Metalheadjoe

[YourNameHere 10+ year member]

Troubleshooting current spikes is completely different from troubleshooting voltage spikes.

not really man....you cant have one without the other happening....right?

 

[1aespinoza Premium Member]

That's an irrelevant past experience. Troubleshooting current spikes is completely different from troubleshooting voltage spikes.

Well, in case you did not know, your amp is always connected to an 800 amps or more source, depends on your battery size. It is also always connected to a 12v+ source, and no blown fuses.
So when you have a voltage spike, guess what, it pushes(forces) excessive current through a rated fuse, and it pops. It is called Watts/Power, so you cannot have one without the other. If something wacky is going on inside the amp, it will draw more power than needed, and be the source of said spike. Hence the reason I suggested he disconnect his sub amp a few days and see if the spikes continue. If they do, then amp is Obviosly not the source.

 

[Buck 5,000+ posts]

not really man....you cant have one without the other happening....right?

I'm not on anyone's side here. You can have voltage spikes without current increase. That's why you can fry a car computer with an alt that loses voltage control, because it'll never blow the fuse from too much current. That's what I experienced with my 3 different alts that I had on my Explorer. I've had an alt charge at like 17v, EVERYTHING IN THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF except for my motor. My entire dash stopped working. Thank God I had my Stinger voltage meter. I stopped in the middle of a very busy street in the middle of the road to unplug my alt and I immediately went back to the shop I was affiliated with to fix the issue. High voltage doesn't mean high current.

That's why your 120v little house wires are so tiny but your 12v wire is 0 gauge.

Wattage = Voltage * Amperage (in short, there's more factors)

More voltage means more wattage, not more amperage.

If you run higher voltage, you actually need less amperage to make the same wattage.

 

[Buck 5,000+ posts]

You guys need to stay CURRENT with the times lulz <3

 

[1aespinoza Premium Member]

You guys need to stay CURRENT with the times lulz <3

Good one. Yeah, I know that higher voltage will penetrate skin better for it is electromotive force that pushes amperes(oversimplified). That is why I never understood movies that said, "It is the amps that kill you, not the voltage." When someone gets electrocuted with the subway tracks. I still don't get it.

 

[1aespinoza Premium Member]

Scratch that. I just mulled it over and it makes sense now. 50,000 volts x mA of a stun gun will not kill you.

 

[metalheadjoe 10+ year member]

not really man....you cant have one without the other happening....right?

Voltage spikes point to supply. Current spikes point to the rest of the circuit.

Well, in case you did not know, your amp is always connected to an 800 amps or more source, depends on your battery size. It is also always connected to a 12v+ source, and no blown fuses.
So when you have a voltage spike, guess what, it pushes(forces) excessive current through a rated fuse, and it pops. It is called Watts/Power, so you cannot have one without the other. If something wacky is going on inside the amp, it will draw more power than needed, and be the source of said spike. Hence the reason I suggested he disconnect his sub amp a few days and see if the spikes continue. If they do, then amp is Obviosly not the source.

I honestly had no idea you connected your amp to two power supplies... I'm wasting my time trying to educate someone who thinks they know it all. Voltage spikes come from the supply. Nothing downstream of the supply can increase supply voltage. Amps can't increase their own supply voltage as you have incorrectly stated in several ways now.

Yeah, he can disconnect his amp and rule it out, but that is called guessing. If you use logic you can eliminate a lot of guessing. What's your next step if the amp isn't the problem: disconnect window motors for a few days to rule them out, then headlights, then the horn, and so on until you've eliminated everything that isn't the problem? Or if you ACTUALLY understand basic electricity, you can immediately narrow the problem to a few potential causes.

I don't know why you started this thread, but I'm over it. I'm willing to explain things to people who want to learn, but you are clearly just trying to challenge my knowledge.

 

[Buck 5,000+ posts]

Voltage spikes point to supply. Current spikes point to the rest of the circuit.


I honestly had no idea you connected your amp to two power supplies... I'm wasting my time trying to educate someone who thinks they know it all. Voltage spikes come from the supply. Nothing downstream of the supply can increase supply voltage. Amps can't increase their own supply voltage as you have incorrectly stated in several ways now.

Yeah, he can disconnect his amp and rule it out, but that is called guessing. If you use logic you can eliminate a lot of guessing. What's your next step if the amp isn't the problem: disconnect window motors for a few days to rule them out, then headlights, then the horn, and so on until you've eliminated everything that isn't the problem? Or if you ACTUALLY understand basic electricity, you can immediately narrow the problem to a few potential causes.

I don't know why you started this thread, but I'm over it. I'm willing to explain things to people who want to learn, but you are clearly just trying to challenge my knowledge.

I think that's pretty fair point. That would seem to be relatively true, I'm not 100%, but that seems very logical to me.

 

[1aespinoza Premium Member]

two power supplies

I don't get this.

Yeah, he can disconnect his amp and rule it out, but that is called guessing. If you use logic you can eliminate a lot of guessing.

It is called process of elimination. As you know, alternators are set to supply a voltage of around 13.8v. So how can the old and new alternators spike the supply. Now you are suggesting that both alternators have a faulty voltage regulator. I could see it happening to the old one, and maybe to the new one. But OP stated that he now has 2 HO alternators. I do not know if the second is new, but it would be bad luck if the other HO alt. had a faulty voltage regulator as well.

I'm willing to explain things to people who want to learn, but you are clearly just trying to challenge my knowledge.

Not at all. Just wanted to find out what reply was wrong and learn from it. But you have literally given me nothing valid. I have explained my logic but it falls on deaf ears.