Capcitor and Ground Distribution Block

[_S7V7N_ 10+ year member]

I had a cap sitting here for a while and decided to finally install it, but when i looked up some install info it pretty much contradicted the way i've installed caps in the past.

My question is can I use a Distribution block from the Ground output of the Capacitor (has an input and output on the - side) and run it to a Distribution block and also ground that distro block to the chassis ? Then run a ground from the distro block to my amp. Would that damage anything ?

On the diagram at the bottom of the post i always had my stuff hooked up like the one that says " Never" Luckily my car never blew up ! Heh.

Here's info i pulled from Soundstreams website and the cap is the SCX-6.

Capacitors…

No not the flux capacitors in Doc's time machine! I'm talking about power reinforcing capacitors. Some people call them “stiffening caps”. Regardless, they do have their place in a system if used properly.

Charging capacitors properly is important so let's take a second to talk about the proper sequence. With the amplifier not hooked up to power and ground, first connect power from the capacitor to the amplifier. Second, connect the ground from the chassis or battery to the amplifier. Third, connect the ground from the amplifier to the capacitor. Fourth, place the charging bulb between the positive from the battery and the capacitor. When the capacitor is fully charged, the bulb will go out. At this point remove the bulb and attach the positive from the battery to the capacitor. There are right and wrong ways to make these connections. Please see schematics at the end of this article.

Caps do not make a system louder and is not a substitute for an auxiliary battery. Larger systems can put a power demand on the vehicle that the vehicle is not able to yield sufficiently. You will know if this is your problem because your lights will dim and the sound will become distorted due to amplifier clipping. SO, how much auxiliary capacitance do you need? The rule of thumb is to have a minimum of 1 Farad per 1000 watts, however, the more the better. Large capacitors can resolve this problem to an extent. The questions is, when to add a 2 nd battery and when to add a cap. A battery can cost considerably less, but the problem is that the battery needs to charged properly. Vehicle manufacturers do not give you a bigger alternator than you need. So adding another battery can put a heavy load on the alternator which can cause it to fail prematurely. Adding a high output alternator will resolve this problem, but can be expensive. Caps were introduced to market as a less expensive alternative, but are not as effective. Regardless, large caps can make a noticeable improvement in midbass and mid-high transient response. If your system requires slightly more power than the vehicle can produce or if you are just hearing a bit too much distortion due to amplifier clipping from a lack of sufficient power, than a cap(s) are the hot ticket. If you're building an SPL system, then caps are not a good substitute for batteries.

Click to read more...

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

You should of just left it sitting in your room

 

[Below20hzonly 10+ year member]

grab shotgun, grab cap, shoot cap with shotgun, problem solved while some fun had

 

[nismos14 5,000+ posts]

Use it to charge a door handle when someone is about to open the door.

 

[TheUnderFighter 10+ year member]

I'm having trouble understanding why you want to install this capacitor? Also, you should do a bit more reading and figure out that not only everything you knew about installing capacitors has been contradicted, but everything you think that capacitors do for your system has been contradicted. They don't help. Here's a friendly article explaining why: :: NANOPULSER.COM.SG ::

 

[_S7V7N_ 10+ year member]

Good info on that thread. I liked the uses for the cap :

SO, WHAT IS A CAPACITOR GOOD FOR?

Audio Jewellery- impress chicks with large cylindrical shiny thingy

Extra weight during winter time

A very POOR... BUT expensive distribution block

A projectile in the event of a crash LOL.

Rolling pin--for cooking purposes

A neat thing to tell your friend, "..Hey man, lick the top of this.."

 

[J31Rob 5,000+ posts]

At least you're not debating it's usefulness like most no0bs would. Good job. Now scrap it & get an extra battery. It will pay dividends.

 

[_S7V7N_ 10+ year member]

Imma craigslist it. Install it of course so i can act like it's actually doing something and use the cash to grab a Kinetic !

Thanks for the Info.

 

[nismos14 5,000+ posts]

You'll get more of it's unused.

 

[kramer_212 10+ year member]

capacitors have there place.