How many watts is too much??

**SuperSquirt** · 07-09-2008, 05:34 AM

RE: How many watts is too much??

I would definitely install another battery with switch (for backup only) and also a pretty good size capacitor on your main battery. These things work really well under pressure. I've got 2 batteries and a 2 farad capacitor and I've let my stereo run for over 3 hours straight on the lake and still had enough voltage to start the boat.

**flaudia402** · 07-09-2008, 06:39 AM

RE: How many watts is too much??

I've already got two batteries in the boat, with a switch installed on both of them. So, would I install a THIRD bluetop for my subwoofer and a cap on this battery?

**SNMike** · 07-09-2008, 08:15 AM

RE: How many watts is too much??

When you're ears, or more importantly, those far from the boat, bleed............that's TOO many watts! Yellow_Flash_Colorz: Yellow_Flash_Colorz:

**MHayes** · 07-09-2008, 09:34 AM

RE: How many watts is too much??

flaudia402, after reading your post, I wanted to bring up a few points:

1) The RE Audio XXX12D2 is a dual 2 ohm voicecoil sub, meaning you can either wire it to 1 ohm or 4 ohms if that is the only sub you are running. The Kicker amp you list is capable of 2500 watts at 2 ohms or 1250 at 4 ohms and not stable at 1 ohm. Given the sub and the amp, you'd have to run it at 4 ohms.

2) The Clarion 480 is not a 480 watt amp, it's 4x80 watts at 4 ohms, which is what I'm sure you'll be running it at if you are using it for 4 speakers.

3) Same for the Clarion 280, which is 2x80 watts at 4 ohms. However, accoring to what you're going with on the tower, you may be able to run it at 2x125 watts at 2 ohms or 1x250 watts at 2 ohms.

**Laketexoma** · 07-09-2008, 10:22 AM

RE: How many watts is too much??

I have the kicker 2500.1 on 4 L&12's and it pounds!!!!! I also have 2 900.4sx amps ( same as the 850.4 except mine are computer driven). One of them bridged to a pair of wetsounds 485's and the other one is on the 6 polks that are in the boat.

You will need A BIGGER ALTERNATOR!!! I have a 150 amp in mine. I also have 2 optoma blue top batterys, 2 kinetic hc 2400 batterys also ( http://www.kinetikaudio.com/hc2400.asp ). The 2500.1 pulls A TON of power!! I can crank mine up running at WOT and you can't hear the wind or boat at all.

My amps have birth sheets of
900.4 - 1025 w
900.4 - 1026 w
2500.1 - 2790 w

So this should give you an idea of the power you will need to run the system. You will also what to run 1/0 power and groung to the 2500.1 if you are going to push it to 2 ohm load. I ran 2 1/0's for power and ground for my whole system.

**flaudia402** · 07-09-2008, 04:08 PM

RE: How many watts is too much??

How much is it going to cost me to go with a bigger alternator? I can estimate about $200 bones per battery. Did you change out your stock batteries too?

**Laketexoma** · 07-09-2008, 04:15 PM

RE: How many watts is too much??

the alternator I got off of ebay 699.99 the hc2400 were 400.00 each. Yes I changed out my stock batterys with optima blue tops. Its not cheep to run big power. If I could get a balmar on my engine I would have and that setup is around 2k for the alternator and external regulator. If I was you I would NOT run the 2500.1 since it cost so much to power it. The only reason I did was I wanted to run 4 12's

**flaudia402** · 07-09-2008, 09:59 PM

RE: How many watts is too much??

Heres what I'm thinking so far:

2 - JL12W7's

2 - JL A1800 Amplifiers - 1000 Watts Each

1 - Kicker SX950.4 - 950 Watts to my Tower Speakers

Keeping the two Clarions to power my interior speakers as said prior. (400 Watts Total)

= 3350 Watts

New Alternator or Battery...yeh or neh.

Or should I just cut out one of the JL's and go with one.

**Laketexoma** · 07-09-2008, 10:36 PM

RE: How many watts is too much??

You are going to pull about the same amount of current with the 2 jl amps as you will with the 2500.1. What motor are you running now? What is your alternator rated at? There is no such thing as a kicker sx 950.4. The largest they made was a 900.4 sx. I'm running 2 of them, one is bridged at 4 ohm to my 485's the other one is on the interior speakers. You are going to need alot of power for the jlW7's, and power = current!

if it was me I would just run 1 of the JL amps and look at the W6's I think they are alittle more efficent. That is just my opinion. You know the old saying " YOU GOT TO PAY TO PLAY".....

**MHayes** · 07-09-2008, 10:50 PM

RE: How many watts is too much??

Given that the 12w7 is a single voicecoil w/ 3 ohm impedence, you'll only see between 640 and 1000 watts from the A1800 at 14.4v (i.e. at 4 ohms the A1800 delivers 640 watts and at 2 ohms it delivers 1000 watts at 14.4v; if you're at 12.5v, the A1800 delivers 480 watts at 4 ohms and 800 watts at 2 ohms). One A1800 for each sub will put you in the optimal power rating for the 12w7s.

Again, if you're running the 2 Clarions (480 and 280) on the interior speakers, you'll get 320 watts and 160 watts respectively at 4 ohms, for a total of 480 watts.

**flaudia402** · 07-09-2008, 11:11 PM

RE: How many watts is too much??

I'm running the ZR 6.0 Liter. I'm almost certain I have the same 100 amp as the other motor.

**flaudia402** · 07-09-2008, 11:18 PM

Re: RE: How many watts is too much??

Originally posted by MHayes

Given that the 12w7 is a single voicecoil w/ 3 ohm impedence, you'll only see between 640 and 1000 watts from the A1800 at 14.4v (i.e. at 4 ohms the A1800 delivers 640 watts and at 2 ohms it delivers 1000 watts at 14.4v; if you're at 12.5v, the A1800 delivers 480 watts at 4 ohms and 800 watts at 2 ohms). One A1800 for each sub will put you in the optimal power rating for the 12w7s.

Again, if you're running the 2 Clarions (480 and 280) on the interior speakers, you'll get 320 watts and 160 watts respectively at 4 ohms, for a total of 480 watts.

So would you still say with that type of power (including the 850 watt 4 channel needed for my towers), I would require an additional battery or even worse a bigger alternator?

**Mikeski** · 07-10-2008, 01:23 AM

RE: Re: RE: How many watts is too much??

Whether or not you need a new alternator really depends on your listening habits. If you drive out to a tie up spot and crank the tunes for hours then cruise straight back to the ramp you need big batteries you can charge off the water. If you crank the tunes while you are riding/idling/surfing you may need a bigger alternator. If you ride more than you crank the tunes your stock 100 amp alternator should be fine.

I find about half of the time guys replace alternators they see no benefit or they have other issues with the set-up. Guys that use isolators lose extremely valuable voltage in the charging cycle, I prefer a combiner because they do not have any voltage drop.

My 3,000 watt system runs very well off two Kinetic 2400s and the stock 100 amp alternator. Somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 you start to tax the alternator. Don't forget more battery also loads the alternator. Try to keep a balance, use efficient gear. I would recomend against SPL specific subs like the XXX, wrong application in a boat where you want something efficient and musical. L7, Boston 555, W7, Type R, XS12, are all reasonable choices.
Good luck,
mikeski

**flaudia402** · 07-10-2008, 01:47 AM

RE: Re: RE: How many watts is too much??

Would you recommend then, buying one more battery to power an amplifier off of? So far, I'm thinking of just going with 1000 watts of Class D Amps, and 1250 of Class A/B = so 2250 watts running throughout the boat for just audio. I have a 220, so I have a heater, some extra lights, ballast, bilge pump, etc. With those other draws, I was playing around with your excel spreadsheet I found using the search, and I couldn't figure out of 2250 watts was still too much for my 2 batteries (Came stock with the boat), and my 100 amp alternator.

How many watts is too much??

How many watts is too much??

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