Alternator Or Battery?

[beat-down69 10+ year member]

Ok i am having some major major voltage drop. This is my setup

Kenwood HD942u head unit

2 Re Audio MX 12s in a ported and tuned box at 32htz

Hifonics 2500d

Optima yellow top under the hood

1/0 run

Big 3 done with 2/0 welding wire

Audiobahn Components in front doors and dash

Rockford fosegate 1100 watt 4 channel amp

I am wanting to know which on should i buy first a alternator with 250 to 300 amps or a nice deka or xs power etc battery with atleast 100ah and high cranking amps

Im sure both would do great but dont have the funds to buy both right now so which one would be more benifitial.

Thanks in advanced

Click to read more...

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

car?

 

[beat-down69 10+ year member]

Sorry its a 96 gmc sonoma ext cab with a 4.3 vortec and stock alt that 105amps

 

[dgaf 10+ year member]

others may have more insight, but, i can share my experience...

i was about the same as you, 2500watts, big 3, yellowtop, 1/0...

before anything went in, i put in a high output alternator, 270amp dc power

i still had voltage drops down to 11v...

so i bought batteries, now i'm steady 13.8

 

[beat-down69 10+ year member]

so the way im taking it in your experience batts help you more then alt.

 

[dgaf 10+ year member]

well, maybe, it may seem that way, but think about it as if i would have done the opposite, put batteries in first without the alt, i may have had the same issue and needed the alt... but in my experience, the alt alone didn't stop voltage drops

 

[beat-down69 10+ year member]

well a few of the local car audio shops have told me just to do batts and dont worry about the alt. They said they have been doing spl comps and have never once upgraded a alt. But in my opinoin if the stock alt cant keep the battery under the hood charged good enough to keep from droping then i dont see how it would keep 2 or 3 batts from dropping. but to me that just seems like it makes since to me but im probly wrong LOL

 

[sacsking916 5,000+ posts]

alternator > batteries

 

[beat-down69 10+ year member]

if i read that right alternator is great then a battery.

 

[kramer_212 10+ year member]

alternator > batteries

this, but putting a small agm, or big one in the rear along with a ho alt would really help, since my 250 went out this 160 struggles to keep my bats charged and its 100 amps at idle.

 

[beat-down69 10+ year member]

If i had the money i would buy both right now but dont have enough money

 

[beat-down69 10+ year member]

Thanks you guys for all your help so far but would like some more opinions

 

[kramer_212 10+ year member]

well, if you are really tight on cash, you are better off adding a second big agm batter because it would be 1/3 the cost of an ho alt. and it will help dramatically with voltage drop. when i didn't have the cash for a large alt this helped me out tons.

 

[beat-down69 10+ year member]

so sounds like in my case a battery would be best to buy first

 

[kramer_212 10+ year member]

You can always add an ho alt if need be, but this should help out lots