Help! Total Ampage Draw Question?

[hoodkid 10+ year member]

I have 2 Tsuamni GXA1000D 1000 watt class d Amps and a KENWOOD KAC-8452 800 4-channel amp. Currently im only running 1 Tsuanmi amp, and is giving me magor dimming problems, I plan on doing to Big 3 this week, but anyways i have the choice of getting these 3 alternators, a 130 amp $80, 150 amp $120, or a 170 amp $200, which one would be preferred? I'm thinking about the 150amp but i'm not sure becuase i don't know how to sum up the total ampage //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/eyebrow.gif.fe2c18d8720fe8c7eaed347b21ea05a5.gif ?

And could someone explain how to use a DMM to set gains in simple terms //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/naughty.gif.94359f346c0f1259df8038d60b41863e.gif ?

Click to read more...

 

[PhatTonyDeMarco 5,000+ posts]

Amperage will vary, but I would do the highest amperage you can... Upgrade your battery as well, and do the Big Three in no less than 1/0 awg cable.

And as for the gains, take the square root of the product of your total power that you are trying to get from the amplifier (what is it rated at normally) multiplied by the ohm load that you will have the speakers wired to on that amp.

SQRT(RMS x Resistance) = voltage via DMM

Not that complicated...

 

[hoodkid 10+ year member]

So you recomend the 170amp?

 

[PhatTonyDeMarco 5,000+ posts]

I would go larger, but if that is what you can afford then go for it.

With ~2500w there can be some major current draw... And I have heard those Tsunami's are able to pull some major current on their own.

 

[hoodkid 10+ year member]

I'm using a DMM right now to set my gains and i followed the sticky on setting gains but my DMM keeps on reading 3.2-9.2:eyebrow: , and i need to get it at 31, i dont know what i'm doing wrong

 

[PhatTonyDeMarco 5,000+ posts]

Do you have it set to AC or DC voltage? You want to read AC...

 

[hoodkid 10+ year member]

i have it on AC 200 setting

 

[PhatTonyDeMarco 5,000+ posts]

Hmm... Do you have the positive and negaitive cables in the correct place on the DMM? Maybe try a different DMM?

Put them on your battery and see if you get a number between ~12-14v, if so then the DMM should be fine. If not then it is the DMM malfunctioning, or you doing something wrong...

 

[hoodkid 10+ year member]

ok imma go try that

 

[PhatTonyDeMarco 5,000+ posts]

Word.

 

[hoodkid 10+ year member]

It read 12 volts

 

[PhatTonyDeMarco 5,000+ posts]

Are you using a test tone when you read the amp's terminal?

Do the speakers sound normal or are they even playing?