need help choosing the right alternator

[Tailstander]

I'm piecing together a system for a 2009 dodge grand caravan with the 3.3l v6. I need help or recommendations for an alternator I will list what I have so far to hook up2 12 inch sundown x v3's(2000 rms each) a skar rp4500.1d amp to power them, two sets of component speakers 1 set is jl the other is morel and a 500 watt 4 channel skar amp to power them, a kenwood head unit and a skar agm battery i belive it's batt85ah i hope that's enough info and thank you so much for your time in advance. mark ellestad

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[Doxquzme Premium Member]

Check out Apex high output alternators, fill out the email form, submit it and they'll reply with options for that vehicle.

Apex Alternators

Customized High Output Alternators

apexhighoutputalternators.com

That said, may want to skip the alt upgrade altogether using a GloweVoltage Series 1 or 2 as your 2nd battery instead.

Not a lot of difference in price, lot less headaches and it supports up to 8k on the stock alt already there.

Batteries - Glowe Voltage

They are in and out of stock all the time so have to keep an eye out and snag them while you can.

I see that you have selected two different brands of components and have to ask why? If you're going to have rear fill of any kind, it's best to be consistent with model an brand.

You could save a bit by getting a coax version of components up front, but at the very least, make sure the front and rear tweeters are the same if you are going full range.

High frequencies are carried to the ear easiest in a car and having a different HF driver in the rear will pull your ear back, away from the front stage, which is undesirable.

I'd also recommend getting a Stinger MT-4000.1. Rated for less RMS but is way underrated and will put that Skar to shame, by a good margin of a couple of thousand watts.

And with an email sign up discount of 11%, it's also a nicer amp for $50 less.

Stinger Audio MT-4000.1 4,000 Watt (RMS) Class D Monoblock Car Audio Amplifier

Shop the MT-4000.1 4000W Class-D 1-Channel Monoblock Competition Car Subwoofer Amplifier today! This high-power amp is meant to power competition grade subwoofer systems.

stingersolutions.com

Amp dyno on the Stinger 4k.

 

[Tailstander]

Check out Apex high output alternators, fill out the email form, submit it and they'll reply with options for that vehicle.

Apex Alternators

Customized High Output Alternators

apexhighoutputalternators.com

That said, may want to skip the alt upgrade altogether using a GloweVoltage Series 1 or 2 as your 2nd battery instead.

Not a lot of difference in price, lot less headaches and it supports up to 8k on the stock alt already there.

Batteries - Glowe Voltage

They are in and out of stock all the time so have to keep an eye out and snag them while you can.

I see that you have selected two different brands of components and have to ask why? If you're going to have rear fill of any kind, it's best to be consistent with model an brand.

You could save a bit by getting a coax version of components up front, but at the very least, make sure the front and rear tweeters are the same if you are going full range.

High frequencies are carried to the ear easiest in a car and having a different HF driver in the rear will pull your ear back, away from the front stage, which is undesirable.

I'd also recommend getting a Stinger MT-4000.1. Rated for less RMS but is way underrated and will put that Skar to shame, by a good margin of a couple of thousand watts.

And with an email sign up discount of 11%, it's also a nicer amp for $50 less.

Stinger Audio MT-4000.1 4,000 Watt (RMS) Class D Monoblock Car Audio Amplifier

Shop the MT-4000.1 4000W Class-D 1-Channel Monoblock Competition Car Subwoofer Amplifier today! This high-power amp is meant to power competition grade subwoofer systems.

stingersolutions.com

Amp dyno on the Stinger 4k.

the components I purchased for 2 different vechiles and found they in fact sounded pretty danm good together I put all 4 tweets up front an split up the mids in my truck i was planning on doing that again in my van. everything else I just bought new one piece at a time over the last 6 or7 months.i have olny ever ran no more than 1000 watts before so alot of this is new to me. never heard of the batteries you speak of so I will surely check them out as well a the alts. I have been just looking at all this stuff sitting in my house and it bucks cuz I wanna hear it but I also want to do it right the first time which ain't that easy when your still learning. thank you for your time you are appreciated.

 

[Popwarhomie 5,000+ posts]

DC Power
Autotech
Mechman
Brand X
JS Alternators
Excessive Amperage
Power Bastards
US Alternators
CES Alternators


I ran a single 4500 on a 320 amp Autotech alt and 40ah of Yinlong lithium and had ZERO voltage drop.

 

[Old_Slapper]

with a 4500 watt amp, you're going to need some major power upgrades. Your going to need at least a 350 amp alternator and a large power bank.

 

[Doxquzme Premium Member]

with a 4500 watt amp, you're going to need some major power upgrades. Your going to need at least a 350 amp alternator and a large power bank.

Not so much anymore.

I'm running 4.5k on a 110A alt, big 3, dual battery setup, Bosch AGM and a GloweVoltage LifPo4 in the rear. Pretty consistent voltage, never a burst or constant supply issue.

Things they be a chang'n!

 

[Doxquzme Premium Member]

the components I purchased for 2 different vechiles and found they in fact sounded pretty danm good together I put all 4 tweets up front an split up the mids in my truck i was planning on doing that again in my van. everything else I just bought new one piece at a time over the last 6 or7 months.i have olny ever ran no more than 1000 watts before so alot of this is new to me. never heard of the batteries you speak of so I will surely check them out as well a the alts. I have been just looking at all this stuff sitting in my house and it bucks cuz I wanna hear it but I also want to do it right the first time which ain't that easy when your still learning. thank you for your time you are appreciated.

Good speakers usually do sound good but mixed together, it's still a compromise yielding less than optimum from either.

Putting multiple tweeters in the same area, and two different tweeters to boot, not something that I'd recommend.

Consider selling one of the sets, keep the set you prefer, set up the front stage with one set, use the same model in a less expensive coax version in the rear with the money from the ones you sold.

Your van is a different listening environment than the cabin of a truck and in either instances, there are preferable ways to set it up for optimum potential reward.

If it's just a "gonna throw it all together and see what she sounds like" kind of thing, that's okay too, just not optimal given the effort involved.

My $.02

 

[chillin 10+ year member]

Not so much anymore.

I'm running 4.5k on a 110A alt, big 3, dual battery setup, Bosch AGM and a GloweVoltage LifPo4 in the rear. Pretty consistent voltage, never a burst or constant supply issue.

Things they be a chang'n!

How long can you have it cranked before the glow voltage runs out of juice? Eventually the 110 alt won't feed nearly enough, but with the dual batt, I'm curious how long that takes. And do you keep the volume low at the end of a drive to let the batteries charge up again?

 

[Old_Slapper]

Not so much anymore.

I'm running 4.5k on a 110A alt, big 3, dual battery setup, Bosch AGM and a GloweVoltage LifPo4 in the rear. Pretty consistent voltage, never a burst or constant supply issue.

Things they be a chang'n!

I have installed quite a few 1000 watt+ systems over the past few years. Even after the big 3, bigger batteries, etc... The lights will still flicker if the system is played loud for more than 30 seconds. I have not tried the GloweVoltage yet, but I'm hoping to soon.

Anyhow, if you have a system pulling 300 amps and an alternator supplying 110 amps, it won't be long until those batteries are dropping below 12v. We also know that the more voltage you have, the more power the amps put out.

 

[Doxquzme Premium Member]

I have installed quite a few 1000 watt+ systems over the past few years. Even after the big 3, bigger batteries, etc... The lights will still flicker if the system is played loud for more than 30 seconds. I have not tried the GloweVoltage yet, but I'm hoping to soon.

Anyhow, if you have a system pulling 300 amps and an alternator supplying 110 amps, it won't be long until those batteries are dropping below 12v. We also know that the more voltage you have, the more power the amps put out.

Well, that's part of the problem. Not thinking one could actually drive while pilling 300 amps, not even close to being practical in a daily driver, regardless of the potential max based on system total wattage.

Few people actually ever get close to that kind of draw unless competing. The highest I've clamped is around 78 amps, and that was intolerably loud inside the car, no way one could drive pulling more, at least no in my Hatchback.

I think that is where a lot of this gets lost, in the theoretical max draw based on total wattage of a system, versus even extremely loud playback while showing off.

This is a vid I often refer to on real world draw versus max capable.



My opinion on the subject is that very few people are actually competing, and those that are, usually know at least as much as I do if not more and are not looking for additional information here.

I think there is a lot of hype around extra batteries, extra large cables, etc. It's useful but many times it's absolute overkill. I remember running an RF punch 500.2 and a punch 800.4 in my Suzuki Swift Gti, 4 farad cap on both amps, Cadence 2 way 6.5" aluminum cone/silk dome component sets front and rear, dual Pioneer Premier TS-W5102SPL subs, bout blew out the windows but no dimming or power issues then either.

Additionally, I've swapped out the EVOPS 2400.1 with the Stinger 4K (dual 33v2's at 4 ohm load) for the hell of it, and back again just to see and in either case, nothing much changes. Even then, the system has a potential max wattage of no less than 2800 watts.

My $0.02
https://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/p_16932_Pioneer_Premier_TS-W5102SPL.aspx

 

[CertifiedHoodClassic]

DC Power
Autotech
Mechman
Brand X
JS Alternators
Excessive Amperage
Power Bastards
US Alternators
CES Alternators


I ran a single 4500 on a 320 amp Autotech alt and 40ah of Yinlong lithium and had ZERO voltage drop.

+1 autotech. I've had 2 and they're good.

They make a 320a for that car:

Parts Search - High output alternators for Car Audio Made in USA

Find the right high-output alternator for your vehicle. High amperage alternators in 30 different colors. Find your make and model.

autotechengineeringusa.com

 

[Old_Slapper]

Well, that's part of the problem. Not thinking one could actually drive while pilling 300 amps, not even close to being practical in a daily driver, regardless of the potential max based on system total wattage.

Few people actually ever get close to that kind of draw unless competing. The highest I've clamped is around 78 amps, and that was intolerably loud inside the car, no way one could drive pulling more, at least no in my Hatchback.

I think that is where a lot of this gets lost, in the theoretical max draw based on total wattage of a system, versus even extremely loud playback while showing off.

This is a vid I often refer to on real world draw versus max capable.



My opinion on the subject is that very few people are actually competing, and those that are, usually know at least as much as I do if not more and are not looking for additional information here.

I think there is a lot of hype around extra batteries, extra large cables, etc. It's useful but many times it's absolute overkill. I remember running an RF punch 500.2 and a punch 800.4 in my Suzuki Swift Gti, 4 farad cap on both amps, Cadence 2 way 6.5" aluminum cone/silk dome component sets front and rear, dual Pioneer Premier TS-W5102SPL subs, bout blew out the windows but no dimming or power issues then either.

Additionally, I've swapped out the EVOPS 2400.1 with the Stinger 4K (dual 33v2's at 4 ohm load) for the hell of it, and back again just to see and in either case, nothing much changes. Even then, the system has a potential max wattage of no less than 2800 watts.

My $0.02
https://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/p_16932_Pioneer_Premier_TS-W5102SPL.aspx

Sure, I get that in a daily driver people will only use a small amount of what they have. But what if they go to a gathering? There is a reason many people want this much power. Take my son, for example. He has 2000 watts at his disposal. However, when driving around, he might be using a 5th of that. But, he also likes to go hangout. Our city has parking lots where kids like to go and just hang out. When doing this, he'll be cranking the snot out of his system for more than a few seconds. He'll have it cranked up for as long as 15-20 minutes.

My point is, if you want your system to be cranked up for more than a few seconds, then you'll need more than an extra power storage supply and wiring. I'm also a big believer in "If you have it, the day will come when you will need to prove it. So don't embarrass yourself, when that time comes, and have your system fall flat because corners were cut." However, if a few second burst is all someone ever plans on doing, then extra batteries and fatter wires is all that is needed.

 

[Doxquzme Premium Member]

Sure, I get that in a daily driver people will only use a small amount of what they have. But what if they go to a gathering? There is a reason many people want this much power. Take my son, for example. He has 2000 watts at his disposal. However, when driving around, he might be using a 5th of that. But, he also likes to go hangout. Our city has parking lots where kids like to go and just hang out. When doing this, he'll be cranking the snot out of his system for more than a few seconds. He'll have it cranked up for as long as 15-20 minutes.

My point is, if you want your system to be cranked up for more than a few seconds, then you'll need more than an extra power storage supply and wiring. I'm also a big believer in "If you have it, the day will come when you will need to prove it. So don't embarrass yourself, when that time comes, and have your system fall flat because corners were cut." However, if a few second burst is all someone ever plans on doing, then extra batteries and fatter wires is all that is needed.

So, a 50A draw on a dual battery setup where the rear is a LifePo4 90AH that I can isolate from the front doesn't cut the mustard - Seriously?

Then again, I know what I have and at 64 I am too old to care if someone doesn't believe me, nothing to prove anymore - thank gawd!

It ain't charging when you sitting still so what you're talking about is the need for something on the order of 2-300 AH Lithium or whatever, I just don't see it for very many people.

I don't complete but I'd be better off to spend $500 to $1000 on a portable 300 amp plug-in solution in an area where you can plug in, about the same cost at the end of the day, and a lot lighter.

I've driven over 14 hours with moderate volume, loud at times, off at other times, like anyone does. Get to the destination, starts right up at all the stops, that night, or the next day, never losing either one of the batteries.

I pretty much qualify what I recommend, very seldom recommend anything other than what I've used unless it's practical application knowledge of the products or general field.

That allows the question to be answered and asks the question too so that usually, there is little in the way of a misunderstanding as to the true nature of the use and what should satisfy that need.

Granted, there will always be exceptions, but I aim for the most likely, initially, with qualifications, then revise if needed.

 

[Old_Slapper]

So, a 50A draw on a dual battery setup where the rear is a LifePo4 90AH that I can isolate from the front doesn't cut the mustard - Seriously?

Then again, I know what I have and at 64 I am too old to care if someone doesn't believe me, nothing to prove anymore - thank gawd!

It ain't charging when you sitting still so what you're talking about is the need for something on the order of 2-300 AH Lithium or whatever, I just don't see it for very many people.

I don't complete but I'd be better off to spend $500 to $1000 on a portable 300 amp plug-in solution in an area where you can plug in, about the same cost at the end of the day, and a lot lighter.

I've driven over 14 hours with moderate volume, loud at times, off at other times, like anyone does. Get to the destination, starts right up at all the stops, that night, or the next day, never losing either one of the batteries.

I pretty much qualify what I recommend, very seldom recommend anything other than what I've used unless it's practical application knowledge of the products or general field.

That allows the question to be answered and asks the question too so that usually, there is little in the way of a misunderstanding as to the true nature of the use and what should satisfy that need.

Granted, there will always be exceptions, but I aim for the most likely, initially, with qualifications, then revise if needed.

I believe you that you can run 50 amps off a power bank for a while. That's not what I was saying. I was saying that 50 amps is about all that is being used when doing their daily driving. However, when my kid is parked and blasting it, he's probably pushing over 150 amps. He could get a 200 ah battery, but he doesn't have that kind of room and it will not hold 12v for more than 10 minutes. Less voltage = less power. He has a 250 amp alternator that provides a little over 13v at idle and 14.4 when above 1000 RPM.s I chose this alternator for that reason. The rule of thumb is, if your lights are flickering, you're not supplying enough juice.