alright so im gettin another amp for my third 12" and my battery is really gonna start hurtin bad so i need a capacitor.......all i wanna know is if anyone knows where can i get one for a good price cus im low on bucks ???????

 

what kind of battery are you running? are you using the stock alternator?

 

its a regular 12v battery and ya im using the stock alternator

 

i suggest you upgrade your battery first before you add a capacitor. then adding a cap if needed. optima batteries are something to look into. it will hold a better charge than your regular battery.

 

alright ill look into it, im only concerned cus my headlights and interior lights dim with the bass when its cranked..... how many $$ is a good battery gonna put me back?

 

i would suggest a alternator would fix the problem. i thought when your running your car the alternator is actually providing current to your electronics. than if the alternator isn't giving enough current than it'll draw from the battery. a nicer battery would be more of a bandage fix i think. to help figure how what would be a better choice, is how many amps are you pulling?

 

I'm with VPUPPY on this one. A battery is more or less a big capacitor and you'll get a LOT more capacitance by upgrading your battery than adding a big capacitor IMHO. Note: this is coming from a guy that represents a company who manufactures capacitors.

All you are really trying to accomplish is having stored energy at the ready for those times when the amplifiers call for it. I believe that a good quality battery and/or a larger alternator would be more effective and in my mind less of a bandaid than adding a capacitor.

Todd

 

A high output alternator is harder to come by and more expensive than an upgraded battery. Like 96HawtCnvt said, a better battery is like adding a big capacitor. I really don't think a high output alternator is needed if the lights are dimming only when the bass hits. The better battery will provide the stored amperage to the amplifier when its needed and will be charged by alternator when its needed. Although, if you are running a lot of devices(i.e. lights, climate control, etc) at the same time with the amplifier(s), an upgraded alternator with a new battery would be good.

How many amps do you have and what is wattage on each of them? What gauge wire do you have going to the amps? This is necessary info in order to suggest what battery to get or if you need more than just a battery.

 

alright i got a 600 watt 2 channel and a 300 watt 1 channel, they both have 8 gauge power wires goin to the battery....these amps are just going to subs (3 12"s) so i think thats why my lights are dimming cus the amps are maxing out when the subs are really beatin.....i mean the subs and amps are pretty low power ones but they really beat cus im maxin them out

 

Ok, I would still suggest trying a Optima battery(its deep cycle and starting battery): http://www.optimabatteries.com/publi...eep_cycle.html

A deep cylce battery is better at supplying current over a longer period of time. The type of battery found in your car right now is a "starting" battery and is only designed to supply a short burst of current(when the starter needs it) so this is most likely why your lights dim. Once the car is running, the battery acts like a sort of capacitor once its charged cuz the alternator supplies the current at this point. By replacing the battery will be able to smooth out the dimming because a deep cycle has the abililty to supply current a bit longer than your current battery. On the other hand, a capacitor will act like another battery and supply a short burst of energy when needed. Its your call, I think Optima batteries run about 150 and good caps run about the same. I personally would go with the battery in your case and if this does not help, look into a cap. I think a alternator would be a bit extreme at this point.

Also, if you ever get chance, try replacing your 8 gauge wires with one 4 gauge and a distribution block in the trunk. It will be a cleaner setup and make sure you have good grounds to both amps.