Relays and Batteries
04-27-2006, 11:56 AM
#1
Relays and Batteries
I usually run my subs for a long time with my car off so I was thinking that it would be smart to get a second battery. I was looking at some isolators and I realized I will need a relay. I don't understand how either of them work.
Is the following right about relays? --> I would use the remote turnon on my HU and connect that to one terminal on the relay. Then I would connect my main power wire to another terminal and then the third terminal will run power only if power is running thru the remote turnon wire. So that is why I would connect every thing that needs a remote turnon to that third terminal. Is that right?
How do you hook up isolators? Do I just run a main power wire to it from the positive terminal on the first battery and a wire from it to the positive terminal on the second battery then use the remote turn on wire so that the isolator turns on and off with the car? If that is right why are there four terminals on this isolator - http://www.cardomain.com/item/LITS200?
Hopefully my questions aren't too confusing, thanx for the help.
Is the following right about relays? --> I would use the remote turnon on my HU and connect that to one terminal on the relay. Then I would connect my main power wire to another terminal and then the third terminal will run power only if power is running thru the remote turnon wire. So that is why I would connect every thing that needs a remote turnon to that third terminal. Is that right?
How do you hook up isolators? Do I just run a main power wire to it from the positive terminal on the first battery and a wire from it to the positive terminal on the second battery then use the remote turn on wire so that the isolator turns on and off with the car? If that is right why are there four terminals on this isolator - http://www.cardomain.com/item/LITS200?
Hopefully my questions aren't too confusing, thanx for the help.
04-27-2006, 12:25 PM
#2
500 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 756
(kinda merging your two posts into one reply)
I do the exact same thing, that's how I got started hoppin' up my van's stereo. Every year we have a big bash on Canada Day long weekend out at my cabin at Gull Lake. We've had as few as 30 people and as many as 70...
Anyway, I park the van by the campfire and she's party central. I'm also a private party DJ, so I have a disco ball that we hang in the trees and whatnot.
My van is wired with a solenoid, not an isolator. Isolaters and solenoids have a good/bad thing going on... Isolators have true isolation, your stereo system cannot draw power from the front battery no matter what, engine running or not. Isolators drop a volt across themselves, a very bad thing for car stereo. That means that if your alternator is putting out 14.4 volts, your battery and stereo is only getting 13.4 volts. Solenoids do not have true isolation, if the switch is on (vehicle running), all batteries and everything is connected together. There is no voltage drop across a solenoid. Solenoids are mechanical, which means they wear out faster than an isolator, but I've been running mine for over four years now no problem, and they only cost $35 anyway (I stock these).
No, you do not hook the solenoid or isolator up to your remote lead off your HU. Typical solenoids have four posts, two large, two small. One small is a ground. The other gets hooked up to an ingition source (that means it turns on when you turn your car on, and turns off when your car is off, or in the acc. position). The two larger ones are hooked up to your batteries, one for the front battery(ies) and one for the rear battery(ies).
For your strobe light, it is not designed to run off a car's 12v system, it wants 110v. So you would need an inverter, typically in the $50-$100 range. Or you go buy some 12v strobe lights and hook them up, I have a couple cheapys from Princess Auto in my own van. Either way, lights draw lotsa power. Treat a 110 strobe or several 12v strobes as the same amount of power as a typical small to medium audio amplifier. Also, 12v lighting is never as bright as 100, so you may just want to go to Crappy Tire and get a cheap inverter.
If you want enough power for an evening of stereo & lighting, you're going to need at LEAST 2 or 3 typical car size batteries, just for the stereo. Myself, my system uses gobs of power, 12 amps steady just ot power it all up! I grab a couple of 8D CAT batteries off the shelf (running a battery shop is usefull for my hobby
) and hook them up to the van for our weekend, plus I hook up a 30 amp charger whenever the system is on (we have 110 out at the cabin).
Anywho, there's some info for ya
I do the exact same thing, that's how I got started hoppin' up my van's stereo. Every year we have a big bash on Canada Day long weekend out at my cabin at Gull Lake. We've had as few as 30 people and as many as 70...
Anyway, I park the van by the campfire and she's party central. I'm also a private party DJ, so I have a disco ball that we hang in the trees and whatnot.
My van is wired with a solenoid, not an isolator. Isolaters and solenoids have a good/bad thing going on... Isolators have true isolation, your stereo system cannot draw power from the front battery no matter what, engine running or not. Isolators drop a volt across themselves, a very bad thing for car stereo. That means that if your alternator is putting out 14.4 volts, your battery and stereo is only getting 13.4 volts. Solenoids do not have true isolation, if the switch is on (vehicle running), all batteries and everything is connected together. There is no voltage drop across a solenoid. Solenoids are mechanical, which means they wear out faster than an isolator, but I've been running mine for over four years now no problem, and they only cost $35 anyway (I stock these).
No, you do not hook the solenoid or isolator up to your remote lead off your HU. Typical solenoids have four posts, two large, two small. One small is a ground. The other gets hooked up to an ingition source (that means it turns on when you turn your car on, and turns off when your car is off, or in the acc. position). The two larger ones are hooked up to your batteries, one for the front battery(ies) and one for the rear battery(ies).
For your strobe light, it is not designed to run off a car's 12v system, it wants 110v. So you would need an inverter, typically in the $50-$100 range. Or you go buy some 12v strobe lights and hook them up, I have a couple cheapys from Princess Auto in my own van. Either way, lights draw lotsa power. Treat a 110 strobe or several 12v strobes as the same amount of power as a typical small to medium audio amplifier. Also, 12v lighting is never as bright as 100, so you may just want to go to Crappy Tire and get a cheap inverter.
If you want enough power for an evening of stereo & lighting, you're going to need at LEAST 2 or 3 typical car size batteries, just for the stereo. Myself, my system uses gobs of power, 12 amps steady just ot power it all up! I grab a couple of 8D CAT batteries off the shelf (running a battery shop is usefull for my hobby
) and hook them up to the van for our weekend, plus I hook up a 30 amp charger whenever the system is on (we have 110 out at the cabin).Anywho, there's some info for ya
04-27-2006, 03:53 PM
#3
Wow, thank you, that pretty much covered all of my questions. I think I am going to have to scrap the strobe light idea. Ya, it would be cool but I would rather have my amps getting the power they need... Would it be pointless to use a nonaudio battery (interstate) for the front battery and have my car audio battery in the back or would that be the same as just running my audio battery up front?
04-27-2006, 04:09 PM
#4
50 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 82
Quote:
I do the exact same thing, that's how I got started hoppin' up my van's stereo. Every year we have a big bash on Canada Day long weekend out at my cabin at Gull Lake. We've had as few as 30 people and as many as 70...
Are you taking Gull Lake in Ontario (outside minden)?
I do the exact same thing, that's how I got started hoppin' up my van's stereo. Every year we have a big bash on Canada Day long weekend out at my cabin at Gull Lake. We've had as few as 30 people and as many as 70...
Are you taking Gull Lake in Ontario (outside minden)?
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