I am looking to get a sealed battery to put in my trunk. Here is the criteria:

-sealed / gel-cell
-as light and small as possible
-run a small stereo setup - 1 - 5 channel amp/ 10" sub

I never drive it in the winter, so I am not worried about trying to start it in sub-zero weather. What are your thougts. I am most concerned about having a battery that will support the amp enough.

 

The OE replacement batteries for miatas (westco i think) are glass-mat and designed to be trunk mounted.

 

At first, I looked at Spoon Sports battery.. but those can rarely be had for less than $300. However, Braille Auto Development has a battery which I have used for almost a year, trouble-free, and is lighter than any other I have found. They retail for $195.00


are the specs:

The model number is: Braille 11.5
Here are the Specs:

Voltage: 12
Amp Hour : 14
CCA: 400
Length: 5.8”
Width: 3.3”
Height: 5.9:
Weight: 11.5 lb or 5.2kg
Uses: Road Racing, Drag Race, Day Rally, Auto-Cross

I will be arranging a goup buy very shortly.... in addition this battery will come complete with terminal post connections.

Email me at ppihctyper@hotmail.com if you have any questions.

 

The weakest link in the stereo system is not the battery - it is usually the alternator.

A battery (normal or gel cel) is not that efficient in delivering power to an amp. You are much better off using a multi-farad capacitor for that purpose.

As long as you are not using the amp for low-impedance type loads - you won't need a second battery.

The second battery idea is best for situations where you listen to the stereo for long periods without the engine on. For that you are better off using a deep-cycle marine battery/vented battery box and alternator isolator.

If you listen to the stereo with the car on - it's running off the alternator - not the battery - so you're better off upgrading the alternator instead.

BPR - who used to compete in IASCA with his 1200W CRX Si

 

Hawker

 

Oops, I don't think I gave enough information. I actually want to replace my current battery and put it into the trunk. So, with this modest of a system, would you recommend getting something like a 1-farad cap. I am not in it for competition, or to see how loud I can make, just want something that sounds good and clean with a little kick to it.

Also, are you saying that the battery will not affect or be affected by the stereo system as long as the car is running?

 

A cap will definitely clean up the sound by ensuring a steady power supply.

With your needs, unless it's a huge amp, I think just about any battery that will start the car should be fine. To see if your electrical system is up to snuff, just run a few accessories (a/c, etc) and see if your headlights dim at idle when you crank up the tunes.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by White Dragon &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Oops, I don't think I gave enough information. I actually want to replace my current battery and put it into the trunk. So, with this modest of a system, would you recommend getting something like a 1-farad cap. I am not in it for competition, or to see how loud I can make, just want something that sounds good and clean with a little kick to it.

Also, are you saying that the battery will not affect or be affected by the stereo system as long as the car is running?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Size of the cap depends on the size of the amp - if you're just running one 10" sub - a one farad should be fine. Use 1/0 wire for the battery connections because you are going to have to run these wires from the front of the car to the back.

The battery will be affected by the stereo only if the stereo system current draw exceeds the current made by the alternator. Thus if you see your lights dimming - your alternator is not producing enough current to run everything properly and thus will eventually kill the battery because the alternator won't be able to charge it properly.

Understand?

 

Wes - it's not a gel cell, but it is sealed. Light weight, small, and cheap. #1170

http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/pdfs/044.pdf

 

The amp in question is as follows:

Found at http://www.eclipse-web.com


125W × 4 Channel + 460W × 1 Channel Max. Power Output at 2 Stereo

70W × 4 Channel + 280W × 1 Channel 0.1% THD at 2 Stereo, 20– 20,000Hz@13.8V (RMS Continuous Power)

50W × 4 Channel + 200W × 1 Channel 0.1% THD at 4W Stereo, 20– 20,000Hz@13.8V (RMS Continuous Power)

ChannelFlex Crossover
Adjustable High-Pass Crossover (12dB/octave, 50–200Hz) for Front & 120Hz (Fix) for Rear Independently
Adjustable Low-Pass Crossover (12dB/octave, 50–200Hz)

Free-Flow Signal Circuit

Double-Sided PCB

High-Current, High-Speed Output Devices

High-Efficiency, High-Energy MOSFET Power Supply

Audiophile Grade Component Selection

Intelligent 7-Way Discrete Protection Circuitry

Music Reproduction with Low Distortion & Ultra-Low Negative Feedback

Efficient Cooling with Low-Profile Heatsink

Multi-Mode Configuration

Stereo/Mono Switch

2 Stable Design
------------------------------------------------

Yes, I see what you are saying. I will probably try it without the cap and see how it sounds. So, 4g wire would be a bit too small for this?

Another ? I saw that Hawker has an Odyssey PC680 and a PC680MJ. What is a 'metal jacket'? (I feel like a for not knowing ) - What's the purpose?

Thanks for everyone's help, I really appreciate it!

 

Most amps nowadays can be run safely under 2-ohm load. I used to have an 25W high current ORION amp that could put out 400 watts at 1/2 ohm!!!

The amp that you are talking about (PA5532) does what....?

125 W x 4 @ 2 ohm (max power = max distortion so don't look at this #)
70 W x 4 @ 2 ohm (high current draw)
50 W x 4 @ 4 ohm (normal current draw)

If you don't want to draw a lot of current - you have to run the amp at 4 ohm load - which makes the amp run cleaner and lower temperatures - and is generally the safest too.

At 4 ohm load that amp is still making good power.

Your sub should thump good - but it's not going to be the same as 2 15" monster subs running 800 W of power.