Probably a dumb question about watt....
03-16-2010, 08:18 PM
#1
0 Watt CAFz'r
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 43
Probably a dumb question about watt....
Hey I've been thinking for a bit now and i was wondering when i hook up a amp to a speaker is there anyway i can no without a doubt how many watts are being sent to that subwoofer.. or whatever speakers....
when it says 250rms i'd like to make sure it's getting 250... Or does it vary the watts being sent depending on the music... It may be really dumb but i figured i'd post it up
when it says 250rms i'd like to make sure it's getting 250... Or does it vary the watts being sent depending on the music... It may be really dumb but i figured i'd post it up
03-16-2010, 08:37 PM
#2
50 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 56
your going to have to check for voltage drop...because most amps are rated for 14.4v so if your car drops below that you will also have your power drop to your subs..i believe its for every volt dropped its 15% of your amps power (dont quote me on that one). check if your amp will produce rated power too...if you paid 170$$$ for a 3000wrms amp and its brand new...i very highly doubt its doing rated power (pyle, pyramid) stuff like that...
03-16-2010, 10:22 PM
#6
500 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 519
I would use an oscilloscope.
You could use a DMM but you would have to be playing a sine wave (like 50hz) to get a reasonable measurement. Take the voltage read by the DMM squared, divided by the load = Wrms.
You could use a DMM but you would have to be playing a sine wave (like 50hz) to get a reasonable measurement. Take the voltage read by the DMM squared, divided by the load = Wrms.
Last edited by Njord; 03-16-2010 at 10:25 PM.
03-17-2010, 03:01 PM
#8
Administrator
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 16,855
You need 2 meters. One measures the AC voltage on the speaker leads and the other has to be a clamp style meter that inductively measures the AC current on the speaker leads at the same time. Multiply the two readings together.
Or you can assume your woofer is somewhere in the realm of close to the impedance it is rated at (not likely) and just measure the AC voltage. Square the reading and divide by the assumed impedance to get a rough guess of power.
And yes the power to the woofer will vary with the music content, the temperature of the voice coil, the battery voltage, etc.
Or you can assume your woofer is somewhere in the realm of close to the impedance it is rated at (not likely) and just measure the AC voltage. Square the reading and divide by the assumed impedance to get a rough guess of power.
And yes the power to the woofer will vary with the music content, the temperature of the voice coil, the battery voltage, etc.
03-17-2010, 03:30 PM
#9
easiest way to know you're getting what you paid for is to buy good brand name products. Some even have a cea 2006 rating which makes it easier to know that it delivers what it says given the conditions of the test.
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