Do you think caps are necessary for me? I am going to run 2 amps, one is a 2 channel 250wX2 RMS (powers to 10's)and the other is a 4 channel 150wX4 RMS (powers 2 6.5's andf 2 6x9's).

 

caps aren't neccessary for anyone, unless they are looking to add "bling bling" to their system.


But you're not running that much power, so I doubt you'll need an electrical system upgrade.




[Modified by Kale, 3:19 PM 12/23/2003]

 

i bought them thinking that they might be necessary, could they hurt anything?

 

They wont have a negative effect on anything but your wallet.

 

I was wondering the same thing. Whenever I turn my system up really loud, my headlights blink a little.

 

i'm running around 1K watts and have no upgraded big3, or big alt or batt or anything, and I don't get any dimming...

there's no way you'll need a cap, I'd get my money back and use it elsewhere.

 

Hmmm...well, I had upgraded the big 3, and with 750 watts rms, a 1 farad cap helped keep my headlights from looking like a freaking Christmas tree having a seizure. :yesnod: :lol:

 

Installed correctly, caps help with peak demands. Esp in unregulated amps.
It is not just "bling", in fact you can't even see the caps in my systems and I have the sweet looking G.A.P 15 farad in two of them. They are there to help the power supply.
EVERY comp system I've seen has one or more caps :smash:

 

I have been reading on forums like this one about how caps are bad, they are propoganda spread by the evil empires in the car audio world. A few people that have posted in this thread have knowledge in this realm and I would like to hear why they think caps are not needed. But mostly I would like to see some articles written by the ones that know in the 12v industry. Maybe someone like Dave Navone, Wayne Harris, or Richard Clark. I have been using caps for many many moons and never had a problem. But I would like to find out if there is something that I am missing.

 

They aren't "bad" per se. They are just "treating the symptom" not the illness.

a "correct" power upgrade involvles the big 3 wires, battery, and alternator.

 

Oh I do agree Kale....it is simular to putting a blown 350 on a Chevette tranny. There is a simple saying "it takes power to make power".

 

:iagree:
I did two of the three, 0-guage wire and yellow top Optima. Aftermarket alts are too much $. Ohio Generator makes one for the C5 and it is $900 :eek: :crazy:



I will be using a 50 farad cap in my red TalonTsiAWD's system redo. Charged, that 50 farad will start the car without a battery. The Talon has a wimpie 75 amp alt, I already fried one :( I will also upgrade from 4-guage to 0-guage on the Talon.

 

It doesn't hurt to put it on dude. It actually help your battery and alternator during the heavy load (I get crazy sometime listen to my music really loud). Install it!

 

It also depends on what the "illness" is.

All power supplies inside amplifiers already have capacitors in them to keep the input voltage constant when the current swings. If the "illness" in a particular system happens to be a sagging input voltage due to insufficient bypass capacitance in the power supply, then the most likely effect would be a clipped signal at the amplifier's output; in this case an external capacitor would be warranted.

Dimming headlights are an indication of an undervoltage condition within the vehicle's complete electrical system. That does not necessarily translate to an undervoltage condition at the amplifier's power supply input if it is "strictly regulated" internally. That is why most amplifiers have an input voltage range, not specifically 12V. If the input voltage to the amp is maintained within that range (typically 11.X to 14.X volts), theoretically it is not necessary to add a capacitor to prevent signal clipping.

In my opinion, most high-end amplifiers (any that would make you consider purchasing a capacitor) probably are already engineered with sufficient capacitance at the power supply. I would guess that in more cases than not, capacitors are installed to correct "dimming headlights", not a clipped amplifier signal for which they are designed/marketed.

 

:iagree: :yesnod:

 

Hell, you could drive the car around for 20 minutes, probably. Where did you find a 50 Farad cap?

 

There is a couple of manufacturers out there that make huge caps. My installer happens to have a 50 and a 100 Farad caps in his shop right now. They are not small by any means, or CHEAP :eek:
GAP probably makes the best 50 Farad

 

thanks everyone, i decided that i am going to install them. By th eway what is the going rate for the optima yellow top? Have you ever heard of an orbital battery and if so what do you think of it?