Capacitor

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Jul 23, 2003 | 03:47 PM

beartracks

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Joined: Nov 2000

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From: Albuquerque

Capacitor

What are your thoughts on using large capacitors 1/2 (farad) to improve the bass response? Such as available from Crutchfield.

Jul 23, 2003 | 04:35 PM

Bob Ayers

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Joined: Jan 2003

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From: Durham, NC

Capacitor

If you use the proper size power wiring to your amp, and you
have a high quality amp, external capacitors should not be needed.

Jul 23, 2003 | 08:09 PM

tripndrag

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Capacitor

They help quite a bit. If you are running a couple hundred watts and have 10" subs or bigger you will notice. Be sure the cap is matched to the RMS power of your amp. The cap is like another power source that can release its energy quickly to your amp. Your subs will hit hard every time and not fade and distort. You won't really see any change in normal volume listening. Use caution when you connect them if you buy them. I saw a very small cap connected wrong in a class I was attending and when it went off I couldn't believe it. One of those big caps could blow a hole in your vehicle. Of course I am sure they may have protection against that now days. I have even seen a few of the new ones with digital screens.

Jul 23, 2003 | 09:35 PM

Tempe

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Joined: Dec 2002

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From: Good ole U S of A

Capacitor

Quote:

Originally posted by tripndrag
They help quite a bit. If you are running a couple hundred watts and have 10" subs or bigger you will notice. Be sure the cap is matched to the RMS power of your amp. The cap is like another power source that can release its energy quickly to your amp. Your subs will hit hard every time and not fade and distort.

My lights dim when I play my system at night. Why is this?
You don't have enough power coming from the alternator to supply everything that is running. Lights seem be the first thing everyone notices, but running low voltage can cause real damage to you vehicle.

I have added capacitors and a larger battery to stop my lights from dimming but it doesn't seem to help. Why?
Capacitors and batteries only store power. Alternators produce power.

http://www.h-o-alternators.com/fomulapage.htm

Capacitors do not add power.

Tempe

Jul 23, 2003 | 10:42 PM

tripndrag

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Capacitor

The only time you will see a difference is in the punchy bass. The long bass notes will still drain things. The bigger alternator like in the post above is the best way to go but if your truck is like mine and the stock wire harness will not allow the use of a bigger alternator, because of the small wire that it uses, the cap will help. The cap will store a charge and the amp will use it when it needs it. On punchy bass the cap has time to recharge, on the long bass notes it will discharge and start sucking from the battery and alternator. You are still going to drain things over all but the bass will sound better. I went with a battery isolater and added a second battery and connected my stereo to that. The isolator charges each battery as they need it. It works great.

Jul 23, 2003 | 11:16 PM

optikal illushun

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Joined: Mar 2002

Posts: 3,545

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From: Coal Region

Capacitor

capacitors are a band aid to cover up bigger problems and/or problems down the road. all the simply do is add an additional strain on the charging system be being another item to be charged. only reason u see a difference is the cap is being drained for the split second but it still needs to be charged. get a properly sized amp wiring kit and, if needed, bigger battery and/or alt and u'll be fine. the charging system in a car runs off the battery all the time and the alt simply keeps it charged, by adding a cap ur maskin the effect of the extra load the system adds and will cause failure down the road...

Jul 24, 2003 | 06:26 PM

serving_time

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Joined: Jul 2003

Posts: 318

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From: North of Toronto, Ontario

Capacitor

Some of the points mentioned above are valid, and some are good. The best thing that you can do is to get a bigger altinator, especially if your lights are dimming. Second, you need bigger wiring from the altinator to the batery to supply this power. You might have gone as big as 1/0 stranded cable to power your amp, and you have stock #10 AWG wire from your altinator to your bat? Think about it. Wire can't be to big. Bigger doesn't hurt anything. After this you need a bigger battery to store that extra power.

A cap is a benifical product and nothing will replace one. For those hard hitting bass notes, nothing will supply more power faster to your amp than a capacitor. These provide the power when needed. Yes they have to be charged, but it is easier on the altinator to charge a capacitor than it is to supply that amp when it really wants juice!

A cap is not a crutch. A cap does work. A cap does benefit the electrical system.

Just the oppinion of a licenced Electrician.