Do I need a secondary battery?

[C-LocJiggleNuts]

Looking for info guys (or girls). Im in the process if I nstalling a RF T1500.1 that will be running 2 Sundown Sa10’s and a RF T400.4 running Hertz mids and highs. Big 4 is done (O gauge) and I will be installing an XS D3400 this week as my main battery. Stock alt is 160 amp. Wondering if I need to be ordering a second batt to maintain voltage or will  I be ok with the setup l have. 

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[youdoofus]

Looking for info guys (or girls). Im in the process if I nstalling a RF T1500.1 that will be running 2 Sundown Sa10’s and a RF T400.4 running Hertz mids and highs. Big 4 is done (O gauge) and I will be installing an XS D3400 this week as my main battery. Stock alt is 160 amp. Wondering if I need to be ordering a second batt to maintain voltage or will  I be ok with the setup l have. 

youll probably be fine. get a voltmeter from soundqubed for $20 and install it along with your other stuff and have it read the voltage from your distro block in the trunk just to keep an eye on it

 

[C-LocJiggleNuts]

read the voltage from your distro block in the trunk just to keep an eye on it

What would be the reading I want from the voltmeter? 

 

[youdoofus]

What would be the reading I want from the voltmeter? 

minimum 12, anything below that is problematic

 

[C-LocJiggleNuts]

Okay thanks. Would extra batt help with dimming? For example a stinger spp680 or would I want a secondary battery to equal the combined wattage of both amps. Sorry. I’m a noob. 

 

[youdoofus]

Okay thanks. Would extra batt help with dimming? For example a stinger spp680 or would I want a secondary battery to equal the combined wattage of both amps. Sorry. I’m a noob. 

youre never going to go wrong with extra juice esp if you have proper wiring from the alt to feed it. if youre considering a secondary battery, get another XS D3400 as its an agm and would be fine inside the cabin of your vehicle (assuming that youre going to be putting it in your trunk or someplace similar like a hatch area etc etc)

just make sure that you have some hellified grounds too. DC needs equal grounding capability to its positive capability for it to work optimally

 

[mastershake575]

If your not competing and just like listening to loud music then you'll be fine. I agree with the person above me and get a volt meter just in case. 

160amps is big for a stock alternator and the XS D3400 is a nice battery. 

Not only that but on music you'd be surprised at how much power your actually drawing. There's been times where i'm listening to ear piercing music/rattling my whole car and my total power draw is less than 1,000 watts 

 

[C-LocJiggleNuts]

Ok I’ll start with a voltage gauge and go from there.  Stock alt is rated at 160 amps but I don’t know how many at idle or cruising speed. It’s a Dodge Ram truck so idk. My headlights were dimming just running on my t750 mini amp so I’d imagine I get a small power outage off the t1500. Lol 

 

[C-LocJiggleNuts]

youre never going to go wrong with extra juice esp if you have proper wiring from the alt to feed it. if youre considering a secondary battery, get another XS D3400 as its an agm and would be fine inside the cabin of your vehicle (assuming that youre going to be putting it in your trunk or someplace similar like a hatch area etc etc)

just make sure that you have some hellified grounds too. DC needs equal grounding capability to its positive capability for it to work optimally

I don’t have room for a full size batt as it’s going behind the seat of my Ram Crew Cab. I was thinking something small like a Mesa MP600 or Stinger SPP 680. 

 

[youdoofus]

Ok I’ll start with a voltage gauge and go from there.  Stock alt is rated at 160 amps but I don’t know how many at idle or cruising speed. It’s a Dodge Ram truck so idk. My headlights were dimming just running on my t750 mini amp so I’d imagine I get a small power outage off the t1500. Lol 

lights dimming could be caused by many things, not the least of which can be a poor ground. 

 

[youdoofus]

I don’t have room for a full size batt as it’s going behind the seat of my Ram Crew Cab. I was thinking something small like a Mesa MP600 or Stinger SPP 680. 

as long as theyre both the same voltage and type (AGM vs lead acid) you should be ok mixing a smaller batt with a big under hood one

 

[C-LocJiggleNuts]

Ok so the wattage rating doesn’t really matter on the batts as long as the combination of the two batts is more than the amps right? For example if I add a small batt rated for 1380 watts as my secondary. 

 

[youdoofus]

Ok so the wattage rating doesn’t really matter on the batts as long as the combination of the two batts is more than the amps right? For example if I add a small batt rated for 1380 watts as my secondary. 

correct.

 

[C-LocJiggleNuts]

Thanks all! Now to figure it all out. Ha! 

 

[youdoofus]

Thanks all! Now to figure it all out. Ha! 

no problem. shouldnt be too tough esp if youre doing it all in one go. adding stuff and adding stuff is harder, for me anyways.