I want to put a cooling fan on my amp, and was wondering what other people have done.

I found this one, what say others?

http://cgi.ebay.com/STINGER-12V-CROSSFLOW-AMP-FAN-BRAND-NEW-KEEP-AMPS-COOL_W0QQitemZ140113269063QQihZ004QQcategoryZ50552 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

i'm not possitive on this but i believe pc case fans are 12v also. if so why not just use a few of those? that would probably be the cheapest route considering i have seen packs of like 8 for under $10...

While PC fans do in fact work, those 'squirrel-cage' type fans work just fantastic. Also, a lot of them are whisper quiet as well. If you really look, you will see these types of fans used on a lot of show car installs where the amps are hidden and require ample amounts of fresh air to be passed over the heatsink.

I have used squirrel cage fans on a couple school projects and they blow!!!

Fans are not really necessary unless there is really no breathing room for the amplifier. Just mounting it in the trunk and giving the amp ample room around is enough for an amplifier to ventilate properly.
I am suprised that some people like to hang their amplifiers upside down from the rear deck- that should cut some life from the amp.
If you really want your amplifier to last long, run it at the standard impedance- for example, a 2 ohm stereo max amp will survive much longer running at 4 ohms.

While PC fans do in fact work, those 'squirrel-cage' type fans work just fantastic. Also, a lot of them are whisper quiet as well. If you really look, you will see these types of fans used on a lot of show car installs where the amps are hidden and require ample amounts of fresh air to be passed over the heatsink.
ive never used a squirrel cage type fan so i wouldnt know about how well they work but i dont think the noise would be too much, if any, less than a mid-quality PC fan considering i'm sitting about 2ft away from my case fan and can barely hear it. i'll try to look up how many cu.ft. of air a PC fan and that stinger can move and i'll let you guys know.

i made an amp rack in my spare tire well and use two 120mm fans in a push/pull configuration (one blows in, one blows out). i have two high power amps in there and, before i had the amps, it was HOT in there after a drive. really hot. so i installed the fans and now it's about as cool as the rest of the trunk. these 120mm i had laying around and don't remember the brand, somehting cheap i know, though, and they made all the difference in the world.

edit:
did a quick google search on flow.
the stinger one you linked to does 54 CFM and the first 120mm computer fan i clicked on in google does 70.9
http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product_Id=4118214&JRSource=googlebase.datafeed.ULR+ULT31757
so yeh, moves quite a big more

ive never used a squirrel cage type fan so i wouldnt know about how well they work but i dont think the noise would be too much, if any, less than a mid-quality PC fan considering i'm sitting about 2ft away from my case fan and can barely hear it. i'll try to look up how many cu.ft. of air a PC fan and that stinger can move and i'll let you guys know.

From what I've found, amazingly, the cfm ratings are fairly similar. While the PC fans are usually quiet, the squirrel cage fans, supposedly make little to no noise at all - important when showing a $100k+ show vehicle, but depending on your needs and budget - may or may not be a big deal.

I went ahead and ordered it. My amp gets very hot on long trips so I figure it's probably a good idea. It won't hurt anything and its in the trunk so I wont hear it. And the enclosure I'm planning for this amp and my sub amp will be more restrictive for basic cooling, so I'll need it then anyway. I'll probably get two.

I'm thinking to setup a simple relay so the amp remote wire can activate the fan's own power source, also with a manual bypass switch. I'll post pics when its done.

I am suprised that some people like to hang their amplifiers upside down from the rear deck- that should cut some life from the amp.

Pardon my ignorance, but why would mounting an amp upside-down cause shorter life expectancy? Is it the orientation of the amp, or the fact that the amp is in the warmest part of the trunk?

I'm considering doing this for my 'vert this weekend. Mounting the amp on the back wall of the trunk isn't possible, as I'd be drilling into the rollover protection system.

:help

Pardon my ignorance, but why would mounting an amp upside-down cause shorter life expectancy? Is it the orientation of the amp, or the fact that the amp is in the warmest part of the trunk?

I'm considering doing this for my 'vert this weekend. Mounting the amp on the back wall of the trunk isn't possible, as I'd be drilling into the rollover protection system.

:help

Thanks for asking. An amplifier heat sink it suppose to be pointing up since heat rises. For most amplifiers the optimum mounting position is to be horizontal so the amp fins stick up and that will give the best heat dissipation.
When you mount an amp upside down, you are defeating the purpose of the reason why the heat sink is there in the first place by making it dissipate inefficiently.
Not just that but even if you mount the amp upright to the bottom of the rear deck- where would you expect the heat to go since that is the highest point of the trunk?
So the hotter the amp runs, the more likely its life expectancy will diminish.

Thanks for asking. An amplifier heat sink it suppose to be pointing up since heat rises. For most amplifiers the optimum mounting position is to be horizontal so the amp fins stick up and that will give the best heat dissipation.
When you mount an amp upside down, you are defeating the purpose of the reason why the heat sink is there in the first place by making it dissipate inefficiently.
Not just that but even if you mount the amp upright to the bottom of the rear deck- where would you expect the heat to go since that is the highest point of the trunk?
So the hotter the amp runs, the more likely its life expectancy will diminish.

So there is nothing in the specs or the installation instructions that tells a user how to install the unit? That is truly sad.

So there is nothing in the specs or the installation instructions that tells a user how to install the unit? That is truly sad.

there almost always IS something saying how to mount the amp. they ALWAYS say not to cover it, keep the fins clear, and, most of the time, they say not to mount it upside down, im pretty sure

Heat generated by the amp will not kill the amp, what's giving out heat is the Transistor which is strapped to the heat-sink to its specification, if you give it enought space around the amp/heat-sinker the amp should be fine..this MOSFET are designed to run at saturation which is where it will run at most efficient...which is why it's so hot...!! when this amp is running this transistor can actually burns your skin and you can see smoke coming out of your skin when you touch it..hell you can smell your skin burning too...and the transistor is actually at normal operation stage.

ummmm.
heat generated by the amp will most definately kill the amp. a heat sink operates by spreading out the heat to dissapate it. if it's upside down or in a closed in space, that heat has nowhere to go. so it sits there. and gets hotter and hotter. and yes. it will fry.
hot is normal, too hot isnt

So there is nothing in the specs or the installation instructions that tells a user how to install the unit? That is truly sad.

There is usually instructions in the manual that tells you not to install the amp upside down but then again, for some manufacturer's, thats a no-brainer.
Who ever thought anyone would buy an amplifier and mount it upside down.

Heat generated by the amp will not kill the amp, what's giving out heat is the Transistor which is strapped to the heat-sink to its specification, if you give it enought space around the amp/heat-sinker the amp should be fine..this MOSFET are designed to run at saturation which is where it will run at most efficient...which is why it's so hot...!! when this amp is running this transistor can actually burns your skin and you can see smoke coming out of your skin when you touch it..hell you can smell your skin burning too...and the transistor is actually at normal operation stage.

Its understandable that everything runs at a certain temperature but there are obvious reasons why things are made the way they are. For example, a non-class D amp- the only reason the size of the amp is bigger than a class d is because it has to be a certain size for the heat sink to dissipate heat.
Just because an amp is running hot does not mean that its overheating but putting a towel over an amp, putting an amp and sealing it in the spare tire well, mounting upside down, etc. would be considered not giving the amp ample room to dissipate heat. There are protection circuits in the amp just like your car has a red line but just because the amp does not shut down does not mean that its being overworked.
As an example- run your amp at a low impedance so it can heat up faster and see how long it takes to shut down and then run it covered and see what happens.
You might have a point but its not a good reason to mount your amp upside down even if your point is valid. Car cooling fans, thermostats, cooling fins, redline rpm are on cars for a reason just like a heat sink is on an amp for a reason.

mounting all depends where the heat sinks are, like a JL Slash or the new memphis pr the "sinks" are on the top of the amp, then you should have no problem upsise down, If the heatsinks are on the "face of the amp" like Alpine V-power series or older Rockford amps I personally wouldn't.

I only read the first post so sorry if this is redundant. I just use pc case fans to keep my amp(s) cool. Right now I just have a 180mm dangling in front of the amp by the wires lol.... Wanting to weld a braket in for it but have a million other projects going on. If you are having problems with overheating you better build a shroud to channel the air.

I bought (10) 180mm fans for 10$ on newegg (or you can pay 5$ for 1 lol).

So now I'm at a loss. My best option seemed to be the underside of the tonneau/convertible storage area, in the trunk.

What if I got a set of these cooling fans?

Anyone have a better suggestion for where to mount an amp in a convertible? The back wall of the trunk is a no-no: rollover protection is on the other side...

if you have fans and whatnot, mounting upside down isn't an issue. because it'll circulate the air so it won't all be in one spot, ya know? mounting upside down is only an issue if you dont have any fans or circulation.

"my previous statement" - unless you fan cooled them properly

if you have fans and whatnot, mounting upside down isn't an issue. because it'll circulate the air so it won't all be in one spot, ya know? mounting upside down is only an issue if you dont have any fans or circulation.

Makes sense. I wasn't sure if there was an issue related to how the amp was constructed internally - but I guess the heat sinks will be mounted directly on to the "hot parts", and therefore the internal construction doesn't matter.

I've been thinking about doing this for years and years. Any long-term updates on these cooling fans?

Twice a year, I drive back and forth between San Francisco and Phoenix, which is a 10-12 hour, ~700 mile journey. My amps that i've had have never been up to the task. They always overheat in various ways, making the drive frustrating, as my bass-heavy music cuts in and out. My first amps were Directed, and my new ones are Poweracoustik (:()

Before the most trip, I tried to do something about it. A rear speaker was not working, so I took it out, hoping the resulting hole into the trunk would give some ventilation. I also kept the folding rear seats propped open a little. These quick fixes didn't help at all. After about 1-2 hours of straight driving, the sub amp begins cutting in and out every 15-30 seconds, for periods of 5-10 seconds. The speaker amp, an identical model, is just fine and doesn't cut out at all.

I've had enough! This summer, I'm gonna stop this thing once and for all. I was thinking of installing some PC fans, of which I have craploads, but I don't think they're going to mdo much. It looks like the amp has a plastic cover, and pushing air against it isn't going to help much.

Has anyone tried taking the casing off of the amp to find some sort of heatsink underneath that would make better use of air forced on it?

Fans are not really necessary unless there is really no breathing room for the amplifier. Just mounting it in the trunk and giving the amp ample room around is enough for an amplifier to ventilate properly.


Depends on the amp and impedence.
http://ampguts.realmofexcursion.com/Rockford_Fosgate_250.2/outside3.jpg

I had one of those Rf amps bridged on a 4 ohm load (twin 10s 8 ohm SVC) and it got so hot I literally burned my knuckle and got a blister just from brushing up against it.

SO I set up a ducted fan on it: flush mounted it with the heat sink fins exposed, the fan sat atop the wheelwell and forced air into the now enclosed cubby and over the amp fins. It never got hot again.



Previous poster: the case is the heatsink often unless it is just some plastic trim you are referring to. Horizontal mounts where the hot air can rise from the entire heat sink is best, if not fans blowing overthe case would help.

PPPoster: IN the trunk flushed in a false floor where you can use the fans to force air under the floor, and out over the heatsinks.

Do you guys just run the fans straight off of the battery using the +/- terminals?

no, I use a relay on the remote wire,(batery on the other leg) to trigger the amps and also turn on the fans.

no, I use a relay on the remote wire,(batery on the other leg) to trigger the amps and also turn on the fans.

A relay? What sort of relay? I figured out that the remote wire would work the best, but why wouldnt just the remote wire and battery (-) work to switch on the fans when the amps came on as well?

1: because you use chassis ground
2: because it is potentially too much current draw

1: because you use chassis ground
2: because it is potentially too much current draw

Where would one ground things back there? My sound system has a big fat cable going to the negative battery terminal. Should I ground this cooling fan setup somewhere else in the trunk or use the negative terminal as well?

if you have fans and whatnot, mounting upside down isn't an issue. because it'll circulate the air so it won't all be in one spot, ya know? mounting upside down is only an issue if you dont have any fans or circulation.

so... if the amp were mounted upside down, should the fan be blowing or sucking?

:lol;)

get a screw, put a ring terminal on the negative, screw it to the car. done.

ther is no reason to run the ground wire to the battery before going to ground.

I'll see what I can find. The negative terminal is hooked up to the chassis anyways, I was thinking of just attaching a ring terminal and place it in the same location the battery negative is attached to... but there are other bolts already in that same area that I could also use. I'll give it a try.

just ground it in the trunk? that is where your amp is right? that is where your amp ground should be. that is where the fan should be and thus the fan ground