Battery Drain....with BatCap...have ?????
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,291
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From: Shavertown PA
Battery Drain....with BatCap...have ?????
1999 C5--Just put the system in but have a question about the setup.
OK I have an Optima Yellow Top, Xstatic 300amp Bat Cap, running 0 gauge ground wire, 4 gauge power wire, 8 gauge remote lead.
All this powers only two amps....a 2 x 165 rms pioneer for a pair of three ways in the doors....and a 300 x 1 (900 peak) JVC sub amp pushing a 12 inch JL sub in a stealth box. I know it's overkill but I don't want any lights dimming. etc.
Since the BatCap is 300 amps, if I drain the BatCap just through using the system...and then shut off the car but don't use it for a week or two...will the draw on the battery of the BatCap to recharge itslef while the car is off deplete the Optima to the point where it won't start the car?
THX!
MM
OK I have an Optima Yellow Top, Xstatic 300amp Bat Cap, running 0 gauge ground wire, 4 gauge power wire, 8 gauge remote lead.
All this powers only two amps....a 2 x 165 rms pioneer for a pair of three ways in the doors....and a 300 x 1 (900 peak) JVC sub amp pushing a 12 inch JL sub in a stealth box. I know it's overkill but I don't want any lights dimming. etc.
Since the BatCap is 300 amps, if I drain the BatCap just through using the system...and then shut off the car but don't use it for a week or two...will the draw on the battery of the BatCap to recharge itslef while the car is off deplete the Optima to the point where it won't start the car?
THX!
MM
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,291
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From: Shavertown PA
BatCap is like a farad capacitor to keep full power to the system in times of peak draw. It's just a serious one that's equal to 100 1.0 Farad Caps.
Looks like a 6 volt battery in size.
Here's a link....
http://www.batcap.net/
Looks like a 6 volt battery in size.
Here's a link....
http://www.batcap.net/
Last edited by TANGLVR; Dec 30, 2004 at 08:36 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2004
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From: Fort Knox
Originally Posted by HeavenIsABlownC5
OK I have an Optima Yellow Top, Xstatic 300amp Bat Cap, running 0 gauge ground wire, 4 gauge power wire, 8 gauge remote lead.
Originally Posted by HeavenIsABlownC5
Since the BatCap is 300 amps, if I drain the BatCap just through using the system...and then shut off the car but don't use it for a week or two...will the draw on the battery of the BatCap to recharge itslef while the car is off deplete the Optima to the point where it won't start the car?
snoopdan
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,291
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From: Shavertown PA
This is good information, thank you...
Originally Posted by snoopdan
Um, I had a question for you, why the 8 gauge remote lead,
Actually only because it's all I had at the time. Rather than buy other wire I thought I'd just use that up.
and what +12 turn on circuit are you getting it from?
I'm running it to the old remote lead from the Bose Harness. I switched to a different head unit.
30 amps (I think, it may be 20) is the maximum switched voltage out of the fusebox, which, in turn is switched from its own low amperage triggered relay, and most every amplifier power on relay/FET switching is around 12v at .5 amp, I dont understand the point....but hey man, seriously, im all for whatever makes you happy.
Overkill, but not actually on purpose....like I mentioned above, it's just what I had.
Well, to me, that device looks suspeciously like a gel-cell battery with a built in capacitor - which is what they are somewhat promoting, I think. If you have it wired in parallel, your optima will treat the "batcap" as just another load on it, until the batcap reaches its saturation level, whatever that may be. I would think that a battery isolator would be nice to seperate the energy sources, and probably would give your alternator a break too.
I will definitely look into that. Any advice or direction on brands or shops you have experience with?
But these assumptions are based on what I read about the product, and my lack of knowledge of the product. Quite honestly, ive not seen anyone else use one, or speak of them, and I fequent several car / home audio forums. But if this is workn out for you , hey , GREAT......you didnt ask for an opinion anyway...and opinions are like....well...you know...everyones got one, and lately, ive been trying not to give mine when not asked. Those little toys are expensive, from what their website states....if it works out for you - hey, great.
I'm new to this audio thing and got my BatCap for 140. In doing research I found good 1.0 Farad Caps for $100 and figured for another $40 why not get something I could never outgrow.
Actually only because it's all I had at the time. Rather than buy other wire I thought I'd just use that up.
and what +12 turn on circuit are you getting it from?
I'm running it to the old remote lead from the Bose Harness. I switched to a different head unit.
30 amps (I think, it may be 20) is the maximum switched voltage out of the fusebox, which, in turn is switched from its own low amperage triggered relay, and most every amplifier power on relay/FET switching is around 12v at .5 amp, I dont understand the point....but hey man, seriously, im all for whatever makes you happy.
Overkill, but not actually on purpose....like I mentioned above, it's just what I had.
Well, to me, that device looks suspeciously like a gel-cell battery with a built in capacitor - which is what they are somewhat promoting, I think. If you have it wired in parallel, your optima will treat the "batcap" as just another load on it, until the batcap reaches its saturation level, whatever that may be. I would think that a battery isolator would be nice to seperate the energy sources, and probably would give your alternator a break too.
I will definitely look into that. Any advice or direction on brands or shops you have experience with?
But these assumptions are based on what I read about the product, and my lack of knowledge of the product. Quite honestly, ive not seen anyone else use one, or speak of them, and I fequent several car / home audio forums. But if this is workn out for you , hey , GREAT......you didnt ask for an opinion anyway...and opinions are like....well...you know...everyones got one, and lately, ive been trying not to give mine when not asked. Those little toys are expensive, from what their website states....if it works out for you - hey, great.
I'm new to this audio thing and got my BatCap for 140. In doing research I found good 1.0 Farad Caps for $100 and figured for another $40 why not get something I could never outgrow.
Race Director
Joined: May 2003
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From: Iowa
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
hmmmmmm
The two amps you have you will be fine with without the battcap. It fact, I really doubt if you would get one extra db out of the system with the battcap.
8-guage wire for antenna turn-on, too funny. Do you have a 350 hp lawn mower too
The two amps you have you will be fine with without the battcap. It fact, I really doubt if you would get one extra db out of the system with the battcap.
8-guage wire for antenna turn-on, too funny. Do you have a 350 hp lawn mower too
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,961
Likes: 2
From: Fort Knox
Ok, let me try to answer you questions. Allthough it would of been nicer if I could of quoted your message, but the html is all funked up. Anyways, here it goes :
Q. will definitely look into that. Any advice or direction on brands or shops you have experience with?
A. There are a ton of battery isolators, supplied with instructions out there. Its pretty straight forward. Walmart carrys them, Napa, O'riley, to name a few. Its a common marine application, so perhaps a local boat store might have one too. But as far as audio shops, I no longer ever take my car to an audio shop. I find that alot of mom and pop shops cut corners, put in questionable wiring, and do all sorts of sneaky stuff. Not all of them are bad, but its hard no to get screwed if they see a "newbie" comming. I dont know how many times ive gone into a stereo shop and played dumb, and they gave me all this crap that they would have to do this and that to make stuff work in my application of whatever I wanted to do. I always end up doing the work myself, becuase, well, if I screw up, I have no one to blame but myself. If an audio shop screws up, its close to impossible to get them to own up to it. And, well....it wouldnt be a bad learning experience to do it yourself anways. If you've gone thru all the trouble to overdesign your current power supply setup on your car, your more then half way there in installation anyways. Go for it...you can do it man
" I'm new to this audio thing and got my BatCap for 140. In doing research I found good 1.0 Farad Caps for $100 and figured for another $40 why not get something I could never outgrow. "
Thats great that your a noobie, it seems tho that you are in the right direction in general. But from reading the MSRP prices of the "batcap"s, it looks like ya got a deal anyways. Ya got a neat little toy there without much investment.
good luck
snoopdan
Q. will definitely look into that. Any advice or direction on brands or shops you have experience with?
A. There are a ton of battery isolators, supplied with instructions out there. Its pretty straight forward. Walmart carrys them, Napa, O'riley, to name a few. Its a common marine application, so perhaps a local boat store might have one too. But as far as audio shops, I no longer ever take my car to an audio shop. I find that alot of mom and pop shops cut corners, put in questionable wiring, and do all sorts of sneaky stuff. Not all of them are bad, but its hard no to get screwed if they see a "newbie" comming. I dont know how many times ive gone into a stereo shop and played dumb, and they gave me all this crap that they would have to do this and that to make stuff work in my application of whatever I wanted to do. I always end up doing the work myself, becuase, well, if I screw up, I have no one to blame but myself. If an audio shop screws up, its close to impossible to get them to own up to it. And, well....it wouldnt be a bad learning experience to do it yourself anways. If you've gone thru all the trouble to overdesign your current power supply setup on your car, your more then half way there in installation anyways. Go for it...you can do it man
" I'm new to this audio thing and got my BatCap for 140. In doing research I found good 1.0 Farad Caps for $100 and figured for another $40 why not get something I could never outgrow. "
Thats great that your a noobie, it seems tho that you are in the right direction in general. But from reading the MSRP prices of the "batcap"s, it looks like ya got a deal anyways. Ya got a neat little toy there without much investment.
good luck
snoopdan
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,291
Likes: 0
From: Shavertown PA
Cool, thanks for the direction. I was doing some online reasearch and it doesn't seem too bad. Basically it looks like I'm using the isolator to distrubute the alternator's charging properites to two batteries instead of just downstream to one battery and having that feed the other.
and...ehhhem...my mower is 400 hp thank you very much
Happy New Year!!!
DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID!!!!
and...ehhhem...my mower is 400 hp thank you very much
Happy New Year!!!
DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID!!!!
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