I want to build an AMP for a car

[Matttcattt]

i want a simple and cheap design, and i need to be able to get hold of the parts easily in england (from mapln, rapid electronics, RS, farnel etc.). any plans or help would be apreciated.

[naula]

Maybe you can start here

naula

[Matttcattt]

By the way, i do have a knowledge of electronics and i have built quite a few things, but i have never built an amplifier in my life yet, so i would like to start with something small, could someone suggest a watt rating?

also, could someone explain what the classes are about? im guesing class A's are huge, powerful amps, am i right?

[halojoy]

Originally posted by Matttcattt
By the way, i do have a knowledge of electronics and i have built quite a few things, but i have never built an amplifier in my life yet, so i would like to start with something small, could someone suggest a watt rating?
also, could someone explain what the classes are about? im guesing class A's are huge, powerful amps, am i right?

If you want to build an amp for car
and use 12Vdc, you can do that as a start.
It is automatically a "small" amp.
You get max something like 4-5 Watts in 4 ohms speakers.

The good thing with such 12V amps,
it that they also can be used in Computer systems.
With 12V supply.

I have not found any discrete Amps like that.
But there are several designs using low power ICs,
like TDA2030.

/halo - thinks 4-5 Watts makes awful LOUD sounds, especially in a car.

[Bose(o)]

Well, I'm sort of new here.

Well, four watts? four watts? Isn't that a little lacking? Early distortion? As far as amplifiers go I'm used to the commercial stuff, so you can dawn some light on moi, if you'd like.

TIA, I'll be watching this project carefully.

[JBL]

hmmm you can go to www.sound.au.com
their is a good switch mode power suplie in the project section.

Car amp are not a very trivial task so I would not recommend one as your first amp.

[deepanger]

Try this..

http://www.aaroncake.net/circuits/amp20w.htm

This small 12V car amp. is really great!, based on (TDA1554) IC
Amp. from philips, its driving my pioneer 6x9 "40watt rms,130max"
believe it or not , it really push em hard albeit its only a 22wattx2
i use it to amplify the out of my CD player "discman"...
the distortion at high vol. is noticeble but its really acceptable
and the simplicity of the whole circuit and the working volt. of
12V is real advances..

but if u wanna something more powerful than this, ucan try the
(TDA1562Q or TDA8571) the 1st is one channel 70watt, the
2nd is a 4x40watt, but i recommend trying to experiment abit
with the TDA1554 1st...

hope this helps!

[dkemppai]

Hi,

Car audio amplifier can be built, however it's not an easy task.

The first thing you need to learn about are Switch Mode Power Supplies. Particularly low input voltage Push-Pull topology. Basically, push pull is the only topology that will work well with the level of voltage and power you will be dealing with. Winding a push--pull transformer is some of the easier types of transfomers to wind by hand... ...so that will be a good thing.

I can help with the math for designing the transformer, if you'd like. Do you know anything about SMPS supplies, or is this new to you?

-Dan

(P.S. If you're serous about the supply, get an old computer power supply, and take the switching transformer out of it, and start soaking it in Acetone in a sealed jar... ...That transfomer can be the start of your transformer)

[Matttcattt]

ok, this in-car audio sounds to dangerous at the moments, so i think ill build a mains based version for now, and worry about car power latter

as i said before, i want a simple circuit, as i have never built an amplifier before.

could someone suggest a suitable wattage to start at 100watts?

thanks for the help so far