Capacitors

[GrandAmGTTT]

When is it nessasary to have a capacitor? I have a 2400w amp, and two 12" Volfenhag subs rated at 1000w, and two alpine type e's. Should i get a capacitor? I think i should but i'm not sure, i've never used one and was wondering if i should get one.

[curtisjade1]

Yes with that power I also have about 2400w and im running a 10 farad capacitor but I would recommend you should have a 2 farad capacitor maybe even a 3 farad capacitor you should notice a big difference in your bass response If you get a capacitor

[dandragonrage]

Completely ignore the previous response.

If your lights occasionally dim a TINY bit, a cap MAY help. It's better to just upgrade your charging system and skip the cap - start with wiring, move to alternator if necessary. Don't upgrade/add batteries unless you want audio with the car off or you run dual alternators.

I'm going to be frank. Your equipment is low end stuff that's not worth modding a car for. You'll be able to kill what you have with a single 15" TC Sounds TC-2000.

Also, is your amp Class D or AB? If it's AB, your first upgrade should be to a decent Class D amp. That'll reduce load on your charging system considerably.

[dmbprep69]

Im gonna have to disagree with u Dan... Each car acts differently, I have installed a lot of different systems in a lot of different cars and each one, even the same model, acts differently. For instance, in my own car I am only pushin 1700 RMS between my 2 amps and at first I was goin through alternators weekly, even with a 2 farad cap and an optima battery with all upgraded wiring in the charging system. I ended up having to put in a high amp alternator and an extra battery to keep my charging system where it should be.

As for Jose, I would say go ahead and invest in a good 3 farad cap and see what happens, u will notice a nice difference in bass response and see if that helps with dimming, then let us know.
Peace,
Andrew

[curtisjade1]

Oh ya I forgot to mention that I also have a hi output alternator and an optima battery aswell as the 10 farad capacitor

[dandragonrage]

Well, I'll explain a little about why I think capacitors are a bad idea in almost all cases:

-Capacitors present a constant load on the battery if not switched. The load of a capacitor is not much when the capacitor is full, but capacitors do self-discharge over time and thus they do prevent a constant load on your battery. Not too bad if you drive the car, but a bad thing to leave sitting, and most people don't think about such things.

-An extension of the above, when capacitors are NOT charged, the load they present is VERY big, often far above what your amps can draw. Thus, when an amp drains it, it can actually present a bigger load on your charging system than the amp would alone.

-Aaaand quite simply, the money spent on a capacitor should be spent on a better alternator. If you guys have lights dimming after going to a HO alternator, you got the wrong HO alternator. Some HO alternators will produce amazing current...at 2000RPM. And need 1200RPM before they produce anything, as opposed to maybe 700-800RPM of stock. You can get an alternator that gives both good idle and good max current, but they will be physically larger (the CS-144/AD-244 style instead of our CS-130D). Additionally, you can put an overdrive (undersize - 2" or so) pulley on your lesser quality alternators, but that's a bitch with 3x00s as you need a smaller belt as well.

As for batteries, they don't typically provide instantaneous power. They're meant for running accessories when the car is off and when starting the car and perhaps the OCCASIONAL short bit of current to supplement the stock alternator. They are NOT meant for a daily driver with a big system.

[Whtgrandam03]

All I have to say is that a cap made a huge difference in my system... No more light dimming...

[tubpub11]

I would have to agree with Dan on this one. If you are getting dimming I would upgrade your electrical wiring first, then the Alternator. And I think those ratings are peak values, because why would you match 2 1000w subs with 2 200w subs?? doesn't really work. so you are probably only pushing 1000w rms at the most with all four, probably lower. So definately start with the Big 3. What kind of amp is it? A cap is just a quick fix, but it's not really the best fix.

[urweak]

Flux Capacitors?

[GrandAmGTTT]

Actually its 1500w rms with all four subs. But i'm not sure about what amp i want to get yet. I just sold my beginner stuff, a zx300.1 amp, 2 kicker comps in a ported box. I still have to buy the amp and a box for the alpines. I think I will get 3 farad cap and upgrade my wiring. Hopefully that will work just fine. What do you guys think about volfenhag subwoofers?

[tubpub11]

Are you putting all four subs in there? didn't think there would be enough room to put 4 12" subs in a GA trunk, maybe if you fibreglassed it in. but still to build the box with the proper air space, I don't think there is enough room. and you probably shouldn't mix and match subs. I can't say anything about Volfenhag cause i haven't had any experience with it, I just hear people say it's low end equiptment. Alpine type E's aren't that bad of a starter sub, I have one, but I upgraded this year to a Boston G5.

[GrandAmGTTT]

ya i already fit the four of them in there but i want to get rid of the two boxes if have and get a box custom built by one of my friends who does that. He said he'd only charge me for the materials. They hardly fit, theres no space left over thats for sure. I was also wondering whats a good amp to run your high frequency speaker?

[tubpub11]

What kind of speakers are they? give us some specs on them, then we can give some suggestions.