Lights are still dimming with a 2.5 farad cap!

**Woofnstuff** · 08-03-2008, 05:22 AM

i remember a guy coming to me once saying his stereo sucked and could i fix it.
he had wired it up himself with sticky tape and phone wire and was confused when it wouldnt go very loud.

after putting the proper size wire in. he was most happy

**NATISFYNEST** · 08-03-2008, 11:53 AM

scrap the cap and get a optima battery under the hood yellow top is the best for stereo but they all work well. if that still doesnt solve your proble try a kinetik battery for the stereo jmo

**Felix509** · 08-03-2008, 03:45 PM

Basics first, do the wiring correctly, do a dedicated fused power wire to the amp(s) and a 4 Gauge or better ground, as short as possible.

Do wiring first, battery second, then go from there if there is a problem still A new alternator is a stretch, that amp does not pull that many amps to require it..

**buckemdwn** · 08-03-2008, 11:26 PM

Originally Posted by NATISFYNEST

scrap the cap and get a optima battery under the hood yellow top is the best for stereo but they all work well. if that still doesnt solve your proble try a kinetik battery for the stereo jmo

not the solve all. sounds like you need a big three upgrade...

http://forum.sounddomain.com/ubbthre...e/1#Post312025

**mtyme** · 08-04-2008, 11:00 AM

power source====amp====cap

I have a cap in my car and it's been a while since I wired it so I might be wrong but....

Shouldn't it be Power source (battery) >>>>> Cap >>>>> amp??

I don't think wiring the amp like you listed above will utilize the cap.

**702motoring** · 08-07-2008, 11:39 PM

I am going to stir it up nicely with this one I can promise you already...

The true use for a cap is in a Competition SPL system...In a system where you "burb" the system for a few seconds...

The benefit of the cap is it has a faster discharge rate (but dont forget also recharge rate) so it can get the "second" burb up there like the first one...

The problem with caps in traditional systems...is that they will actually "fight" your amplifier for power after the first or second good note (however long it takes to discharge your cap)

so please, dont think that caps give "power from the gods" because they simply dont...its a great bandaid to help the "voltage ripples" that a car audio system can see...

There will never be a better subsitute for upgrading all grounds (battery to chassis, battery to motor and battery to frame (for the big systems that you grab your ground in the rear from frame) and upgrading alternator and battery(ies) including all wiring between them.

That is how you stabalize voltage

Allen Jenkins
President
702 Motoring

**SPElectronics** · 08-08-2008, 12:38 PM

I must have forgotten to hit submit a couple days ago, but I was saying some of the same things Allen was saying. I typed up a message saying to upgrade wiring, and maybe alt and battery in the end, if necessary. That may have been when the power went out here, so I didn't get back on for a little while... Anyway....

I agree that the cap is going to "fight" your amp for power. However, I disagree with the statement "the true use for a cap is in a Competition SPL system", because we have found that caps can be more detrimental to the performance even in an SPL setup where you only burp the system. I am an ex dBdrag and USACi Outlaw competitor myself. In my personal opinion, most capacitors (in this particular sense) are virtually useless. They are a marketing gimmick, and "band-aid" of sorts. Better to solve the underlying problem than patch it with a band-aid don't you think?!

The first thing I do in all my vehicles if I am going to be "upgrading" things, is to improve all ground and power wiring. Proper grounding and wiring is THE priority in any vehicle install.

**dxcboyfirekid** · 08-11-2008, 06:27 PM

mtyme is right.

power wire from batt, to cap. from cap to amp

DIFFERENT GROUND FOR BOTH AMP AND CAP>
make sure you correctly charge the amp too

and dnt scrap the cap. caps give short power when needed FASTER to amp, faster then a battery can give the amp, correct? stiffining the CURRENT! DOES NOT HELP CURRENT DEMANDS

**SPElectronics** · 08-11-2008, 08:33 PM

Actually, you should never use a bunch of different ground points. Grounds should be at ONE spot whenever possible. Personally, when I set up most systems, there is a distribution block for both power and ground, and all my power and ground connections get done at that spot.