I was thinking Water, and spray oil into the source. That way the oil will be floating on the top, looking like bubbles. Ill have to give it a shot and see if the effect works. At first I thought that the oil will just sit on top, but the water is constantly getting mixed in the reservoir, so that shouldnt be an issue. I dunno about meth. chloride idea. First of all, I need an actual heat source, which in a trunk, isnt the best idea. Second, having a toxic chemical in my car at all times might call for a darwin award one day. I think we'll shoot for the oil/water route, and see where that goes.

I really wish they made a bling bling gauge, I would install it on the underside of my trunk!

 

I bet you could make one I could make you one. If I give you a list of parts... you buy them and I'll build it.

"If you build it, they will Bling"

 

Okay, shall I be the one to smack you in the head? You're talking about a cooling system for hot amplifiers already in the trunk... then you mention needing a heat source in the trunk and it not being a good idea?! I need an aspirin

The oil and water mix might be a bit difficult. With a bit of shaking, it will create a bubble-like effect near the oil/water interface, but the oil will tend to remain mostly near the top. You want something that will keep a fairly constant mixture throught.

Also think about small plastic beads, like those rubber BBs they sell at toy stores. Those will float through water easily enough, all you need is to figure out how to get them moving (having a pump of some sort constantly mixing in beads into the outgoing "water" line.

Oh, and the methylene chloride stuff... I wouldn't put too much concern in about it. They continue to use the stuff in Christmas lights, so it's obviously not that bad. Mix up a batch of that, fill the tubes, and connect one end to the amplifiers. you actually WILL be cooling the amplifiers and getting the bubbling action you want.

THIS is the type of crap I love to tinker with

 

OK, I'm not known for bling, but you could really blow their minds with a regenerative cooling system (make electricity from the heat that's generated by the amp).

Use the same flat plate radiator idea but don't put it directly in contact with the amp. Put a layer of peltier modules in between. Peltier modules are solid-state heat pumps and are what's used on space craft for cooling because they have no moving parts. You pump electricity into them and one side gets hot and the other gets cold. They're also used in those small automotive "cooler/heater boxes". But like most things electrical they work in reverse too - heat one side and cool the other and they generate electricity.

While I guess you could use them to cool your amp (they're also used to cool computer CPU's) it's more interesting to use them backwards. The amp heats one side of the modules, you cool the other. The temperature difference causes the peltier modules to generate electricity. With enough temperature differential you could probably generate enough juice for at least a trunk light show. Set it up so the hotter it gets the faster the lights flash.

.

 

i was thinking Peltiers too, but for cooling purposes...

actually, i've considered water cooling in my own system b/c w/ the tight confines of my setup and the hot La summers, i've been known to shut down my amps a time or two... or three.... or ten...


sorry to break it to you Dave, but Bazooka came out w/ a line of water cooled amps a few years ago...
regarding running oil in the water for 'bubbles effects' i'm afraid, the agitation of pumping would probably just make the water look milky as the oil droplets dispersed into smaller and smaller sizes and became entrained in the liquid.... take some oil, mix it w/ some water, shake vigorously for a few minutes... you end up w/ just milky looking water, until it starts to settle out.

 

JHC Dave! Water..air..bubbles..just put a tank back there already will ya!

 

Use a roller pump like what they use for blood transfusion machines (can't remember the pump type name offhand). Very low mixing of fluids, but gets a good flowrate. Try siphoning oil off of the top of the holding tank and pumping that through te system (rather than trying to pump both water an oil). That way, the oil bubbles should continually rise through the water-filled tubes. It may or may not work, some experimentation will be required.

 

I am going to research the plastic bead idea. So far, I think that is the best way...assuming I can find beads small enough. If I have red liquid, I would use black beads, to give a nice effect.

Phil, although I know they had antifreeze amps for a long time now, I havent personally ever seen them installed, nor have I seen tubes flowing around in someone's trunk. Am I the first one who did this? Of course not. But since its not something you see everyday, the bling points still stand. I have to wait till I get the reservoir, to see how big all the openings are.

 

i was never arguing your bling factor... just that it does exist...

 

2 words......LAVA LAMP!

The oil idea would work if you used a slightly abrasive liquid (dilute some abrasive cleaner into the water). I would think that this added abrasiveness would kind of counter act the viscocity of the oil, and would almost "grab" it and pull it along. I am no engineer....so it may be WAY wrong.

You might also be able to just put a bit of detergent in the water. When the pump is running, it would stir up the water and the detergent, and effectively foam, or bubble, it up a bit.

Dunno the feasability of these ideas....just brainstorming.

John