Why don't we connect power wires to the alternator?

[ahole-ic]

Sure and we all just hook stuff up to batteries for the hell of it. Its not like the voltage wouldn't be all over the place running directly off the alt.

What does that have to do with my statement? In a parallel circuit it doesn't matter whether you hook the power wire up to the alternator or the battery. This is not an either/or situation. You have them both. The question was, why do we hook up to one and not the other. Please try to pay attention.

 

[ahole-ic]

this

and this

You need to learn about electronics guy. Just because the wire might be hooked up to the battery does not mean it is drawing current from it. Learn about parallel circuits.

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

Show me one manufacturer that suggests hooking up amplifiers directly to the alt and you might just have a point. If your case is so good then why isn't it such a swell idea to use the auxillary hook up on some gm cars?

 

[StickyFingaz 10+ year member]

The amp is basically hooked up to the alternator because it is a parallel circuit. Electricity will take the path of least resistance, therefore the amp will draw power from whichever source of power is the easiest for it to do so. This would most likely be the battery as it is closest to the amp (ie. less resistance through wire) The battery serves to stabilize voltage when the alternator can't keep up. To remove the battery from the circuit would have no benefits.

 

[ahole-ic]

Show me one manufacturer that suggests hooking up amplifiers directly to the alt and you might just have a point. If your case is so good then why isn't it such a swell idea to use the auxillary hook up on some gm cars?

I don't need your validation to "have a point". All you have to do is go read about parallel circuits and you'll see that you are clearly wrong. Do you honestly think that if you hook your power wire up to your alternator you are only drawing current from your alt? Do you think the battery will not do the same thing as if you'd hooked the power wire directly to it? It is a parallel circuit and it doesn't matter WHERE you connect your power wire. Geez. Either you have no reading for comprehension or your e-pride is hurt. I don't know which but it doesn't change the fact that you're wrong.

 

[RetroAudioinc 5,000+ posts]

If you have a battery running off your alt to charge in the front and ran the amp wire to the alt, it is still hooked up to the battery I don't care how you look at it. Unless your going to push your car to start it you will need a battery connected some where that is being charged off an alt. I know power is going to go the the shortest route but hey I hook my stuff up to batteries so I don't care.. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

Now if you add a 2nd alt and run right to that with no battery since the other alt will charge the starting battery. I don't think that would work out so well but if someone wants to try it give it a shot and report back. LoL

 

[ahole-ic]

If you have a battery running off your alt to charge in the front and ran the amp wire to the alt, it is still hooked up to the battery I don't care how you look at it. Unless your going to push your car to start it you will need a battery connected some where that is being charged off an alt. I know power is going to go the the shortest route but hey I hook my stuff up to batteries so I don't care.. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif
Now if you add a 2nd alt and run right to that with no battery since the other alt will charge the starting battery. I don't think that would work out so well but if someone wants to try it give it a shot and report back. LoL

Who the hell suggested anyone run without a battery?

 

[Ronny 10+ year member]

Who the hell suggested anyone run without a battery?

Rofl.

Yeah, OP is right in his theory. If you tap directly off the alt for your amplifier's power cable with the battery(s) connected like normal they will still do their job, but current will flow from the batt towards the alt's terminal then down the cable instead of having current flow from the alt to battery then down the power cable.

The theory is correct. Yes, "parallel circuit." However, there are many reasons as to why you do not see this in regular practice, and I bet it has been covered in the thread. I don't feel like reading through it though

Ron

 

[RetroAudioinc 5,000+ posts]

Who the hell suggested anyone run without a battery?

Maybe if you read..

Why don't we run amp power wires to the alternator?

Does it say this a single alt or dual alt setup no, does he say anything about a battery? No. I was also by no means suggesting any one do this, it would be rather stupid. That was a joke.. LoL But you should have gotten that 2010 troll..

 

[ahole-ic]

Maybe if you read..

Why don't we run amp power wires to the alternator?

Does it say this a single alt or dual alt setup no, does he say anything about a battery? No. I was also by no means suggesting any one do this, it would be rather stupid. That was a joke.. LoL But you should have gotten that 2010 troll..

Running amp power wires to the alternator does not meaning running without a battery. You are clearly the troll here and you're obviously in way over your head. He just wants to know why he can't connect the power wire to the alternator instead of the battery up front. There is no good reason why he shouldn't ESPECIALLY if he's running a batt in the back. You can't provide one and neither can anyone else. Until you do... you're an idiot.

 

[n2audio 5,000+ posts]

Basic elect system, normal sized alt. 1000-1500w.

People geek all the time about having huge wires ran throughout the charging system which might drop a few hundredths of an ohm. And how having an amp ground longer than 35.997" will cause you to be struck down by a bolt of lightning.

I figured why don't more go directly to the source and get power from the alt stud.

I was really hoping for better answers than "the power comes from the battery".

 

[ahole-ic]

Basic elect system, normal sized alt. 1000-1500w.People geek all the time about having huge wires ran throughout the charging system which might drop a few hundredths of an ohm. And how having an amp ground longer than 35.997" will cause you to be struck down by a bolt of lightning.

I figured why don't more go directly to the source and get power from the alt stud.

I was really hoping for better answers than "the power comes from the battery".

Well the truth is that most people here only THINK they know. They don't have a clue. The real answer is there is no reason. It's a parallel circuit and it won't make a bit of difference but yeah you have a good point. These guys don't know what the big 3 actually does. They still think the water and pipes is how electricity works. They think if you increase the size of the pipe you increase the amount that can flow down it. What they don't realize is, decreasing the length does the same thing. Most people who don't drive a foreign car could save 4-5 ft on their power wire run by connecting it to the alternator.

To those of you reading this and are butt hurt, the water and pipe analogy is only to help novices understand. All you are doing is DECREASING resistance. INCREASING wire size and DECREASING its length is how you do this.

Argue until you're blue in the face but in a parallel circuit the power is drawn from the highest source of potential... NOT from one and then another charges that one. That doesn't even make sense. Since this is the case, it makes no difference where you connect the wire except for the amount of wire the power has to travel through to get there.

 

[x1le 10+ year member]

in a parallel circuit the power is drawn from the highest source of potential... NOT from one and then another charges that one. That doesn't even make sense. Since this is the case, it makes no difference where you connect the wire

truth

What they don't realize is, decreasing the length does the same thing. Most people who don't drive a foreign car could save 4-5 ft on their power wire run by connecting it to the alternator.

I would say in most cars, the battery is more easily accessible than the alt.

However, AC ripple is the correct answer. A battery is essentially the biggest capacitor in the vehicle.