1000w car amp

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I want to build a 1k watt car audio amp (The jlw6's and mb quart's are hungry). I am looking at the aussie amp.
This amp I am guessing is not for car audio, so I would need to build a switching power supply for it , right? If anyone has plans for a high power car amp please let me know.
 
If the circuit outputs 1000W of power, then assuming it is 100% efficient(and it never is) than it will dissapate 1000W of heat. 2000W from a 12V source? 2000/12=166A. You had better install about 3 alternators, caps, and a couple of batteries!!!:bigeyes: then again......why try to damage your hearing?
 
Whoa, easy everyone.... looks like someone new!

Ewok: is this 1000W peak or 1000W RMS?

If peak then plan on needing power supply with output of at least 300W. Choice of power supply is important... a linear supply will need at least 600W input for the usual ~50% efficiency. An efficienct DC-DC switching convertor might be 90% efficient so you will still need at least 325W output from power supply. Cunningham is correct about you requirements for an automobile. For AC conversion at least you have some room to move.

If 1000W RMS, then your power requirements change dramatically. The most powerful amp that is easy to find is the Bryston 7B. It is rated for 600W into 8 ohms and 900W RMS into 4 ohms and dissipates 1980W at maximum. That is 100W more than a 15amp circuit breaker at 120V. In other words, at maximum sustained power it will trip circuits - and yes, I've seen it happen.

http://www.bryston.ca/7bsst_m.html

Whether you make your 1000W amp for 13.8VDC or 120VAC power supply, the power draw will be the same. As for whether your speakers can handle it, I would be surprised if any of the so-called car drivers can handle a 7B giving full-on, never mind the fact that the volume may be a permanently damaging 110dB at your ears.

:)ensen.

One more thing... Tensop's response is true, even though it is somewhat tense. Search works fairly well and there is ton of info on these big watt car amps.
 
... remember:

If you are trying to go into SPL championchips, then you must find some installer and BUY amps starting at top level of Rockford Fosgate, JBL, etc... and as cunningham says: 3 or more alternators, 10 batteries and a fortune in caps...

If is just to listen loud music (techno, hip-hop, etc.), anything is sufficient, like my Macrom amplifier ;) 4x200W, with 2 channels bridged to the sub...

MB Quart and JL subs work very well with 100W :D , but 300W are more welcome...

:att'n: :att'n: :att'n: :att'n: :att'n:
Long exposition to over 110dB will kill your ears and maybe will create visceral problems ;)
 
I have a 12" Momo/Polk sub running off of a USAmps 400 amp and a "52watt x 4" receiver and this provides enough sound to drown out highway noise with the windows down at 80mph . The sub is only getting about 200w RMS maybe, and I think the power output is limited by speaker excursion rather than the amp's output, but it still is way loud enough. Are you trying to make one of those systems that make bystanders deaf? Personally, I think that's too much and think those kind of people should be more considerate of others. But if your intentions are for SPL competitions, then good luck with your endeavors. Other than that, 1000w RMS in a vehicle for transportation is very much unnecessary and/or implausible considering the stress on your motor/alternator/battery and the rattling that will result making just about everything come loose and probably fall off, not to mention the discomfort you and your passengers will endure while listening. Sorry to be like this, but I live in an area where every other car has enough bass to shake my house when driving by at 3am, and it's really annoying.
 
my stereo

I have 4 jl10w6's --- 4 mb quart 4 1/4 's ---- and 2 mb quart seperates,
If each sub can handle 400w and are ran at 300w thats 1200w right there and we havent even touched on the quarts yet.

As for respecting others -
My stereo is mostly for show , I actually listen to music more along the lines of social distortion and less than jake, when not at a show it is turned up just loud enough to drown out the exhaust.

A handmade amp in the civic I think would be an attention grabber and give me a few more points when showing. it does however have to get off like a cheap ***** when turned up at the show or judges wil just laugh and wonder why I didnt get a fosgate.

Oh yeh it's fast to javascript:smilie(':D')
Big Grin

Thank you for those who didnt flame me and actually gave me some input on this -- Purple People-- AudioPT-- Cunningham
 
car amps

I forgot to adress the search comment --
I searched for a couple days before posting and couldnt find much information on big car audio amps. I found alot of class a amps for home , concert or D.J. use but very little for car audio.

If you know someplace that I have overlooked with more car audio info please fill me in, I am not real bright you have to work with me.javascript:smilie(':)')
smile
 
That's why I like the open hatch back cars like Jeeps, fastbacks that have open access to trunk. I have a daytona and I don't need to give my sub any power to hear it (well, road noise is loud) because its in the same compartment as me. So you hear it on the outside. You can't even feel the body panels shake because its so low in power.

Horns are good too for saving power, but I think the drivers need a rather long excursion to take it.

Pete
 
Re: car amps

Ewok_Poacher said:
I forgot to adress the search comment --
I searched for a couple days before posting and couldnt find much information on big car audio amps. I found alot of class a amps for home , concert or D.J. use but very little for car audio.

If you know someplace that I have overlooked with more car audio info please fill me in, I am not real bright you have to work with me.javascript:smilie(':)')
smile


Oh my, 400W Class A in a car... may I suggest Class AB instead.

The big difference between home and car is that an auto charging system makes ~14V and most big amps need transformers with >30V secondaries. So, pick your big amp, and get a DC-DC converter that can bring your electrical system up to the required voltage.

One crazy idea that occured to me while sitting in a cafe last year was to get the electrical system out of a big wattage generator and actually hook it up to your crankshaft. Then use this power to drive everything. Since most auto engines run more quietly than a gennie, and your system makes much more sound, there is clear advantage over the usual mods. you could use massive "audiophile" monoblocks and get huge style points. Okay... maybe this one is too crazy.

:)ensen.
 
1000W in the car
:confused:

I guess you don't mean to supply this with 14V car voltage!!!

I'm arraid that even if you get something like this, sit in your car, turn on the amp, turn the volume to max, play your favourite hard-rock song - will your car engine start?????:confused:

change your battery-works???
if not use a nuclear engine to your car:)

sorry for joking
I know your pain
I like loundess too but keep it within sensible limits
cheers!!!
 
To be honest, the car engine has plenty of power but the limiting device in the car electrical system is the alternator...and the physical size of the wire. Wire size is a fuction of current not voltage or power. Even if you could generate enough current, using multiple alternators, you would have to rig up some sort of current sharing configuration less you burn out the rectifiers in one or more alternators. They make high output alternators at 100A or more, but if you need 150A to 200A, you may need to install a copper bus through your car to carry it. :)
 
To be honest, the car engine has plenty of power but the limiting device in the car electrical system is the alternator...and the physical size of the wire. Wire size is a fuction of current not voltage or power. Even if you could generate enough current, using multiple alternators, you would have to rig up some sort of current sharing configuration less you burn out the rectifiers in one or more alternators. They make high output alternators at 100A or more, but if you need 150A to 200A, you may need to install a copper bus through your car to carry it.

well, nice to know something more about how car works
I'm not in that business...
I just found the idea bizzare and shared my fears
 
1000Wrms amplifiers doesnt draw 1000W continuously when listening to music [not SPL tones!!!] at full power but draw 2000W for brief periods of time during bass transients and about 500W average over time in the worst case

To integrate these current transients into a more easy to handle DC-like current waveform, energy storage capacitors are required, placed on the 12V very close to the amplifier or *preferably* connected after the DC-DC converter inside the amplifier

My recent experience shows that a 1.2 farad 0.002 ohm capacitor and three 56Ah batteries are enough to show a system composed by 1x1000W + 2x270W + 4x80W amplifiers at almost full power for an hour or so with engine stopped [provided batteries are fully charged before starting and inmediately recharged after ending to prevent sulfatation]

Additionally, provided enough air flow through the heat sinks of the amplifiers, adequate power handling of the speakers and a 230V to 14.4V 72A external power supply [I've designed and built my own prototype of that], the system may be shown continuously at full power for 6 or more hours [plus batteries get fully charged]

The hardest part may be to design and build an SMPS capable of handling 2KW transients and 500W continuous with low EMI, decent efficiency and low voltage ripple and sagging on the output during transients [regulated output or very low leakage inductances are advidsed to prevent excessive sagging]. Those SMPS found on commercial amplifiers usually end using as much PCB space and as much transistors as the power amplifier circuit itself, and some have similar complexity
 
I apologize if my post was a "flame," I tried to imply that if this high power had a reason, ie not just to be blasted around the neighborhood, then go for it. Personally I have no experience building any amps, but I'll try to give some help this time. This article describes a power supply meant for car audio amps... which may help:

http://sound.westhost.com/project89.htm

I know a lot of people around here probably know about this, but I didn't see it mentioned, so I thought I would. From what I've read you could basically use it to power a "regular" amp using 12-14VDC, although current draw will be really high. I know Purplepeople mentioned a DC-DC converter, which I'm guessing is the same as what's on this page, but with the design you can probably put everything in the amp case.

Hope this helps.
 
The common wisdom is not to use switching supplies in a Class A amplifier. What is typical in so many "show" cars is to use Class D amps. The reason they are are as efficient as a DC/DC convertor is because Class D is a converter, just the AC to DC kind.

Otoh, Class A amps are highly inefficient. For example, the Pass XA160 is rated at 160WRMS into 8ohms but draws 500W at idle (yes, idle). The Brystons are also in the same league giving 600W into 8 ohms and drawing nearly 15A from the wall. The portable power normally used in show cars can barely give these amps what they need just idling. And since Ewok has 4 subs...

Impressive, Ewok, if indeed what you are proposing is real Class A amps in a car. The XA can drive an 87db speaker to 110dB. The 7Bs will shake the same speaker to 115dB. Even more important, these amps have the damping power to keep the subs from being murky sounding. Imagine being able to amplify a live mic'ed kick drum and have the listeners actually hear that it is a kick drum and not some random low note.

So, I say, go for it... beat's waiting for me to have enough money to bother with a show car of my own.

:)ensen.

PS: The fantasy will have nothing but electrostatic panels throughout and a few huge TL subs. And I won't be playing just bass... Toccata in D to open, Carmina Burana to hold the audience and a little 1812 Overture to bring the house down - hopefully literally. As I figure it, there's bragging rights if the judges ears start bleeding after the cannon shots and the swat team show up to look for the shooter. But you won't catch me near the thing, that's what remotes are for. And it will probably have to be shoehorned into an old Caddy hearse.

Okay, that's enough... it really late and I can tell I'm babbling and I'm not even sure any of this is correct.
 
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