ricerdude
10+ year member
TEAM THRESHOLD
go into search and type in cap or capacitor...
D
D
Gauntlet
5,000+ posts
bulletproof
They only do their job if your alt can handle the extra load. If your alt isn't strong enough, a cap will just hurt your system even more. Look into getting your alt rewound, it won't cost much more than getting a cap, and that will solve all your problems.
bass maniak
10+ year member
Team Poundin Sound
what if your like me and dont have an alt because my system is in my room
then is it ok to get a cap?
then is it ok to get a cap?
OJ Simpson 32
10+ year member
CarAudio.com Elite
I was pushing over 1600 watts & got a cap. I definitely noticed that my lights weren't dimming & the digital read-out on it looked cool as hell.
- Thread Starter
- #6
so if the cap is working properly wut exactly does it really do.
Randy Savage
5,000+ posts
CarAudio.com Veteran
It acts as a tiny tiny tiny tiny fast charging battery.
When your alternator is working at max tilt to supply voltage to your amp, and it's still not enough, thats when your battery's reserve power kicks in. Getting a cap will do the same thing as a battery, except store 1/220,000 the amount of power, but it 'recharges rapidly'. Plus most caps are high in ESR, meaning that a lot of their potential power cannot even be used.
This is why I hate caps....//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif
Frraksurred
10+ year member
Ubersomethingerother
My understanding and experience is if you upgrade the power and ground wires of your amp and battery, ensuring if your power wire is 4g from batt to amp (and for a 1200.1 4g would be minimum, 0g would be better), then your ground wire should be the same. This includes your batteries ground wire to the engine block or frame and amp ground. If this is all in place then (as previoulsy stated) look into getting your alt rewound.
Only after these steps would I look into a low ESR cap if you think you still need one. They do help to provide instant power reserve for high wattage systems that utilize a lot of bass. However (again as already stated) only go this route after the previous steps are taken.
Only after these steps would I look into a low ESR cap if you think you still need one. They do help to provide instant power reserve for high wattage systems that utilize a lot of bass. However (again as already stated) only go this route after the previous steps are taken.
Gauntlet
5,000+ posts
bulletproof
Add a rewound/HO alternator to that list, and a cap really won't be needed.
tglisson
10+ year member
Senior VIP Member
If your lights dim with the beat, or your speakers start smoking without permission, or your CD skips a beat or two, your amplifier may be trying to use more fast energy than the electrical system can supply. Unfortunately, your car's electrical system is not thinking about the needs of your amplifier. Power is being robbed from your audio system by such trifling matters as: the engine and lights. This may leave your amplifier hungry for power, and worse, delivering destructive distortion when it fails to get it.
Understand of course, that no capacitor is a substitute for an adequate amplifier to provide the amount of bass energy you want to project. Nor will it substitute for an inadequate car power supply. You may have to install a stronger alternator if you have one of the more powerful systems. The rest of your system must also be "up to spec" to serve that purpose.
Technically, a capacitor is an electronic device which consists of two rolled up plates of electrically conductive material separated by an insulator known as a dielectric. Within this frame an electrical field charge is developed. The quantum of this charge is the capacitor's value, measured in farads. It is largely determined by the surface area of the plates, the effective distance between the plates, and the chemical composition of the dielectric material.
Audio capacitors are energy reservoirs that store the necessary power your amplifier will need to punch those big bass notes while limiting clipping . They store power during intervals when it is not required, which is most of the time, and release it when a short term transient demand exceeds what is available from the car's power system. A stiffening capacitor for your amp is the simplest way to be sure your system always gets every bit of immediate current it needs.
From the smallest .5 farad, to 10 farads, there's a capacitor suitable for your installation. Mount them as close to the amplifier as possible, and use at least .5 farad (500,000 microfarads) per 500 watts RMS of power output. Using more will not cause problems. On the other hand, it will not contribute to the operation either, and it's easier on the wallet to just get what you need.
Many capacitors are rated for ESR. This is the Equivalent Series Resistance of a capacitor. A perfect capacitor would have only capacitance. All conductors have resistance. In a capacitor, there are many conductors such as terminal leads, foil and even the dielectric electrolyte. The resistance of all of these conductors contribute to the capacitor's series resistance. It's essentially the same as having a resistor in series with an ideal capacitor. Capacitors with relatively high ESR will have less ability to pass current from its plates to the load (the amplifier).
Discharging the Capacitor:
If you plan to remove your capacitor for any reason, you may want to completely discharge the capacitor to avoid a potential hazard. To discharge the capacitor (only after it's disconnected from the system, of course), will need to enable the current to flow from one terminal to the other. You can use either a test light or resistor for this purpose. Some large capacitors tend to develop a charge similar to a battery and will produce a small voltage across its terminals. Since, in a large capacitor (over .5 farad), even a small voltage could be dangerous. After it is discharged, you may want to connect the terminals together with a piece of wire or resistor. Even if the capacitor design doesn't permit it to develop adverse voltages when unused, leave the terminals connected as a visual confirmation of the unit's safety.
Charging with a Resistor:
Many capacitors will need to be intialized with a 10 to 50 ohm resistor connected to the power main for usually 8 to 25 seconds depending on the size. After charging is completed, simply connect the power main VERY Carefully. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/greedy.gif.5a53e6246569d7ab79867170f3b06629.gif
Understand of course, that no capacitor is a substitute for an adequate amplifier to provide the amount of bass energy you want to project. Nor will it substitute for an inadequate car power supply. You may have to install a stronger alternator if you have one of the more powerful systems. The rest of your system must also be "up to spec" to serve that purpose.
Technically, a capacitor is an electronic device which consists of two rolled up plates of electrically conductive material separated by an insulator known as a dielectric. Within this frame an electrical field charge is developed. The quantum of this charge is the capacitor's value, measured in farads. It is largely determined by the surface area of the plates, the effective distance between the plates, and the chemical composition of the dielectric material.
Audio capacitors are energy reservoirs that store the necessary power your amplifier will need to punch those big bass notes while limiting clipping . They store power during intervals when it is not required, which is most of the time, and release it when a short term transient demand exceeds what is available from the car's power system. A stiffening capacitor for your amp is the simplest way to be sure your system always gets every bit of immediate current it needs.
From the smallest .5 farad, to 10 farads, there's a capacitor suitable for your installation. Mount them as close to the amplifier as possible, and use at least .5 farad (500,000 microfarads) per 500 watts RMS of power output. Using more will not cause problems. On the other hand, it will not contribute to the operation either, and it's easier on the wallet to just get what you need.
Many capacitors are rated for ESR. This is the Equivalent Series Resistance of a capacitor. A perfect capacitor would have only capacitance. All conductors have resistance. In a capacitor, there are many conductors such as terminal leads, foil and even the dielectric electrolyte. The resistance of all of these conductors contribute to the capacitor's series resistance. It's essentially the same as having a resistor in series with an ideal capacitor. Capacitors with relatively high ESR will have less ability to pass current from its plates to the load (the amplifier).
Discharging the Capacitor:
If you plan to remove your capacitor for any reason, you may want to completely discharge the capacitor to avoid a potential hazard. To discharge the capacitor (only after it's disconnected from the system, of course), will need to enable the current to flow from one terminal to the other. You can use either a test light or resistor for this purpose. Some large capacitors tend to develop a charge similar to a battery and will produce a small voltage across its terminals. Since, in a large capacitor (over .5 farad), even a small voltage could be dangerous. After it is discharged, you may want to connect the terminals together with a piece of wire or resistor. Even if the capacitor design doesn't permit it to develop adverse voltages when unused, leave the terminals connected as a visual confirmation of the unit's safety.
Charging with a Resistor:
Many capacitors will need to be intialized with a 10 to 50 ohm resistor connected to the power main for usually 8 to 25 seconds depending on the size. After charging is completed, simply connect the power main VERY Carefully. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/greedy.gif.5a53e6246569d7ab79867170f3b06629.gif
Fuel37
10+ year member
Senior VIP Member
isn't there only 2 capacitor manufacturers? that's what i heard anyways //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif probably wrong
jbl_marshall21
10+ year member
important person
yes ur wrong, there is lightning, legacy, rockford fosgate. probaly many more
Fuel37
10+ year member
Senior VIP Member
they just stick their label on the generic caps and charge what the want for their label i believe //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif. i didn't research it so i'm not going to argue though. but i'm pretty sure there are only two manufacturers of caraudio capacitors
MikeofTulsa
Moderator
The one and Only!
well it looks like its time to school u folks...heh
http://www.eatel.net/~amptech/elecdisc/chargin2.htm
http://www.eatel.net/~amptech/elecdisc/charging.htm
http://www.eatel.net/~amptech/elecdisc/capacitr.htm
should tell u everything u need to know about caps and charging system
http://www.eatel.net/~amptech/elecdisc/chargin2.htm
http://www.eatel.net/~amptech/elecdisc/charging.htm
http://www.eatel.net/~amptech/elecdisc/capacitr.htm
should tell u everything u need to know about caps and charging system
dont be ignorant and confuse distributors with manufacturers. I dont know if there is exactly 2 out there, but its a limited quanitiy.
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