cap....worth it?

[bumpinthanite 10+ year member]

I was just wondering if a rockford cap would be worth the money for what i currently run. It's not that I'm draining a ton of power, but everytime the sub hits, the lights dim...pretty much any of them that may be on. This includes the backlit part on my head unit. I have five 10" neons hooked up to my battery (w/ an inline 5 amp fuse), so that is also adding to the drain. In the future, I may get a second sub (though I doubt it), and I'm pretty sure a cap would be a good idea then. But, for now, would it be worth it? Any input would be appreciated. thanx ps: does anyone besides rockford have a cap out there? There's is, like, 100 bills, so if there was another one out there just as good, but less expensive, I'd like to check it out if a cap is the way to go.

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[MxRacerCam 10+ year member]

basically, from what i have read, caps don't serve the purpose that everyone seems to think they serve. i just got done reading a huge archived thread on the car sound board by richard clark (i hope you know who he is!) where he mathematically, and scientifically (via experiments) proved that they don't help with power loss in your cars electrical system when playing loud music. if you have a lot of time, and some math skills, go here to learn....

http://www.carsound.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=12;t=000285

 

[jellydime 10+ year member]

I would say a cap is worth it, I have heard very noticeable changes in both the light dimming and sound...as for brands, there are definitely caps out there other than rockford and most of them are cheaper. Stinger, Lightning Audio, Streetwires, etc...You can also save money if you go with one without a digital readout, in smaller systems, that shouldn't be something that you need to have...just make sure the cap is within 18 inches of the amp or it won't work as well as it could

Keep it loud!

JELLYDIME

 

[natem33 10+ year member]

The cap won't cure any severe power drain, that's more of an alternator issue. However (I know Zane would drop a bomb on this idea //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif ) the cap may improve your bass. When my lights were slightly dimming I installed a .5 farad cap. The result was tighter bass sound with a lower end and my lights no longer dimmed. IMO it was well worth the investment.

 

[MxRacerCam 10+ year member]

of course you're free to believe and use what you like, but as I said, it was proven beyond doubt that they do not help. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[syntekz 10+ year member]

If they didn't help, they wouldn't sell.

I read something about them as well the other day. They don't exactly provide extra energy, but instead store energy for use when your system requires it. (ie. big bass notes or whatever). And if this is true, than do improve the performance of your system.

 

[MxRacerCam 10+ year member]

they sell because people think they help. read the link i put in my first post on this topic, then tell me they work. richard clark put up $5,000 to anyone who could prove to him that they work. NO ONE has proved it. people buy all kinds of things that don't help. like those little stickers that act as antenna boosters for your cell phone. talked to an engineering professor at my school and he said there is no physical way something like that can help. yet tons of people buy them.

 

[natem33 10+ year member]

The technicalities of the science may show that a cap would not work in that situation. I understand that, and can't argue with science. But somehow a cap does seem to work. I've used them in two of my vehicles, and although I still had alternator issues, the lights no longer dimmed and the bass sound was tighter and hit lower than ever before. This type of results from applying a cap is not just unique to my set ups. A cap was originally recomended to me by a pro install company. They may have just been trying to make a sale but I was happy with their recommendation. The best cure for the dimming light problem is upgrading the alternator. A cap just covers up the alternator problems. As MXRacerCam and sytekz said, they are meant to be used as a power source to supply large demands of power in bursts. I guess it's like my solution for a leaky exhaust - put soup cans around the pipe and clamp it...It doesn't cure the problem, but it helps.

 

[ramos 5,000+ posts]

By that logic all of the products sold by infomercials work ? The sell so they must work right. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif I have found that caps do serve a purpose. And if you use them for this purpose they work rather well. That is if you have slight dimming of the lights with musical peaks. Than a cap will work rather well. The release of power is almost instantaneous. Therefore only really really really short burst of power are released.

 

[MxRacerCam 10+ year member]

if you get a chance, read this thread.

http://www.carsound.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=12;t=000285;p=

then explain to me how a cap could really help your system. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif

 

[ramos 5,000+ posts]

I have read that thread. I have talked with Richard in person. Ask Richard what a cap will do for your system and he if he doesn'e give you the same response I just gave you. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[ramos 5,000+ posts]

Okay That is the aftermath of the cap war thread. I said nothing about it making your system sound better. All I said was that if your lights dim slightly during peak musical passages a cap will help Nothing about making your system sound better. And by the way the thread is about controlling voltage fluctuations. Not about making your system sound better. Cade made the comment in an earlier thread that once they used two of the 15 farad caps in there competition vehicle ( by the way cade works for phoenix gold ) the voltage drop was tremendously reduced. Which means some how these magic caps were producing their own power. Which is entirely impossible. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[MxRacerCam 10+ year member]

i understand that caps help stabalize voltage, but the don't help sound quality, and that is what i was referring to in the earlier posts (not necessarily to you ramos). i'm sorry if i was misunderstood. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[jlman 10+ year member]

Wait you never said anything about sound qaulity you said in your first post that it doesnt help at all with your cars electrical system. in my opinion it does very much so to a point though. In my system before i added a cap I noticed a slight dimming problem in my car added a cap a little more dimming at high notes but not at low levels of music. So they help just to a certaint point.

 

[MxRacerCam 10+ year member]

you're right. i mis-spoke. sorry!! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif