Choosing the correct battery size for your Potter SCA and DCA Single Channel and Dual Channel Amplifiers is critical for reliable performance, ensuring adequate standby and alarm durations. Use this guide and the battery calculation worksheet in your amplifier's manual:
- Find Standby and Alarm Currents: Locate the standby and alarm current values specific to your amplifier model within the instruction manual. As an example, the SCA-2525 amplifier typically has a standby current of 58mA and an alarm current of 608mA.
- Calculate Total System Currents: Add up the standby currents and alarm currents for every amplifier connected to the system. This yields the total standby and alarm current draw.
- Convert to Amps: Change the milliamps (mA) figures to amps (A) by multiplying by 0.001.
- Determine Standby and Alarm Durations: Specify the desired standby hours and alarm time in minutes. For instance, you might need 24 hours of standby and 15 minutes of alarm time.
- Calculate Amp-Hours (AH): Multiply the total standby amps by the desired standby hours and the total alarm amps by the alarm time in minutes. Then, divide both results by 60 to convert them to amp-hours (AH).
- Account for Efficiency: Divide both the standby AH and alarm AH values by an efficiency factor of 0.80 to factor in battery discharge characteristics.
- Calculate Total Required AH: Add the adjusted standby AH and the adjusted alarm AH values. This final number is the minimum required AH for your battery.
Following these steps, combined with the detailed worksheet within your Potter amplifier's manual, will ensure you choose a battery that meets your system's standby and alarm time needs.
