capacitor???

[kennycm]

I'm going to buy one tomorrow just to spend money. Anyone have a capacitor already? what does it do? is it hard to install? do they last long? please reply asap. Thanks :bow: :badass: :bow: :badass: :bow: :badass:

[shepherd79]

i don't have one, but i am sure it is easy to install, and it should last you forever.
what does it do? it provides constant power to the amp without draining your electical system. in the other words, if you have lights that dim when you hit bass, capacitor will fix that problem.

[POS carb]

it's a super-fast discharge "battery" (it stores energy and releases it super quick but therefore only for short periods of time like bass hits). Caps are used in cameras to store the charge for the flash. They are dangerous if handled carelessly so keep those terminals away from screwdrivers or body panels, also don't hook it up backwards :flash:

[toastyghost]

Hmmm I always thought they were relatively safe, like my physics teacher used to charge 3 Farad caps and bridge them to shoot sparks at us if we weren't paying attention during class... He was a crazy fuck though.

[smufguy]

yeah, talk about physics 227. SHit is messed up. I got an olympus ripped apart and the height of the camera is the height of the capacitor and it says on the cap "Do not touch". thats one of the problems with the caps. EVen after shutting off the power, they still carry a lot f voltage,

[Bobs89LXi]

You are half right Eric. A capacitor does store a charge, but is not a battery. Also, caps are in every single piece of electronic equipment made. Basically they are two pieces of foil, or "plates" with a wire/lead/terminal connected to them, and separated by a dialectric (insulating) material, usually paper. When a voltage is applied, electrons are drawn from one plate, while electrons build up on the other. When the voltage is removed, the state of each plate remains the same, ie: the one with more electrons has a negative charge while the one with less has a positive charge. The only way balance can be restored is for the same amount of electrons to be on both plates. This can be accomplished in two ways: One, the dialectric breaks down, allowing electrons to bridge it via a spark, or two, by completing the circuit between the two terminals. The caps used in car stereo applications are equipped with an internal bleed resistor, which allows the electrons to return to balance slowly, thus rendering them relatively safe. However, if the resistor is removed, it is extremely dangerous. Even though your car's electrical system is 12 volts, caps can store a charge into the thousands of volts, which at the very least, will kick you on your butt.

[86LX-ihatch]

Personally I believe caps are the biggest waste of money in car audio. For the same money you can bet a gel cell battery. Once a cap discharges it becomes a load on your electrical system. They are too expensive for what they do. Buy a optima battery instead.

[kennycm]

where would i get a gel cel bettery from and do they last long? What i really mean is, how often would i have to charge it? Does it connect to the alternator?

[kennycm]

anybody recommend it, please tell me why, I may get one because of my 900w amp.

[Bobs89LXi]

I tend to agree with an extra battery over a cap...........up to a point. If you have a large multi-amp system that is pumping out megawatts of power, a second battery and isolator, along with a heavy duty alternator are the best way to go. However, if you have a single amp in the 1000-1500 watt range, pushing a sub or two, a cap is fine. Once the cap is charged to full capacity, the overall drain on your electrical system is negligible. In the case of a 900 watt amp, an extra battery and isolator is overkill. A cap is fine for that application.

[toastyghost]

I assume we're talking 900 RMS, right? My system (when it's all done) will be 880 RMS. (That's 2x40 up front, 2x100 in the back, and 2x300 in the trunk) Will this be ok with a normal alt/batt + cap!? What is a good brand of capacitor and how many Farads should I get to make sure the 880w never hurts my electrical system?!

[87AccordsterLx]

hey Jim... just curious... if you have a 240w deck, a 400w amp, and a 100w amp... is it possible to run the cap in front of all of that?? or would you just need it to filter the amps??? I ran the amps powerwires as such: one 4 gauge wire from the batt. back and split it into 2 8 guage wires... I can always see my lights dim when I have her cranked up... My Alpine deck (60x4w) sure does do a good job of drawing the watts.. especially becasue of the 4v preouts... what do you think???

[POS carb]

Originally posted by Bobs89LXi
You are half right Eric. A capacitor does store a charge, but is not a battery.


I know, that's why it's in quotes, I was just trying to put it into perspective for someone who doesn't know them and battery came to mind first.
I thought about building one once out of sheets of foil and a toilet paper carton but I didn't want to die just yet :burn:

[87AccordsterLx]

LOL.... Im envisioning the latest revolution to car audio... Toilet Paper Dispenser/Power Cap... *START ADD* "You Can Even Spark Your Beats While Takin A Shit" this add was payed in full by Eric K. *END ADD* :toilet: