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Radio786
Posted on Tuesday, November 04, 2003 - 4:18 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

heres what i got, 91 dodge dakota. running hr 2510 and a wilson 5000 roof mounted, trying to install kp300, truck will not run properly with amp on high stage, heres what i have done, ran positive and negative directly to battery, run extra heavy duty ground wire from battery to frame, ground wire from amp to truck body, i have wrapped computer with tin foil, truck still not running properly, does ok till about 250 watts, above that truck will not run right, does ok at idle, when running down the highway, its misses out,just did a tune up on the truck, had problem prior to tune up and after tune up, had texas star 350 in truck, had same problem., any suggestions will be apprecaited,
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Pig040
Posted on Wednesday, November 05, 2003 - 9:23 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hi Radio,
I dont know if you read my other post, but I have had two dakotas, a 93, and a 94 I have run as high as 1500 watts out of both trucks with no problems, both of mine were club cabs, though, I dont know if yours is. The only difference I see between your setup and mine is I didnt run the ground to the battery, I grounded to the truck as close to the linear as possible. A friend was having a similar problem in his ford, and he put his linear in a toolbox in the bed, and it stopped it. When I first set up the truck I have now, I had a 600 watt linear sitting right in the right floorboard near the comp, and no problem. Did you run your power wire as far from the comp as possible? I ran mine through the steering column area.
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Mikefromms
Posted on Friday, January 16, 2004 - 9:54 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I've heard of them making the dashboard warning lights come on and causing the electronic shifter to fail so that the transmission is hung in one gear. I guess some vehicles just can't take the draw on the electrical system. Guess you'll have to keep the wattage below 250.

mikefromms
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Kc0gxz
Posted on Saturday, January 17, 2004 - 1:18 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Radio786

You're getting RF into your truck's computer. Move the amp as far away from it as possible. Some computor systems are under the dash and some are located under the hood. Either way, they are unshielded.

When you say "roof mounted" do you mean you are using a through-the-roof mount or are you refering to a magnetic mount. If it's a mag mount, running a linear into it can cause all kinds of problems whether you have everything grounded or not because a mag-mounted antenna is only capacitance grounted. It does not see a true ground. Linears, mag mounted antennas and vehicle computors just have a natural dislike for eachother.

Either way, you are still sending RF into the computor. Hopefully you are using a GOOD grade of coax between the linear and radio. And especially between the radio and antenna. Be sure all coax is well away from the computor.

This sounds like a poor shielding problem to me. Something should be done though before you end up sending your vehicle's computor system into convulsions.

Jeff, kc0gxz.
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Mikefromms
Posted on Saturday, January 17, 2004 - 7:18 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thanks for the infor, Jeff. Why don't you become one of the tech here? I'm been wanting to tell you how much I like the answers you give. The things you tell us turn out to be true.

I took your advise and got a A-1700 mobile antenna. I've never seen such broadbandedness! The next thing I will do is get that magnet mount off my car and do a permanent mount.

Q: Can an extra set of fuses (hot and ground) on an amp that already has them interfere with the amps performance?

mikefromms
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Kc0gxz
Posted on Saturday, January 17, 2004 - 5:46 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Mikefromms

Thanks for the flowers Mike, but,

1- I haven't been asked.

2- I can't devote as much time to the forum as I'd like to.

3- I don't think I'd have the patience for it.

4- and, even though I respect and consider him to be "The Man" around here, my Ol buddy Lons' political views differ from mine. LOL. (He's gonna get me back for that one).

So, in the meantime, I'll just put my 2 cents worth in when I "THINK" I know what I'm talking about. Besides, even though I have been in CB for about 35 years, I find that I'm still learning all kinds of new and neat little tricks. So, if I have something I think worth while to add or can in some way help someone out with a problem here on the forum, that's good enough for me.

God Bless and take care Mike.

Jeff, kc0gxz.
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Tech808
Posted on Saturday, January 17, 2004 - 8:00 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Jeff,

Sorry but no, I won't try and get back at you.

My Political view's have nothing to do with the Copper Forum.

It is the Forummaster's Forum and he set's the Rules and I follow them.

I am just a guest here the same as everyone else.

Glad to have you on the Forum and help out whenever you can.

Thank you for the Flower's

Lon
Tech808
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Mrnobody
Posted on Saturday, January 17, 2004 - 8:41 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

i have a 93 dak standard cab and i'm running basicially the same setup as Pig040 not one problem at all.
sounds like either you have a weak battery or alternator. drawing to many amps killing the truck
the alternator and the battery can't keep up.
just my 2 cents

chris
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Mikefromms
Posted on Sunday, January 18, 2004 - 7:21 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Why would an amp put a draw of over a 100 amps on a battery system especially if it's only a KL-300P? Hot was to battery, ground was to seat bolt, mag mount on trunk, driving amp--maybe 4 or 5 watts and amp on low--oh, and amp was double fused; that is, two additional fuses were installed; one on the hot; one on the ground.

mikefromms
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Tech808
Posted on Sunday, January 18, 2004 - 8:23 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Mikefromms,

SIMPLE the KLV300 WILL NOT DRAW 100 AMPS.

At most It should only draw roughly between 20 & 25 AMP's and that would be the MAX.

A Texas Star 667 throwing 650 watts out only draws 58 Amps.

I would guess the Mechanic was talking about TOTAL DRAW on the Alternator from the car.

NOTE! on the AMP you said maybe 4 or 5 watts on AMP, If he is driving the AMP with 5 watts he is OVERDRIVING IT!

As I have mentioned as well as Jeff did there is NO NEED to have it DOUBLE FUSED.
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Mikefromms
Posted on Sunday, January 18, 2004 - 6:33 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thanks Tech808. I guess he needs to remove the extra fuses and drive the amp with maybe 1 or two watts.

mikefromms
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Kiwikid
Posted on Sunday, January 25, 2004 - 4:42 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hi Team ,Always double fuse if you take the radio/amp earth return direct from the battery.If for any reason the body/engine earth strap disconnects and you attempt to start the vehicle the starting current now travels up the amp/radio line through the amp/radio chassis and down the antenna coax braid to the antenna mount earthing point and if you have a fuse in line it will blow first rather than the amp/radio ,just my 2 cents worth.
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Kiwikid
Posted on Sunday, January 25, 2004 - 9:10 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hi Team ,I forgot to add this B4.
"Q: Can an extra set of fuses (hot and ground) on an amp that already has them interfere with the amps performance?" wrote mikefromms.
A:Yes the extra resistance could cause a noticable voltage drop to the appliance when under load.i.e. lower the voltage=lower output performance.
So retain one fuse in each of the positive and negative power leads.
73
CEF 195
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Cdx781
New member
Username: Cdx781

Post Number: 3
Registered: 2-2004
Posted on Friday, February 20, 2004 - 8:41 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

sounds like rf getting into the computer and that is what is messing things up your dakota should run that amp with no problem instead of grounding amp to the seatbolt run ground to the frame of your dakota also run ground from battery to frame move amp as far away from computer as possiable also something else to try build a metal box you can use sheet metal or empty coffee cans for that matter put amp in the metal box that will help contain leaking rf if all else fails look at the quality of amp you are running try a dave made or x-force lastr thing drive that 300 with no more that 2 watts rms 10 peak.......... hope this helps

peace cdx-781
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Bigbob
Senior Member
Username: Bigbob

Post Number: 1634
Registered: 12-2001
Posted on Friday, February 20, 2004 - 10:47 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Get some data line snap together ferrite chokes for the power leads,as for the metal box better to put it on the computer,use data line chokes on the computer leads also,just snap'em around pre-existing bundles.Bigbob
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Mrnobody
Junior Member
Username: Mrnobody

Post Number: 27
Registered: 6-2003
Posted on Wednesday, February 25, 2004 - 7:51 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

i was just wondering if you fixed your problem with your truck! on some of the early model dodges the voltage regulator is located inside of the computer if it goes bad you have to change the whole computer!

CHRIS CEF 107
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Sparkomatic
Intermediate Member
Username: Sparkomatic

Post Number: 257
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 6:14 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Run (2) 3/4" ground straps from frame to cab. Run (2) 3/4" ground straps from frame to bed. Run (2) straps from cab to bed. Keep the straps to less than 12" in length. Solid grounding will eliminate most weird stuff.
I know before I grounded everything the "Check Engine" light would come on and the audio would come blaring out of the speakers with the stereo OFF when I keyed my amp........after grounding, all problems GONE.
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Radio786
New member
Username: Radio786

Post Number: 2
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Saturday, December 04, 2004 - 7:57 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

its working ok right now. went to a galaxy 95t about 200 watts sideband, it was the torgue converter lockup switch shifting in and out, moved the radio about 3 in diagonally and everything is working ok right now. did change the computer on the truck. had the same problem till i moved the radio about 4 inches,
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Mrgoody
New member
Username: Mrgoody

Post Number: 5
Registered: 1-2005
Posted on Friday, February 11, 2005 - 8:57 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hey guy's a:your giving some good info to sparkomatic there.I have a 98 buick lesabre and I'm thinking about putting a set up in it,starting with the (148 GTL mobile/300 watt amp./wilson 1000 ant.) now I know setting all of this up will be a challenge for me to do and I don't want to run into any difficalty's doing this either.so about the grounding method's and hooking up the radio and the amp do I hook them both direcly to the battery and the do the grounding to the frame also?

Thank's
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Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808

Post Number: 4819
Registered: 8-2002


Posted on Friday, February 11, 2005 - 10:41 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

YES!

Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN
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Mrgoody
Junior Member
Username: Mrgoody

Post Number: 10
Registered: 1-2005
Posted on Wednesday, March 02, 2005 - 10:42 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hey Lon/Mike:I got the set up got the radio(148gtl) in the car,but I use 8ga. wire to hook the radio up with.do I need that thick of wire or can I use maybe 12ga. for the radio and the 8ga. for the amp....(oh I got the kl- 200p amp too.)and 8ga. for the ground to the frame.I also got like 20' of that minni 8 coax and also a 3' piece of the minni 8. now would I really have to change that coax that came with the wilson 1000.
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Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808

Post Number: 5069
Registered: 8-2002


Posted on Wednesday, March 02, 2005 - 11:29 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Mrgoody,

With the KL-200p you can use 10 Gauage wire with no problems.

I have never found any reason to change the coax on any Wilson over the years unless you are going to be throwing 700 or more watts out.

Your setup will work GREAT will with the KL-200p and your radio.

Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN
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Mrgoody
Junior Member
Username: Mrgoody

Post Number: 12
Registered: 1-2005
Posted on Monday, March 07, 2005 - 9:02 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hey Lon:
Than you for all of your help. I got the setup going and it's working fine..talked to Cali yesterday and Texas this morning (3/7/05)so...again thank's for all of the help you have givin me.

mrgoody
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Mrgoody
Junior Member
Username: Mrgoody

Post Number: 13
Registered: 1-2005
Posted on Thursday, March 10, 2005 - 6:41 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hey Lon.
mrgoody here ..with the 148 gtlhow would I calibrate thet radiothe cal sign is way down there in the red and the swr in the green....how is this done.
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Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808

Post Number: 5172
Registered: 8-2002


Posted on Thursday, March 10, 2005 - 7:13 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Mrgoody,

#1 ~ I never look at or go by any meter in any radio.

Get a good SWR/Watt/Modulation external meter and adjust your SWR and tune your radio for Maximum output.

A radio & meter in that radio has been bounced, thrown, dropped, shaken and jarred from the assembly line to initial shipping to manufacturer to distributor to warehouse to ups/fed ex/ us postal service to delivery trucks to customer.

Meters in Radios are just little window dressing items that are added to radios that look good and help sell radios.

Just my personal thought's on meters in radios,


Just my personal thought's on meters in radios,

Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN

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