Car audio installed in home

[Scott Queen]

I have a 25amp (Radio shack) 13.8 vdc switching power supply plugged into the wall. attached to that is my 4 guage power wire and ground running to a power spliter block and then onto two car amps. one is 1000w, the other a 500w. 4 guage wire and ground. The car cd player is 200watts and is tied into the wire plugging into the switching power supply. everything works great and has for 4 years now. i run (2) 10' subs (2) 12' subs (2) 6x9's and (4) tweeters... the only problem im haveing is when i turn it up to really get it going everything cuts off but the switching power supply. i then just flip the power supply switch and it resets everything. I then go back to the song and play it at a lower level. im wandering what is my problem. why cant i crank this thing?? My man cave is awsome but its sucks to restart a song when people are over and also turn it down a little ...

 

[getochkn]

Sounds like it's sucking up too much power for your power supply.

 

[bgunner]

sounds like maybe your drawing to much current from your power supply. if you have one try inserting a cap in there to help store some juice for the amplifiers. most heavy car stereo systems draw more than 25 amps. this is one reason the capacitor is used. the system wont always draw max amps but especially when there is a heavy bass hit the electrical system can get overloaded causing (in a car) lights to dim, fuses to blow, electrical fires and fry alternators.

i believe you need a better power supply for what you are trying to do plus add a Capacitor in the power line minimum 1 ferret if not 1 ferret on the thousand watt amp and a 1/2 ferret on the 500 watt amp.

 

[dish_moose]

If in fact the wattage ratings of your amp are true divided by the psu voltage will give you the current draw - OVER 120A.
-Bruce

 

[bgunner]

If in fact the wattage ratings of your amp are true divided by the psu voltage will give you the current draw - OVER 120A.
-Bruce

please explain what you are referring to? i'm not sure exactly what you are trying to say. what formula are you using to get that high of a figure?

I would bet the fuses on the amps them selves are no more than 25 each then the head deck is 15 amp = 65 amps max

 

[dish_moose]

1000 + 500 + 200 = 1700W Power = Volts X I(Current) 1700/13.8 = 123.188Amps
If in fact your system is 1700W you need a whole lot more power supply than you have.
-Bruce
BTW the unit is Farad 0- not ferret - named after a famous physicist Faraday

 

[bgunner]

1000 + 500 + 200 = 1700W Power = Volts X I(Current) 1700/13.8 = 123.188Amps
If in fact your system is 1700W you need a whole lot more power supply than you have.
-Bruce
BTW the unit is Farad 0- not ferret - named after a famous physicist Faraday

thanks for the correction on the farad vs ferret.

it is a physical impossibility for that system to draw that amount of amps. the fuses would blow long long before that amount of amps were drawn. hence the 25 amp fuses mounted on the side of the amplifiers. the amplifiers can only draw 25 amps to each one. If they draw more then the fuse blows and cuts the draw.

in a different circumstance then you would be correct but remember this is a car audio system which operates slightly different because of power constraints.

 

[dish_moose]

This is why I said "If in fact the wattage ratings of your amp are true" because most audio amp manufacturers make wattage figures larger than life. True usable power measured in Watts rms is the only real measure of power but the value is toooo small and looks bad on spec sheets. My point is that your power supply is too small for it's intended use - capacitors may only help a small amount.
-Bruce