Reply With QuoteI had a similar problem with my Rockford Fosgate amps, and it turned out to be a voltage problem. My guess is you either need new batteries, or more batteries. The Fosgate amps go into protect mode if there is insuffficient voltage.
To all you stereo Gurus,
I am having a problem with the stereo in my DCB that maybe you might be able to help me with. I dont know jack about stereos, and DCB did replaced one of the amps when I bought the boat used from them.
The boat has two Rothford Fosgate amps and speakers mounted under the bow and a Sony receiver in the dash.
Heres the problem:
While listening to the stereo for about an hour at about ¼ to1/2 of its volume range the system craps out, in other words the receiver is still on but all you hear is a faint sound of base coming from the woofers.
If you shut the system down for awhile or turn the volume way down it will come back and sound fine.
I have also noticed that if you keep the volume down 1/8 to ¼ of its range the thing will play all day long.
I have crawled under the bow when it shuts down and felt both amps and they are pretty damn hot.
There is also a control knob for the amps under the bow that I have tried full clockwise and full counter clockwise with no change in the crapping out department.
These are my thoughts right or wrong.
1. I have bad amp(s).
2. I need to add small dc axial fans to the amps to help cool them.
3. I have low voltage problem. My (2) 2.5 Drag motors only put out 16 amps ea. @ 7500-rpm and the fuel pumps and computers take 20 amps of that. DCB did not install volt or amp meters to verify this, so I will be installing them shortly.
4. I need to install Simon motorsports alternator kits to both motors.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated
Tv
I had a similar problem with my Rockford Fosgate amps, and it turned out to be a voltage problem. My guess is you either need new batteries, or more batteries. The Fosgate amps go into protect mode if there is insuffficient voltage.
One more thing. The alternators won't put out enough voltage to make up for the draw of the stereo. Install enough batteries to power the stereo for the day, and charge them at night with a charger.
One more thing. The alternators won't put out enough voltage to make up for the draw of the stereo. Install enough batteries to power the stereo for the day, and charge them at night with a charger.
Thank you, I will have them both tested :idea:
TV
My plan of attack would be the following; before you replace the amps:
-After charging your batt's make sure you are getting the proper voltage from them...they may be getting bad since the low amps they are receiving from the charging system, but they are expected to provide a source to the audio system.
- Add some fans to the amps
If it is still happening then you might want to replace the amps, I would also upgrade the charging system, but not necessarily to fix this issue.
I hesitate to tell you to add more batteries's since that adds weight and takes away speed. I run 2400 watts on our 26 with only two Oddyssey 1200 batteries and they last pretty much all day if I switch to all on both perkos...
The heat may also be the issue, but it is normal for those amps to run hot. When I'm cranking mine, if you were to touch them, you would burn yourself badly. They get blazing. That said, they have rarely shut down from thermal overload. I am adding fans to hopefully avoid thermal issues and for longevity. When my amps were shutting down from low voltage, turning them off, and then turning them back on would make them work (resets the protection circuit), but when played loud again or after some big bass notes the problem would repeat. My batteries weren't very old, so it was hard for me to believe they were the problem, but that was the case. If your's are getting some time on them, I would just replace them anyway and see if that takes care of your problem.
I'm going on here, but after charging my old batteries, they tested good for voltage, and would play the stero for a long time at low levels, but if I were cranking the stereo they wouldn't hold up for long at high levels. If I turned it off and played the stereo at low levels again it would work fine. You would think that once they reached a level that amps were going into protect, the voltage would remain low and not be sufficient, but that wasn't the case. They just wouldn't sustain high volumes or really extended play.
Phebus,
I run RF's in the 26 and mine shutdown due to heat...batt's were brand new and the two of the amps (mid/high amps) were still working....
Personally, (IMO), I think the RF amps are inefficient, get too hot and go into thermal way too easy.....(don't flame me)....they work when they work, but I would not choose them again.:rollside:
I'm going on here, but after charging my old batteries, they tested good for voltage, and would play the stero for a long time at low levels, but if I were cranking the stereo they wouldn't hold up for long at high levels. If I turned it off and played the stereo at low levels again it would work fine. You would think that once they reached a level that amps were going into protect, the voltage would remain low and not be sufficient, but that wasn't the case. They just wouldn't sustain high volumes or really extended play.
You are explaining exactly what happens with mine!
My thoughs were if I charge the batterys overnite it would be find, but maybe whats happening here is, the batt's have a full charge, I put it in the water and run around for a half hour or so under 7500 rpm, they loose enough charge that when the amps require it its not there, so they go in to a protection mode?
To run @ 7500 for a hour or so would be a great thrill (110+mph) but hardly possible with a 2 yr old on board.
Thanks
TV
I'm going on here, but after charging my old batteries, they tested good for voltage, and would play the stero for a long time at low levels, but if I were cranking the stereo they wouldn't hold up for long at high levels. If I turned it off and played the stereo at low levels again it would work fine. You would think that once they reached a level that amps were going into protect, the voltage would remain low and not be sufficient, but that wasn't the case. They just wouldn't sustain high volumes or really extended play.
The demand the amps have all depends on your finger.... You want more volume, the amp will demand much more current and voltage will quickly become an issue with the draw...
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