Installation of Amp and Capacitor...need help!!!
Originally Posted by 2MuchRiceMakesMeSick
Thank you. This is EXACTLY what I have been saying. Its good to see other professional installers.
ALL but 1 of the installs (10+ years) that I have seen that have had engine noise in it has been bad grounds.
90% of the time ground noise is caused by running your prestage too close to +12v. The second most common is alternator prefailure.
some people...
Originally Posted by 2MuchRiceMakesMeSick
No run it to ground...bare metal
He was talking about +12vDC. If it runs throught the Distro box, into the cap and then onto the amp, he'll be fine.
Originally Posted by Wildman
ALL but 1 of the installs (10+ years) that I have seen that have had engine noise in it has been bad grounds.
The 1 that was not was a bad RCA jack.
These are just problems I've troubleshot. Out of my own installs I've only had a few. I've got about 14 years experience off and on now, plus I'm an IT/Hardware/Communications Tech/3rd Year electrician apprentice. 8 years in the Army doing this plus a couple years before.
Originally Posted by Wildman
DO NOT USE COMMON GROUNDS... AND use at least the same size ground wire you use for the power, and make them as short as possible, 6" or less is optimal for a ground.
Originally Posted by Wildman
Last, using a CAP only to fix headlights dimming is only a band aid. You should have a higher rated alternator too.
Just my $.03
Just my $.03
Last edited by Richiec77; Mar 9, 2005 at 08:29 PM.
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 729
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From: Bakersfield, Ca.
I can agree with everything you said. ^^^^
Running a ground wire from the car battery to where the grounding point where your amps are going to be grounded (to the body) is a good idea. It is extra insurance. Just as long as the amps ground to the body. I also agree, I have found noise from a bad stereo ground.
And I really agree with the CAP. I was just saying that he also needs a higher output alternator because he will eventually kill the one he has, even with the CAP.
Good luck. It is an expensive hobby... (sigh)
Running a ground wire from the car battery to where the grounding point where your amps are going to be grounded (to the body) is a good idea. It is extra insurance. Just as long as the amps ground to the body. I also agree, I have found noise from a bad stereo ground.
And I really agree with the CAP. I was just saying that he also needs a higher output alternator because he will eventually kill the one he has, even with the CAP.
Good luck. It is an expensive hobby... (sigh)
indeed it's expensive.
i don't know about killing the alternator. you hear it happens, but hell, most people replace an alternator on their vehicle within the duration of the owning period (if it exceeds 2 years). it might harm the alternator a little to have a heavy system, but i don't think it's doing all that much more stress than no system surges would.
as far as the grounding points...man i think ya'll are making too big a deal about it, haha. i don't think running a ground from the battery to the back is hardly necessary in most instances. common grounds are no big deal at all. metal is metal, and if it's grounded, it's grounded. and i don't think 6 inches on the ground is all that important either. i wouldn't exceed 3 FEET, but i definitely don't think 6 inches is a must.
i guess it just depends on how you want to do all this. i use a common ground for my cap and my sub amp; of course, my cap sucks, but, there is no alternator whine from the subs, so i'm assuming my ground is just fine. it's probably about 2 feet long as well. the cap display works perfect, and the grounding point is sanded down, but the bolt is only tight enough to keep the ground connectors from spinning (after all, i don't want to strip the ground bolt on there!).
i don't know about killing the alternator. you hear it happens, but hell, most people replace an alternator on their vehicle within the duration of the owning period (if it exceeds 2 years). it might harm the alternator a little to have a heavy system, but i don't think it's doing all that much more stress than no system surges would.
as far as the grounding points...man i think ya'll are making too big a deal about it, haha. i don't think running a ground from the battery to the back is hardly necessary in most instances. common grounds are no big deal at all. metal is metal, and if it's grounded, it's grounded. and i don't think 6 inches on the ground is all that important either. i wouldn't exceed 3 FEET, but i definitely don't think 6 inches is a must.
i guess it just depends on how you want to do all this. i use a common ground for my cap and my sub amp; of course, my cap sucks, but, there is no alternator whine from the subs, so i'm assuming my ground is just fine. it's probably about 2 feet long as well. the cap display works perfect, and the grounding point is sanded down, but the bolt is only tight enough to keep the ground connectors from spinning (after all, i don't want to strip the ground bolt on there!).
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 6,157
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From: Texas
Originally Posted by Richiec77
He was talking about +12vDC. If it runs throught the Distro box, into the cap and then onto the amp, he'll be fine.
Usually bad grounds cause your amps to over heat. Thats usually the first indicator of a bad ground...not noise.
The most common causes of noise/whine
1. Prestage/low level signal comming two close to +12 volts
2. Altenator (usually bad diodes/rectifiers/volt regulators)
3. Bad grounds
4. Crappy (as in sheilded) patch cords
5. Cheap amps or components
Launching!
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 285
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From: Long Island, NY
Just as an example... I use a common ground in the rear of the car for both of my amps, my power wires and RCAs are on opposite sides of the car and I have zero (at least that I can tell) noise. I'm running a high amp alternator and no cap but when the bass hits, my lights still feel it a little. I am only running 900watts so running 1500 I would say a cap is a necessity even with a good alternator.
AND, speaking from experience in electronics, overworking your alternator will most certainly shorten it's life. Overloading results in heat. In the electronics world... heat kills.
AND, speaking from experience in electronics, overworking your alternator will most certainly shorten it's life. Overloading results in heat. In the electronics world... heat kills.
Ground is the #1 reason because of how Amplification works. A transistor is biased by the use of DC Current accoss the Base. Then an AC signal is applied and Amplified. If the resistance increases at this point, it changes the Biasing and can cause noise to be induced, due to a fluctuation of the Biasing and Base signals.
Amplification is basically the difference in signal stregnth between + and -. So if Ground is affected in a +voltage based System, Noise can be induced.
Amplification is basically the difference in signal stregnth between + and -. So if Ground is affected in a +voltage based System, Noise can be induced.
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