need help i lost my charging bulb

[CHUPA_CABRA_2.0]

how can i cahrge my capacitor safely i lost my charging bulb

[Notladstyle]

u want to help sentra with a pro level installation but you dont know how to charge a cap ? ;) ;)


Use an automotive lightbulb such as a dome light. make sure you dont hold it directly while u are charging.

[CHUPA_CABRA_2.0]

I make enclosures and basic installs I have been doing audio for about 6 years but to be honest i have never used caps

[CHUPA_CABRA_2.0]

thanks man

[kpr10is]

Caps are simply an overrated marketing scheme that, while it stops light dim, kills your alternator faster. Fuck em.

[TBSpyder]

Alot of the time they don't even help with light dimming. Caps drain too quickly to keep up with most sub amps combined with heavy bass tracks and can actually be a hinderance.

[Bumpin Expo]

Fuck a cap! Caps are over rated and dont doo anything, spend the money and get a better battery or upgraded alt

[Notladstyle]

hahahahaha u guys are all wrong(or at least way off), but I wont start another argument ;)

[Bumpin Expo]

No Your Wrong

Jesse Ban Him

[kpr10is]

Lets hear your explanation then oh install master, heres mine. Caps only work when the alternator can supply enough current for the system to begin with. When the system draws more current than the alternator can deliver, it will call on current from the battery, which is slow at delivering high currents in a short amount of time, this is where the cap comes in. A cap can discharge in milliseconds, therefore supplementing the alternator. A cap can't do this if the alternator is consistently putting out insufficient amounts of current. The cap will be draining electrons from the battery at this point and doing more harm than good. An upgraded alternator is the first place to start before a cap. Personally, Id take a yellow top and a big three over a cap anyday.

Jesse comes around these parts as much as you these days Curtis...

[Notladstyle]

Lets hear your explanation then oh install master, heres mine. Caps only work when the alternator can supply enough current for the system to begin with. When the system draws more current than the alternator can deliver, it will call on current from the battery, which is slow at delivering high currents in a short amount of time, this is where the cap comes in. A cap can discharge in milliseconds, therefore supplementing the alternator. A cap can't do this if the alternator is consistently putting out insufficient amounts of current. The cap will be draining electrons from the battery at this point and doing more harm than good. An upgraded alternator is the first place to start before a cap. Personally, Id take a yellow top and a big three over a cap anyday.

Jesse comes around these parts as much as you these days Curtis...

Thats electronics master ;) Here goes...

Alternators do not put out their rated output all the time. two factors limit their output:
- RPM speed
- Voltage regulator speed

In most cases the voltage regulator will throttle the alternator down to a third of its rated output during normal operation. My grand prix has a 105amp alternator # 3200 RPM at idle it puts out about 38amps to run the car and maintain 13.8 volts. With the system running, my alternator puts out 70amps peak at idle. that other 30 cant even be touched till I rev up the engine. Even then, the voltage regulator takes close to the same amount of time that the battery takes to throttle the power up to demand.

A cap will not kill your alternator. If anything, a cap will extend the life of your alternator even if its stock. Why? The capacitor's only job is to maintain the voltage during peak demands. If you play punchy bass especially rock music you will definitely notice an improvement in sound because the bass punch will be the peak demand and are very short in length, the capacitor will offer enough current to maintain the same voltage while the alternator/battery meet the demand.. If you play SPL tracks and long drags of pass such as 3 6 mafia, you will not notice an improvement. The constant variation in current demand is what kills an alternator. The capacitor shallows out that demand and will reduce the stress on the regulator.

A cap will not harm or reduce performance. The capacitor will maintain whatever voltage is being supplied to it!!!! THEY DO NOT DEMAND CURRENT!!! If the amp pulls the voltage to 10v during a bass note, the cap will discharge whatever it has to maintain the higher voltage but after that it will lower its own capacitance to 10 volts!!! Once the alternator/battery supply enough current that the amp is receiving 14v again, the cap will also charge back to 14v. It doesnt stress the alternator or demand extra current.


Every amplifier in the world has at least one thing in common - they all have capacitors! high class amps such as JL boast around 350,000uf internal capacitance while crappy lightning audio amps have more like 120,000uf capacitance. A 1 farad cap has 1,000,000uf capacitance. If used correctly it will without a doubt improve performance. Theres no arguing it, unless you plan to take on every single amplifier degisner in the world who has the gaul to use caps in their amps... and it has happend.

[integralsgreen]

a cap will extend the life of your OEM electrical system. yes a better alt. and or upgraded battery are a better choice but for thos who are to ignorant to spend a lil extra cash a cap can olny help. a cap is just a crutch , not a cure. but in my opinion even a crutch is better than nothing

[integralsgreen]

adding a cap will prevent extreme drops in pressure(voltage) in the circuit. therefor puts less stress on cars battery and electrical system. saying that a cap will hurt your alternator is like saying you cars battery hurts your alternator. never the less it is still just a crutch

[Bumpin Expo]

You never see caps in big comp vechicles. You do see a lot of batteries and alternators. Caps are a waste of money, why buy a 130$ cap when you can buy a $150 battery and cure the problem.

And i havent come around lately cuz I have been into a lot of different stuff like performance and lighting, not so much audio

[integralsgreen]

/\ agreed that its a wast of mony and a battery would be a much better choice, but to say they do apsolutly nothing but hurt you alternator is not true

[Notladstyle]

You never see caps in big comp vechicles. You do see a lot of batteries and alternators. Caps are a waste of money, why buy a 130$ cap when you can buy a $150 battery and cure the problem.

And i havent come around lately cuz I have been into a lot of different stuff like performance and lighting, not so much audio

you have presented a large pile of Opinion with no facts behind it.

For being so useless, why does every single amplifier in the world carry such big ones inside of them? and big competition vehicles are not daily drivers. You either do not understand basic electrical theory and ohms law or you are caving to popular opinion.

[TIM TIM TIM]

battery>cap

[CHUPA_CABRA_2.0]

I have a DB LINk cap and an optima battery the bass is clearer I have noticed an improvement

[Notladstyle]

first big three, then battery, then capacitor to augment the current demand between the battery and the amp, then alternator to charge the battery from the massive current draw.

An alternator by itself will do shit for your system. The current still has to travel to the amp. I think the grey area is in what a cap is good for. A cap will not make your amp louder, nor will it increase your RMS wattage on the amp but it will increase the peak output as well as the sound quality at high volumes and it will reduce stress on the alternator.