power caps

[trashbat]

hello there just a quick query about power caps. i know how to wire them up but one thing i have to know, Do you need to separately charge them before incoorperating them into the install ? what would happen if i wired them up without charging ? what do i need to charge them with ?

 

[simplyincaraudi]

Hi Trashbat,

Power caps are a brilliant way to to stop the head light and dashboard dim from current draw! When installing these babys you WILL NEED to charge it as without charging it just runs at 0% - 20% it's actual capacity! To charge it you should have gotten a little resisitor in the box and you bridge this between a 12v live and the terminal with the negative connected straight to the terminal. This process only takes a minute depending on what farad the cap is! It slow charges the cap and ensures all cells are FULLY charged to work at there best!

------------------------IMPORTANT-----------------------
REMEMBER, when removing a power cap YOU MUST DISCHARGE them by using ONLY THE RESISTOR SUPPLIED crossed accross both terminals! Power caps are basically a little car battery in which power is temporarily stored for when you need it! With no discharge the power remains there and could cause injury if the terminals were crossed before discharge!



Hope this helps and play safe! Wear a hat!

 

[trashbat]

thanks for the advice but could you explain a little better on how to charge it with the resistor ? and could you explain where to wire it in the system. thanks

one more quick note. has anyone ever used two caps ? can you even do this ?

 

[SteveRSF]

Hi mate if you still have the resistor then connect up the power cap as(you know) and then hold the resistor across the two ends of the power cap....carefully though with pliers or thick gloves as it can become quiet hot..............if you have no resistor then a tester screwdriver the one with the small cable and crocodile clip does the trick too!

hope this helps!

 

[trashbat]

sorry still having a little trouble understanding.

so as far as i can tell what you do is :

1) wire the cap into your system (someone please tell me how to do this!!)
2) literally just hold the resistor to both termials on the cap ?

and also i have heard that they can explode under certain circumstances (WTF?!) i would like to know a little about this also. thanks

 

[eviljohn2]

Since they're electrolytic I would expect a very large bang and huge cloud of dust if you wired one up the wrong way. No serious damage but very scary!

 

[trashbat]

hi there, i have looked at a different website and it had said that to charge the cap you just have to connect the resistor in line with the 12v current and not across the two (pos and neg) terminals on the cap. i just need to know how to definatley do this and any other info for them would be a great help. cheers

 

[arby1]

am not trying to be contentious here, but i would honestly suggest not using the power cap. And if you've already got it then i would advise selling it and using the money for the following suggestions in the following order
1. Larger gauge amp wiring (power AND earth)
2. Bigger earth wire from chassis to battery
3. Bigger gauge wire from alternator to battery and from engine to battery
4. Get the alternator from the diesel equivalent of your car (provide more current)

The reasons for this are as follows:
Using a cap just masks a problem, and it's just something else in line to sap OVERALL power available to your system, even if it does 'even-out' the power a little more so you think it's all working fine. The first 3 suggestions i've made all centre around voltage drop in wires- the higher the current flow, the greater the voltage drop will be and to minimise this you need the shortest length and biggest gauge possible. Give me the power of your amps and what gauge your wiring is and roughly how long it is and i can find out how much the voltage will be dropping. First you have to improve the power and earth of the amp- but after that you can work on the charging system of the car itself by getting a better supply from the alternator to the battery.
If that isn't enough, then the simple fact is that you need to generate more power through a bigger alternator. As a last resort, you need a second battery with a split charge system but i don't think it'll get that far.
Do the initial 3 suggestions, should be cheaper than a cap and have better results.
Let me know the detauils of your amps and wiring and i'll be able to give some more advice

 

[trashbat]

sorry arby, i will be using the power cap but i will deffinately be sorting out a bigger alternator and bigger wires too so thanks for your help !

still planning my install design but was just wondering, can you connect two amps to one power cap ? and how can i charge and discharge if i happen to have lost the resistor ?

 

[NotEnoughTime]

Very Carefully, If you just go to connecting it strait up it will spark like mad possibly damaging the cap and the battery. I have seen this done and it isn't funny. Yes you can use 1 cap with two amps. Just connect a power slitter from the cap with the same gauge wire from the battery to the cap and then drop down in cable size to the amps as the power requirements suggest, but as the others have suggested don't scrimp on cable sizes as this the most important part of you system. Big Amps require serious current you give it to them and they will make you shake

 

[roscopervis]

sorry arby, i will be using the power cap but i will deffinately be sorting out a bigger alternator and bigger wires too so thanks for your help !

still planning my install design but was just wondering, can you connect two amps to one power cap ? and how can i charge and discharge if i happen to have lost the resistor ?

Arby talks sense, a powercap is just a bit of needless bling, and actually works to decrease the performance of a system.

 

[arby1]

Arby talks sense, a powercap is just a bit of needless bling, and actually works to decrease the performance of a system.

I agree! (i should do as he's agreeing with me though!)
Honestly, if you've got it and like the look of it, install it and connect some huge wires to the terminals and tuck the unconnected ends of the wire somewhere out of sight. Finished. Instant bling!
You wouldn't be very happy if my 'solution' to your problem of dimming headlights was to never turn the volume above half-way!! well the power-cap in part does just that (obviously not 50%), it will limit the total output of the amp which i'm sure isn't what you're wanting.