building a transformer for amp power

scampo77 · 21st September 2009, 02:20 AM

i have read on bcae1 that i can use a transformer to help my car stereo have greater gains. is this a normal practice to do? if so what is the upper limit for voltage that i can drive into a 12v amplifier?

if i do decide to build a transformer from 12v to 15v. is it based on amp draw for the entire circut? and is it possible to just adjust the regulator on the alternator to give me 15v?

i would also be very interested to drive 15v into my fog lights aswell. i figure with driving lamps and the radio i would be around 4000 watt. is this an unreasonable amount to drive with 15v?

Glowbug · 21st September 2009, 03:57 AM

I wouldn't do it via a transformer...you're talking about some significant current here.

http://www.missinglinkaudio.com/id27.html

Those guys make a regulator that can up your charging voltage to 15V...some SPL guys seem to swear by it, although it'll put you out of street classes.

Personally, I think either beefing up the current 12V system with more batteries is a better option for a daily-driven vehicle, and maybe going to a separate 16V system if you're really serious about competing.

scampo77 · 21st September 2009, 12:09 PM

the car isnt for competing at all it is just for daily driving , actually it is a work truck. i have a seperate charging system already for my accesories. the way i have it set up now is that if one system fails i can just plug one set of batteries into the other and this way i can continue on with my day or even my week till i can get around to fixing the broken alternator.

my main question is what are the gains to upping the voltage? will the stereo be louder?

and also if i jam 15-16v into 12-14v batteries all day will it burn the batteries out?

i am equally excited at the prospect of driving my fog lamps with 15v and i figure this would present almost no problems, but has anyone else tried this? (aprox 900 watt)

right now i have about 6000 amps of batteries and i have 2x 250 amp alternators and i am considering adding a 3rd alternator. as far as reserve power or charging im pretty sure i am way past the requirements of the needs of the stereo.

h_a · 21st September 2009, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scampo77

my main question is what are the gains to upping the voltage? will the stereo be louder?

No.

Quote:

Originally Posted by scampo77

and also if i jam 15-16v into 12-14v batteries all day will it burn the batteries out?

It will shorten their lifes considerably, yes.

Have fun, Hannes

scampo77 · 21st September 2009, 03:16 PM

so what will the advantage of increasing the voltage to the amp be then?

fizzsweden · 21st September 2009, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scampo77

so what will the advantage of increasing the voltage to the amp be then?

for your daily driver, I can´t see a reason for spending time and effort to do that ...

scampo77 · 22nd September 2009, 01:16 AM

so the only reason people put 15-16v is because they want to charge the batteries quicker? there must be more of a reason that seems silly.

fizzsweden · 18th July 2011, 09:25 PM

Its probably because that the voltage drops when the system is under load... and when the voltage is lower than 12 you decrease sound level and quality, I think...

Sent from my dualicious SGS2 using Tapatalk!

21st September 2009, 02:20 AM	#1
scampo77 diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Montreal	building a transformer for amp power i have read on bcae1 that i can use a transformer to help my car stereo have greater gains. is this a normal practice to do? if so what is the upper limit for voltage that i can drive into a 12v amplifier? if i do decide to build a transformer from 12v to 15v. is it based on amp draw for the entire circut? and is it possible to just adjust the regulator on the alternator to give me 15v? i would also be very interested to drive 15v into my fog lights aswell. i figure with driving lamps and the radio i would be around 4000 watt. is this an unreasonable amount to drive with 15v?

21st September 2009, 03:57 AM	#2
Glowbug diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Hillsborough, NC/McLean, VA	I wouldn't do it via a transformer...you're talking about some significant current here. http://www.missinglinkaudio.com/id27.html Those guys make a regulator that can up your charging voltage to 15V...some SPL guys seem to swear by it, although it'll put you out of street classes. Personally, I think either beefing up the current 12V system with more batteries is a better option for a daily-driven vehicle, and maybe going to a separate 16V system if you're really serious about competing. __________________ Jim J.

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21st September 2009, 12:09 PM	#3
scampo77 diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Montreal	the car isnt for competing at all it is just for daily driving , actually it is a work truck. i have a seperate charging system already for my accesories. the way i have it set up now is that if one system fails i can just plug one set of batteries into the other and this way i can continue on with my day or even my week till i can get around to fixing the broken alternator. my main question is what are the gains to upping the voltage? will the stereo be louder? and also if i jam 15-16v into 12-14v batteries all day will it burn the batteries out? i am equally excited at the prospect of driving my fog lamps with 15v and i figure this would present almost no problems, but has anyone else tried this? (aprox 900 watt) right now i have about 6000 amps of batteries and i have 2x 250 amp alternators and i am considering adding a 3rd alternator. as far as reserve power or charging im pretty sure i am way past the requirements of the needs of the stereo.

21st September 2009, 03:16 PM	#5
scampo77 diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Montreal	so what will the advantage of increasing the voltage to the amp be then?

22nd September 2009, 01:16 AM	#7
scampo77 diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Montreal	so the only reason people put 15-16v is because they want to charge the batteries quicker? there must be more of a reason that seems silly.

18th July 2011, 09:25 PM	#8
fizzsweden diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2009	Its probably because that the voltage drops when the system is under load... and when the voltage is lower than 12 you decrease sound level and quality, I think... Sent from my dualicious SGS2 using Tapatalk!

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