what capacitor to buy?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 5,572
Likes: 4
From: Los Angeles Ca
what capacitor to buy?
Hey guys...
I was driving home last night on the highway and noticed my headlights were dimming with every bass hit so it looks like i'll be needing a capacitor. I have a pheonix gold titanium amp pushing the front cdt components with 75 watts rms and the rear channels are bridged pushing a 2 ohm image dynamics sub.
Any suggestions on a cap? and how many farrads would i need?
anyone selling one? :thmubs:
I was driving home last night on the highway and noticed my headlights were dimming with every bass hit so it looks like i'll be needing a capacitor. I have a pheonix gold titanium amp pushing the front cdt components with 75 watts rms and the rear channels are bridged pushing a 2 ohm image dynamics sub.
Any suggestions on a cap? and how many farrads would i need?
anyone selling one? :thmubs:
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,961
Likes: 2
From: Fort Knox
I think there are some significant arguments that external caps are worthless. Shouldnt your amp be effecient enough with its own capacitors? Sorry, im not sold at all on caps at all..... I guess its ok if you have the space.
snoopdan
snoopdan
Race Director
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 14,137
Likes: 2,984
From: Iowa
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
I think PG also makes CAPS, up to 15 farad that might match your amp.
There are differences in CAPS, internal resistance etc. that affect their preformance. You need at a minumum of one farad, but going well above that can be benifical. I run 15 farad caps in my Vette and award winning Screaming Eagle.
There are differences in CAPS, internal resistance etc. that affect their preformance. You need at a minumum of one farad, but going well above that can be benifical. I run 15 farad caps in my Vette and award winning Screaming Eagle.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,306
Likes: 2
From: Wesley Chapel Fl
Originally Posted by snoopdan
I think there are some significant arguments that external caps are worthless. Shouldnt your amp be effecient enough with its own capacitors? Sorry, im not sold at all on caps at all..... I guess its ok if you have the space.
snoopdan
snoopdan
Scott...I have installed countless caps from almost every manufacture. Not one of them has ever had a negative effect on a system.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,961
Likes: 2
From: Fort Knox
I guess i'll throw capacitors and K&N air filters in the same catagory. I guess if you skimp on a quality amp, dont whine because you have to buy a cap. But whatever...some people think they need to run 12 guage cable to their componants too.
Maybe we should let this thread die, for fear of 100 morons with caps all justifying thmeselves in a pointless thread.
snoopdan
Maybe we should let this thread die, for fear of 100 morons with caps all justifying thmeselves in a pointless thread.
snoopdan
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 5,572
Likes: 4
From: Los Angeles Ca
Originally Posted by snoopdan
I guess i'll throw capacitors and K&N air filters in the same catagory. I guess if you skimp on a quality amp, dont whine because you have to buy a cap. But whatever...some people think they need to run 12 guage cable to their componants too.
Maybe we should let this thread die, for fear of 100 morons with caps all justifying thmeselves in a pointless thread.
snoopdan
Maybe we should let this thread die, for fear of 100 morons with caps all justifying thmeselves in a pointless thread.
snoopdan
thanks eatrice and knewblewkorvette for the info. I think i will stick with just single farad cap
Last edited by scott_fx; Mar 23, 2005 at 01:32 PM.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,306
Likes: 2
From: Wesley Chapel Fl
Originally Posted by snoopdan
Maybe we should let this thread die, for fear of 100 morons with caps all justifying thmeselves in a pointless thread.
snoopdan
I see you making alot of bazen remarks on this forum and often I am amused that you will cross the line. I often do not agree with what you are saying but that is more from personal opion then actual facts. I will not however stand for myself and Jay being called morons. That is not acceptable.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,961
Likes: 2
From: Fort Knox
Geez you guys take me too seriously. I wasnt talkn about you all, im suggesting that on a thread like this, you'll have people comming out of the woodwork who never post in this section, with their only justification for it is owning a capacitor. Its like when someone starts a thread about "I use mobil 1" and 45 post later, the're fighing over weather amsoil or mobil one is better oil.
Give yourselves a break - I didn't call any of you a moron. Dont worry, when I think you're a moron, it will be clearly stated. Maybe I came off wrong, I do that sometimes...
But thanks anyway for telling me how you really feel about me, I guess I wont be getting a christmas card this year.
snoopdan
Give yourselves a break - I didn't call any of you a moron. Dont worry, when I think you're a moron, it will be clearly stated. Maybe I came off wrong, I do that sometimes...
But thanks anyway for telling me how you really feel about me, I guess I wont be getting a christmas card this year.snoopdan
Last edited by snoopdan; Mar 23, 2005 at 06:16 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 6,059
Likes: 2
From: Texas
caps are like band aides, they mask the actual problem...your alternator is not supplying enough juice for your system...your money would be better spent on a better battery, upgrading your wires (most dimming issues can be solved by upgrading your grounds), or getting a HO alternator
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 5,572
Likes: 4
From: Los Angeles Ca
thats a good point. how does the ground affect the dimming problem? i assume it allows more juice to get to the battery?
i find it hard to believe that my alternator isnt powerful enough to push this one amp (i guess we'll find out) but i think you have a valid argument about the ground and the battery. maybe i should try that first. the ground would be the cheapest thing to do so i'll do that first.
thanks for the reply
i find it hard to believe that my alternator isnt powerful enough to push this one amp (i guess we'll find out) but i think you have a valid argument about the ground and the battery. maybe i should try that first. the ground would be the cheapest thing to do so i'll do that first.
thanks for the reply
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,961
Likes: 2
From: Fort Knox
Originally Posted by scott_fx
thats a good point. how does the ground affect the dimming problem? i assume it allows more juice to get to the battery?
i find it hard to believe that my alternator isnt powerful enough to push this one amp (i guess we'll find out) but i think you have a valid argument about the ground and the battery. maybe i should try that first. the ground would be the cheapest thing to do so i'll do that first.
thanks for the reply
i find it hard to believe that my alternator isnt powerful enough to push this one amp (i guess we'll find out) but i think you have a valid argument about the ground and the battery. maybe i should try that first. the ground would be the cheapest thing to do so i'll do that first.
thanks for the reply
someone on the audio forums is doing a group buy on irragi alternators. maybe that could be a route. And scott, I wasnt talkn crap to you, i didnt mean for you or anyone else to take it that way.
snoopdan
Race Director
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 14,137
Likes: 2,984
From: Iowa
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
Originally Posted by scott_fx
thats a good point. how does the ground affect the dimming problem? i assume it allows more juice to get to the battery?
i find it hard to believe that my alternator isnt powerful enough to push this one amp (i guess we'll find out) but i think you have a valid argument about the ground and the battery. maybe i should try that first. the ground would be the cheapest thing to do so i'll do that first.
thanks for the reply
i find it hard to believe that my alternator isnt powerful enough to push this one amp (i guess we'll find out) but i think you have a valid argument about the ground and the battery. maybe i should try that first. the ground would be the cheapest thing to do so i'll do that first.
thanks for the reply
There is this formula... voltage= current X resistence. Skinny wire offers more resistence than larger wire (same as a small/ vs. large pipe with water). Also a bad connection increases resistence, either with power and/or ground. Now if resistance goes up, current stays the same, guess what....voltage goes down...headlights dim.
Over time, a connection can come loose or more often than that, corrosion will develope between the ground connector and the chassis.
If the headlight dimming gets worse in high humidty conditions (rain, etc.) that is a taletell sign that it is a bad connection. A C5 altenator can easily power one amp, I'm doing 3 amps with close to 2000 watts rms, no headlight dimming. But then again, I'm using one of those 15 farad bandaids :o
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 5,572
Likes: 4
From: Los Angeles Ca
Originally Posted by snoopdan
someone on the audio forums is doing a group buy on irragi alternators. maybe that could be a route. And scott, I wasnt talkn crap to you, i didnt mean for you or anyone else to take it that way.
snoopdan
snoopdan
heh...pansy
Your reply didnt bother me, i'm used to you by now
knewblew...awesome post. I'll be upgrading my grounds soon.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 12,458
Likes: 27
Originally Posted by knewblewkorvette
This is how wiring and a bad ground affects the dimming of headlights.
There is this formula... voltage= current X resistence. Skinny wire offers more resistence than larger wire (same as a small/ vs. large pipe with water). Also a bad connection increases resistence, either with power and/or ground. Now if resistance goes up, current stays the same, guess what....voltage goes down...headlights dim.
Over time, a connection can come loose or more often than that, corrosion will develope between the ground connector and the chassis.
If the headlight dimming gets worse in high humidty conditions (rain, etc.) that is a taletell sign that it is a bad connection. A C5 altenator can easily power one amp, I'm doing 3 amps with close to 2000 watts rms, no headlight dimming. But then again, I'm using one of those 15 farad bandaids :o
There is this formula... voltage= current X resistence. Skinny wire offers more resistence than larger wire (same as a small/ vs. large pipe with water). Also a bad connection increases resistence, either with power and/or ground. Now if resistance goes up, current stays the same, guess what....voltage goes down...headlights dim.
Over time, a connection can come loose or more often than that, corrosion will develope between the ground connector and the chassis.
If the headlight dimming gets worse in high humidty conditions (rain, etc.) that is a taletell sign that it is a bad connection. A C5 altenator can easily power one amp, I'm doing 3 amps with close to 2000 watts rms, no headlight dimming. But then again, I'm using one of those 15 farad bandaids :o
May I also add that you should solder all of your wire connections with silver solder and use shrink tubing.
Just about all factory alternators do not produce their claimed peak output until the engine is running at least 3500 rpm or more. I had my alternator tested and it wasn't at full output until 4500 rpm. The factory alternators are designed to handle (at idle) all the goodies the car was built with. Not extra bling. This means that when you are cruising in town at lower rpms or at idle, you are probably not getting enough power for your bigger aftermarket amp system. This is why you need a cap and the bigger the better, if you have room.
BTW, a great battery (I use a Yellowtop) is only good for a little extra listening time while you're parked and gettin some.
Last edited by 65 Hardnoks; Mar 24, 2005 at 10:00 PM.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 5,572
Likes: 4
From: Los Angeles Ca
this is really great, the knowledge bank in this community is priceless.
One more question... just to be clear: I should upgrade the factory wires (alt & bat) the amp wire shoudn't have an effect on the dimming though, right?
One more question... just to be clear: I should upgrade the factory wires (alt & bat) the amp wire shoudn't have an effect on the dimming though, right?