Homecoming Float!!!
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From: Tennessee
Homecoming Float!!!
So I know this isn't really the appropriate place to post this, but I know you all know your stuff (ppro). So, today is homecoming. We have been building on our homecoming float all week and it's being pulled behind a pickup truck (2002 Sierra).
We wanted music on our float, so I took it upon myself to make that happen. The stuff that we have on it is PA stuff. I have a very powerful Peavey amp and three large DJ-grade speakers (for lack of better word). To power them, we are trying to go the battery-inverter approach. We tried a marine battery last night but it drained within a minute. So now we're opting to run the inverter to the cigarette lighter.
This morning, we tested it out with the truck turned OFF. I don't know if it was just me, but when a bass note hit, it sounded to me like it cut off (bassy music)(bump)). So, now I am wondering if the alternator will keep everything going. Like I said, this stuff is really powerful and pulls a lot of juice.
The parade is at 12:45 so please let me know what you think soon! Thanks so much!
We wanted music on our float, so I took it upon myself to make that happen. The stuff that we have on it is PA stuff. I have a very powerful Peavey amp and three large DJ-grade speakers (for lack of better word). To power them, we are trying to go the battery-inverter approach. We tried a marine battery last night but it drained within a minute. So now we're opting to run the inverter to the cigarette lighter.
This morning, we tested it out with the truck turned OFF. I don't know if it was just me, but when a bass note hit, it sounded to me like it cut off (bassy music)(bump)). So, now I am wondering if the alternator will keep everything going. Like I said, this stuff is really powerful and pulls a lot of juice.
The parade is at 12:45 so please let me know what you think soon! Thanks so much!
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Joined: Sep 2007
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Re: Homecoming Float!!!
Originally Posted by smokey847
So I know this isn't really the appropriate place to post this, but I know you all know your stuff (ppro). So, today is homecoming. We have been building on our homecoming float all week and it's being pulled behind a pickup truck (2002 Sierra).
We wanted music on our float, so I took it upon myself to make that happen. The stuff that we have on it is PA stuff. I have a very powerful Peavey amp and three large DJ-grade speakers (for lack of better word). To power them, we are trying to go the battery-inverter approach. We tried a marine battery last night but it drained within a minute. So now we're opting to run the inverter to the cigarette lighter.
This morning, we tested it out with the truck turned OFF. I don't know if it was just me, but when a bass note hit, it sounded to me like it cut off (bassy music)(bump)). So, now I am wondering if the alternator will keep everything going. Like I said, this stuff is really powerful and pulls a lot of juice.
The parade is at 12:45 so please let me know what you think soon! Thanks so much!
We wanted music on our float, so I took it upon myself to make that happen. The stuff that we have on it is PA stuff. I have a very powerful Peavey amp and three large DJ-grade speakers (for lack of better word). To power them, we are trying to go the battery-inverter approach. We tried a marine battery last night but it drained within a minute. So now we're opting to run the inverter to the cigarette lighter.
This morning, we tested it out with the truck turned OFF. I don't know if it was just me, but when a bass note hit, it sounded to me like it cut off (bassy music)(bump)). So, now I am wondering if the alternator will keep everything going. Like I said, this stuff is really powerful and pulls a lot of juice.
The parade is at 12:45 so please let me know what you think soon! Thanks so much!
Long story short, you'd be better off with a little Honda gas-powered generator stashed away someplace (but not inside a Crossfire) to run the PA.
Look at the power requirements for the amp. There's a metal plate on them that will say how many watts and amps. You will need
- a power inverter that supplies enough watts
- an alternator that supplies enough amps
- a deep-cycle battery that can take the hit
- cables directly from the power inverter to the battery (4-gauge)
I used to have a Peavy head unit and it sucked some major wattage. I suspect you would need a power inverter that gave you probably 2000 watts, definitely directly connected to the battery. The Crossfire alternator (if that's what you're using) isn't up to the job in terms of keeping the battery charged. I run a 200-amp alternator in my Jeep to keep up with the winch (which pulls 400 amps...) and it doesn't keep up for very long. That's where the deep-cycle battery comes in. You can pull the battery down but it recovers and doesn't suffer from the cycles of drain and charge.
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