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+--- Thread: Caps...the On Going Discussion (/showthread.php?tid=5299)
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Caps...the On Going Discussion - ANTHONYD - 07-01-2007
Hey guys.
Are caps important to your system?
I currently have the following:
Clarion deck
600 Watt Clarion Amp
400 Watt Alpine Amp
12" JL sub is sealed ported box.
4 Boston Acoustic 5x9" door speakers.
And I experience some dimming of the head lights when I have the tunes up, A/C on and foglights all at the same time.
Would a cap prevent this (taking stress off my alternator?)
Next question:
How does one hook one of these bad boys up? Do they run on the power cable between the amp and battery? Are they tough to install? Is this someone can give me hand with at t he BBQ?
And finally:
How much does a decent cap run?
And is there a difference?
Or is a cap a cap is a cap? :lol:
Let me know!
-anthonyd.
Caps...the On Going Discussion - NOS2Go4Me - 07-02-2007
Anthony,
Caps are rated in Farads of capacity. They're definitely beneficial if you're experiencing significant dimming. I'll ask around my circle of competition-minded friends in NB to see what they're running for caps... at least 3-4 that I know of are that compete provincially.
As far as the hookup goes, I believe it goes directly inline with your main 12V+ feed from the battery and before your distribution block. If I have the chance to inspect a few before the BBQ I should have no problem installing yours for you then.
I'll keep you up-to-date.
Adam
EDIT - I started a thread in our local club Facebook group to see what they all say. :)
Caps...the On Going Discussion - tippmann - 07-02-2007
^^ your right .. the power wire goes from the battery to the cap, from the cap to the disturbution block. and when hooking up the cap you need to charge it up first, it should come with a resistor before connecting it directly to +12 volts. This is done with the a 1k ohm resistor and a voltmeter,
this is a website i use when im stuck with car audio
http://www.caraudiohelp.com
Caps...the On Going Discussion - NoiSeeVT - 07-02-2007
It actually gets wired up as close to the sub amp as possible after the distribution block, if not the the further from the sub amp the less effective due to loss of voltage along the line, a cap is not used primarily for stopping the dimming of lights, it is used to keep the voltage on the amp stable for the large bass notes on your sub amp. It keeps the lets say 14.4 volts to the amp for a millisecond burst so the output on your amp does not diminish, ie closers to max power.
David
Caps...the On Going Discussion - ANTHONYD - 07-02-2007
Ah.
My deck does flash overload (not danger to manifold :P ) oh big hits at times.
Especially through the iPod.
I would imagine a cap would help with that no???
Caps...the On Going Discussion - NoiSeeVT - 07-02-2007
Not neccesarily, if your deck is saying that it could mean its line level output voltage is peeking, when I had my premier deck it always ended up on fire at SPL comps because the 4 volt outputs heated up on the board in the deck then it started to smoke (never a problem with my sony, how odd :) ) Most caps are used when people notice a loss in volume overtime with the use of a large amp, like mine, the amp at peak draws 200 amps of current and drops the voltage quickly until the alternator has a chance to kick in, in large SPL application you ussually set the idle higher to have the alternator spinning, for daily use a cap may not create a lot of difference, many people say that upgrading the ground system in the car can effect the headlights just as much. If you are using the A/c and all your lights you will likey with the addition of a larger stereo be pushing th elimits of the stock alternator.
david
Caps...the On Going Discussion - NOS2Go4Me - 07-02-2007
He has a very good point... check FocusHacks.com for the Big 3 upgrade for grounds. That in itself may fix things for you too.
Plus, a lot of guys say the upgrade fixes a lot of little things wrong with the car electrically.
Caps...the On Going Discussion - danny - 07-02-2007
it dont really matter how far you put it from the amp your not goona loose and voltage. once the voltage on the cap goes down then it automatically starts to charge right up so you got nothing to worry about.
Caps...the On Going Discussion - scotiacustom - 07-02-2007
http://www.canadiancaraudio.com/
All the research ive done says caps are NOT the answer to dimming. Bigger alt is, or the big 3. Search the big 3 on that forum.
Caps...the On Going Discussion - ANTHONYD - 07-03-2007
I know Malby did the "big 3" a few years back. If I can remember correctly, it's not a difficult job to do is it?
Caps...the On Going Discussion - FocusGuy7476 - 07-03-2007
what gauge of wire are you running for power. i'm assuming 8 gauge.
Caps...the On Going Discussion - NOS2Go4Me - 07-03-2007
ANTHONYD,Jul 2 2007, 11:09 AM Wrote:I know Malby did the "big 3" a few years back. If I can remember correctly, it's not a difficult job to do is it?
[right][snapback]242862[/snapback][/right]
On a Zetec, no. No-one has done the Duratec writeup yet tho.
Caps...the On Going Discussion - FocusGuy7476 - 07-03-2007
NOS2Go4Me,Jul 2 2007, 04:29 PM Wrote:ANTHONYD,Jul 2 2007, 11:09 AM Wrote:I know Malby did the "big 3" a few years back. If I can remember correctly, it's not a difficult job to do is it?
[right][snapback]242862[/snapback][/right]
On a Zetec, no. No-one has done the Duratec writeup yet tho.
[right][snapback]242872[/snapback][/right]
you should get on it then Adam.
Caps...the On Going Discussion - ANTHONYD - 07-03-2007
FocusGuy7476,Jul 2 2007, 12:23 PM Wrote:what gauge of wire are you running for power. i'm assuming 8 gauge.
[right][snapback]242870[/snapback][/right]
Hmm not sure. It's pretty big.
I'll see if I can find out!
Caps...the On Going Discussion - Mason - 07-04-2007
Here is my understanding about having a cap.
They do not stop lights from dimming though they do help.
Basically your car battery is a high resistance cell. There for when a sub needs power suddenly it pulls for it off the battery and gets resistance.
When you have a cap witch is a low resistance cell the sub can pull the extra voltage quickly and with out pulling the battery as hard. This means the sub is allowed to respond better and perform better.
Basically a cap provides better bass and bass response by allowing the sub to have a quick power source.
Caps...the On Going Discussion - scotiacustom - 07-04-2007
Most of the guys i know that did the big 3 went from stock wiring to AT LEAST 2guage. Most used 0/1 It will help more then a cap. But oh my caps do look pretty... Nothing wrong with installing one... Just dont think it will cure your dimming.
Id do the big 3 write up for duratech but i have no dmming issues. But im only running 150WRMS sub and 50WRMS door speakers. So i dont need it.
Caps...the On Going Discussion - FocusGuy7476 - 07-05-2007
try the doing the 2 ground wires on the big 3 three and see if you notice a difference. I had some slight dimming before did those two and haven't had it since.
you probably still would want to run a cap with the amps, you'll need a power distribution block either fused or non fused, wire, and ring terminals.
my set up goes from the battery ----> cap ----> amp. 4 gauge all the way, and used a common ground for the amp and cap in the back. I'm not running a distribution block cause its only the one amp.
Caps...the On Going Discussion - Blackzx3 - 07-10-2007
Has your set up recently changed and you noticed the dimming after this?
Or have you always had this issue?
If you have not changed the setup and the dimming is a new part of the equation then it is best to find the cause of the change.
For myself I know a part of my electrical issue is from my belt tensioner not applying proper tension anymore. I'll be replacing mine this weekend as long as my cht sensor comes in.
Caps...the On Going Discussion - ANTHONYD - 07-10-2007
Blackzx3,Jul 9 2007, 05:47 PM Wrote:Has your set up recently changed and you noticed the dimming after this?
Or have you always had this issue?
If you have not changed the setup and the dimming is a new part of the equation then it is best to find the cause of the change.
For myself I know a part of my electrical issue is from my belt tensioner not applying proper tension anymore. I'll be replacing mine this weekend as long as my cht sensor comes in.
[right][snapback]243539[/snapback][/right]
I'm almost positive this is my cause for dimming.
I figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to do the "big 3" anyway.
Properly grounding you car should be done regrdless no?
Caps...the On Going Discussion - scotiacustom - 07-10-2007
ANTHONYD,Jul 9 2007, 07:53 PM Wrote:Blackzx3,Jul 9 2007, 05:47 PM Wrote:Has your set up recently changed and you noticed the dimming after this?
Or have you always had this issue?
If you have not changed the setup and the dimming is a new part of the equation then it is best to find the cause of the change.
For myself I know a part of my electrical issue is from my belt tensioner not applying proper tension anymore. I'll be replacing mine this weekend as long as my cht sensor comes in.
[right][snapback]243539[/snapback][/right]
I'm almost positive this is my cause for dimming.
I figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to do the "big 3" anyway.
Properly grounding you car should be done regrdless no?
[right][snapback]243543[/snapback][/right]
Yea esp for people pulling more then the system was designed for. If you can do it yourself its not expensive at all.