DeRaNgEd

I had a realization the other day. I remembered that you can't mount RF amps upside down. Thank god I read the manual cover to cover when I first got it years ago. I was going to mount them on the trunk lid, but if I mount them like I was going to do, then it will melt the amps.


Sooooo, I either have to design a cooling system, mount the amps in a different spot, oooorrrrrr mount them more as a free floating rack on the trunk lid.
Hmmmmmmmmm...

Here is what RF has to say about the amps.


Trunk Mounting
Mounting the amplifier vertically on a surface with the fin grooves running
up and down will provide the best cooling of the amplifier.
Mounting the amplifier on the floor of the trunk will work but provides less
cooling capability than vertical mounting.
Mounting the amplifier upside down to the rear deck of the trunk will not
provide proper cooling and will severely affect the performance of the
amplifier and is strongly not recommended.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

I was originally going to mount them like this.
http://mywebsite.register.com/db1/00...images/OLD.jpg

But when the trunk is closed they are upside down.
So I was thinking of something like this. Not sure how clean it will look.
The arrows are representing the direction of the bottom of the amps. My Free Floating idea.

http://mywebsite.register.com/db1/00...80_IMGcopy.jpg

Later it was suggested that I get "Squirrel Cage Fans" or this fan to cool the amps.
http://www.sounddomain.com/sku/STISF3

Anyone that knows RF amps knows how hot they get. I'm not sure if it's enough. So should I do them like I originally wanted to and add those fans? Do you think the fans will properly cool the amps? Any suggestions, opinions, or comments are very much appreciated.


Here are production pics.
http://www.sounddomain.com/id/deranged1

Click the pic in my sig to see my old system

DeRaNgEd

Anyone?

phenryiv1

iTrader: (19)

I have never had overheating problems w/ RF amps, but I have always had old-school RF amps. How new are yours?

I would not mount them upside down b/c if they DO fail and you have a shop look @ them for returns, they will try to void thye warranty. That being said, RF is typically good about returns, but there is still downtime.

GundamWZero

I am no electronic wizzard, but I think you were on the right track when it came to the fans. Mounting a amp up-side down wouldn't ruin the amp, because its cooling fins are on its side (referring to your pic). If the fins were on top, then yeah, the heat would accumalate at the bottom the top (if inverted), which would be the bottom of the amp. Heck I am confusing myself! Regardless, a cooling fan will circulate the trunk, thus, keeping the amps cool.

nupe500

iTrader: (13)

hey...you got a max...about time...I think that your idea about mounting them upside down would work fine, but if you might want to build a false floor (what I'm doing)...to mount your amps and put some fans in there..that might be the way to go, that way you avoid the heat issue and achieve your goal. what kind of sub are you running or going to run?

ola

DeRaNgEd

Yeah I thought that it was the right thing to do.

My amps have been out of warrenty for years.




Cool, I'm glad everyone agrees. Though I am running the 1100a2 and if anyone has ever touched that amp it's damn close to burning you.


nupe500: Who are you?

Cumalittle

principle of not mounting amp upside down is due to the simple law of physic...hot air is lighter thus it rises....so w/ the heatsink being on top...and u mount it upside down...well heatsink not doin it's job...

nupe500

iTrader: (13)

I figured you wouldn't remember me...but I'm Chris' friend with that used to drive a red 3rd gen, we met at the Cherry Hill mall when you still had the black alty, after you did the trunk flip conversion thingy!...anyways...thats who I be!

jmax

You could mount them on the back of the trunk instad of the top. That way they would be mounted vertical. But you would want to look into a gas strut or linear actuator to hold up the extra weight. Especially since you would still want a fan up there. The biggest problem with this idea is that it increases the length of power and ground wires. And makes a mess of RCA's and speaker wires.

1MAX2NV

iTrader: (5)

Heat raises to the top. When amps are mounted upside down, the top would be a thin piece of sheet metal instead of aluminum heatsinks.

jmax

Yes, but cumalittle already beat us to the 2nd grade physics lesson:
"principle of not mounting amp upside
down is due to the simple law of
physic...hot air is lighter thus it
rises....so w/ the heatsink being on
top...and u mount it upside down
...well heatsink not doin it's
job..."

DeRaNgEd

Hiya Nupe500 long time. I got the Max in the middle of the Summer. I screwed over some kid with the Altima. He deserved it though.



Back to my problem. So basically I'm screwed. Even with fans blowing directly on them they'll still get hotter and melt. ****! I worked so hard to mount these bastards too. I have to redesign it AGAIN!
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.........



Man I should just copy the design from my old system...



Thanks all. If anyone else has an opinion of how I can mount this on the lid without having a total meltdown I'd appreciate it.