Working the amp hard question

What can be done to keep my sub amp (JL e1400D) from cutting out when in extended hard play?


Yesterday is the first time I have used the

system and I was enjoying it alot. We were

pounding for about and hour and the amps both JL

6450A and the sub amp were warm to the touch ---

normal but I think we were overheating them.

How can I keep them cool when we are sitting still?

Is my system under powered to run 6 polks and t-series with the 400 w on the sub for long play times?

You can get a brushless fan or hook up a blower fan to run air over the amps to keep them cool. I have hooked up blowers to my amp power supply and put it on a switch so when I run it hard I turn on the fan to keep the amps cool. Works very well.

upgrade to the slash series...the slash series has the regulated power supply... depending on your subs either the 500/1 or the 1000/1.

I think its the sub itself. Its a Punch series 2 and I think it can't handle the constant higher levels. The sound goes away for a second or two and then returns to normal. If it was heat related would'nt the amp be off longer than a few seconds more like a few minute right?

Check to see what exactley is cutting out. Is it the amp or the sub. my guess it's the amp's
To check. Look at the amp's as the sound go's away. If you see the green kick on light on the amp turn off then its the amp. I havent rely herd of a sub getting hot and cutting out. They usually work or dont work. Try turning down the gain on the amp. make it so the amp dosent have to wrk as hard it will build less heet and play cooler for longer.

Roger that....

Make sure it's oriented so the cooling fins are on top. Lots of people install amps upside down causing premature overheating. Fans work too but they consume power too, I prefer to find to find solution without fans.

Ive added fans to all of my amps. Yes they do draw some current but they dont draw more then 1 amp combined and I think I have over 8. They, on average, draw about 100 milliamps (.1 amps)each.

A sub isn't going to "go out"; if it is cutting in and out, your amp is going in and out of protect mode more than likely...could be from heat, could be from being over driven. Try following the proper method for setting the gains by JL. You shouldn't need fans, as I doubt the compartment falls out of the normal operating range of the amp.

http://mobile.jlaudio.com/support_pages.php?page_id=143

My amps heat up when they aren't getting enough power, when you are sitting still and the engine is at idle or not running then it is much weaker so the amp has to work twice as hard to pull the power it needs to push your system. You can add a battery or you can get a lightning cap.

You cannot "underpower" an amp. An amp has an operating range in voltage that it will power at, if you drop below that voltage, then it will turn off , go into protect, or just sound like trash. An amp never has to "work" to pull power; that is a function of electrons. Electricity takes the least resistance, so if your blower fan, nav lights, and other items are on, your amp may not get the voltage it needs, and may be turning off. It has a power rail that is around 12V when the alt is off. Transistors then take that 12V and step it up/down as required to boost the signal according to the input it is receiving from the HU. All that happens when there is less voltage is the amp cannot put out at max power; more available power means the amplifier can output more, less power means it puts out less. Most amps measure output at 14.4 for RmS, and will operate from 11V-16V fine. You should audibly notice a decrease in output if you drop below 11V.

A capacitor is a band-aid. The proper way to remedy a weak electrical system is to get an alternator capable of powering everything sufficiently. When a capacitor drains, it has to be recharged....this pulls power from the system, they are very non-resistive, and if the underpowering statement were true, the amp would definately be underpowered at the point immediately following capacitor drain.