Is it *actually* time for a cap?

[DBDRAGGUY 10+ year member]

If you need more voltage add batteries, a cap will do you no good because you are already draining a dry cell battery. Large capacitors were marketed as a alternative to adding extra batteries and were all the rage when the biggest amplifier you could buy was a 1000 watts. With the larger systems of today caps will do little to nothing.

Think of your charging system like a air compressor, your alternator is the motor, and your battery is your tank. Upgrading your alternator is like switching your 2 hp compressor motor to a 5 hp compressor motor, you will fill your original 20 gallon tank faster but you are not gaining any overall capacity. Now if you use your new 5 hp motor on a 50 gallon tank you have increased capacity and the abilty to keep it filled.

A bigger alternator will only increase the ammount of batteries you can maintain.

Add another Kinetik or 2 and be done with it. If your really interested in keeping your system fed find out how much current it is consuming at your regular listening level and adjust your battery bank and alternator output accordingly.

 

[jrwalte 10+ year member]

The second battery makes sense to me now. Thanks for all the help.

Now, how much more battery is needed? Do you think an HC1800 would cut it?

 

[jrwalte 10+ year member]

Put a cap on your headlights.

I didn't think about that. Does anyone else think maybe a .5 farad cap may prevent the lights from dimming? Or is it just more trouble than it's worth having to splice into the headlight electrical? I definitely have enough room in my engine compartment to fit one.

Only advantage I see is cost. I have a friend with a .5f Rockford who'd probably sell it for $20 or less compared to ~260 for a battery in the trunk.

But I see the possibility that the amp will still drain the cap under the hood and the lights will still dim. Would it be possible to isolate the cap from the amp?

 

[yunvme666 10+ year member]

lol...

 

[jrwalte 10+ year member]

yeah I looked into that. I'm not going with a cap between the headlights //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[sonic purity 10+ year member]

the cap on the headlights thing was a joke.

 

[jbizzle 5,000+ posts]

I have a Nitro 2.2 farad cap if you want for $25 + ship

Only about 1 month old, now meet its new home, the garage.

 

[Jando86 10+ year member]

I think that the 'isoator' you were talking about is a high current relay.

look up "stinger SR200." exactly what you described. (unless relay and isolator are the same thing, then ignore me)

 

[bigbangtheory 5,000+ posts]

the cap on the headlights thing was a joke.

You have to be careful with information you give on the net. Some people might actually take your joke as serious business and viola, you have some guy doing what you said. It is funny, but guy was asking for honest help.

You do not need a cap, just another battery and should be fine. I know it is pricey, but if that nano second bothers you that much, then you pay to play, ya know.

 

[rain377 10+ year member]

i had the same problem with dimming headlights. if you upgrade the HID light it will solve your problem. they have their own balast so even if you get a 2-3v drop the headlights wont be affected.

 

[Fusion_FREAK 10+ year member]

I just upgraded to HID head lights, and now they don't dim at all, but I was dimming a little before. I'm also going to do my Big 3 in 0/1 wire today, so it will be even stronger. I even changed alot of the wires in the engine bay to a bigger gauge.

 

[dragon.breath 10+ year member]

believe it or not i have had a cap help me! i bought off of craigslist for $30 because i wanted a volt meter in my trunk and bam no more dimming. i didn't have alot before but i have none now.

 

[lilmaniac2 5,000+ posts]

believe it or not i have had a cap help me! i bought off of craigslist for $30 because i wanted a volt meter in my trunk and bam no more dimming. i didn't have alot before but i have none now.

because your an idiot.

There I said it.

Caps are a bandaid on a broken bone. Fix the real issue or you'll be screwed in the end.

 

[MyFartsStink 10+ year member]

Dont get cap, get batt.

 

[MyFartsStink 10+ year member]

The way I see it is the caps limit the power the amp should really have.