Can I add another amp safely?

[87NAT]

Will my alternator stand up to another addition? I have the 96 Impala 140amp alternator. I currently have a Punch 250 bridged on a 10" passive Bazooka and a Punch 400 on my highs. I want to add another 10" Bazooka with the internal amp. I also have a capacitor on the Punch 250. Is the extra Bazooka going to put too much of a drain on my electrical system? Any expert advice would be appreciated.

Also inlcuded pics of new door and rear panel speakers. Cant say enough how they opened up the sound in my car.

Ed

 

[8UWITH6]

Shouldnt be a problem as long as you have enough power wire to handle the current. IE- 4 gauge or bigger at least. In my GN I run Fosgate amps about 3 years older than the ones you have with a 4 gauge to the sub amp (punch 500m) and a single 8 gauge to the interior amp (punch 400x4) with a cap on the sub amp. Obviously make sure you have good grounds.

As for your car, why are you adding another amp? Just curious. HTH

 

[arista5]

i have 3 amps in my setup, you should be fine. though i have a 200amp alt i still have a stock battery. no issues

 

[87NAT]

Shouldnt be a problem as long as you have enough power wire to handle the current. IE- 4 gauge or bigger at least. In my GN I run Fosgate amps about 3 years older than the ones you have with a 4 gauge to the sub amp (punch 500m) and a single 8 gauge to the interior amp (punch 400x4) with a cap on the sub amp. Obviously make sure you have good grounds.

As for your car, why are you adding another amp? Just curious. HTH

The Punch 250 is bridged and both R & L wires are going to the Bazooka. It has dual voice coils(4 binding posts) therefore it utlizes both sets of bridged wires. If there is another way to run a passive off the Punch250 let me know. I will just get a plain Bazooka with no internal amp if that is possible.

 

[datant69]

you could run it in a series

with certain speakers, like 8 ohm or running multiple sets of speakers. just check your ohm load with a meter. if your headlites don't dim when you have your radio at levels you normally listen to it at. you should be fine. i don't see why the punch wouldn't be enough for both speakers. what are they 10's, i think you'd be ok with running a set of 10's on that amp bridged just piggyback the wires into the same speaker outlet. i've done it numerous times as i've installed ALOT of car audio. that amp should handle those speakers with ease. just my 02 cents, but if i remember correctly bazooka bass tubes don't require but about 100 watts each to run. plus you have that cap. you should be ok, the only issue you'd run into is run time. sometimes people get into amps that are too small and they get hot and shut down and that's not good. will eventually end up having to replace the amp if this happens. it really just depends on your time of travel and volume you listen to your music at. hope my posts helps if anything it's just another opinion.

 

[87NAT]

with certain speakers, like 8 ohm or running multiple sets of speakers. just check your ohm load with a meter. if your headlites don't dim when you have your radio at levels you normally listen to it at. you should be fine. i don't see why the punch wouldn't be enough for both speakers. what are they 10's, i think you'd be ok with running a set of 10's on that amp bridged just piggyback the wires into the same speaker outlet. i've done it numerous times as i've installed ALOT of car audio. that amp should handle those speakers with ease. just my 02 cents, but if i remember correctly bazooka bass tubes don't require but about 100 watts each to run. plus you have that cap. you should be ok, the only issue you'd run into is run time. sometimes people get into amps that are too small and they get hot and shut down and that's not good. will eventually end up having to replace the amp if this happens. it really just depends on your time of travel and volume you listen to your music at. hope my posts helps if anything it's just another opinion.

If they are 8 ohms then adding that extra passive tube will drop it to 4 ohms. I should be okay then?

 

[datant69]

not what i meant

i highly doubt you'll find a 8 ohm bazooka bass tube. what you can do is take 2 4 ohm speakers and wire them in a series and come up with a 2 ohm load or even lower. just remember the lower the ohm the more power you'll pull the faster your amp will heat up and shut down. think of it as your car sitting still with your foot through the floor while it running never letting up till something gives. that's basically what can happen if you run the amp to hard, or on a low ohm load too low for the amp. that amp should hold a 2 ohm load though. if you need speaker configurations you can check the12volt.com for some. but if you run the speakers piggy backed you should be at a 4 ohm load which is ok if run stereo ( right and left connected like normal speakers ) or a 2 ohm load like what you have now if i remember correctly. it's been a few yrs since i've done much installing but some of it is still up there in the old noggin. hope this explains it alittle more, wasn't trying to confuse you. you also do not want to run an 8 ohm speaker and a 4 ohm speaker on the same amp. if you ran an 8 ohm speaker you'd be pretty disappointed with it i'm sure of.

 

[87NAT]

I checked the load. It is 2 ohms on both sets of binding posts. So let me try and get on the same page with you:

I can order another 4 ohm, dual voice coil passive with 4 posts. Then I would just run the same wire configuration off the amp to the new Bazooka..(a mirror set up) But wouldnt a extra BAzooka bring the ohm load down some more? Not trying to go in circles just trying to be safe with the setup.

Ed

 

[SGRIM]

What gauge wire to you have running to the back? Do you have a large 4 guage or bigger wire going to a dist block? Doing the same with the grounds?

You could get alot more bass with what you have now with just doing away with the tubes and getting a sub box... Those amps can really push some power! You could get two nice JL 10's in a box running off the one 250 and give you as much as you want IMO...

 

[87NAT]

What gauge wire to you have running to the back? Do you have a large 4 guage or bigger wire going to a dist block? Doing the same with the grounds?

You could get alot more bass with what you have now with just doing away with the tubes and getting a sub box... Those amps can really push some power! You could get two nice JL 10's in a box running off the one 250 and give you as much as you want IMO...

Went to 12volt website and got the correct wiring diagram to install 2 4-ohm dual voice coil speakers. Thanks guys.

Shane it will only cost me $169 to get another Bazooka. I would be starting all over again getting a box and subs. Believe it or not that one Bazooka ROCKS my car. 2 has to be better.

 

[TurboBuRick]

Thats a nice system Ed. Next mount some buttkickers to the seats.

 

[87NAT]

Thats a nice system Ed. Next mount some buttkickers to the seats.

I have one. Its my 2 year old when he rides behind me in his babyseat.

He can kick pretty hard.....

 

[datant69]

no problem

i think you'll be ok with the other speaker being a reg. 4 ohm, i don't think bazooka makes a dual voice coil speaker but when you check the ohm load check the speaker not the amp. so plug it into the back of the enclousure, as for going with jl's they are great speakers but those bazooka's aren't a joke they sound great period. keep that 12volt website handy, it's a good source of info, has alarms and all kinds of other diagrams, if you just piggy back and put the input of another bazooka into the amp where you presently have the other one your ohm load shouldn't drop but you'll be splitting the power to the speakers. you may even switch amps and go with the bigger amp running your subs and the other running your mids and tweets. just a suggestion, also speaker placement is a big thing, i think you have it right but you may check into the bazooka website and sent the techs there an email asking about it in your trunk. facing the rear will bring out a deeper bass note due to it coming off a solid surface. you may even try it alittle closer if possible. let me know if you need help, my hotmail account is under the same as my user here just add the hotmail. good luck and enjoy.

 

[87NAT]

It is a dual voice coil 4 ohm speaker. I spoke to the tech guy at Bazooka yesterday. He said I cannot add anothe bazooka to my setup. It will drop my ohm load to 1 and kill the amp. I am just going to stay with what I have right now. Thanks for all of your input Datant69.

 

[datant69]

no problem

i wasn't aware that the subs in the bazooka's where dual VC speakers. never pulled one from an enclousure. if you decide you do want more bump maybe finding a matching amp and bridge so you have a uniform look to your set up may work for you. another small amp to run another sub. sorry buddy, i know the feeling of wanting more bump but not being able to add when you want to. i didn't think rockfords were good for a 1 ohm load, i know 2 is ok but not for long. there are few amps that can handle a 1 ohm load and less that can handle a 1/2 ohm load. stay with what you have though, you have some good brands in your car if you decide to upgrade or add.

 

[SGRIM]

Went to 12volt website and got the correct wiring diagram to install 2 4-ohm dual voice coil speakers. Thanks guys.

Shane it will only cost me $169 to get another Bazooka. I would be starting all over again getting a box and subs. Believe it or not that one Bazooka ROCKS my car. 2 has to be better.

Since you can't add the other bazooka right now don't forget the 2 10's option! The right combo could put that amp at either 2 or 4 ohms and run fine... There are some deals out there with a couple of decent 10's in a box for $250ish... Just trying to help

 

[87NAT]

Since you can't add the other bazooka right now don't forget the 2 10's option! The right combo could put that amp at either 2 or 4 ohms and run fine... There are some deals out there with a couple of decent 10's in a box for $250ish... Just trying to help

I might pull the trigger on a box since I would have to get 2 more bazookas anyway. Although would it still sound good just placed in the trunk towards the back. I have my amps mounted on the rear deck. I would hate to have to move all of that.:frown:

 

[datant69]

pain in the a55

yea moving wires or configuring how to make it work when redoing the system. you have alot of options, just depends on what your really trying to get out of your system. one thing is once you add some bass, it doesn't take long before you want to upgrade it to hit harder or sound better. kinda like the engine.

 

[87NAT]

I cant leave well enough alone. I found a box locally on Craigslist. 2 JL Audio 10's in a sealed box.$250 They ROCK! It feels like it will blow the trunk open. Those JL's sell for $240 a piece new.

I have the box as far back as I can but I might see if one of the local audio shops can build me an indented box to slip over the back hump and squeeze betwen my 6x9's. Pics to come.

Its all SGRIM's fault.....

 

[Dabigguy]

You'll love those JL's. I had two 12" JL's in a 7th order bandpass box powered by an Orion 2150 amp, but had to sell due to impending hearing loss.