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Author: Wayne Harris Click HERE to view more articles by Wayne Harris. Originally appeared in the August / September 1997 issue of Car Sound magazine. © All rights reserved. |
dB Drag Racing competitor Ben Hamdorf shows what he and his '95 Dodge Neon can do. Here we take an in-depth look at the man, his system, and the methods to his dB Drag Racing madness.
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Electrical Power PlantBen uses a single high-output alternator as the cornerstone to his electrical system. To maximize the output power of his amps, the charging voltage of the alternator has been set to operate at 16 volts. Eleven Stinger SPB 1000 gel-cell batteries and twenty Stinger 1 Farad capacitors further augment the electrical power plant. When I asked Ben why he was using gel-cell batteries instead of the more traditional wet-cell variety, he explained that the gel's experience much less of a voltage drop under severe load conditions. According to him, the gel-cells were capable of maintaining a loaded voltage of 14.7 volts whereas the wet-cells would fall off to 13.5 volts. Ben uses two digital voltmeters to monitor the status of his electrical system. To minimize voltage drop and maximize efficiency, Stinger 0 gauge power cable is used to distribute power to all of the amplifiers. |
Ben's system is powered by five Autotek amplifiers. One of the more unusual aspects of his system is the location of the amps. In most of the installations I've seen, the amps are always installed in the rear of the vehicle. Ben's system is different. His amplifiers are integrated into the floor of the passenger compartment. Plexiglas seats are installed above the amplifiers.
When asked about ventilation, Ben responded by saying that the Autotek amps run pretty cool. At this time, he doesn't really see any need for implementing forced-air ventilation.
Ben is using 20 12 inch Thunder Sounds 150+ woofers. These drivers were custom designed by Thunder Sounds for use in Ben's car. Each driver receives 400 watts of power.
Ben's woofer enclosure is constructed in a megaphone arrangement. All 20 drivers in the sealed enclosure share a common box volume of 24 cubic feet. Since the enclosure is constructed out of MDF, Ben used a cement compound to seal all of the enclosure panels. (MDF is slightly porous.)
dB: Why do you do this?
Ben: Its exciting. I like the fact that dB Dragsters require more engineering. I also like traveling and going to different events; you can make a statement and bring yourself some new business.
dB: What was it like to build this car?
Ben: For two months I worked until three in the morning. And man, it was a lot of hard work. Increasing my SPL from 148 to 151 was super hard; exhausting.
dB: Why do you like dB Drag Racing?
Ben: I really like the crowd. A dB Drag Race allows others to see your accomplishments.
dB: Do you have anything special planned for the upcoming season?
Secret, All I can say is that everyone will be surprised by finals.
Hobbies:
Tae-Kwon-Do, Rollerblading, Building dB Dragsters.
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This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1997 by Wayne Harris Enterprises, Mesa Arizona, USA.