Thread: Do I need a cap?

I know next to nothing about car audio, but as far as connecting it all to your battery, I think you need a power distribution block. Can anyone confirm this?

Distribution block, yes.

250 Watts? no you dont need one. i've got 1600 rms and i'm not running one

2 for yes and one for no. Anyone else?

And what's a Distribution Block?

That is 3 for yes I think. The no is for the 2nd question about a cap.

A distribution block:
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-euvIWre...ribution+block

I think it is a way to connect one cable from the battery, and then have more connections/terminals. Someone correct me if I am wrong...

Ah, I thought they were all yes for cap.
So this isn't going to give my bettery / alternator a heart attack having these three hooked to the battery? My dome light already buzzes dimly when it comes on.

you do not need a CAP, this is all you need to do

step 1:
run 6ga or smaller to the trunk(or whereever amp/carputer are)
if not already 6ga or smaller upgrade your ground wire from the battery to the chassis

step 2:
install a power distro block in the trunk at the end of the 6ga wire.
find a good ground point(like a big bolt or something, remove it, sand the paint off from around the hole the bolt went in until you get to clean metal.(this is where your ground connections will go)

step 3:
use 10ga wire from the distro block to your carputer PSU
use 10ga wire from the distro block to your amp

use 10ga wire from your new clean ground point to your carputer PSU.
use 10ga wire from your new clean ground point to your amp.

step 4:
(cheating step)
run a 14 or 16 ga wire from your amps 'remote' wire(usualy blue) to your carputer psu(ignition switch/sensor input)

OR
run a 14 ga wire from the carputer PSUs ignition sense input to the steering colum harness and tap into the ignition on or acc wire(or find something else in the car using a DMM that is hot ONLY when the key is in the ACC or IGN position.

unless you are not telling us about your other amps you do not need a CAP.

but if you did:

before the distro block to the positive side you attach to the CAP, on SAME side you attach the distroblock.

on the other side you run your 6ga ground wire to the cap, then on SAME side you attach all your grounds.

(note: if you have a NEW cap, it needs be charged before you can actually use it properly(ie. RTFM)

Wow, that's awesome, thanks. One problem though, I have the 250 watt mono sub amp and I'm getting a 4 channel amp for my 4 stock speakers, plus the carputer. Does your answer of not needing a cap still stand? And with step 4, running the ignition wire, I don't just run it from the amp to the carputer right? You want me to splice into the amp lead for the carputer so it's still connected to 12 volt? Or do you literally mean running just the one lead wire from the amp to the carputer? I don't see this working as it still won't know when to turn on and off.

still stands.. you dont need a cap it would be a waste on such a low watt setup