Power capacitor/ Battery?

Question

Hello,

I've got JBL 1201.1 and 75.4 amplifiers , 2 Alpine type R SWR-1222d subwoofers , Alpine type R components and coxials. What else should i buy , to avoid doing damage to alternator, battery , etc..

Do i need just a power capacitor or stinger battery ?

Thank You!

Answer 1

I try to clear up the myths about caps so much I've got a pretyped response for you.  Here you go ...

Try to imagine it this way ... your alternator is the incoming water valve to your house.  Lets say you hold a lot of parties.  This will represent playing your stereo because all your friends are going to use the bathrooms and kitchen.  Now you install an extra bathroom or two (amplifiers) because your parties are getting so big and so many people are showing up you need the extra toilets.  What happens to your water pressure?  Goes down, right?  People flushing toilets like crazy (bass booming) it taxing on your system.  You can add water tanks (capacitors), but if too many people are flushing too many toilets, it's going to start to stink no matter what because not enough water is getting into the house to keep the tanks full and now you can't flush the toilets because the tanks can't stay full.  How do you fix this problem?  Open up the valve coming into the house (bigger alternator) to allow more watter to flow (amperage to your amplifiers).

So, why not just improve the water flow first, and then, once you've gotten all the water flow you're going to possibly get (high output alternator), then start looking at adding an extra water tank or two (capacitors) if they're still needed.

A cap can help, as long as the draw on the electrical system isn't overly taxing already.  The question is, how can you tell if your electrical system is already over loaded or not for the cap to be of any use rather then an added problem?  You can't.  You could, but it would cost you as much in test equipment as it would cost to just fix the problem.

If your system is pulling so much current that the cap cannot fully recharge between power drops, it becomes another drain on your already taxed electrical system, adding to the problem rather then fixing anything.

If you didn't take the time to figure out how much of a stereo system your car could support and you already installed a bunch of subs and big amps only to find out your lights are dimming, your system gets weak and your batteries are being eaten up regularly, your safest bet is to get a high output alternator.  There are several companies who make them, I recommend www.excessiveamperage.com.

If you skip the cap and buy a new alternator, your problems will likely be solved.  If you buy a cap or 10, and you manage to get them installed without s******g them up by not charging them slowly with a resistor or discharging them accidentally, and you realize you've still got the same problem you had before.  You're still going to have to buy a high output alternator and then the caps will not even be needed anymore.  

Save your time, save your money and buy a high output alternator first.  It's the only real fix for the problem.  Unless you're riding the line and your system ONLY breaks the available amperage of your alternator occasionally allowing a cap or caps to recharge prior to discharge again.  

BUT WHY TAKE THE CHANCE?  BUY A HIGH OUTPUT ALTERNATOR.

Does that help make sense of it?

Answer 2

there is many things tht will damage your alt if it is a stock alt. the alt is built to recharge stock accessarys on the car lights, windows, radio etc. not to recharge the spike the system gives off bc it is constantly draining power and the alt is recharging it. it also is built to recharge the stock battery. a cap will just to the damage bc it is pulling power. and its 1 farad per 1000 watts not 3 bc i have a 3 farad for my 2 type X's with a pdx 1000 amp tht would mean id need a 1 farad cap and with tht my system would laugh at me

Answer 3

it would be better off to get a cap just to be on the safe side.

and the general rule refering to farads is 1 farad per 3000watts so really depends on what power your system is at