Is a second battery ever ness.

You've pretty much got it down.Squirrel

"No more Cpt. Kirk chit chat"

If its too loud, then you're too old

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I've been running two bat. for a year cos my alternator is 45 amp only, in many ways your batteries act like caps so if the alt cant keep up, which on std alt is alot of the time if you have 500+ rms running, then the batt pumps in the extra juice and two batt does make a difference. Tighter bass and higher amp output before distorsion occurs. As to the charging side, my own tests show that an almost flat battery will only draw about 10 to 15 amps for a few minutes settling to under 5amps when charging, that's about 10 amps with two batteries. Note that the alt voltage is just over 14v, with a higher voltage like 16 or 17v the charge rate will increase to like 10amps/batt. I need more power.....

so which would be better a 2nd battery, Cap or HO Alt?

mmmmm second batt requires cabling/fuses/space and a cap really only helps when running with the batt and car is switched of, save batt but you still need a high output alt to feed it, an alt is a more permanent solution but only helps when car is running. Best alrounder if you play with car on and off would be a second batt, Note a high output alt will not charge your batt any quicker than std alt,(unless you fiddle with the output voltage like setting it to 16v)I need more power.....

The Alterntors job is to keep the Battery charged there's a regulator in the Alterntor that senses the load on the battery & turns the alterntor on & off. this is the over simplafied answer. So if  your stereo draws alot of power its drawing it from the battery a bigger Alternator will be able to recharge the battery at a faster rate.

Try an Optima battery and a cap.dream it, build it, fiberglass it

Best solution is a HO alternator. If you tend to play your stereo a lot with the vehicle turned off, then a HO alternator as well as a second battery would be the best choice. Caps are mainly used simply as voltage regulator's in SQ vehicles.Squirrel

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I put a second battery in my trunk about 3 weeks ago and it stopped all my dimming and my speakers hit alot harder. But if you are going to put anotyer battery in your car make sure you get an isolator.  They are about 50 bucks.  They turn the power on and off to your second battery that is connected to your amp.  It is a safe way to keep your car.  Trust me I know some people that had they car catch on fire b/c they were running battery to battery without an isolator.  Some people also use a regulator I personally never used on though.

Here's how it works.... An isolator acts as a brain to determin which battery is lower in charge. Whichever battery is lower, the isolator sends the voltage to. This allows the stereo to function from the second battery alone. When the primary battery is being charged, the stereo is pulling straight from the second battery and not the vehicles electrical system. When the second battery needs charging, the isolator sends voltage to it and still no dimming because the vehicle electronics are running off of the primary battery. It's a non-stop process that goes on as long as your vehicle is turned on. And yes, there are also some isolators that can "split" the alternators output to keep voltage going to both batteries at the same time. The catch is 1) To get an isolator that will allow enough current to your second battery. If your system pulls 84amps nominal, then a 30amp isolator wont be enough to keep the battery fully charged if you are constantly playing the stereo. That causes stress on the alternator, and the primary battery wont get fully charged either. The only solution with an under-rated isolator is to let the vehicle either idle or run for a while without the stereo turned on to bring both batteries up to full charge. 2) You still need an alternator capable of handling the load, which is usually accomplished by installing a High Output alternator. A second battery and isolator may prolong the failure of an under-rated alternator, but it will not stop it from happening eventually. But thomasbutler is correct, if you run a second battery setup, then you deffinately want to use an isolator.Squirrel

"No more Cpt. Kirk chit chat"

If its too loud, then you're too old

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