Should I wire digital volt meter to battery or speaker terminals ?

[mrpep]

My digital volt meter came today and I originally bought it to watch the battery voltage but I do have a dial in my dash and I can see that I never dip under 14 volts. Since it seems so good I feel like using the volt meter on my speaker terminals so I can observe the voltage going to subs when bass hits hard. I'm thinking I can calculate tune voltage using a 60hz tone and then observe that I never go over. Is anyone doing anything like this ?

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[Savackz]

Wire it to your amp, your cluster gauge isn't THAT accurate as the digital vm.

 

[Trey803 5,000+ posts]

I don't think amplifier output voltage and vehicle power voltage would have much if any relationship at all. I do not know this as a fact but this is my hunch

 

[A_Contraptions]

you can not hook it to speaker output. 1- thats ac voltage 2- thats not where you read power for battery.

hook to the amps power input as thats generally where the lowest point will be under load

 

[tymoto21 10+ year member]

I don't see any point as music is so dynamic your readings would be jumping all over

There would only be a couple instances where you could use it and even then it's only voltage so it's not telling you the whole picture

Wire it to you + and neg on your amp terminals

You are probably dropping to mid 12v at your amp terminals

 

[mrpep]

ok, so ac wont work , got it , now how about placing the volt meter on the battery under the hood? To minimize work and running all new wires? Isn't the battery the volts the same whether its up front under the hood or back going into amp ?

 

[Massive spl]

Wire it to the amp pos and neg terminal..... Not the battery under the hood

 

[wew lad 5,000+ posts]

technically they're all in parallel, but that doesn't factor in resistance and drop due to the wire. so your voltage will read higher than it actually is

read this pep, i regularly refresh my knowledge with stuff like this: A.C.-D.C.

Charging System Basics

WIRE

Resistors

the last two are provided if you want to learn some new technical information, it's very related

 

[Savackz]

If you want to skip out running 2 wires running to your amp to make sure it doesn't pop, then don't do car audio. 2 wires isn't anything compared to what some people run from their car front to back.

 

[mrpep]

If you want to skip out running 2 wires running to your amp to make sure it doesn't pop, then don't do car audio. 2 wires isn't anything compared to what some people run from their car front to back.

really? I'm completely clueless but thanks for filling me in....

 

[Savackz]

really? I'm completely clueless but thanks for filling me in....

Just do it right the first time, Just the red on the voltmeter to the poewr on your amp input and ground from black on voltmeter to ground, and can remote wire to the amp as well.

 

[mrpep]

Just do it right the first time, Just the red on the voltmeter to the power on your amp input and ground from black on voltmeter to ground, and can remote wire to the amp as well.

oh ok, thanks .... so red is power and black is ground, got it ..

 

[Savackz]

yes!

 

[mrpep]

Phew.... Thanks again .

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[mrpep]

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