What exactly dose a capacitor do and whats it's purpose?

[grillman6000 10+ year member]

Hello! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/cool.gif.3bcaf8f141236c00f8044d07150e34f7.gif

I was just wondering...what dose a capacitor do? dose a capacitor benefit your audio system? are they more for show or do they actually do something and make a difference?

please don't flame...I'm sure this question has been asked before. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

THANKS!

-GrillZ

Click to read more...

 

[j3bus2k3 5,000+ posts]

This exact thread was made a day or two ago...search....

 

[Thieroff 10+ year member]

Search for it bro, this has been talked about over and over again

also

bcae1.com is your friend

CT

 

[PV Audio 5,000+ posts]

In the spirit of n00bs, here's a quick synopsis. A capacitor does one thing, and one thing alone: stores charge. That's it, and anyone who tells you otherwise is a complete idiot. Now you're thinking, that's what a battery does, right? Well yes, but the battery is what is going to be sending the charge into the capacitor which stores it between metal plates. When an external source demands that power, the charge is then pulled out of the capacitor instead of directly from the battery. The main reason why they're used in car audio is for the above reason. However, instead of the amp pulling from the car's electrical system, the elec system is sending charge into the capacitor so that when your music hits, there's charge waiting. The problem is that if it's always pulling the charge from the cap, then that means that the car is always sending charge into the cap thus making the capacitor next to useless.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[azbass 5,000+ posts]

In the spirit of n00bs, here's a quick synopsis. A capacitor does one thing, and one thing alone: stores charge. That's it, and anyone who tells you otherwise is a complete idiot. Now you're thinking, that's what a battery does, right? Well yes, but the battery is what is going to be sending the charge into the capacitor which stores it between metal plates. When an external source demands that power, the charge is then pulled out of the capacitor instead of directly from the battery. The main reason why they're used in car audio is for the above reason. However, instead of the amp pulling from the car's electrical system, the elec system is sending charge into the capacitor so that when your music hits, there's charge waiting. The problem is that if it's always pulling the charge from the cap, then that means that the car is always sending charge into the cap thus making the capacitor next to useless.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[PV Audio 5,000+ posts]

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

 

[BassAce 10+ year member]

In the spirit of n00bs, here's a quick synopsis. A capacitor does one thing, and one thing alone: stores charge. That's it, and anyone who tells you otherwise is a complete idiot. Now you're thinking, that's what a battery does, right? Well yes, but the battery is what is going to be sending the charge into the capacitor which stores it between metal plates. When an external source demands that power, the charge is then pulled out of the capacitor instead of directly from the battery. The main reason why they're used in car audio is for the above reason. However, instead of the amp pulling from the car's electrical system, the elec system is sending charge into the capacitor so that when your music hits, there's charge waiting. The problem is that if it's always pulling the charge from the cap, then that means that the car is always sending charge into the cap thus making the capacitor next to useless.
Correct me if I'm wrong.

Thank you azbass for the explanation. Well I'm not sure if it's next to useless, just ask blue.

 

[azbass 5,000+ posts]

oh no prob. i do what i can....

 

[grillman6000 10+ year member]

thank you guys...i know what it is and what it dose now...

so if i have a "strong" enough electrical i shouldn't need one...but if i stay stock or close to it i should get one...

because i'm going to upgrade my alt..do a big 3 upgrade...and run dual batteries...so should i get one?

 

[BASSMEKANIK 10+ year member]

In the spirit of n00bs, here's a quick synopsis. A capacitor does one thing, and one thing alone: stores charge. That's it, and anyone who tells you otherwise is a complete idiot. Now you're thinking, that's what a battery does, right? Well yes, but the battery is what is going to be sending the charge into the capacitor which stores it between metal plates. When an external source demands that power, the charge is then pulled out of the capacitor instead of directly from the battery. The main reason why they're used in car audio is for the above reason. However, instead of the amp pulling from the car's electrical system, the elec system is sending charge into the capacitor so that when your music hits, there's charge waiting. The problem is that if it's always pulling the charge from the cap, then that means that the car is always sending charge into the cap thus making the capacitor next to useless.
Correct me if I'm wrong.

i removed my cap and went up a db.... yep, pretty useless...

 

[azbass 5,000+ posts]

no you did not

 

[PV Audio 5,000+ posts]

i removed my cap and went up a db.... yep, pretty useless...

That did not happen, and if it did happen, then I'd need to see it to believe it. That isn't plausible considering the capacitor doesn't affect the amount of power that the amplifier generates, which is the only thing that could increase or decrease your sound output in this situation. Either that, or your capacitor was gobbling up amps like candy and not feeding the amp, but even that isn't plausible.

 

[azimuth 5,000+ posts]

That did not happen, and if it did happen, then I'd need to see it to believe it. That isn't plausible considering the capacitor doesn't affect the amount of power that the amplifier generates, which is the only thing that could increase or decrease your sound output in this situation. Either that, or your capacitor was gobbling up amps like candy and not feeding the amp, but even that isn't plausible.

he had to be kidding. you wouldn't be able to hear 1 db anyway.

 

[BASSMEKANIK 10+ year member]

its happened in many cases... ask jntar, he seen it happen

i pulled it out after my first run and second run was louder without the cap. everything the same except just removed the cap. i put it back in to make sure and i went down a db and pulled it back out and went back up... so no im not kidding

 

[AJ²06 5,000+ posts]

The only way that could be true is if the cap was reducing the power that got to the amp?? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif I dunnoooooo