How do you know if your amp is pushing the total RMS?

[e22s 10+ year member]

ok, im a noob at this...so mind the question....i got an Orion 1200d hooked up to (2) 12" dual 4 ohm Type R's wired at 1 ohm...now it says that it pushes 1200 watts RMS at 1 ohm....is there a way i can tell if its pushing that or how many watts my amp is really pushing the subs? thanks for the help

Click to read more...

 

[Rattlebrain 10+ year member]

http://forums.caraudio.com/vb/showthread.php?t=63933

Read this, it will help alot.

WELCOME!

 

[Raisedin305 5,000+ posts]

The only way you can kinda tell how many watts your amp is giving your subs is by reading the link Rattlebrain provided you with. I don't know of any tools such a voltage meter that will tell you how many watts your constantly giving your subs. This is all changes when your car is idle and while your actually driving.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

That's half the story. The gain setting tutorial will tell you how to set the amp to do a certain power output into a specific impedance, but there's no guarantee that's actually what the amp is going to see in the real world. In order to actually measure your in-box impedance rise, and the true output of your amp, you're going to need an AC RMS clamp meter.

 

[Raisedin305 5,000+ posts]

That's half the story. The gain setting tutorial will tell you how to set the amp to do a certain power output into a specific impedance, but there's no guarantee that's actually what the amp is going to see in the real world. In order to actually measure your in-box impedance rise, and the true output of your amp, you're going to need an AC RMS clamp meter.

Yep. Thats why I said it all changes while your idle and while your driving. Its usually always going to be different.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

You also set the gains with a 0dB test tone and music is anything but a test tone or 0dB. Playing music, you won't see nearly the max output of the amp, and it really isn't worth getting wrapped up about, that's just how it is. If your amp gains are set correctly, and the amp will provide max unclipped power with a test tone, and it still isn't loud enough for you with music, you either need a bigger amp, more subs or both.

 

[Raisedin305 5,000+ posts]

You also set the gains with a 0dB test tone and music is anything but a test tone or 0dB. Playing music, you won't see nearly the max output of the amp, and it really isn't worth getting wrapped up about, that's just how it is. If your amp gains are set correctly, and the amp will provide max unclipped power with a test tone, and it still isn't loud enough for you with music, you either need a bigger amp, more subs or both.

Well said.

 

[thch 10+ year member]

That's half the story. The gain setting tutorial will tell you how to set the amp to do a certain power output into a specific impedance, but there's no guarantee that's actually what the amp is going to see in the real world. In order to actually measure your in-box impedance rise, and the true output of your amp, you're going to need an AC RMS clamp meter.

and even then you don't get an answer -- you only get apparent power. its possible to have 10A, 10V, and have a power output of 0W. (apparent power is 100 VA). note that with a woofer it would be impossible to get 10V, 10A, 0W, but with some other loads you could get it (or more realistically destroy the amp). if you don't beleive me, look up "power factor".

 

[bjfish11 5,000+ posts]

this might be illegal, but, http://forums.caraudio.com/vb/showthread.php?t=143145&page=2

 

[azbass 5,000+ posts]

you could take the total of the fuses in the amp. and times it by the voltage supplied. to get an *idea* of what the amp can do. although if the amp was 10% efficent. somthing like that.