if i recall correctly........... putting 15 volts dc or more to any texas star amp is asking for trouble . if you want more power get a bigger amp or possibly a huge amp and use the 350 as a kicker .
the truth is even doubling your power will only add 1/2 an S-unit to your recieved tx .
check this out........
be for-warned.....i got too much spare time today .
.........so im thinking about how it takes increasing power 4 times to put 1 extra s-unit on a recieving units s-meter . so i thought id see/show how fast the watts add up and how expensive it gets beyond a certian point for just one more lil s-unit . i know....i know.....i need to get a life
1 watt dead key swinging 4 watts = baseline of 0 s-units for my purpose here .
4 watts swinging 16 watts = +1 s-unit . (most radios will do this ammount or more)
16 watts swinging 64 watts = +1 additional s-unit . (some radios will do this ammount . some may need small $40-$50 amp)
64 watts swinging 256 watts = another +1 s-unit . (amp cost $150-$200)
256 watts swinging 1024 watts adds yet another s-unit . but we are only 3 s-units above what a typical radio will do . (amp cost 2x4C =$400 . 6x2879B = $550 . TS 1600ab $650 .
1024 watts swinging 4096 watts is the last s-unit for my purposes here . cost = 16x2879 FB $1300 + 4 pill driver $325 + 400 amp maul $800 = $2425 . i dont think mauls includes batteries so add them and the necessary power cabels and distribution blocks and you easily break $3000 oops......dont forget the alternator upgrade and if you dont do ALL the work yourself add the cost of someone doing it for you . $3500 minium . CHA-CHING CHA-CHING !!!!!!!
(p.s. id feel more comfortable getting 4K out of a 24 pill ($1900) than a 16 pill )
most here already know that linear amps are not linear in the effect they have on signal transmission . doubling or even quadropling your power certianly does not double your range of transmission . there is a sweet spot that is fairly economical in cost for the watts/effect given . it seems to me the little 2 pill is by far the king as far as biggest effect for your dollar . 250-300 real watts and i dont know of any vehicles that cant handle that extra 25-30 amp draw on its system . i also think 4 pills are pretty cost effective also for their price if you have a larger alternator to start with .
if you have a 2 pill now and want to get the same effect upgrading to a bigger amp as you did going from a barefoot radio it cost $3500 PLU$$$$$ . i dont know about the rest of you folks but i think that sucks and is way too expensive . but , it is what it is........
i know most here knew what i know now a long time ago so none of this is new . just thought i throw it out there as im sure other have deeper pockets than me and therefor different opinions .
some good info here .
http://cbradiomagazine.com/March 2007/Power in Perspective.htm