Beefier Alternator...

[imported_Kyle_G]

Ok... so lets say im running about 2500 watts worth of stereo equiptment. Along with all the other electrical gadgetry in the car. How many amp alternator would suffice? 150?180? 200 amps? BTW... other then the stereo and car electrical... theres nothing else. No neon or hyper whites or whateva. Just that. Thanks

[imported_bRDRACING]

Well I ran 3000 watts with a stock alternator, but what I did was add 2 extra batteries to the system. The system worked great and I never had a voltage problem

[Buck]

I would add other battery before trying to add another alternator, aftermarket altersnators let good bad on you. It's only a matter of time and they will never last as long as a factory replacement. But if you really want to add an aftermarket add up the fuses of your amps..the ones in-line or on the amps body and then add about 50 amps for your car to be save and there is your number.

[imported_Thewiz666]

Get a Batcap... don't use extra batteries on your stock alt. It will increase the load on your alt by double, keep it in a constant state of high output, and burn it up earlier in the process. Batcaps have the capacity of a battery but with the discharge/recharge capability of a cap. Pretty nice, very small/light, and seem to be worth every penny so far.

[imported_igo4bmx]

woah
this is my opinion.
high output Alternators WOULD last longer. why wouldn't it? it would see such an electrical strain like the factory one does.. if you want a good strong alt. go to www.4alterstart.com


as far as the batcap. its only a bandaid like other caps. adding another battery to your vehicle won't necessarily be a starin to the alternator . you can run battery isolators , and stinger makes them

imo the best bet is to run a good battery like an optima , and get a rewound high output alt

[imported_igo4bmx]

whoops

[imported_dBZERK]

Originally posted by igo4bmx@Aug 5 2003, 07:14 AM
woah
this is my opinion.
high output Alternators WOULD last longer. why wouldn't it?

i agree 100 %.... ive got a stinger type alternator which puts out about 280 amps.. with my stereo equipment my stock alternator would be DEAD..
im running about 3kw of equipment and my reccomendation to you is to put the biggest alternator you can afford.. installing a second battery is a cheap way out and more used when the car is off and on show with a trickle charger attached to it.

[imported_KaoticSVT]

I've seen many huge stereos with factory alternators and they work fine. a 5 farad stinger supercap, and an extra bettery with a battery isolator works great. The isolator allows the alternator to onnly charge one at a time to keep from burning things up. Aftermarket alternators are so damn expensive. I think I spent $800.00 on my last one. It was a 250 Dual Output on my old 89 S-10 blazer.