Trunk battery vs. HO alternator

[7ender 10+ year member]

I'm looking for an explanation of the advantages of a large trunk battery vs. a HO alternator.

Iv'e done alot of research, and from what I understand- A battery is just a large reserve that may help with quick voltage drops that an alternator cannot respond quickly enough to.

So, on long, extended bass notes, would a large trunk battery help at all with voltage drops? Or on these types of notes is the power coming straight from the alternator?

I dont' really have a dimming problem, but I do have large voltage drops on the long, extended bass lines (11.0 with headlights/AC on). Iv'e currently got a small trunk battery (20ah) and an 80 amp alt/big 3.

I KNOW the best thing to do would be the alternator, but frankly there's no way in hell I can afford one- they're extremely pricey for my car (4cylinder accord).

Would a battery help at all for my specific situation? I can get an hc1800 for very cheap, so i'm thinking of picking one up. And as a side question, would I be better off using it as a trunk battery on top of my crappy interstate starting battery, or replacing my starting battery completely and using the hc1800 underhood?

Thanks!

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[DNick454 10+ year member]

Same boat here... 98 Accord 4 cyl. The best alt you can even get is only a 140A rebuilt Denso unit and it's expensive //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

Ontop of that, I've got a 2200W rms amp in the mail, we'll see how it goes with stock alt, stock batt, and stock alt wiring //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

 

[KyleBechtold 5,000+ posts]

Same boat here... 98 Accord 4 cyl. The best alt you can even get is only a 140A rebuilt Denso unit and it's expensive //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif
Ontop of that, I've got a 2200W rms amp in the mail, we'll see how it goes with stock alt, stock batt, and stock alt wiring //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

even then you lose idle amperage

 

[halfwaytohell 10+ year member]

run less power.

 

[DBBOOM 10+ year member]

Battery will be more benefitial for reserve for extended bass notes. A reserve battery will have a greater effect at maintaining your voltage, as it acts a storage bank. But with a regular alt it will take longer periods of low volume play to bring everything back to a full charge. I went with batteries first and then added a HO alt later on.

 

[7ender 10+ year member]

Alright, so since it sounds like a large battery will help out, I think i'll go pick one up this weekend.

Now- should I replace my starter battery with it or just add it to the trunk? I'm a bit concerned about my starter battery killing my brand new hc1800, because it's a fairly old battery (dated from 06) so i'm not sure how much longer it'll last and what it's resting voltage is at.

 

[smoka 10+ year member]

Alright, so since it sounds like a large battery will help out, I think i'll go pick one up this weekend.
Now- should I replace my starter battery with it or just add it to the trunk? I'm a bit concerned about my starter battery killing my brand new hc1800, because it's a fairly old battery (dated from 06) so i'm not sure how much longer it'll last and what it's resting voltage is at.

I would get rid of the interstate and the odyssey. Then save up for a second hc1800 in the near future.

You can mix them, but it will most likely shorten the lifespan of all the batts.

 

[7ender 10+ year member]

Hmm, that's what I was thinking.

I'm really not sure what to do. I really don't have the money for two hc1800's...as badly as I may want them.

 

[Stalin-ohaulic]

The real problem is maintaining 14v. Amps are much more efficient at 14v than at 12v. They put out more power there etc. A battery does not discharge at 14v. It is charging at that voltage. No matter who tells you otherwise, they are dead wrong. So, a battery in the back will prevent your system from dropping below 12v for a while, but it is also a parasitic drain on the alternator. The more current you draw from it, the more current it draws from the alternator when the alt is able to raise the voltage back up.

All in all, there is no replacement or alternative to a high output alternator. Batteries are recommended on this site as a bandaid because a lot of people here are confused about efficiency etc. The attitude on this site is: "find a sub that can hold a million watts because more watts equal deebeez! Find an amp that puts out a bajillion watts to power the sub! Leave stock alt, do the big three, add a battery to the back and call it a day." Then they act like they know what they are talking about.

If you have to run a stock alt, you need to find the most efficient subs you can. Then find the most efficient amp you can. Wire your vehicle for minimum resisitance.

 

[plugitin 5,000+ posts]

The real problem is maintaining 14v. Amps are much more efficient at 14v than at 12v. They put out more power there etc. A battery does not discharge at 14v. It is charging at that voltage. No matter who tells you otherwise, they are dead wrong. So, a battery in the back will prevent your system from dropping below 12v for a while, but it is also a parasitic drain on the alternator. The more current you draw from it, the more current it draws from the alternator when the alt is able to raise the voltage back up.
All in all, there is no replacement or alternative to a high output alternator. Batteries are recommended on this site as a bandaid because a lot of people here are confused about efficiency etc. The attitude on this site is: "find a sub that can hold a million watts because more watts equal deebeez! Find an amp that puts out a bajillion watts to power the sub! Leave stock alt, do the big three, add a battery to the back and call it a day." Then they act like they know what they are talking about.

If you have to run a stock alt, you need to find the most efficient subs you can. Then find the most efficient amp you can. Wire your vehicle for minimum resisitance.

i agree with you somewhat...there is no replacement for a HO alternator. When you put more batteries in your car, they all have to be charged by a lil alternator and it puts a lot more strain on that alternator to keep up.

 

[sexy 10+ year member]

i have added a second stock alt to a few cars some were mine some were friends. you may have room enough for two but i dont know 98 accords that well so i am not sure. with stock alts your idle voltage stays the same and you spend a lot less money. alts over batts for sure.

 

[plugitin 5,000+ posts]

its not voltage...its amps. You don't lose idle amperage when you swap to a HO alternator

 

[Boomintempo 10+ year member]

its not voltage...its amps. You don't lose idle amperage when you swap to a HO alternator

Depends on your idle speed...some of us idle around 600rpm //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/redface.gif.62fdbfe1a101588a808c4cff71bcb942.gif

 

[DBBOOM 10+ year member]

its not voltage...its amps. You don't lose idle amperage when you swap to a HO alternator

Depends on the HO alt and pulley ratio that it is equipped with.

Depends on your idle speed...some of us idle around 600rpm //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/redface.gif.62fdbfe1a101588a808c4cff71bcb942.gif

True, but that can be compensated for with a pulley swap.

 

[plugitin 5,000+ posts]

Depends on your idle speed...some of us idle around 600rpm //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/redface.gif.62fdbfe1a101588a808c4cff71bcb942.gif

lol...//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif