AC-DC Possible with Car Audio Components?

Mr Latte

Mr Latte

Mr Latte

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Joined
8 Aug 2003
Posts
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Hi guys,

Bit of a weird question maybe but is it possible to get an adapter or convertor that allows car hifi/amplifiers to work on 240V.

I assume this is 240v AC - 12 or 14.4V DC
(See some car amplifers stating 14.4V)

I want to utilise some car audio components on a "racing cockpit" im building.
Mainly for "car amplifers" to power subwoofers and transducers.
 
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you want a 12 - 240v inverter. depending on the power required, they can get a bit pricey. general rule of thumb, you are going to need at least twice the output of the amplifier to be safe, probably closer to 3 times.


edit, totally the wrong way round. yes, you just want a 12v power supply. lol. just be aware car amps can pull monstrous amounts of current, ive got a 1kw amp that'll pull over 100 amps if it's pushed. it depends on what you want to power.
 
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Serious reply (though what I said above will actually work fine). Why not just use a normal 240V amplifier and connect that up to the car speakers if this is just about getting the right look.
 
Lum said:
Get something from this page plus a bent paperclip.

Go for one with low ripple ideally.
Click to expand...

Appreciate if you can be more specific...
Think Im going to need a bit more help on this and give you guys a better idea. This is quite an extensive long going project.

I will list some components being considered and the idea behind it.


Situation
Console & PC are connected to my home AV 7.1 system.
What I want to be able to do is control additional .1 bass output from the AV amp going into the racing cockpit. I already have a 300W buttkicker unit that will be attached to the main seat and this is just mains powered. However Ive found with testing that to fully give an immersive feel more than one unit is required. Therefore smaller less powerfull transducers will also be connected to the wheel section and pedal section.

Car Amps To Power
Ive decided to combine audible bass in the form of 2x subwoofers and physical felt bass in transducers. This way road bumps and things like rumble strips, engine noise etc from within the game are truely felt in a more immersive fashion. Err call it surround sound or 3D in bass terms but the idea is not to feel just this senation within the seat but be incompessed in it as in a real car would.

Its my belief it will be better using multiple units at 30-50% capacity than one unit at 100% as that cases discomfort and vibrations when cranked so high.

Why
It may sound sily for those not aware of transducers but when you can really feel the engine and elements from within the game it completely changes the experience and immersion combined with triple monitors its hoped to really reach a good level of fun from this.

Considered Layout
2x 12" Subwoofers 4 ohm (facing back of race seat)
1x 4 way amp approx 100w per channel or possibly 2x 2 way amps
2x Car Brake Lights (merely for arcade style fun)


lef7l.jpg
 
PC power supplies output 12V in gobs these days on the yellow wires.
The paper clip is to join the green and black wires on the ATX connector thus turning the power supply on without needing it to be connected to a motherboard. *bam* cheap 12V power supply.

I'd still just drive those 2 Sony subwoofers off a home use subwoofer amp. Just be careful about the imedance.
 
Lum said:
Serious reply (though what I said above will actually work fine). Why not just use a normal 240V amplifier and connect that up to the car speakers if this is just about getting the right look.
Click to expand...

Ive also considered this

However getting high quality 4 channel amplification in 4ohms and in multichannels can cost quite a bit. 2nd hand could be considered but their are loads of high power car amps purposely made for high demand woofers and transducers available much cheaper, from as little as £50 - £150.

To give an example the offical Buttkicker 240V amplifier specs
1100 watts @ 4 ohms
1900 watts @ 2 ohms
Can power up to 4 ButtKicker LFE’s
Class D switching technology
Variable high cut-off 40 - 160 Hz
Low cut-off, 25 Hz switchable
RCA and 1/4” inputs with160 volt &
1.25 volt sensetivities.
240V (UK model)
Convection cooling (no fan)


This though is £380 in the UK.
 
You need to do some more research on how impedance affects things. For example if you hook up two 4 ohm speakers in series, the impedance is now 8 ohms.

You're right that most home kit is designed around 8 ohms though.
 
Thunderpole SPS-9600, 60A continuous 12v (selectable between 1-15v) supply.

I use them for running R/C battery chargers, but they are actually for ham/amateur/cb radio use.

Loads of other manufacturers out there too, watson, diamond, manson, palstar...
 
Thanks for the help.

Although at those prices for such equipment im thinking its maybe best to just bite the bullet and buy the offical BK 1000 amplifer. It should run the car subs no problems but have asked for confrimation of this with a BK supplier.

Thanks lads...
 
This is why I was suggesting a PC PSU as the cheap way to do it. They're about the cheapest source of a decent amount of 12V DC. Other than that you're looking at either low current wallcubes (crap) or bench PSUs which are generally used in labs and priced accordingly.

The car battery plus charger is a good idea though. Gives you the same benefits that people would normally buy huge capacitors for.

Plus having a car battery in the rig makes it look more authentic :)
 
Ive looked into various options today.

Turns out the Buttkicker amplifer isnt good for speakers.
Car bat on trickle charge is option but not ideal.

Ive come across PA / DJ style 240V amplifers.
These of course are grand with 4ohms and big powerhungry speakers.
Audio quality is not a major concern as its only subs Im using here for bass extension.
My audio in the room is powered by my AV-Home Cinema

SKYTEC PA-600 WATT DJ PA POWER AMPLIFIER

Highlights:

2 x 300 W RMS at 4 Ohm (equivalent 2 x 600 W Max at 4 Ohms or 2 x 300 W Max at 8 Ohms)
Stable, transport friendly steel housing
Suitable for rack installation

Features:

Inputs: 6.3 mm Jack and RCA
Outputs: SpeakOn PA adaptor cable or normal speaker cables (screw terminals)
Separate volume controls for left and right channels
Rear located high performance fan
Front controls
Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz
Input impedance: >10 kOhm
Input level: >0 dB
Distortion factor: <0.1%
Noise: >98 dB
Channel isolation: >82 dB
Power level LED display
 
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