im goin to install two amps in my Camaro one for the speakers and one for the subs
amp for speakers rates at 50 watts x4
amp for subs rates 350watts x4

1. if i got a capacitor could i use one capacitor on both amps

2. and what do capacitors do???

 

capacitors and someone corect me if im wrong are used to save batery draing by charging up and saving alittle bit of power in case ur amp sucks too much from ur batt (u dont want to put a huge drain on ur batt with ur stereo but if thats all ur running i wouldnt worry about it and by 50 and 350 u mean rms? or peak power cuase there 2 diffrent things

 

yeah, thats pretty much what they are, little battery reserves. buy the way, i have two caps for sale, one is a 1.0F and the other is 1.2F tyler_h@shaw.ca if you want them

 

Well yes..... they're batteries, but not like you think.

They store electricity, but are much quicker at charging and discharging than a battery is.

If you were to lay a wrench across the battery terminals, it'll spark a little, then slowly heat up the wrench until it melts. That's how slow it discharges.

If you lay a wrench across the terminals on a capacitor (especially a 1 farad), YOU BETTER DUCK!!! That wrench will fly farther than a mallard heading to Florida. :sillylol:

The main purpose of a capacitor back when they were introduced was to help the amp receive a more consistant voltage when reproducing music with quick, repetitious bass notes. Since they're quicker than a battery, Metallica "One" sounds better :rockon:

If you play that song in your car, and you notice that the first few drums beats sound strong, but slowly fade away, that's because the battery hasn't fully recovered from the voltage drain. Every bass note gets less voltage (power). Caps help overcome this so the beats don't fade off as easily.

A lot of people misuse them. The tall tell sign is when someone thinks they need one because their headlights dim when the bass hits. A cap won't fix that. It'll drain the battery just as much, if not more than an amp will. Everytime it discharges, it needs to recharge just like the battery, and where do you think it gets the electricity to do that? From the battery/alternator.

Since bass from subwoofers is what uses the most power from your battery, you really only need one for the sub amp. IIRC, a 1 Farad cap is good for up to 500 watts. Maybe more. I'm brain dead right now.

 

The general consensus is 1 farad for every 1000 watts.

That generalization was formed before the amplifier manufacturers got smart and started building amps with a bank of caps. This reduces the need for external capacitance.

You said that your sub amp is rated at 350x4. There aren't many 4 channel sub amps out there, and I've never heard of a brand name amp (yeah, you all see where this is going. ) with such high ratings on a 4 channel amp.

The point I'm getting to, is that we need to know a little bit more about your amp before we can really determine which cap (if any) is going to be best for you.

 

my bad guys i ment 350 x2

 

I think the question being asked is what brand/model of amps.

 

Also, Capacitors are designed to take spikes and filter noise. a cap can deliver all of it's current isntantly whereas a battery or charging system will take a little longer. Think of it as an expansion chamber where electrons can be stored and released quicker.

- Andy

 

sometimes it's like pulling teeth.

 

bah, they're bandaids. do your underhood wiring first, then worry about spending that $100.....

 

yea well your right ill wiring everyting up see how it runs and sounds then decide if i need a capacitor and thanks for explaining everything

 

I think pulling teeth is easier

 

It's probably because it starts with a "P" and ends in "yramid"

 

Caps are bandaids....get a good alternator and be done with it..............

 

Caps are more than bandaids. As stated, clearer, more consistent, louder sound. I do have a good alternator. In fact, I have two. My 105 factory(new) and a 85 one wire where my air pump was. My stock battery up front, a deep cycle in the trunk, and two 1.0 Farda caps. Still have voltage issues...maybe its something to do w/ the 1/0 gauge and that 1000D pushing almost 2200RMS...

 

I cap will 'store' short power surges, but for extended usage, will not be able to assist in any other way. Now if you had a 200-220 alt, and an isolator with dual batteries, then you'd be fine. But caps just 'store' charge for short burst.

 

a cap does nothing for sound. all it does is stablize an amp's current for a very brief period of time. nothing more. what guage wire do you have going between the chassis, battery, engine block, and alt? if you havent upgraded those yet you're shooting yourself in the foot by having a high output alt and the stock 8ga crap.

 

Actually, it stabilizes the voltage. When you experience a voltage drop across a FET you get a clipped signal, which sounds bad. So a cap DOES effect sound quality when you're pushing your amp to the limits.

 

ok, i was slightly off. i always seem to get my terms confused . what i was trying to say, was that a cap does not "color" the sound of an amp. if the electrical system is up to par, then you are much less likely to have those drops and clips. thats all i was trying to say

 

how much are you asking for them?