Capacitors and Newbies

[AScreenName 10+ year member]

do they even keep a steady voltage of electricity to your amp?

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[97dakota 10+ year member]

yeah well my half farad cap on a 30 amp alternator with three 1200 jbls on itkicks ass byatch

 

[Primetime 10+ year member]

This kind of makes me look like an ass but its honest.. I heard the facts, saw the facts, but still tried one. Let me tell all the people on the fence... THEY ****.. didnt help me at all, it could have been a down payment on the Alt I ordered to FIX the problem

D

 

[MikeofTulsa Moderator]

exactly.......but then again what do we know???

 

[Matt0528 10+ year member]

my supercap 100 made a difference... i have a 135 amp altenator

my two amps (1500 watts and 325)

and before i got it my lights dimmed so bad

now they barely dim except for a really long bass hit

 

[MikeofTulsa Moderator]

they make a diff...but its like adding a bandaide to an open wound......your lights are still dimming.....i'd say upgrade the alt then see if u really need the cap......enjoy

 

[bass_mekanik 10+ year member]

IMO the first thing to do is get a decent battery then if you need it get an alt then again if you need it get a cap or BIGGER alt again

 

[Savant 10+ year member]

Originally posted by Jmac Does anyone want to tell me why newbies insist that a capacitor helps your system with absolutely no proof and no understanding of how a capacitor works ... ??

 

I really hate arguing with newbies. It's like arguing with a woman ... Even if you know you're right, have all the proof in the world, you're still not going to win ...

The same reason they keep asking the same questions over and over .. when the answers are ALL over the forums.. they can't hit 'search' either.. implies a distinct lazyness or ignorance.. *shrug* Some people believe the first thing they are told for ever, regardless of any evidence presented.. mostly from being closed minded and partially from not wanting to admit they might have been wrong (stubborn pride) *shrug*

 

[xxsaintdawgxx 10+ year member]

caps are only to holde reserve power in case there is a slight dip in the voltage of your system thats it they dont really help with anything dipping or anything it just holds reserve power

 

[Matador 10+ year member]

i agree with jmac and savant, they just keep asking the same questions over and over and over. and caps, yeah, it keeps going n going n going. but i guess we gotta take into acccount that they do actually at times work for the best. maybe if u have a bunch of amps with a big alt n battery, maybe. but ppl won't listen tho!

 

[ss3079 5,000+ posts]

Originally posted by Jmac I really hate arguing with newbies. It's like arguing with a woman ... Even if you know you're right, have all the proof in the world, you're still not going to win ...

Lol, I hear ya.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Newbies, gotta learn somewhere and sometime, but learning consists of asking questions, not arguing with someone who knows a hell of a lot more than you.

- Steve

 

[Alphafrog1 10+ year member]

a friend of mine had a 70 amp alt and a PPI PCX-2350 running off of it... He decided that it wasn't enough power so he got two caps... didn't help a bit. In fact every time that a hard note hits the truck will shut off. One smart thing is that he has a lifetime warrenty on the alt, so every time that it dies, he gets a new one free //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[Savant 10+ year member]

Originally posted by Alphafrog1 a friend of mine had a 70 amp alt and a PPI PCX-2350 running off of it... He decided that it wasn't enough power so he got two caps... didn't help a bit. In fact every time that a hard note hits the truck will shut off. One smart thing is that he has a lifetime warrenty on the alt, so every time that it dies, he gets a new one free //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

LOL .. Not sure that's "smart".. better to get an alternator that can handle the system and not let his truck shut down.. gonna **** if he's out on a cold night and blows his 'free' alternator //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

Makes me sick to say this.. but I could use a cap.. I can be running relatively below my alternator's capacity (meaning I'm not loosing charging or power, still have ~14 volts on the system) and the headlights still 'blink' when the amps kick.. Makes me think the internal caps on my amps aren't holding that much.. but a cap before the amps would probably help the blinking, but then.. it's barely noticable and doesn't bother me (might bother the other people on the road, but what do I care? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif )

Seems one of the 'genuine' uses of a cap is when your amp's caps can't/don't stop blinking, or (maybe this is my issue) the field voltage and regulator are a bit too slow for what the amp(s) need (but that tells me the amp's internal caps aren't holding enough juice and are trying to **** from the main system on hits)..

 

[CarAudioAddict 10+ year member]

I agree.

On this forum, other forums, and in the real world, newbies tend to think they know everything and that a cap is a good thing.

If any newbies to this forum read this remember:

dimming lights, continuous dead batteries after long playing (with engione running of course) are signs of a dead/dying alternator. A cap has to get it's power from somewhere and that somewhere is, you guessed it, THE ALTERNATOR. This means that a cap is another load for you alternator to charge. Thats not all, a cap will not keep a charge on it's own (well it will but only for an hour or so) it needs a constant supply of power. Your alternator will fail sooner with a cap than it would've without.

If you still insist that a cap will solve your problem I've got one for you. It's rated at 100,000 FARADS and only requires a 26ga wire to attach it. retailing for $100, you'll never even need a battery again.

 

[nswartley 5,000+ posts]

jmac you started the argument again!!!!!! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/cool.gif.3bcaf8f141236c00f8044d07150e34f7.gif//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crazy.gif.c13912c32de98515d3142759a824dae7.gif//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/eek.gif.771b7a90cf45cabdc554ff1121c21c4a.gif