mykg4orce

I was just wondering about adding another battery. But im not too educated on how it gets charged. Would the same alternator that charges my battery also charge the 2nd battery? or even a 3rd battery? And if it does, would this process put extra load on the alternator?

Im thinking of adding another amp, so just wondering about these extra batteries I have seen people use.

Thanx, any thoughts would be helpful

hihoslva

Extra batteries are for competition.

Many competitions require the car to be off during SPL showoffs. So the extra batteries provide the juice for all those watts.

In a daily driver, another battery will reduce the performance of your system. It will be another load on the alternator, so not only will your alt have to charge the main batt, run the accessories, and the audio - it'll now have to charge another battery, too. Bad idea.

I still maintain that the best way to get a little extra from the alt for a stereo system is to start cheap - run heavier gauge wiring for the alternator ground - this will improve the efficiency of the current flow for your entire electrical system. It can often cure dimming headlights and other issues.

Next step is probably a capacitor - though this, too, is a drain on the system (another thing for the alt to charge). The usefulness of caps has been looooooong debated.

By far the best (and most expensive) is a second or upgraded alternator. This can require other electrical mods as well in order to function properly.

Unless you're looking at 2000 watts, do nothing. If you want, spend the $2 for 4 or 1/0 gauge wire to upgrade the alt ground - can't hurt.

But forget the second battery idea - it's unnecessary and detrimental to a driver's car.

I've stated many times that I've been running 700+ watts for well over a year without any electrical issues whatsoever on the stock alt - I haven't even upgraded the ground. My lights will dim SO slightly at the HIGHEST of volumes, it's a non-issue. I'm soon to run about 1100 watts - so we'll see. But I don't expect much in the way of changes or problems. The Pro's electrical system seems pretty tight as stock.

~HH

TheLastMarauder

Or you could just hook it up so the extra battery doesn't take in any juice from the alternator.... kinda pointless since u wouldn't be able to use it for any decent length of time. maybe some elaborate switch system where you only have the battery on when you need it. I don't know exactly how long it would take to drain a battery with subs/amp, but it wouldn't take long I'm sure. Bottom line: Get a better alternator.

As far as capacitor vs. second battery, there's really no difference (for these purposes) except that the battery holds its charge longer. I've heard of guys using just a capacitor, with no battery. Works fine as long as you drive it often enough. Otherwise, there might not be enough juice left in the cap, in which case you'd need a jump.

mykg4orce

hey thanks for all that info!! Okay this clears up a lot of mis conceptions I had about second batteries. Anyhow im running 600Watts now...im sure i could handle another 600.

MisterT

Why add more batteries? Do you have a Stiffening Cap? I have a total of 900 watts RMS and use a 1 1/2 farad cap and it gives the system plenty of power it needs without dimming of headlights or battery drainage. Also, if you do look in to batteries, consider replacing the factory one (if you haven't already) with an Optima one. Those are the mack daddy ones that will start up an 18 Wheeler even after having 3 bullets shot through it. I saw a video when I worked at a hi fi shop on them. They are truly amazing, but I would look in to the cap first. 1 farad should probably be enough. I just got an awsome deal with the 1.5 farad one (otherwise, I would have purchased a 1 faradd cap). Hope this helps.

Michael

scottie855

what are you guys talking about. go with battery's if you have some power. Who cares about the alternator. There is a Geo Metor with 10000 watts / Rms and he is on the stock alternator.
If you have batterys that is only goes to last for so long. you can look it like this, extra batterys are like very large caps. My best friends system has 3000watt/rms and he has 3 batterys with no caps any more. what he had before the batterys was 2 1.5 farad caps, and when he turned it up it would almost turn the car off becasue it pulled so much power. and for the alternator that he had is a 150 amp alternator, so that is not small at all. if you get something good that pulls more then 1000watts/rms and the lights dim just buy really good batterys. the batterys that mister t was talking about.... those

P5s_LetsRoll

It also really does matter what all the power is being used for..

SQ-Get an OPTIMA (red top) battery for starting car, stock alternator and your good to go..

SPL-Get a OPTIMA (red top) battery, stock alternator - install system and hit some low beats.. Make sure you test the car in the DARK, with no street lights.. If they dim badly, get another battery (DEEP CYCLE, Yellow Top OPTIMA) with a Battery regulator that will allow electrons to only flow in the second battery and NOT OUT.. Otherwise the two battery's will discharge each other..

Phoenix Gold makes a regulator bot 60+ depending on size needed..

Caps are really a joke for the money today..

You can't just think of power, power, power you have to think what is the application the POWER is being used for.. The alternator can usually handle it, but the switch in the alternator is what will burn out FIRST...

Dave Cameron

Hihoslva has this right- extra batteries are just that extra, with no magic bullets implied. Most installs of them require an isolator and you switch back and forth between them. They give you more play time with the engine on, that is about it! Lots of extra batterys have a place in Db drag, but since when did people drive ultimate classes DB drag cars every day??
The same it true of charging, twice the load on an alternator more than doubles the torque required to turn it over.
In 99 out of 100 normal street installs, the stock alternator and a better stock battery will do.
In that 1 other install, hang it up using that car on the road for daily use anymore anyway.
Caps do have a place, just a slight one. Do some searches here to read about them. Low ESR values are important, and don't get the digital tops, they are cool and negate the effect of a cap.
Yellow top vs. red top has also been discussed before, so check it out. Red will do most folks just fine, and yellow in ONLY of benefit if you are draining to capacity, it holds no extra energy.
Best money will be in a decent battery. Under 1000 watts you will be just fine.

P5s_LetsRoll

Yellow Top vs. Red Top

Yellow top - charges faster and does not lose power as fast, & can be used as main battery in car. Benefit to Yellow top is exactly that, cost more, but more effective on a street application audio system.

Red top - will perform fine in almost any application, may have more CCA but does that really matter that much on a decent car like the protege? I used to fun 600Watts on a Red-top engine not running for bout 4 hours and the car will crank right over.

Red-top & Yellow-top have equal amounts of energy - it's just the plate structure internally are different..

Dave Cameron

Only thing to add would be that a Yellow top tolerates almost total discharges better than a red. Hence- deep cycle. The cavet is that a the process of recharging a yellow top is pretty precise compared to other types of batteries if you want to keep the battery alive and around for repeated discharges..
You are absolutlely right, a red top is perfect for 99.5% of the applications out there.

pepsi35

Hi,

My first post is for a question. Is this easy to locate the differents grounds fixed to the motor of the Mazda Protege SE 2k? Cause I would like to change it for a bigger gauge... I thing this is my last solution before a second battery...

Currently I have:

1x Optima Yellow
Boosted alternator at 104 amp.
Cap 2.4 Farad

All this for:

Ti600 from Phoenix Gold, driving 2x 12W4 - connected with a 4g wire to the side connector's of the battery

ZX450 from Phoenix Gold, driving 2x JL Audio VR525 CS + 2 tweeters & 2x 6.5" midbass from Peerless - connected with a 4g wire to the connector of the top

Actualy my lights dimm, and the Ti600 clip when I play SPL sound test or big fat bass from hip Hop...

P.S.: Yes I'm a frenchie, so plz forgive my english You can answer me in english no problem

MisterT

Out of curiousity, what kind of power are you running there? You must have some big plans for a huge system for two batteries!

Mister T