I am shoping for a cap for my car, I want to get someting in the 1-2 Farad range. I notice that are are alot of 1.2 for like 50 bucks but you can pay as much as 150 for the same size cap with similar specifications. As an exsample check out these two caps, they seem to have similar specks but very different prices:

1.http://cgi.ebay.com/POWER-ACOUSTIK-P...QQcmdZViewItem

2. http://cgi.ebay.com/STINGER-1-FARAD-...QQcmdZViewItem

As these seem the sam other than style, am i realy getting any thing for twice the price or is it all in the name. I have done a few searches and there is not much in terms of what I should be looking for, any help would be great.

 

While some of it is name that you pay for, there is a huge difference in the quality between your examples. Basically you pay for what you get, that being said, often times a cap is a band-aid for a bigger problem. Keep in mind a cap does not produce more power but only helps in aiding the small bursts on the charging system. If you are having trouble with massive votage drops (aka dimming, brown outs, etc) I would look at up grading the battery, wiring, and or alternator before a cap. It is money better spent that way.

 

 

Already have a Yellow Top in the mail, and am running 2 awg wire to the rear. I spent some time last night on carstereodomain edumacating myself on CAP's I would stil like to get one as I would think it would help with the lows, and look cool in the trunk.

 

Get an Alumapro C.A.P(carbon alloy power). Dont waist your money on the stiffening caps.

They have a 5, 15, and 50 farad version. Im running 1200w on the 15 farad version with 0gauge and have never experienced any light dimming or lack of power for my IDmax 12.

Check them out & alumapro.com & you can find some 5 & 15 farad versions on ebay.

 

The biggest issue with the roudn caps (or the boxes with the round caps in there) was explained to me over on one of the BMW forums by the VP Engineering at Alumapro. It actually makes sense.

Stiffening caps are made to work, and spec'd to work, at 60 Hz wall AC power. They are made to filter stuff that's plugged into the wall.

Their ESR spec is taken at that freq.

Their ESR at very low freq - like the beat freq of a bass line, which is the duty rate that a bass amp will draw on - is much higher.

The carbon cap works better at that low freq. I am a big fan too. I have a 5 Farad one here waiting to go into my car...

BTW, optomos, I found out that the Reference amps you ahve are loosely regulated, it's only the Competition that are tightly regulated. My rep was wrong

Just picked up Zapco BTW... have the Digital Reference stuff coming in.

 

I have my 1 farad rockford forsale if you want it...

but for your question. a Cap is really a cap some have more features like a digital volt meter or whatever... I usually look at it as 1 farad every 1000 watts...

 

Those look like a realy nice product but I am not sure I can swallow spending $300 on a Cap for a 1000w system. It looks like a fantastic product howerver and I see alot of positive press.

 

Well I hate to see you waist 100-150. It seems steep, but it can always be moved later to a new car.

 

External Capacitors have never been proven to increase the SPL of a system.
But, they're kind of neat to have. My headlights had a small dimming problem. fixed now. but what i really use it for is a distribution center. I have three 2-channel amps and one mono amp, and it's really convenient to just distribute on the cap. you don't even need a distribution block, or one that comes on the cap.

 

 

Then what do you suggest, Mr. Smarty Pants??????????

 

I haven't heard "smarty pants" in a while!

 

lol i just thought that if thats what u "really use it for" a simple block would have been a better perchase.....

 

oh ok! haha. i thought you were meaning that it's not a good idea to do it.

I mean it's not the main reason, but it makes it a lot more simple to just hook all the wires up to the cap. I'm running 4-gauge in, 1 4-gauge, 2 8-gauge, and 1- 10 gauge out, so i mean to do that on a dist. block would suck. plus it takes more work. so yeah. I guess you're not MR. smarty-pants. that sounded rather childish. haha.

 

THERE RIGHT ALL YOU ARE PAYING FOR IS THE NAME ALOT OF THE TIME UNLESS ITS A REALLY CHEAP THING. I HAVE A RUBICON 1002 SOUND STREAM AMP WITH A 15 INCH ECLIPSE TITANIUM IN MY RIDE WITH A CAP I GOT FROM AMERICAN TV FOR LIKE AROUND $175 AND IT DOES JUST FINE SO DONT GO OUT AND BUY SOME REDICUOSLY PRICED NAME BRANED CAP IF YOU DON HAVE TO.

 

easy on the caps-lock buddy