3 batteries without difficulty -- this being that their alternators are a bit more rugged / can take more of a beating.

If the alero's alt is rated at least 100 ampheres, you can probably instally two 750 - 900 cca batteries. if its less.. you probably can't.

I dont' really know the exact science of it, but by adding more batteries, you add more 12.5 v power, you will not gain 14.4 volt alternator output voltage power. by adding more batteries, you resign yourself to running yoru system of fyour batteries, not your alternator.

thus your useable voltage willd rop -- if your system is drawing 150 amps, and your alternator is 100 amps, then the other 50+ amps needs to come from the batteries, in which case you're mising 12.5 v power with 14.4 volt power and u end up somewhere in the 13.6 / 13.8 volt range... which is fine. hell i havne' tseen anything but foregin cars that actually run at a true 14.3/ 14.4 volts.

I'm going to be adding my third battery to my truck soon... i just tied the two under the hood to the alt output with 150A fuses... and ran each a 0 /2 gaguge line to the distribution in the cabin... the third will be in the cabin near the distro. Hope it works right or i'm going to bust a nut.

[CPHILHOWER]

PBD, I received an e-mail from Tom at Mr.Alternator. he said they have a 200 amp unit for $275. Very good price. Do you know if they need a core? I would need to get an extra fuse and holder, split loom, maybe power and ground wire, and terminals.
Chris

[PoweredByDodge]

i've no clue whether he wants a core or not - he never mentioned it to me... but maybe he assumed -- ask him, best way to find out.

275 for 200a is pretty good, you're right... i was lookin at 165A for 200... round the same range.

When you do this hookup, easiest way to keep it simple would be to just mount your alt , tie in the original OEM wire as it was, then tie your amp's power wire (pref 0 gauge) into that terminal on the alt as well -- within 18 inches, a fuse holder w/ 200A fuse... loom the whole thing and call it a day.

as far as cheap -- www.sounddomain.com has stinger platinum 0 gauge ANL fuse holders for 8 bucks... they're not waterproof, but if you just tape over the whole thing with electrical tape, its fine... i've got 3 under my hood -- no problems. its that or u can get the waterproof ones -- they're 50 bucks though. 2 pair of ring terminals -- u can get rockford fosgate brand ones --- they're a good deal cheaper -- streetwires / monster / etc want 10 bucks per pair and they're hard as hell to crimp... Fosgate are like 4.99 per pair and they're fairly easy to crimp... sounddomain also has the 200 Afuses for like 3 or 4 bucks... stinger brand... lightning are cheaper but they're not really made as well -- gold versus silver... i dunno if it matters... most other places will charge you 15 bucks for that fuse.

dunno where to ge tlooom cheap tho -- i couldn't find any -- ended up getting a 4 foot piece from pep boys for like 5 bucks -- probaby got raped but i coudln't find it anywhere else.

[CPHILHOWER]

PBD, I have done it before. Changed the unit in my 93 Escort GT. Took a couple of hours. I have a source for fuses. ANL wafer for $3.90 each. Gold plated. Waterproof fuse holder for $18.50, 4 gauge wire for $1.25, 2 gauge for $1.85 per foot.
Chris

[PoweredByDodge]

for those prices, can i be your friend ? lol... is it an online store or are you just gettin stuff cheap off a buddy??, cuz i could use a discount like that... 18 bones for a WP fuse holder... ay che wa wa.

[CPHILHOWER]

Try WWW.PARTSEXPRESS.COM
They have 1" split loom at .32 per foot. Bags of Gold plated terminals for less than $3, 2 Farad cap at $139.80 (If I remember correctly) They also sell Phoenix Gold, Monster cable, Scosche. Along with a lot of other brands.
Chris

[PoweredByDodge]

big guy named bubba says "YOU DA MAN"...

[CPHILHOWER]

PBD, I removed my pair of 15's from my Escape. I replaced them with a pair of Dayton loudspeaker DSQ 12.4's. In a sealed box with little bit of stuffing. Have a nice tight sound. However my amp now makes 250 watts rms at 4 ohms each. The 15's had 500 watts to each. I noticed my headlamps dont flash like they used to. But, i dont have the volume. I found a RF BD1000 used on Ebay for $250. That would be able to provide 500 to each sub. The ratings are 350 rms/ 500 max. I was thinking I could just keep the gain down a little. What do you think? I do plan on getting the alternator. hopefully next month.
Chris

[sntnsupermen131]

Chris-
12s wont be as loud as 15s especially if they have a lower rms rating
but you will get better sq
if you can try using a vented box if youre using a sealed
it will be a little louder
another thing...
my bd1000 pushes out 1200 watts
my other amp
power 500 pushes out 810 watts
405 watts to each sub rated at 350 will do great
if you can find it cheaper
but man for $250 you cant go wrong but youll need to turn the gain down
probably wouldnt hurt to get a 1 farad cap either
mine was like $100 @ www.ikesound.com
it was a rf w/out the digital read out
but the digital read out isnt necessary unless youre really big into car audio and plan to go to major competitions where you need to know
-Cody

[sntnsupermen131]

one more thing
350w rms and 500w peak doesnt sound right...
ususally peak power is double the rms or more
ex. mm120..rms-500....peak-1000
so you might want to double check what your rms is to be sure youre getting the right amp
-Cody

[CPHILHOWER]

I do have a 2 Farad cap on my sub amp. I just realized after bidding, I will be needing tires soon. Can't afford to do both. So i'll have to do the tires and wait for the annual RF clearance this spring.
Chris

[PoweredByDodge]

rf 1000 d is a good amp... i think having more power is better than less in general.

i'm not familiar with your new speakers, but ya cody is right 350 rms / 500 max is odd sounding... 350 rms , 700 - 1000 max would sound right.. i've got a 10" jbl that's 250 rms / 1000 max. but that's a whole nother discussion on mechanical versus thermal limits of a sub.

anywho -- turn the gain uptill u hear them fart... then pull it back a hair.. who cares abotu rated power... just pour all that you can on them. ... that's just how i feel.

i had 400 on 300w polk dx's.... have 1200+ on 1000 watt ID's... long as they're not making noise, then you're good. :)

[CPHILHOWER]

PBD, The speakers are from PartsExpress.com Part #295-500.
I still have the problem. I listen to my stereo at full volume with the sub amp on. And I get a loud cracky sound. Sometimes the cd player or changer repeats. Mostly with the engine running. I was playing with my Bass boost. 12db I think. Punch 800.2 Model year 2001. And when i turned it up it happened. I checked the power and ground wires. They seemed tight and free of corrosion. When it happens it happens to whole stereo system. Maybe I'll have to go to a local stereo shop and let them look at it. Any ideas?
Thanks.
Chris

[CPHILHOWER]

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

[CPHILHOWER]

Since the problem is mostly occuring when using the sub amp. Is it possible that there is something wrong with the amp?
Chris

[sntnsupermen131]

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

[PoweredByDodge]

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 ****).

[CPHILHOWER]

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

[PoweredByDodge]

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 :lol:

i've got the wiring ghost causing crap in my car too i think -- weekend is gonna suck :(

[CPHILHOWER]

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

[CPHILHOWER]

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

[sntnsupermen131]

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

[PoweredByDodge]

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!!

[CPHILHOWER]

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

[CPHILHOWER]

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

[PoweredByDodge]

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"

[CPHILHOWER]

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

[CPHILHOWER]

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

[PoweredByDodge]

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) ?

[CPHILHOWER]

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

[PoweredByDodge]

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.

[CPHILHOWER]

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

[CPHILHOWER]

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

[PoweredByDodge]

good luck dude...

**lights one up**

we await results with eager ears... :cool:

[CPHILHOWER]

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

[PoweredByDodge]

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.

[CPHILHOWER]

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

[CPHILHOWER]

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

[PoweredByDodge]

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.

[CPHILHOWER]

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

[PoweredByDodge]

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.

[CPHILHOWER]

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

[PoweredByDodge]

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!

[sntnsupermen131]

ive used ikesound before
they had the lowest price on a capacitor
didnt have any problems
-Cody

[CPHILHOWER]

PBD, I just received the UPS tracking number for the amp. I should see it on Mon. Let you know,
Chris

[PoweredByDodge]

holy **** chris -- i think hell just froze over.... (they shipped it!) lololololol.

[CPHILHOWER]

PBD, I finally got the amp today!! Looks new. Birth sheet states 674 watts @ 2ohm. When I get a chance, I'll change the amp over.
Chris

[CPHILHOWER]

PBD, I already mounted the amp and wired it. Havent had a chance to Test drive it. One thing I did notice. When I turned it on, I could hear a High pitch ringing sound. Is that normal? It only happened for a moment then went away. Also, I had a 60 amp AGU in the fuse box, Do I need to change it to a 50? I think I might have one laying around somewhere.
What do you recomend I do with the Punch 800.2? It makes 1006 watts rms at 2 ohm stereo. Dont know if I should keep it or sell it on Ebay. The amp does work. If I sell, How much do you think I could get? Its not in perfect condition. has a few scratchs, No dents. Have all the hardware and Bass knob.
Chris

[PoweredByDodge]

dude... that punch.... keep it.... hoenstly.... if it really is 500 x 2 then its worth a good 300 bucks used... 400+ used in good condidtion... assuming the thd is under 0.3% in 2 ohm stereo mode.

that would put it into the "better amp" category, for which, they are worth $$

glad to hear u finally got u're amp dude.... took long enough -- **** we coulda bought u transistors and built it from hand...lol j/k.

dont worry about the fuse... 674 / 13.8 = 48.84 --- thats 50 right there...

so with another amp and what not u'll need the 60. -- the mtx 6500D is like the same size / model-ish amp (obviously anothe rbrand but the amps are close) and that guy had 75 A onboard (right on the amp's chassis). leave hte 60... aint gonna hurt nothin bu tmight save u a trip out into the cold.

far as the whining... i get it too...i dunno what the hell it is.. i think its the amp "warming up" -- almost literally.. when its warm out - i dont get it.. when its cold or ihavent had the ssytem on for a day or so... its like SHRIEKING at me from the two 81kd's -- only those amps.... not my class AB's -- go figure.. maybe its a class D "we're cold let us warm up" thing. but i've heard many amps do it (D's) --- its not patch cables of anything..... it comes right from in the amp (not outa the speakers).

long as it keeps goin away dont sweat it... if u get it constantly for an hour or so, u might have a ground loop problme - but u checked that **** out so thoroughly before i imageine u dwudn't have such a prob.

good luck with the new amp... heres hopin for ya *fingers x-ed"

[CPHILHOWER]

PBD, The amp works pretty good. I just might have to make gain adjustments to maximize the power. This is a little boy. Not as big as I thought. Chassis size. My gain is set about 1/4 open with the Bass knob set at about 1/3 or so.
the rining sound. it is best described as a metalic ring. kinda like when you drop a wrench into a drawer of wrenches. I had the amp turned on and no audio input just for a test. But you say yours does it as well. So I am not going to worry. I had a Sony class D amp once before. Never heard the noise. Of course that sucker drew massive amounts of current at 1 ohm. Used it to drive a pair of DVC Bazooka RS 10" tubes.
The Punch amp is 500 X 2 at 2 ohm according to birth sheet. 1006 watts rms bridged. I used to have (Wished I kept it) a MTX 3002. Ran it 1.5 ohm bridged. A pair of DVC 12" Ultimate Attitude in a ported box. Had to have made over 1000 watts easily. That combo threw too much air. A friend put his hand in front of the port and it pushed his hand into the back wall of the trunk. Sold that on Ebay. didnt get much though. So maybe I'll hold onto this one.
Thanks for the luck.
Chris

[PoweredByDodge]

[i]This is a little boy. Not as big as I thought. Chassis size. My gain is set about 1/4 open with the Bass knob set at about 1/3 or so.
the rining sound. it is best described as a metalic ring. kinda like when you drop a wrench into a drawer of wrenches. I had the amp turned on and no audio input just for a test. [/B]

ya... most class D's are smaller than their AB coutnerparts... a 500 watt D is usually like 20% smaller than a 500 x 1 4 ohm stable AB. and as tech gets better, they're shrinking them even further.

re stuipd sound --- well... i can turn on my deck... and turn the volume down to dead zero.... unplug my RCA's from teh amp... unplug my sub speaker wire from the amp (so all thats hooked up is just the amp to the power wire / rem on lead) and it makes that sound.. its like a whining wind or really fine nails down a chalk board. only really high pitched -- much like u said.. droppin a wrench into a drawer of wrenches. my 500d and 6500d's did the same thing only like 1/3 of the volume....

lemme put it to u like this -- its so bad when i first turn the car on in the morning that i dont even wanna listen to music for about 10 minutes.

[CPHILHOWER]

Maybe because your in NY where its colder than where I am. its no big deal. Seems to be working beautifully. I wonder if I should look into a 4 channel amp. I still get that mysterious cutting out. Sounds like the R/F door. I am going to e-mail him and ask about a 4 channel amp.
Chris

[PoweredByDodge]

by the way ... when u were talkin about the 1kw mtx amp i thought at first u were talkin about the 2300X and just typed it wrong... cuz the 2300X was like 750 x 1 into 4 ohms and if ran at low low loads could do a grand easy, not safe, but definately easy.

(lookin on mitek site) -- u know htey used to make some damn good... damn BIG amps --- those thunders in the black case with gold lettering.. case looked like ashphalt.... i would kill for two 2300X's today.

they even had an HO amp that was like 700 +++ into 1 ohm with less than 0.5%thd -- which for mtx is like a shocker (over 1.5% is the "norm" for them lately).

i cant find a 3002 --- are u talkin about a 302 maybe ? Thunder 302 -- blue/blackish case with a silver "mtx" badge in the middle of the amp with a red turn on light. gold plated terminals.. lil over a foot long.. maybe 10" wide. -- ive got one of those in my girls car.. i love it.. buddy has two BT 150.2's which is the same amp only 3 years older and in a silver case. i've seen those do upwards of 500 into a 4 ohm load bridged if treated properly... at 1.5 ohms, i have no doubt it'd throw a solid 800 + at you before it reached thermal limits... but thats a hell of a beating on that poor amp. The amp - cruelty proectecion agency should hang u by your toenails!!! :lol:

[CPHILHOWER]

It was a Blue/Blackish amp. it was one of the Euro designs. Was rated at 150x2 at 12.5v. Bought at Crutchfield. Sounds like the same amp we are talking about. I didnt wire it that way. I had it wired for 3 ohm stereo. The local stereo shop rewired it to 1.5 ohm mono. When they were just supposed to install the Viper doorlock system. I never knew it was done until I sold the car and removed the amp. Wondered why it was always running hot but never shut off. I origionally wanted a Pro 3002 but couldnt get one. to match the Pro 504 and 752.
Chris