QuestionQUESTION: Hello,
I have been trying to research being able to run a Car stereo system without my car actually being started all the time. I have a 1200 Watt MTX amp Powering a 1200 Watt Pioneer Subwoofer. I also have four 4way speakers(currently not amp'ed) and a pioneer head unit.
The main reason I want to do this is because there is a drive in movie theater I like to go to and with my system the movie sounds pretty awesome. The problem is that I cannot run my stereo with my car off as the battery will quickly drain so I am trying to come up with a way to preserve the battery for aprox 3 hours while the car is not running.
Constantly running your car is frowned upon as they advise you to bring a small FM radio but I figure I have this stereo I might as well listen to the movie with some real sound. In addition running the car for 3 hours isnt exactly Eco friendly or good on Gas. I drive a 96 Tbird.
If you have any idea's on how to do this I would love to hear it and im sure im not the first person who has wanted to do something like this. Thank you.
ANSWER: Brian, Yes, it would be great if we could power our huge stereos with nothing more than battery power. The truth is, you need something to keep that battery charged. There are a couple of options you can try. For one, using a capacitor will keep down the sudden big draws from the battery. Second, you can install seperate batteries to power your stereo, that do not affect your car's battery, and you can switch the alternator over to charge them back up, when they need charging. Either way, I do not think you are going get even three batteries to last 3 hours at 400 - 500 watts. The last option would be to find an outlet and an extension cord, and put a charger on the battery the whole time you are playing the stereo. Hope this helps, Scott
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QUESTION: Thank you for the answer. A friend of mine attempted multiple batteries and failed after about 30 mins. I like the extension cord and outlet idea as there is typically an outlet around. Any idea on the charger I should use?
Thank you for your help and sorry for the late follow up I have been away.
AnswerI have not used any battery chargers for any length of time in such a situation, but there are charger/power supplies out there that are specifically for that application. I would check out Iota or Samlex charger/power supplies. Depending on your system current demands (amps), will determine what size of charger to get. They are fully automatic and should not overcharge battery. I will tell you that running high current through your battery regularly will shorten the life of the battery. I do not know how much, but it will hold less and less a charge over time. I would suggest going with a gelcell battery to maximize this recharge life span. Should be good for hours and hours of pumped up jams. Good Luck, Scott
