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Message |
    
Pistonpopper
Junior Member
Username: Pistonpopper
Post Number: 29
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, April 01, 2006 - 8:28 am: | 
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I was just wondering what size amp I can run off a 100 amp alternator in my old Ford Taurus? Any ideas? The car has electric windows and right now have a 720 amp cranking battery, I think. Have a Cobra 29 classic that has a mod kit in it, and either has a 4 watt D.K. on low power, and not sure what the D.K. is on high power, but have been told that the radio is putting out 35 watts. Don't want to change much, since I have had a LOT of compliments on the radio. Just wanting to have some extra when I need it!
pistonpopper
CEF 718 |
Wolverine
Advanced Member
Username: Wolverine
Post Number: 618
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, April 01, 2006 - 9:53 am: |
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What year is that Taurus?, I have a 94 Taurus with an alternator rated at 110 amps. The amps I use is the magna-force 350 (prefers a 4-5 watt DK), and the x-force 200HD (Which will take a 6 watt dead key). Both amps are 2- pill amps, and will swing to 400 watts peak, and the amp draw is no more than 35 to 40 amps max, a little more if you talk SSB. I also have a 450 Palomar that I use, max amp draw is less than 40 amps. You can click on my profile to see what other toys that I use. I figure your taurus needs 40-50 amps from your alternator to run your car accessories , leaving you with 50 to 60 amps to run your amplifier. You may can even get away using a 3-pill amp (500 watts), but no more than that, unless you upgrade your alternator and battery.
Wolverine. |
Patzerozero
Senior Member
Username: Patzerozero
Post Number: 2653
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, April 01, 2006 - 10:47 am: |
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upgrade the battery & cables anyway. be careful just what brand amp you use IF the 29 REALLY swings 35 watts.
as wolverine says, a 2 or 3 pill will work. ALSO, texas star dx500 or 667 will work, a custom 5 pill IS stretching the limits, BUT possible if run cautiously. |
Hotwire
Senior Member
Username: Hotwire
Post Number: 1113
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, April 01, 2006 - 1:27 pm: |
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I run a DX 500 with a Cobra 148. 100 amp alternator with Optima red top battery with 8 gauge power cable. I get 500 watts out no problems. A 35 watt Cobra 29? My Connex only does 38 watts MAX! Back the Cobra down to about 20 watts and you will get good audio with a 2 pill and even better with a 4 pill! 73 |
Pistonpopper
Junior Member
Username: Pistonpopper
Post Number: 30
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, April 01, 2006 - 2:46 pm: |
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Yep, beleive it or not, but that's what the tech told me the Cobra is putting out in high power mode. About 350 is what I was thinkin of, and was looking at a palomar 400, used unit. Price wasn't too bad. As for good audio, I am already getting reports of great audio, being loud and crisp and clean! Just don't want to sacrifice the audio quality with too big of amp, so if I have to, I guess I could make sure that I run the cobra on low power with a dead key of 3-4 watts. Will check the radio with a "good" meter before I do much of any changing of dead keys on the lower side output. Also will make sure that I have the amp wired direct to the battery with 8 guage wire.
Pistonpopper |
Ak3383
Junior Member
Username: Ak3383
Post Number: 27
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 11:34 pm: |
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In My Mercury Sable I run a 400-watt amp driven by a Radio Shack 451, wired fuse protected directly from the battery with #2 welding cable. At full power does anyone else get the power locks locking and unlocking on keydown and other electronic behavior?
AK3383 Central Indiana LSB CH.-38 |
Hotwire
Senior Member
Username: Hotwire
Post Number: 1244
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 12:31 pm: |
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Mine does'nt. I have heard of that happening before. RF is getting in where it should not. Maybe if you try putting the antenna on the roof and use lower loss coax. Might help. What year is your car? |
Allan
Member
Username: Allan
Post Number: 87
Registered: 2-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 10:44 pm: |
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Try some RF chokes (ferrite beads) on the power cables and coax to curb some of that spurious RF leaking out.... Copper has 'em, and the split kind to where one doesn't have to undo one end to connect them.. |
Wolverine
Advanced Member
Username: Wolverine
Post Number: 622
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Friday, April 28, 2006 - 4:18 am: |
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Antenna on the roof and not the trunk, good quality coax and connectors like RG mini 8x, instead of RG-58, I find that using ferrite beads will only help in elinminating electrical noise like alternator, ignition, fuel pump, etc, as opposed to stopping rf leaks. The car's computer (Ford/Mercury) is usually located right behind the glove box, so you may have to move the amp behind the front passenger seat, or maybe even further to the trunk of the car using longer coax in 3ft increments. My amp is located right in front of the left front passenger seat, and I've never had any problems with rf leakage affecting the electronics of my vehicle, hope this helps.
Wolverine. |
Patzerozero
Senior Member
Username: Patzerozero
Post Number: 2778
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, April 28, 2006 - 5:09 pm: |
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if you use good quality coax & properly installed connectors, the rf should only be radiating from your antenna. then, mount the antenna as far out of the sight-range of the computer, above it works better then it being farther away but in the same plane. (the metal roof helps to shield rf from the antenna from getting to the computer vs being on the trunk lid.) if the amp is well shileded, it's location could be on top of the computer & not affect it.
another trick is to shield & ground the computer-a metal enclosure or even wrap it in foil! some computers are more prone to problems from excessive rf then others, & there will be a point at which nothing will stop interference, whether it be a wattage limit, or just the computer itself. it could be rf affecting the ralays for the power locks, in which case beads may help-if the coax doesn't resolve it.
a recent gmc general(tractor) shut down its computer & needed to be replaced with 1 key of about 200 watts. in the early 90's, toyota camry's would do the same thing with the 100 watt HF radios like the ic706, ft100, ts50, etc. one of the new chrysler hemi's (in a magnum wagon i believe) sustained damage to its computer programming allegedly from a CBer keying up 10kw as the dodge drove by him. YET, i know of another hemi truck that runs at least an 8 pill, a 2000 ram with an AC box & a durango that runs a 5 x 16 with no problems. as well as a '93 computer controlled suburban with 25kw. |
Allan
Member
Username: Allan
Post Number: 89
Registered: 2-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, April 29, 2006 - 9:32 am: |
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He never did say what kind of amp he was using. Now this isn't from experience, but I do do alot of research, and found that some amps do not filter RF from the B+ line, so the DC power leads can act like an antenna just like the regular output antenna coax connector. The RF running up the DC power
chord could radiate just like an antenna, and if close enought to RF sensitive components, could this cause problems, and wouldn't a ferrite help here? Just curious....  |
Hotwire
Senior Member
Username: Hotwire
Post Number: 1252
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, April 29, 2006 - 9:41 am: |
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Get this guys, My 93 Chevy Corsica has the big silver box, (brain box, computer box,) right behind the glove compartment. Well my amp is installed where the glove compartment used to be. Amp is only inches from computer and coax going out is actually touching the computer box its self! No problems ever. Maybe its a Ford thing?
I'll try to show a pic of my install. Best mobile amp with a 100 amp alternator IMHO!
[IMG]http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h207/Hotwire491/CopperPics005.jpg[/IMG] |
Allan
Member
Username: Allan
Post Number: 91
Registered: 2-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, April 29, 2006 - 6:42 pm: |
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Well, that sure ain't no cheapy amp crammed in there next to the ECM. Prolly why you aren't experiencing the gremlins. Nice rig... |
Hotwire
Senior Member
Username: Hotwire
Post Number: 1254
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, April 30, 2006 - 10:43 am: |
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Thanks Allan, any bigger and it would be impossible. Very tight fit and I managed to get it mounted real solid. Lucky to have enough room to stick a fan on when needed!73 |
Wolverine
Advanced Member
Username: Wolverine
Post Number: 624
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 02, 2006 - 2:31 am: |
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That's why I hate transmission shifters on the floor hump, takes up too much room . Check out my question in "Ask the tech"- Installations, thread is column mounted xmission shifters, you guys may be of assistance. Hotwire, do you have a stereo in your Corsica?, does your CB bleed into your stereo (If you have one)? and your ECM must be shielded with great armor, for your amp to be so close.
Wolverine. |
Hotwire
Senior Member
Username: Hotwire
Post Number: 1271
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 02, 2006 - 12:36 pm: |
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Wolverine, No I removed the stereo long ago. I have no idea where else to mount a cb. If I take a long trip and want music I take my Mp3 player or satellite with me.
A few reasons why I have no ecm trouble could be I had the radio tuned by a pro, 1 to 4 ratio to drive the amp, limiter intact, no power mic, rg213 coax with good connectors, Predator 10K and everything grounded well. I suprise some cause I can drive my DX500 to almost full output with less input than they drive their 2 pill amps with and I sound awesome! I even suprise myself sometimes when I make 50 mile contacts and asked if I'm a base. Oh and the ECM is in an aluminum box mounted to the firewall. I give some credit to Patzerozero for his assistance via emails during my install. |
Wolverine
Advanced Member
Username: Wolverine
Post Number: 625
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 03, 2006 - 6:22 am: |
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Excellent!! Tranmission mounted shifters still suck.
Wolverine. |
Duck246
Intermediate Member
Username: Duck246
Post Number: 124
Registered: 8-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 - 7:58 pm: |
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A 1x4 will work just fine with a decent battery and 4ga cable if you dont do too much fast keying. A 1x2 on the other hand will run all day long on it. |
