Capacitor Question
01-01-2010, 08:44 AM
#21
CAps make no sense for an SPL comp. But for a guy that has a standard install, with a normal 4ga wire off a normal alternator, it can be beneficial. I guess alot of you guys probably have crazy systems intalled. I only have about 1KW, and half of that is front stage. Withuot my cap my lights dim nutty on kick drum sounds, but with the cap, they barely dim at all, they still do a tiny bit, but nothing like before. Now for a big loud boom that lasts like 4 seconds, a cap isnt going to do anything of course cause it has already dumped its current by the end of the first 1/2 second and is just a pretty ornament. But for actual music, that is playing snares and real drums like that, they are a great addition. Not only do they make my lights not dim nearly as much but they actually make the sound alot "stronger". Thats not really the best word, you would have to hear it to nkow what I mean. It slaps you in the face harder I guess is a better explaination. If someone buys caps to get mroe spl, well, they probably dont understand how caps work. I've worked as an electronics technologist for 10 years, and the cap did exactly what I bought it for. If you just dont get it, then go to electronics school and you will nkow all about it in a year or two.
01-01-2010, 11:29 AM
#22
500 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 537
:! seeing as how i JUST installed a h/o alternator, does it matter if i run both batteries through a battery isolator(front battery is a crappy tire and second is a kinetik HC1200) i have always heard that caps were not as effective as a h/o alt and battery so thats where i invested my money, i think its worth the cost over the cap
01-01-2010, 11:42 AM
#23
500 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 537
CAps make no sense for an SPL comp. But for a guy that has a standard install, with a normal 4ga wire off a normal alternator, it can be beneficial. I guess alot of you guys probably have crazy systems intalled. I only have about 1KW, and half of that is front stage. Withuot my cap my lights dim nutty on kick drum sounds, but with the cap, they barely dim at all, they still do a tiny bit, but nothing like before. Now for a big loud boom that lasts like 4 seconds, a cap isnt going to do anything of course cause it has already dumped its current by the end of the first 1/2 second and is just a pretty ornament. But for actual music, that is playing snares and real drums like that, they are a great addition. Not only do they make my lights not dim nearly as much but they actually make the sound alot "stronger". Thats not really the best word, you would have to hear it to nkow what I mean. It slaps you in the face harder I guess is a better explaination. If someone buys caps to get mroe spl, well, they probably dont understand how caps work.
Be carefull standing on your certification. The only thing that makes us right is evidence and well put arguments.
01-01-2010, 11:57 AM
#24
500 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 537
A battery is worked hard when the electrical system repeatedly demands more current than the charging system can provide. The continuous alternating between a high rate of charging and discharging heats the battery and shortens it's lifespan. A high output alternator reduces the need for dipping into battery reserves during output peaks.
01-02-2010, 11:28 AM
#25
Administrator
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 16,855
It does the job of a cap ...
01-02-2010, 01:23 PM
#27
500 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 537
01-04-2010, 12:33 PM
#29
500 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 730
These cap convos make me sigh and do the same as my sig... Not because the OP asked the question... It wouldn't get posted if they knew the answer. However, here we are 3 pages in and no one has really answered the OP's question. Cap convos always turn out being an arguement about how they're useless/not useless. That's where we're at right now, bickering over the usefulness of a cap. I'm sorry, but anything less than 1kW DOES NOT require a second battery or bigger alternator. Doing the big 3 and adding a cap is simply the most efficient way to do it, especially when you consider costs and labour involved. Anyone willing to break the 1kW barrier RMS is going to be demanding higher amperage draw and thus could use a second battery and/or higher output alt on top of the big three. Anything north of 2kW is getting into an SPL system or over-the-top system that is going to require additional batteries and at least one high output alternator.
