How Do You "Baby" Your Amp?

[gunz4me2 10+ year member]

I get the ones with the Made in USA stamp and then I worry about what setup my kids are going to be using them for 20 years down the road

Hmm, I had one of my "Made in the USA" Punch 150s catch on fire when I was in high school. The shop that installed the amp kept calling Rockford Fosgate saying that my amp was blowing fuses, Rockford Fosgate's solution was to keep installing larger fuses. At least they were nice enough to send me a brand new replacement amplifier without any problems. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/tongue.gif.6130eb82179565f6db8d26d6001dcd24.gif

 

[outsideshot23 10+ year member]

you said it.. Gain is my number one.. I get a huge output from my deck so i only have my amps turned up about 1/3 if that to get all the power i need.. plus what ryan said.. get plenty of ampa nd you can run it safer and more efficient

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

A/B designs are less efficient when running at fractions of their rated power, BTW.

 

[tinmanchris217 10+ year member]

Thanks for the advice, guys!

As mentioned above, it was 100% user error, and I completely own up to that. I treated the amp like feces, and killed it dead. I was pushing more than rated power, on a clipped iPod signal cranked to full on both the iPod and headunit, with amp gain about 2/3. The signal was probably more of a square wave than sine, to put it lightly. Plus, it was mounted to the port during comps (with no isolation). So yes... asking for it.

In the words of Dr. Weird, "This time, will be different!... More Corn!" It'll be mounted on an isolated amp/battery rack, on rubber bushings, the input signal will be clean(er), and gains will stay at rated (gets warm but not hot). Thanks for the constructive input, it's refreshing to get that on CA.com

 

[SPLaudio 5,000+ posts]

they really are good amps. i havent had a single failure installing ap amps. i like to run low impedences too.

 

[groundpound4200 5,000+ posts]

I poop on my amps to baby them.

your welcome

 

[wenn_du_weinst 10+ year member]

hmm when it shuts off from over heating I let it cool down thats about it, running at .35 each day will do that to you

 

[Brian_smith06 10+ year member]

like many others have said get more power than you need

For example in my set up my mid amp is capable of putting out 250 watts per channel how i have it wired but realisitically I use nowhere near that. Headroom is a beautiful thing //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

I always put a pair of white silk gloves on before I touch my amps...or make adjustments...I don't want as much as a fingerprint on mine....

 

[I Like Waffle]

First would be mount it right, good ground, etc. Dont clip it, dont overheat it, and dont low volt it

 

[Brian_smith06 10+ year member]

First would be mount it right, good ground, etc. Dont clip it, dont overheat it, and dont low volt it

this is entirely too much work fyi

 

[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

this is entirely too much work fyi

x2

 

[SPLaudio 5,000+ posts]

^ and NEVER EVER turn past vol 1.

 

[patotay 10+ year member]

lol

she owns the backseat..

 

[tinmanchris217 10+ year member]

I always put a pair of white silk gloves on before I touch my amps...or make adjustments...I don't want as much as a fingerprint on mine....

I'm guessing the white glove treatment is secret code for what happens on those long lonely nights in the shop ... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/yumyum.gif.0556df42231b304b9c995aefd13928a8.gif ... Are your output caps still charged, or do you kiss all the guys that way?

But seriously, for comps... there's no way you guys are running significantly under the rated power. The extra couple dBs gained from running at the amp's maximum steady-state capabilities is worth the 10% increase in risk. The 50% risk associated with running the amp abusively (ie low volts or higher gains) isn't worth it unless you're at finals or gunning for a record.

How do you guys test for an amp's "maximum safe power"?

My plan:

1) Run it at 80% rated for 15 minutes

2) Check temps, then bump output voltage up by 5%

3) Repeat until you hit a "comfortable maximum temp"