HO Alternators

[hcoronado 10+ year member]

sup guys! i am in the process of ordering an HO alternator but how do i chose the correct alternator?

My truck comes with a 60 amp alternator.

my options are a 160 amp alt which will bolt directly. ( i like this option).

Second option i get 200 amp alt but i will have to fab a bracket (really dont want to spend time figuring out what type of bracket to make for it to fit). but if the 160 amp is not enough then i will have to go this route.

anyhow My system info is in my sig; but how do you guys select the right size alternator?

does the total amount of watts = amperage output of alternator?

meaning 1000 = 100amp alt? if i am running total 1300 watts then 160 is more then enough..............right?

thanks!

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[skadude016 5,000+ posts]

that 160amp will be enough definitly. make sure you do the big 3

 

[phantom240 5,000+ posts]

I was also wondering exactly how you come up with how many amps your alt needs to put out in order to power your sub.

 

[hcoronado 10+ year member]

that 160amp will be enough definitly. make sure you do the big 3

Big 3 already done! but my 12w6v2's are hungry for more power and almost set my amps in protect mode because this little 60 amp alt aint cutting it!

was my formula about the alternator output correct?

i wanna make sure that if i get one i dont go back and regret not getting the bigger one.

 

[davidwm88]

well typically its 14.4 watts= 1 amp. But dontforget that about 40% of the alternator will be running the car.

 

[hcoronado 10+ year member]

ok so 1300 / 14.4 = 90 amps so if 40% of the truck runs off the then 160 amp would be ok then. right? or was that volts you are talking about?

 

[bimma85 5,000+ posts]

well typically its 14.4 watts= 1 amp. But dontforget that about 40% of the alternator will be running the car.

14.4 watts would =1A*14.4v //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif. That is saying you're amps are 100% effiecient which they won't be and if you had em going full tilt for a long time, which you won't. Big three+that alt and a good battery, is likely gonna be MORE than needed //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif. Better to have too much power than too little //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif.

 

[hcoronado 10+ year member]

14.4 watts would =1A*14.4v //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif. That is saying you're amps are 100% effiecient which they won't be and if you had em going full tilt for a long time, which you won't. Big three+that alt and a good battery, is likely gonna be MORE than needed //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif. Better to have too much power than too little //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif.

thanks that makes sense!

yeah i am already running two batteries a red top under the hood and a yellow top in the bed running 0/1 from the front to the back, big three performed all around with 4 gauge and added a fuse to the signal from the alt to the battery protected by a 60 amp fuse.

will i need to get bigger fuse for that wire?

again thanks to everyone that has responded to this thread!