How to charge my capacitor.?

Question

ok well i have a 1 farad capacitor and i would like to know how to charge it and how it works. I have about 1000 watts rms on my subs.I know it is 1 farad for ever 1000 wats but my subs can only handel 1230 wats peek power so i know that im not pushing any more that 1200 watts on my subs. My amp is 1500.1 watts it is a monoblack. ANd i herd that you need 1 farad for ever 1000 watts. SO i bought a 1 farad. But when i charge it i use a trickel charger for an actual car battery and my lights in my car still dim. On the little ship that i got for my cap it was install directly to capictor and hook um the + and - to a 12 volt source. And i do that but the green light to tell me it is charged never goes off. i had it charging for around 8 hours last night and it was the same thing when i went to bed.



Nedd help pleaseeeeee !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 1

While you're messing around with your cap, charge it with the supply voltage and toss it to your friend. It will be a shocking experience for him.

Answer 2

A 12 v test light is best to use. Remove the main fuse by the battery, connect the cap in parallel to the amp, use the test light in place of the fuse. When the light goes out, it's charged. Replace fuse. This should take less than a minute.

The problem is a cap won't help with dimming lights. This is a power issue - or lack of.

_____________________

If your total system power is 1000 watts RMS or more, you will need to:

1. Upgrade the alternator to a high output alternator
2. Upgrade to a heavy duty deep cycle battery
3. Upgrade the "Big 3" - that is to replace the power wire between the battery and alternator, the ground from the battery to the chassis and the ground strap from the engine/tranny to the chassis with at least 1/0 AWG wire.

Failure to do this will result in you replacing them anyway as the alternator will eventually fail.

Here is a guide that will calculate what size alternator and power wires you need http://www.datafilehost.com/download.php?file=6d26c621

A second battery is never a good idea as it's an added strain on the alternator to charge two batteries AND supply power for the car. The ONLY time a second battery is useful is if the audio system is to be used with the car off.

A cap is only good so far as the audio system isn't trying to pull too much from the electrical system. A cap doesn't provide more power, it's designed to 'stiffen' the voltage to the amp, nothing esle. If the current isn't there, a cap won't help. The alternator must have at least 20% more amperage power than the entire vehicle and sound system combined for a cap to be of benefit which is ironically the same requirements for an amp to be efficient.

See my site for more info http://spkrbox1.spaces.live.com

Answer 3

charging a cap should not take more than 5 minutes. caps store/release energy 2350785748957 times faster than a battery.

Answer 4

hook it to the power and ground wires you have going into your amp. then run new wires from your cap to your amp. no less then 4 gauge. your alternator will charge the cap.

if that doesnt work i'm not really surpirsed. caps really dont do a whole lot to help dimming. if you really want to solve it, then buy a high output alternator.

good luck

Answer 5

sparky's the man....
i think he covered it all.
i will add that you are close to the 1000 range, and a simple big 3 upgrade may, i stress may be all you need.

big three kit - http://www.edesignaudio.com/edv2/product_info.php?cPath=28_56&products_id=163
big 3 vid - http://www.icixsound.com/iv/view_video.php?viewkey=2bc6f3d620bcedc94a4b&page=1&viewtype=&category=mr