Phoenix Gold Phorum

Haven't posted in a while...life, ugh.

Anyway, just got my Ti1200.1 back from Altser & now while I play with my setup I have an issue with the quality of the tunes. As I increase my volume the music starts to crackle as if I'm not getting enough juice. It gets better if I turn bass down with LPL or volume knob. I'm running a stock alt on my 98 subie outback & don't think I'm getting the power I need to run this setup:

Big 3>Red Top optima> Pioneer AVU MVH8300BT (4v preouts)>0G wire to yellowtop optima in rear>Powercore 15>Ti500.4 & Ti1200.1(to Ti Elite12D)> Basscube, DD10

Any thoughts?

Thanks guys!!

pretty sure that mixing a red/yellow tops would be a bad idea with them being different types of batteries with different charge/discharge characteristics but beside that they are not what they use to be and there are better to be had now. Adding a power core on top of it, your expanding your potential to store a lot of voltage but if there is no source to fill them up you are adding a larger load on your alt and could very well see a bigger problem. You can often think of voltage like water. In this case you would have dug yourself a bigger lake, but if the source can't fill it all you have is a big hole.

Might just down size till I get a4 runner. ..

Just for grins, stick a good battery charger on your system batteries, see how much charge they have, top them off, and then see if the issue persists when you know your batteries are fully charged.

So I thought have a redtop up front for starting, & a yellow top in back for stereo was correct? Do i need an isolator to maintain the different charging cycles or...?

I know it was always recommended to me that if you run multiple batteries that you should buy them at the same time so that they will have a similar charge/discharge capacity. I know that if I put a good battery in my TV's remote control with one bad one that in couple of days I will have two dead batteries. I have never heard of anyone using deep cycle and regular automotive use batteries with or with out an isolator as I am pretty sure that even with an isolator you will end up killing one of them, and then end up buying 2 new batteries. Let us know how that works out for you but I would think that its not good.

Well, it sounds like a common situation where someone has a conventional starting battery and then adds an AGM in the trunk for the system. Mixing those batteries doesn't become a problem if you have an isolator on the batteries. If you don't have an isolator then the car as well as the system is pulling from both batteries and you have the remote control analogy ttocs used. The only instance of multiple batteries in which you can get away with not using an isolator is if you are running multiple alternators, one alternator charges the starting battery, one charges the system battery, because that makes them on separate circuits and they aren't linked.

You should look into an isolator.

The problem is that the isolator isolates them from each other when they are not charging, but when they are charging and the isolator is activated(connecting) the batteries are just put in parallel. It would work but its not ideal again. Ideally they are the same type of battery and you bought them at the same time. Anything else and the charge/discharge differences in the batteries will cause problems down the road. I run a smaller starting battery along with my larger system battery but they are both deep cycle batteries.

Hmmmm.

I would have thought that it does not matter what batteries you put in as below.

The issue I'm familiar with with 2 batteries in parralel is that they would unlikely sit at the same voltage so the higher voltage battery tries to charge the lower voltage battery. There is a risk of a see-saw charge effect between the 2 batteries which ultimately drains them over time. Hense needing to use an isolator. While vehicle is going they can be connected. But while vehicle sits around doing nothing they should be isolated.

If you can I would suggest any vehicle with a upgraded battery system would be connected on a charger every time it goes into the shed to maintain full battery life and charge.

I could maybe see an issue with a performance battery connected to an ordinary battery that while sitting around the sitting charge differential is greater so causing the good battery to be flattened by trying to charge the lower sitting voltage battery. Again Not an issue if isolated

While being used I see no issue what so ever as long as your alternator can keep up with charging 2 batteries.

This is just my current knowledge of topic as such and I have never performed scientific tests.!! Hehe

Either way it all comes down to charging, and having a proper alternator.

I'm going to disconnect my yellow top in back & just use the red top. As far as upgrading my alternator, any specs or links to a high output one that would fit in my 98 divide outback would be great.

You should be fine with an upgraded alt and a good battery. Not sure what brands are available off the shelf but often times if you have an alternator shop local to you they can upgrade your factory alt to get a few more amps out of it.

Glad to see this thread. Ive been getting recommendations from different places.

Some like, XS power and mechman, recommended a starting batt up front and deep cycle in rear.

Kinetic and some local shops recommended both be deep cycle.

Ive decided to go with 2 deep cycle batts just be safe.

it would be for the best. I have been happy with my set of kinetics but head mixed things about them recently so dunno...

DC Power, Mechman, and Irraggi are all decent brands. I'd compare what each offers and decide from there. It probably isn't possible in your car because I know someone that had an Outback and they use every inch of space under the hood, but the best possible scenario would be to run two alternators, the stock to charge the starting battery, and a high output to charge the stereo battery. The theory being that you are buying an alternator anyway, so all you'd be springing for is a bracket and new belt.

So I'm driving and can have tunes blasting & sound awesome, but leave car idling the quality diminishes and sounds horrible. I think I'll pull current system out & use my reactor until I can get a 4runner...

Maybe the alternator doesn't put out enough power at idle for your system (or it is not charging the rear battery good enough)?

I talked to a friend who knows someone who may be able to upgrade my alt. I'd rather do that to get by then spend a lot on a ho alt some I plan on getting a4runner down the road