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12 volt audio system in a party bus

Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=141364
Printed Date: March 29, 2024 at 5:27 AM


Topic: 12 volt audio system in a party bus

Posted By: xcoldbloodfest
Subject: 12 volt audio system in a party bus
Date Posted: June 05, 2016 at 2:35 PM

So a friend of mine just recently purchased a huge 2002 city bus. Unsure of the make and model.

Anyhow it's a 24 volt system. Has two big batteries side by side wired in series to a massive 24 volt breaker using double 0 guage you can turn on and off.

Then underneath that it has a smaller breaker labeled 12 volts with a 4 guage positive lead coming off the left most battery.

I put two rockford BD1000 amps and a rockford t400x4 amp in the bus and wired them to d blocks and installed a pioneer head unit which grabs power from the amps.

We wanted to add 4 batteries in a parallel 12 volt arrangement for just the audio system when the bus is off.

My question is, i assume I can't just tag onto the "left battery" like the bus is wired and pull 12 volts because my ground is 24 right?

Or can I?

Is there a way to isolate the audio system pulling that much current?

I've looked into DC/DC Chargers at 50 amps or so and I can't find a "decent" brand because I don't know what I'm looking for.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

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Knowing is Half the Battle



Replies:

Posted By: tonanzith
Date Posted: June 14, 2016 at 10:18 PM
ground is ground. you can tag 12v at the 12v block just verify it is certainly 12v and ground as usual.

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Gary Sather




Posted By: haemphyst
Date Posted: June 21, 2016 at 5:21 PM
Whatever batteries you add between ground and the 12V tap, you must also add the SAME battery compliment to the 12V tap to 24V terminal. You can't have 5 batteries in parallel between ground and +12, and one battery between +12 and +24. It'll WORK, true that, but you'll be boiling the electrolyte out of the +12 to +24 side, and you'll be replacing that one battery ALL THE TIME.

Best option here: two of the highest cranking, biggest reserve batteries you can lay your hands on, wire them in series, tap at +12V, and go from there. It still won't charge both of them correctly, but they'll last better than 5 smaller batteries in parallel...

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It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."





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