Anyone have experience with this?

[Boomin_tahoe 5,000+ posts]

Really? It looked like you didn't have it running, going by the voltmeter was below 14...my s10 has that very same cluster.

 

[shredder1 10+ year member]

Really? It looked like you didn't have it running, going by the voltmeter was below 14...my s10 has that very same cluster.

At idle like an idiot!.. LOL!.. To rule out the alt as weak I should have it at 1500 or so...

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

Thanks... Well, I'ts ALL 0 ga everywhere... CCA of course... (budget build)... with 2 runs under the truck to the rear... The amps are only loaded at 4 ohm strapped as I screwed up ordering the subs... I'm not going to do like all those people on YouTube and strap them at 1 ohm... I don't want to need 4 batteries in back...LOL!.. I'll test tomorrow at the amps when it's cool... hopefully the idiot... (me)... was reading the voltage gauge wrong!.. when I started this thread I was seeing things... I only wanna see 14v+... just kidding, but it is not nearly as bad as I originally thought... once I watched the video it seemed to be 13v or so... Tomorrow I'll see...

It's like buying budget work boots for 50$ a pair to save money over the 200$ ones but I'll get 4 years out of the 200$ ones vs the 6 months you get out of the 50$ ones. With some things cheaper isn't really cheaper.... case in point you're still trying to throw good money after bad in cheap fixes here.

Once we can see what your voltage is really like then we can see wh

At idle like an idiot!.. LOL!.. To rule out the alt as weak I should have it at 1500 or so...

Had you bought a proper alternator it would put out good current at idle.

If you can't do any upgrades the right way now, just wait and save until you can and keep your volume down a bit until you do.

 

[shredder1 10+ year member]

your well intentioned advice about saving to buy better gear is wasted in this case... I do agree with your assessment, however at the time of this build I was just released from the hospital and was unemployed at the time to boot... this rehab audio build was to originally give what was left of my brain a task to focus on as I relearned the use of my hands. Money is of paramount importance in this case... as I've been unemployed since 4/16 and living off savings... In 1997 I did have nice equipment when I was younger before I took a break from this hobby to focus on work/family... this stereo build started out as something to get me interested in the things around me again and on the road to some type of recovery with the ultimate goal that someday I might possibly return to work/normal life. The recovery is so/so and I have made gains thru physical therapy and a draconian personal exercise regimen I've implemented... but at this point the recovery is FAR from certain... I had a bad ischemic stroke on 4/16 and nothing can change the fact that half my brain has died due to a blood clot starving it for oxygen while I slept for 8 hours... Oh well, my SOB stories will not change a thing, put money in my account or apparently change your opinion... THIS is why I cheaped out and did so knowingly and still continue to do so... LOL!.. The result of my efforts may not have much of a beauty factor, go over 150 db+ or win any awards but It has and does serve it's purpose in my life as a motivator, type of rehab to work with my hands and something to focus on occasionally as I do have a lot of mental acuity lost still... And it does get a LITTLE rowdy inside to boot... for a $ 1500 dollar system I think I did OK and as I've stated before... I did screw up ordering the subs or I would be looking for even more current at this time... It's a budget build, the CCA was to last 1 year only and the subs/amps the same... I'll will return to work eventually but can only do so carefully and with some accommodation as I did try to return to my old job with disastrous consequences. This last year and a half has been a bear...LOL!

 

[shredder1 10+ year member]

your well intentioned advice about saving to buy better gear is wasted in this case... I do agree with your assessment, however at the time of this build I was just released from the hospital and was unemployed at the time to boot... this rehab audio build was to originally give what was left of my brain a task to focus on as I relearned the use of my hands. Money is of paramount importance in this case... as I've been unemployed since 4/16 and living off savings... In 1997 I did have nice equipment when I was younger before I took a break from this hobby to focus on work/family... this stereo build started out as something to get me interested in the things around me again and on the road to some type of recovery with the ultimate goal that someday I might possibly return to work/normal life. The recovery is so/so and I have made gains thru physical therapy and a draconian personal exercise regimen I've implemented... but at this point the recovery is FAR from certain... I had a bad ischemic stroke on 4/16 and nothing can change the fact that half my brain has died due to a blood clot starving it for oxygen while I slept for 8 hours... Oh well, my SOB stories will not change a thing, put money in my account or apparently change your opinion... THIS is why I cheaped out and did so knowingly and still continue to do so... LOL!.. The result of my efforts may not have much of a beauty factor, go over 150 db+ or win any awards but It has and does serve it's purpose in my life as a motivator, type of rehab to work with my hands and something to focus on occasionally as I do lave a lot of mental acuity lost still... And it does get a LITTLE rowdy inside to boot... for a $ 1500 dollar system I think I did OK and as I've stated before... I did screw up ordering the subs or I would be looking for even more current at this time... It's a budget build, the CCA was to last 1 year only and the subs/amps the same... I'll will return to work eventually but can only do so carefully and with some accommodation as I did try to return to my old job with disastrous consequences. This last year and a half has been a bear...LOL!

As stated, I tested the voltage at the amps... This time I used a digital meter and test tones... unfortunately the meter on the dash seems to read more accurately than this old Harbor Freight meter I tried to use... I got 12v at the battery with it running... 12v at the amps no load...11v at the amps under load and even if the meter is reading wrong that's a 1V drop under load... had a little fun as the meter kept falling over during the video but I got it on vid finally... a 1V drop under load seems OK to me but I will install a digital meter at the amps to be accurate... I'd do it today but it is 110 degrees plus right now... A 1V drop under load seems fine for a daily driver and the alternator seems to be doing it's job... however many amps the alternator claims... (250)... seems sufficient for my current draw... I shot a vid during testing...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZElE3I_0fWk ... Man... it was hot out!

 

[shredder1 10+ year member]

Update... After getting some questionable readings using an old multi/clamp meter, I bought a quality meter, and retested the voltage at idle front and rear and came up with some surprising results... the Ebay alt in question seems to be doin' just fine output wise... at the front I'm getting 14.4v... at the amps I'm getting 14.3v... and under load at the amps I'm getting 13.6v under load... even after loading it for 30 sec with a test tone... Seems to be doin' just fine and I apparently was worried due to the analog dash meter being hard to read at a glance... the voltage drop front/rear is minimal and its CCA wire, I will replace it next year but at this point it's doing fine... I don't know what a pair of CAB's and a RF 500s will draw at a basic 2 ohm load but the Ebay alt is keeping up... I got some good advice during this thread but my financial situation does not allow me to follow that same advice this year... to all those haters who love to talk down anything that does not agree with their views... this one is for you... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsCV_SyyyJQ ... I may not be winning any awards here but for a $1500 budget build I am happy...