??? About proper usage of CAPACITORZ!!

[yacob.naif 10+ year member]

Not another standard "how much chrome should my cap have" thread, promise.

But if i wanted to get proper usage of a cap, where it would effectively show my charging system a CONSTANT load, so my voltage regulator didn't have to constantly excite and, um, de-excite? my alternator, how much capacitance would i need? Would love to make my brushes last as long as possible.

I'm running a kenwood xxv-02A, which is wired to run 88w x 4 rms (CEA2006 verified) And a Hifonics Bxi2006D, which is wired to run the full 2000w rms (ok, 1600w rms...) The kenwood is running my doors, so it's going to be semi-constant draw, but i would love the buffer the load of the hifonics, esp. since i'm planning on tuning @ 33hz, and am actually only going to run true sub-bass on it (50hz down) so it's gonna spike like a champ.

I'm (as we speak..) installing a more than capable electrical system, but i wondered how many caps i would need to get true benefit of the capacitance, to show my alternator a constant ampere draw (or atleast very smooth peaks and valleys?) Right now i have two 1.2farad caps that both came with stinger wiring kits (a kit that was once in my jetta, and the one i initially installed in my audi) How much more capacitance do i need to honestly buffer ~1000-1600w spikes?

Thanks!

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[iceteebone 5,000+ posts]

if you need one at all 1 farad is enough. i would run a second battery if you have a good enough electrical system

 

[yacob.naif 10+ year member]

I'm all over that, got an interstate up front, and an optima in the back, just trying to get the fastest buffering possible.

I figured if i have enough lightning fast capacitance in a few caps, they'll feed my amp the quick spikes it needs, feed off of my batteries a bit more smoothly, and then the batteries will be showing my alternator a pretty **** flat amp draw. But if my caps aren't big enough to handle the hifonics' spikes, then the hifonics will still be drawing from the battery on those spikes, PLUS the cap will be discharged, so my alternator will see even bigger spikes than if i didn't have the caps at all.. Does that make sense? Or am i completely off on this?

 

[yacob.naif 10+ year member]

the main reason i ask, is that i don't want to buy more caps, but i'd rather not use them at all if they're not big enough to realistically do what their intended to do.

If they can't buffer the spikes of the bxi, then i'd rather not have them.....

Unless i'm wrong here, and it will still smooth the draw somewhat.

 

[iceteebone 5,000+ posts]

I'm all over that, got an interstate up front, and an optima in the back, just trying to get the fastest buffering possible.
I figured if i have enough lightning fast capacitance in a few caps, they'll feed my amp the quick spikes it needs, feed off of my batteries a bit more smoothly, and then the batteries will be showing my alternator a pretty **** flat amp draw. But if my caps aren't big enough to handle the hifonics' spikes, then the hifonics will still be drawing from the battery on those spikes, PLUS the cap will be discharged, so my alternator will see even bigger spikes than if i didn't have the caps at all.. Does that make sense? Or am i completely off on this?

well basically a cap is used to smooth out the current draws. say you have a 200 amp alternator. it does not put out 200 amps constantly. say your amp is drawing 75 amps and the cars is drawing 25 equaling 100 total. that is all your alt will put out. so now your amp all of the sudden needs 100 amps instead of 75 so the alt kicks up the output, but it might delay a second. that is why if you had a cap, you wouldn't have that delay and your bass won't sound muddy. a cap is only good for split seconds. you already have a second battery, so that should work as your buffer. when the amp peaks, it'll draw from that battery. then when it goes back down, it'll charge as normal