I know monster cable is good but any other alternatives? stinger? pheonix gold? rockford fosgate?

Gonna need at least 1.0 farad

 

None of the cable companies make their own caps. They just print the stickers. There is little diff among those caps.

I would suggest checking on the Alumapro C.A.P. I think they're the best.

If you run JL "slash" amps the caps don't help the amps at all. They help other stuff MAYBE, but not the amp.

 

very true.


i bought a lightning audio one 3 years ago...no probs as of yet

 

yup, they are pretty much all the same inside - I just got a Stinger because it looked good and I got a good deal because I got all Stinger wire also.

But what eld means by the JL amps not needing one is because they have a "regulated" power supply - therefore, their output doesnt change with a variation in voltage input (from like 11.5-16 volts or so). So if your amps have a regulated power supply (which the JLs do), you dont need a capacitor; unless you just want too.

 

caps are a band aide to the light dimming problem. might make it appear that the lights arn't dimming, but when your amp draws power from the cap, then the alternator has to work that much harder to charge that cap. if you have the problem spend the little extra money and just buy a new high output alternator.

 

caps actually put nearly 0 pull on the alternator because they can charge/recharge in seconds - now an extra battery on the other hand puts a large draw - around 10-20 extra amps. Caps also dont do a damn thing for your lights, only if amps need it do they help - and they only help your amps : nothing else.

 

meh that's not completely true. Caps do a little more than what you said. I'll be the first to admit that I hate caps and that to me it's like putting a band aid on a bullet wound but, nonetheless they do help in some setups. That being said caps original usage, if i recall correctly, was actually a manner in which to allieviate engine noise.

 

"The chemical action in a battery has a small delay which a capacitor will supply very high current during the time of this delay. The smaller filter caps inside your amplifier will run cooler so your amplifier will last longer.Caps also help eliminate engine noise that is fed from your main power wire from the alternator that is not filtered by your battery"

That is what a stiffening cap does. The best are what Eld mentioned, which is the C.A.P.

Soory for the large bold writing.

 

All amps have internal capacitance. It would be nice if the statement about longer life was true, and if amp failures were usually associated with internal cap failures, then I guess that statement COULD be true, but since most amp failures are not internal cap failures, I don't agree with that statement.



I still say that if you have "slash" amps, you have no need for a cap.

 

Im thinking that statement was for an amp thats not regulated.It came off from harrison labs website which now that I think about it makes tube amps which is a whole different type of amp.

 

Thanks for the heads up guys, but my turn signals are blinking so i thought a 1.0 farad cap would fix that. im thinking about buying audiobahn any opinions?

 

Yes, I have an opinion.










No.

 

"meh"??? nice....the only way the cap allieviates engine noise is providing you a point for a common ground for your amps. The cap itself doesnt do that, just the common ground. You can get the safe effect by grounding your amps to 1 point w/o a capacitor - that will eliminate most engine noise.

Obviously most are uneducated to the true value of a capacitor. Most think that it will "save" their lights and keep their amps at full power - well that is not true. They dont make power, so if your alternator or battery cant provide the juice from the start, a capacitor wont help much. Nor will it be effective if your amp has a regulated power supply. That being said, they are helpfull with amps with an unregulated power supply or a "loosely" regulated power supply (my amps) because they can smooth out the voltage and help your amps provide full power (though they dont do a damn thing for your lights)

wrong man - they dont help with a regulated power supply...read this (are you refering to me? or another comment?) well anyway this is some good info

http://www.bcae1.com/regunreg.htm
"Unregulated Power supplies and Changes in Battery Voltage:
As we mentioned above, the battery voltage is not constant. It may vary from 11.5-12.5 volts with the engine off to ~14.4 volts with the engine running. If the battery voltage is 12 volts and the transformer has a 1:2 ratio as in the previous example, the power supply will produce ±24 volts. If the battery voltage is 14.4 volts, the supply will produce ±28.8 volts (an extra 9.6 volts). This is why amplifiers with unregulated power supplies have significantly different power ratings with different battery voltages"

 

Agreed.

 

I'd look into a beefer alternator as well.

 

do the Big 3.

i have a power acoustic 5 farad cap which is more than enough for what i have.

and i notice a difference