ok, a mechanics perspective on the BIG3

[VOA_NIGHTMARE 10+ year member]

http://forum.sounddomain.com/forum/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=007801 theres one thing i seen

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

i dont understand the debate to thi. its a cheap upgrade that takes under 30 min that can get good results especially if you are over 1000 watts rms

 

[playa1 10+ year member]

its not a debate, its a educational thing.

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

its not to hard to understand what can move more water? a big pipe or a small pipe? anyway you cut it at least you have upgraded for the future. (not picking on your dad) but you should see what they use in db drags....they use solid bars of very heavy copper and a few of the extrem cars can have over 10,000 amps of draw...i know it seems illogical to use that as an example but these amps of today arent like the old stuff of even 8 years ago and we did the big 3 back then too

 

[bikejunkie223 10+ year member]

i dont understand the debate to thi. its a cheap upgrade that takes under 30 min that can get good results especially if you are over 1000 watts rms

Sometimes it takes quite a while longer than 30 minutes...Have you seen where the alternator is on a 2002-2005 Civic SI???!!! It was a pain in the *** man, and I work on them for a living!

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

lol 89 chevy s-10 6-8 ft of wire combined for all the runs 15-20 min total. hardest part was the crimps.

 

[PatFitz9 10+ year member]

they use solid bars of very heavy copper

why would they use solid bars? stranded wire can transfer more electricity... electrons only move on the surface of the wire. stranded wire = more surface area = more electrons

 

[saywhat? 5,000+ posts]

i dont understand the debate to thi. its a cheap upgrade that takes under 30 min that can get good results especially if you are over 1000 watts rms

theres no debate on this. his father and him both agree it works, but the question at hand is HOW does it work.

more or less u have more passages for current to flow. u cant shove a basketball in a gardeb hose. but a golf ball down PVC is more freely. it works the same, fastest route to a given path is always the best.

 

[saywhat? 5,000+ posts]

lol 89 chevy s-10 6-8 ft of wire combined for all the runs 15-20 min total. hardest part was the crimps.

lmao my mazda took all of 10 minutes for a full install wire speaking.

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

why would they use solid bars? stranded wire can transfer more electricity... electrons only move on the surface of the wire. stranded wire = more surface area = more electrons

http://www.kinetikaudio.com/gallery/DB%20Drag%20Finals%202005/003.jpg

and only reason why they strand wire is so u can bend it. in a monster amp they use bars and very solid traces to carry the current. it would be much cheaper to do the wire jumpers but they dont.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

why would they use solid bars? stranded wire can transfer more electricity... electrons only move on the surface of the wire. stranded wire = more surface area = more electrons

The skin effect is negligible @ DC...

 

[req 5,000+ posts]

alright mike, heres your awnser.

basically, the car from the factory is gruonded to support what the manufacturers PUT IN the car. say the alternator *CAN CREATE* 105 amps, that hardly means that it will ever need to. your car might take 60 amps at night with all the lights on, and short spikes of 90~100 amps when you crank, but adding another 30 amps (read: musical) draw to make it 90 amps constant is not what that electrical system was created to do, nor intended to do.

what you need to realize, is manufacturers dont like to spend money.

if you further dont believe us, install your stereo normally (do not run your ground back to the battery, please dont - its a huge waste of wire and time) and then play music\tones and turn all the lights on and the car, and note the voltage at the battery, AND at the amplifiers.

next, add a 0~4 guage ground at the battery to the chassis, and note the voltage again, i GUARANTEE you jump quite a bit when you add that new ground.

in fact, i DARE you to do that expierement.

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

heck on my pos i had a 6-8 ga wire from the alt to the battery lmao (was a factory jank coated wire) as soon as i replaced that all dimming stopped. voltage went up a few .10's redid the ground and got the full effect.

 

[Chevyaudio 5,000+ posts]

Also the Big three has a limited effect. It is a good thing to do, but when you are adding 1500+ watts in a honda with a stock 70 amp alt, adding the big three would be like trying to drain the pacific ocean with a drinking straw and bucket. Sometimes you just have to **** it up and get an HO alt.

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

doing a ho alt without the big 3 would be about the same thing wouldnt it?