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On 22 Mar 2005 at 21:42, Toby Erkson wrote: > I like a safety factor when building things, a "just in case" measure. > Here's a theoretical amperage consumption on my baby (ignoring parking > and dash lights and instrumentation power consumption): > > 16.6 hi-beams (100watts x 2...yeah yeah, not stock but neither is my > baby) 200 Watts / 14.4V = 13.9 A. If your system voltage is lower than 14.4, then the current will be less, not more. (The wattage rating is made assuming that your system voltage is correct.) > 8 Compufire ignition It's probably less than this for a 4 cyl, and it's going to be somewhat proportional to RPM, which I assume will be (somewhat?) reduced since you're driving at night and in the rain. ;-) > 3.5 wipers on hi (taken from Bentley) I actually would have guessed higher on this. I wonder if the Bentley number is with no load. > + 3.3 stereo (40watt & stereo turned up to cover the stinger exhaust > and open rag top >:-] ) Open rag top, in the RAIN? ;-) > ------- > 31.4amps being drawn Once you add in your other small current loads, however, your total is still probably pretty close, but we REALLY need to make some measurements. I've got this cute little clamp-on ammeter that actually measures DC (Hall effect device.) A proper test would be to clip it around the charging system output lead and watch it under different conditions. I really gotta do that one of these days.... ;-) -- Jim Adney jadney@vwtype3.org Madison, WI 53711-3054 USA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List info at http://www.vwtype3.org/list | mailto:gregm@vwtype3.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~