Amp drain on battery question

[Geronimo31]

Would really appreciate some help on amps.

I'm getting 6" Hertz DCX put in the front/back of my 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid. I'd like to get an amp as well and the local car audio shop has suggested one (Believe it's an Alpine MRV F300)

One complication is that I'm a big fan of driving to a view and listening to music while the car is then parked and off. (I'm in recovery, so I do boring **** like this. I know it sounds dumb).

My question is: If I get an amp installed and we listen to the stereo for 20-30 minutes with the car off, won't the new power draw kill the battery in that time? Is there anything to do to avoid this? Maybe install a switch to turn the amp on/off? Or at least figure out how long before the car battery dies?

Sorry if this question is amateur hour, but wanted to check before I had the thing installed and my car died on the first night.

Thanks everyone.

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[bgowdy 5,000+ posts]

Would really appreciate some help on amps.
I'm getting 6" Hertz DCX put in the front/back of my 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid. I'd like to get an amp as well and the local car audio shop has suggested one (Believe it's an Alpine MRV F300)

One complication is that my girlfriend is a big fan of driving to a view and listening to music while the car is then parked and off. (We're both in recovery, so we do boring **** like this. I know it sounds dumb).

My question is: If I get an amp installed and we listen to the stereo for 20-30 minutes with the car off, won't the new power draw kill the battery in that time? Is there anything to do to avoid this? Maybe install a switch to turn the amp on/off? Or at least figure out how long before the car battery dies?

Sorry if this question is amateur hour, but wanted to check before I had the thing installed and my car died on the first night.

Thanks everyone.

with it being just a factory battery under hood, id say amp or not the car would be dead(or unable to start) due to the radio playing for 20-30 mins. I would invest in a extra AGM battery and put it in the back

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

Even stock radio or dome light left on can drain a factory battery pretty quick.... while you might be able to do it and start again and again, draining the battery like that over and over greatly reduces it's lifespan.

Also, pony up some extra money for a really efficient amp like this: http://www.amazon.com/MIKRO-IV-4-Channel-Advanced-Amplifier/dp/B00GA9MAA8 Also very compact and good sounding. If you're just in love with Alpine, consider one of their PDX series full range class D amps which will be far more efficient than what you linked.

 

[maylar 10+ year member]

Get a cheap voltmeter that plugs into a cig lighter outlet and keep an eye on the battery voltage. When it gets down below 11.9 volts it's time to start the engine and recharge.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

Get a cheap voltmeter that plugs into a cig lighter outlet and keep an eye on the battery voltage. When it gets down below 11.9 volts it's time to start the engine and recharge.

bingo!