Capacitor and fuses

[jlaine 10+ year member]

Originally posted by tex My question about stuffing 0 awg into the amp was a rhetorical question. "Now tell me, why the HELL would you feed a cap with 0 gauge, then drop it to 4 to feed your amplifier, how bloody STUPID can you get?" Hmmmm, maybe because the 0 guage won't fit into the amp! Even if you cut some copper to make it fit, this would still be considered reducing. Because the cap should be close to the amp the cap should be fed with a bigger wire because it is usually long. Because there is a short distance from the cap to the amp, there is less resistance and a "reduced," smaller wire could be used to plug into the amp.

Problem 1. Why would you feed a 0 ga lead to the capacitor if your amp doesn't demand the current from it?

Problem 2. Since the amp doesn't need 0ga, the proper installation method is to supply a fused distribution block before the amp/cap, and then feed the cap - and have NO junctions after the cap other than the amplifier itself.

The current SURGE will be between the cap and the amp, that is why they "supposedly" work.

 

[evo2k3 10+ year member]

thanks for the clarification god.

and btw the resistance problem can be easily avoid by optimizing the T110B-niner relay adapter causing the duplex quadrahex to reduce nominal impedence of transistor circut communicating the overclocked mainframe resister.....you will undoubtably agree with this exelent solution.

I'm out....strike one up for JLaine....hey mods....can he have his own section in this forum, I think he is more than diserving //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif .

 

[tex 10+ year member]

"You should be using the same, if not a larger gauge off the cap... never reduce size... That again would defeat the purpose. It should be reduced at a fused distro block long before it ever makes it to the amp primary."

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This is what you are suggesting:

(amp)

 

[jlaine 10+ year member]

Originally posted by tex "You should be using the same, if not a larger gauge off the cap... never reduce size... That again would defeat the purpose. It should be reduced at a fused distro block long before it ever makes it to the amp primary."

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This is what you are suggesting:

(amp)

 

Follow common power charts- remember this is usually a trick for subwoofer amplifiers only - which means you are feeding two amps at least off the same tap, therefore, the long lead- will almost always be larger than the feed to the cap.

 

What I'd suggest -

 

battery ---- fused within 18" of battery ---- lead to the back of adequate size by appropriate IASCA rating chart or wherever you get it from ----- fused distribution block splitting power to various amps - wire gauge again of proper size governed by power requirements--- cap as physically close as humanly possible to amp with a direct conneciton to the amp with absolutely no restrictions in the power path.

 

[evo2k3 10+ year member]

not to start another fight, but i MUCH rather prefer to have the capacitors working on my whole system. Now I know I have seen pro installs that run power to the caps and then into the distro so which ever amps need the power get it. I would assume you would need to do something like this to run 2 sub amps right?

 

[jlaine 10+ year member]

Originally posted by evo2k3 not to start another fight, but i MUCH rather prefer to have the capacitors working on my whole system. Now I know I have seen pro installs that run power to the caps and then into the distro so which ever amps need the power get it. I would assume you would need to do something like this to run 2 sub amps right?

In a back-assward world, they are going to feed the entire system (sort of)... It's in the direct feed for everything, just has the closest feed to the major amp in question.

A distro block would disperse power to everything, but it's also a bad way to do things as it's adding junctions (even the recommended way has the potential to backfeed the entire system if you follow the power flow)- the best way is to have a cap per amp and as close as possible to that amp. (whatever value you need)

Reason it isn't done for this? Asthetics. It's all about the bling-bling baby...

 

[paikiah 5,000+ posts]

Originally posted by jlaine You mean the caps with added goodies, that make them even more worthless than they are?

 

Do you even GET the idea of a capacitor?

 

The POINT is to NEVER, I repeat, NEVER!!! Restrict it in any way or form. This includes FUSES, JUNCTIONS, TERMINALS, and ANY OTHER RESISTIVE SOURCE, INCLUDING digital displays!!!!!!! Pop quiz, open your amplifier case, check out the capacitors feeding the power supply, you see ANYTHING in their path source to the voltage rails for the amp? NO!!!!!!!!!

 

The fault is in YOUR logic, and I am getting tired of repeating myself for you! The REASON the 4ga will handle that amount of current is based upon current draw and average voltage drop. Drop voltage, create heat. Now tell me, why the HELL would you feed a cap with 0 gauge, then drop it to 4 to feed your amplifier, how bloody STUPID can you get? The highest current surge will happen AFTER the capacitor, for the feed to the amplifier, to put a smaller cable on it is about the same as running your head into a wall for an hour straight figuring you can walk through walls -- POINTLESS!!!!!

 

Read maylar's VERY EXCELLENT (thank you maylar!) response for added information, I'm really sick and tired of butting heads with you on subject matter that is common law to most educated car audio installers and techs.

calm down, jlaine... it's alright... caps are bad, I understand it too, even though I have one.. don't blame me though, cause I got it way back when everyone said caps were compulsory items...//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

man, how sick and tired can you get with the same ol' topics?//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif

 

[JoeM 10+ year member]

The average car audio system (ex running 85w/channel front stage) will not need a cap. The main reason people put them in is to power their sub amp. Take, for example a honda. Any honda with a fairly weak alternator. (OK, what the f-ck, my '89 Accord).

Now, I have no system in that car, but if I was to swap the one from my Spec V, this would be the scenario. I'm sitting at a light. Listening to some tunes. I crank up the volume, even the aux bass control for the sub amp. The lights begin to dim heavily.

Now, take the same scenario, but remove the sub. The lights will not dim. The reason is the 85x4 amp doesn't put as much strain in individual intervals as does the sub amp.

Honestly, I have a cap, but I'll probably be removing mine, as my alternator puts out 115 amps in stock form, more than enough power for the system I have.

All told, you generally want to put a cap on the most demanding amplifier in the car, 9/10 times the sub amp.

Do they work? I dunno. I never used i tto correct a problem. I got mine dirt cheap, but I'd rather not have it in this car as it really doesn't need it.

A rewound alternator will always be more worthwhile than a capacitor. Most people just want the cool look of having one.

 

[Randy Savage 5,000+ posts]

Originally posted by JoeM A rewound alternator will always be more worthwhile than a capacitor.

This needs to be engraved in stone for all to see.