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New member Username: IidbombiiPost Number: 3 Registered: Jan-06 | Ok when I turn up my head unit the headlights blink. Why is this? What will solve it? A capacitor? |
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busty girl Unregistered guest | get a capacitor, then move your ground on your amp., |
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Gold Member Username: BestmankindLos Angeles, CA USA Post Number: 1720 Registered: Oct-05 | lol busty girl. nice name. |
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Silver Member Username: RedlinerWilmington, Ma Post Number: 444 Registered: Jun-05 | what kind of size amp do you have running |
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Silver Member Username: N2audioLawrence, Ks USA Post Number: 180 Registered: Mar-04 | a cap is not the answer. |
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Bronze Member Username: Do_em_dirty816Kansas City, MO USA Post Number: 13 Registered: Jan-06 | From what ive heard caps hurt amps...(FROM WHAT IVE HEARD)...but honestly I dont know...I guess I'll learn something knew 2 day....lol |
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Silver Member Username: RedlinerWilmington, Ma Post Number: 447 Registered: Jun-05 | they dont hurt amps they hurt your alt to run a cap you most likely need a ho alt because if not the alt is consantly trying to charge the cap and it adds so much strain to you r alt and will eventually kill it |
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New member Username: IidbombiiPost Number: 4 Registered: Jan-06 | I have a junk xplode amp. But I just ordered a Kenwood. The Sony is 1100. Kenwood 1700. Haha here check this out. I got this off the net. Are your headlights dimming with the beat of your bass?? If you answered yes then you are in NEED of a capacitor. Capacitors store energy for your system when it needs it the most. You will experience cleaner, more powerful bass when you add this capacitor to your system. Your headlights will quit dimming, everything will operate more smoothly with this key piece of equipment that every system should have. As a general rule of thumb; you should use at least 1 Farad for every 1000 Watts your amplifier is. So if you are running a 2000 Watt amp, you should use 2 Farads (2 of these Capacitors). |
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New member Username: IidbombiiPost Number: 5 Registered: Jan-06 | What is an ho alternator? |
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Bronze Member Username: MrmikelazottIndependence, Oregon Post Number: 67 Registered: Dec-05 | an aftermarket alternator that puts out more amps than a stock one. hence the name high output (ho). |
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New member Username: IidbombiiPost Number: 7 Registered: Jan-06 | http://www.mobileaudio.com/rac-faq/rac-faq_2.html#SEC19 This site has tought me a lot. From reading it I basically get that I need to either update my alternator or get a capacitor. Or maybe both. Oh also could be a crappy battery. Which my battery is brand new. I believe I'm gonna get a new alternator then see what happens. If that doesn't work then we will go with the capacitor. |
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Silver Member Username: RedlinerWilmington, Ma Post Number: 451 Registered: Jun-05 | get the ho alt first because it will get worse if you just get a cap first trust me i learnt the hard way |
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love the jackhammer Unregistered guest | your all wrong the alternator does not charge the cap because the cap is wired to the battery so when u get a big hit the cap drains the battery fills it back up and the alternator fills the battery back up so putting the cap in affects the alternator in no way and if u really think about it the battery is a big cap that powers the car so if u dont want a cap than u can put in a diff alt but thats gonna cost more money and if u get a new car you cant move the alternator to the next car so a cap is the correct anser |
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Gold Member Username: Chaunb3400Huntsville, Alabama U.S. Post Number: 3853 Registered: Jul-05 | "so a cap is the correct anser" A cap will only make ur electrical system work harder. A capacitor WILL: -Act as a filter for AC ripple effectcaused by the imperfect rectification of the AC current produced by an alternator, and rectified by a DC voltage regulator. -Smooth the demand curve for current on the alternator, thus extending (theoretically at least) the alternator's lifespan, and, on a not so good note, this can also help to mask the symptoms of an insufficient alternator by smoothing these spikes that also cause the more obvious signs of a weak charging system, like dimming headlights when the bass hits. -Reduce propagation delays in current supply for brief, spiked demands by the amplifier from the amplifier, and response to this by the electrical system. Amplifiers have to provide a very dynamic and quick response many times. A capacitor can assist in this if the rest of the charging system is up to par. A capacitor will NOT: -make your system magically sound 10 times better.Many people believe that a capacitor adds NO real benefit to an audio system, and this is why you never see before and after demonstrations, or factory capacitor company vehicles at car shows. -Replace the need for a larger, high-output alternator and/or a deep-cycle battery or batteries. If your electrical system is inadequate, the ONLY way to fix this, and again I repeat, the ONLY WAY to fix this, is to replace the alternator if your voltage rails are sagging to below 12 volts while the car is running. This is the SOLE source of electrical current for your car when the motor is running. The car's battery is in parallel with the alternator, and while the battery will help to stablize voltage at 12VDC, the alternator puts out a higher voltage, and if your voltage rails are dropping to 12 volts, you're already overdrawing the alternator's capacities, and if your voltage rails sag to below 12 volts then you're also going beyond the abilities of the battery or batteries to stablize your voltages. Both of these symptoms will result in battery and alternator damage. A capacitor only masks these symptoms, in much the same way as regulating voltage to your headlights so they won't dim as bass hits, when voltages can fluctuate between 14.4VDC and 12VDC. |
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Gold Member Username: Chaunb3400Huntsville, Alabama U.S. Post Number: 3857 Registered: Jul-05 | love the jackhammer please register and learn |
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Silver Member Username: ReloadedMebane, NC U.S.A Post Number: 106 Registered: Dec-05 | Dang he told it to you straight up . Please register like the man said. |
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Silver Member Username: N2audioLawrence, Ks USA Post Number: 185 Registered: Mar-04 | --"your all wrong the alternator does not charge the cap because the cap is wired to the battery so when u get a big hit the cap drains the battery fills it back up and the alternator fills the battery back up so putting the cap in affects the alternator in no way and if u really think about it the battery is a big cap that powers the car so if u dont want a cap than u can put in a diff alt but thats gonna cost more money and if u get a new car you cant move the alternator to the next car so a cap is the correct answer"-- Jack - I hate to break it to you but your entire understanding of a car's charging system is completely flawed. Once the car is started the alternator is the source - period. As we all know alternators run right around 14v while a battery at full charge is less than 13v. The alternator provides everything connected to it ~14v, including the cap. It's simple to test this for yourself - get a DMM - you can find cheap ones for ~$5. Set it to DCV and test your battery voltage with the engine off. It should be about 12.5v. Then start the car and test it again - it will be over 14v because that's what the alternator produces. Chauncey - the cap never sees the recifier ripple - the battery takes care of that. All a cap does is lower the V high and V low variations in the system, but in doing so lowers the overall V of the system. And due to a little known rule called the Law of Conservation of Energy SOME energy is lost in the charging/discharging cycle of the cap. A cap can ONLY be a load on the system and should only be considered for use as a finishing touch when it is known the alternator and battery are sufficient. |
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Silver Member Username: Lil_jonPost Number: 277 Registered: Jul-05 | jack hammer even if you took your point of view seriously wouldnt that alternator have to wark harder to charge the battery because theres another source draing current? |
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New member Username: IidbombiiPost Number: 9 Registered: Jan-06 | so are you saying upgrading my alternator would be the best solution? |