loopkiller

So you are going to run 7kW in a daily driver? Do you really plan on using that much music while you drive? Do you value your hearing? LOL! If you do really intend on running that in a daily driver, you are going to need far more than a single yellow top. FWIW a single yellow top is able to push about 700~800 watts RMS of music, and not for very long. Your stock alt is prob 150A max. So that alt can support about 2kW. Once you get above that, you will cut out for sure. You are going to need the biggest alt you can find (300a) and then add in 3 HC2400 for handling the music. Basically the HO alt can put out enough power to push your music, but not constantly. At idle, you will be way under powered. You would have to sit and rev the engine at a stop light if you didn't have the correct battery power. Hope that helps

The HO alt is a good start, but it will still lack the power you need at idle. remember that the peak output for your HO alt is rated at a certain RPM. Anything under that RPM will be a lower output. So you are cruzing around beating it and everything is fine, then you hit a red light and it all starts cutting out. Why? Because you also need battery power. It is not an either / or issue. It is a combination of both that will correct your power issue. Add an HC1400 near the amps and you will eliminate the power issues.

Sounds like the HC800 is a little small for this system. IMO the HC2000 sounds more like the right size. The model number is equal to the watts RMS that they are designed for. HC800 = 800w RMS.

The HC600 is only good for 600W RMS of power. It would be too small for that application. You should look for the HC1800 to add in the trunk. You can replace the under hood batt too if you want to. If so, go with 2 HC1200, one in front, one in rear.

That would depend on your usage needs. The HC2400 has a higher AH rating (128AH vs 102.1AH). That means that it can support your music for a longer runtime. So if this is a daily driver, you would be able to run longer times between charges.

The most important factor is fusing the wire based on the wire's ampere rating. If you use wire that is rated at 100A and you fuse it with a 200A fuse and have a 180A draw, you will surely burn your ride. If you have that same setup with a 100A fuse, the fuse blows before the wire catches fire and your ride is fine. Running 1/0 wire is fine. If you already have it in there, by all means use it. Sounds like they were trying to get you to SPEND money, not save it. If anything, I would suggest another 1/0 run for the ground as well. I know some ppl would argue this suggestion, but all the welds in a car today slow your ground. DC is a big loop and if one side (+ vs -) has more resistance, you will have issues. I also agree with rushnrun that a single yellow top will not be enough here. You will see voltage drops for sure. It may hold up for a quick burp, but it is not designed to handle music play for extended times. You need a higher AH battery in back to help it out. The Kinetik HC1200 would be the best fit for this install. It can handle 1200W RMS and will keep your voltages up, no question.

The first thing you need to ask yourself is do I need this much music? Is this only a daily driver? Are you competing in an audio event? If it is just a daily driver, I would suggest that you will likely never really use 7kW of music and be able to drive the car. Since that is pretty much a given, you would not need that much battery power. On the other hand, if it is a comp vehicle, then yes, you need a bigger car! I am always amazed that ppl try to shove 500 lbs of equipment into the trunk of a mini car. If it is a comp vehicle, buy a truck or van that can handle the load. You will be able to find higher output alts and have the room for the batts you will need to run 7kW. If you don't have room for the power, you don't have room for the music! FWIW, to find out how many Kinetik batts you need, the model number is equal to the RMS watts they can support. So an HC2400 can support 2400W RMS. IMO you will need 3 HC2400 + your starting battery. The starting battery will likely be the HC1400R. You will need at least the biggest alt made for that car, but should look into a Kinetik Power Supply for offline charging and maintenance.

So if PM can charge at 15.0v, then why does their batteries come with this paper that says: "AT NO TIME during charging should the battery be subjected to more than 2.4 volts per cell. Voltages above this will cause the battery to "gas" and once the oxygen is vented it cannot be restored." So they say one thing to you, but print something else? Hmmm....