why would I complain to Powermaster or MLA?
Powermaster sells 14.4v alternators. Maybe you don't understand yet. Powermaster's 14-20v voltage regulator is meant to be installed ONLY to drive the ________ (accessory) circuit... not the entire vehicle. They are not dumbasses.
mla's product has an "OFF" switch so you can turn it off when not in the SPL lanes.
the ghetto product above has neither. If someone wants to shoot themselves in the foot, that isn't Colt's fault.
When someone insists that every auto manufacturer in the world for 50 years hasn't a clue as to what the best charge voltage is, so go buy this overpriced resistor... that is when I have an issue.
And as I suspected, you got the 1/2 baked Idea for this from SMD... I couldn't even FIND MLA's website, but SMD + MLA and it shows up like a flaming turd on the doorstep.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jABj9_rYUts
If he used his brain, he could have only installed it on 3 alternator's dedicated only to the stereo batteries which would run all stereo equipment and nothing BUT stereo equipment. That would leave the 4th safe for the rest of the computer controlled Vehicle and the starting battery.
His system may be set up that way, but from the bragging in his video, I don't know. 4 irragis may simply sound 'mo baller-ific' than 3 irragis for audio and one for the vehicle.
It serves no increased 'output' purpose unless you are running unregulated or loosely regulated power supply amps and have more than ample current to trade for higher voltage. W = V x A...think old school orions etc, 'more volts = more watts output at same amperage', as opposed to say PPI Arts 'more volts = less amps drawn for the same output'.
the problem with most people doing this is:
1; they don't understand DC voltage. if your system's voltage is 'sagging' then obviously you need more voltage , right?
.... A: Wrong- you need more current supplied or less current demand. the voltage drops because of lack of amperage. more voltage doesn't make up for this.
Most off the shelf amps today are moderately or tightly regulated supplies that will pull MORE Amperage as voltage drops (from lack of amperage!) instead of merely reducing output.
for most people with problems this means turn your amps down out of clipping by turning down your super-bass-boost + loudness + max eq + gain which can EASILY increase current demand by 900% or more. 3db = twice as loud = 4x the power
SPL competitors are willing to blow amps and subs in search of .1 db.
2: notice he has to leave his truck on a trickle charge all the time? why do you think that is?
a: his 6 batteries are constantly discharging each other, which causes premature failure and b: a 12v battery will fall back to 12.6v quickly. They will not stay charged to 14v. fi he had left his truck unplugged for one hour, he would have gotten around 12.6 instead of 13.2 at the stat of the video. 6 batteries in parallel is ONE 12.6 v battery. it isn;t some magical 13.5v battery now.
like i said, all this is OLD tech, stuff we used to do 10 or 15 years ago when SPL was in it's infancy and amps were built like sodding tanks... There are at least 3 good reasons practically no one messes around with it anymore.
Anyway, you do what you want, it is your car.
But the only valid reason for doing it is not a reason that you have given, so you are IMO just fanboy-ing product ignorantly.
sorry for being so harsh on you man, but this could cost someone a lot of money or even, god forbid, their life.
/Eagle out