<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dannyboi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">well that was my feeling when I did my install, however, when I called PPI the tech told me that 8 gauge would be fine. He also said that rinning 4gauge all the way back may not be good because of the distance. He also recomended for me to run the amp ground all the way back to the negative terminal on my battery,which I haven't done. </TD></TR></TABLE>

If you called PPI and got that advice, they should be fired....

 

Here is what I did,

I have a digital lighting cap, I have a 2 gauge power/ground to my amp 600X2, in a civic that is a lot of power to demand. with the cap every hit on the bass is just as strong as the last. lights still dim when the car is at a stop light and sub is cranking. but it's getting plenty of power.

If you have a digital you will know when it is charged because with out the alternater engauged then your amp will be recieving more than just 12 volts. with the stereo on low (not drawing hardly any power) it will take 2-3 minutes to fully charge the cap. that is a big deal, once it is charged it will use the power stored and recharge between beats. If it is not originaly charged it might not have enough power for constant output.

Two amps, cut 4 inches of the rubber shield off the power wire, then put the pole screws <U>Through <U></U> </U> the wire then screw it down, you dont cut the wire and you can add multipule different wires on to it.

Does the new gauge ground wire really help that much?

What do you mean most caps don't really work?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Torridcivic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Does the new gauge ground wire really help that much?

What do you mean most caps don't really work?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes. You have 2 gauge wire run going back to the trunk. At peak you may be pulling 100's of amps(probably only 150 in your case if you have and AB amp). The small stock ground becomes a bottleneck for current. You can live without it right now IMO, but the upgrade is cheap.

Do a search on this forum. Rcurley posted a link to one of Richard Clark's carsound discussion proving why they can't work for dimming. It can work if you have an upgraded alternator that can put out enough power to drive your system. Most people expect it to stop dimming when they have 100+ amps of current draw and the stock 90 amp alternator.

 

siine a lot fo people are responding with intelligence answer.

how do i hook up a e brake wire. its for an indash i have. does teh e brake have to be hooked up inorder for the whoel unit towork? help me please..

hanks

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CoolKat &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">siine a lot fo people are responding with intelligence answer.

how do i hook up a e brake wire. its for an indash i have. does teh e brake have to be hooked up inorder for the whoel unit towork? help me please..

hanks</TD></TR></TABLE>

I have no clue, but you will get a better response by starting a new thread. That is not even in the ballpark of this topic

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Rcurley posted a link to one of Richard Clark's carsound discussion proving why they can't work for dimming.</TD></TR></TABLE> This is incorrect, that is not what that article was about. Capacitors can and do work to prevent dimming if used in the correct way as I mentioned earlier. Running a 600W amplifier with a 8 gauge wire is ridiculous, unless it is a foot from the battery. How the hell is the cap supposed to function if you are starving the amplifier.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Most people expect it to stop dimming when they have 100+ amps of current draw and the stock 90 amp alternator.</TD></TR></TABLE>
This is somewhat correct. Because music is transient peak current demands could peak this high with no problem. If you are continuously pulling this much current then yes you will have a problem.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsxxtreme &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> This is incorrect, that is not what that article was about. Capacitors can and do work to prevent dimming if used in the correct way as I mentioned earlier. Running a 600W amplifier with a 8 gauge wire is ridiculous, unless it is a foot from the battery. How the hell is the cap supposed to function if you are starving the amplifier.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

This is true. My post was worded a little incorrectly. In a nutshell, hopefully I don't mess this up again.

Caps are good for short bursts, if your alternator cannot keep up then you will dim. The cap may give time for your alternator to react to the current demand.

RC's post was concerning large caps preventing voltage drop with an amp that pulled more power than the alternator could deal with. This is the situation that most people that try to use caps to remedy their problem are in.

 

Actually, the point of Richard's tirade was that the advertised ESR of many of the "supercaps" on the market (specifically Phoenix Gold's) rendered them useless. Meaning, because the ESR was so high, they would do little to nothing to affect how your system SOUNDS.

That was the original argument that Richard was trying to make - it had nothing to do with dimming lights, etc. The car in question had a high output alternator. Claims were made that simply adding this capacitor to the system made a remarkable change in its sound and the voltage stability at the amplifier. Clark decided to refute these claims, then backed it up with some "lessons" about electricity.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Actually, the point of Richard's tirade was that the advertised ESR of many of the "supercaps" on the market (specifically Phoenix Gold's) rendered them useless. Meaning, because the ESR was so high, they would do little to nothing to affect how your system SOUNDS.
That was the original argument that Richard was trying to make - it had nothing to do with dimming lights, etc. The car in question had a high output alternator. Claims were made that simply adding this capacitor to the system made a remarkable change in its sound and the voltage stability at the amplifier. Clark decided to refute these claims, then backed it up with some "lessons" about electricity.</TD></TR></TABLE>
This is correct.

Their are large caps that have low ESR. The largest I have seen is around 5 Farads from Stinger. The peak transients are what cause your lights to Dim.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsxxtreme &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
This is correct.

Their are large caps that have low ESR. The largest I have seen is around 5 Farads from Stinger. The peak transients are what cause your lights to Dim.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

Lights can dim without being in peak transient if you have enough power being drawn. The peak transients are the worst though. For example a long bass note with a peak at the middle. The lights will dim, then dim more on the peak, and then brighten a little. The dimming may not stop until the note is over.

That stinger cap is over $500 I hope that a new alternator will take care of my problems. I expect to dim at idle still. Right now I can drive down the freeway and cause my lights to dim if I turn it up too loud.

 

If you are dimming and staying dim more than likely you exceeded the alternators limits. Personally dimming lights don't bother me much as long as they don't get to dim, a flicker is fine with me. I do not notice the improvement in sound with or without a cap. I would probably just run with the stock alternator until it burnt out before I upgraded. I ran a Soundstream 10.2 at 1000w to three 12W6's and a Picasso 25X4 at 50wX4. I aslo had one of the Stinger dry cell batteries and a 1.5 Farad cap. 2 gauge from the front to back. Upgraded the ground to 2 gauge as well, to the frame and engine. I also upraded the stock charging wire I think to 8 guage(can't remember it's been a while). This was on a 98 Acura Integra GSR. I only had a very faint flicker. Never burnt out the alternator it worked fine, last time I talked to the new owner it is still running fine.

 

Can a wire larger than 8 gauge be squeezed in the engine bay between the alt and the battery? I have not looked to see the space I have yet. Did you mount a fuse on that run, and what did you secure it to if you did? I am planning on doing 4 guage from engine to chassis and from alt to battery, if it will get in there. From battery ground to chassis I have a 2 gauge autozone wire already

My headlights don't dim because they are hid, but I don't think this is good for the ballasts My instrument panel and the other lights dim though.

This only happens at obnoxious levels that will cause hearing loss though At my normal listening volumes don't notice any dimming.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Can a wire larger than 8 gauge be squeezed in the engine bay between the alt and the battery? I have not looked to see the space I have yet. Did you mount a fuse on that run, and what did you secure it to if you did? I am planning on doing 4 guage from engine to chassis and from alt to battery, if it will get in there. From battery ground to chassis I have a 2 gauge autozone wire already</TD></TR></TABLE>
Sorry it's been so long I don't remember, I might have had 4 gauge installed. I know I put the largest wire that would fit. No fuse because it gets fused in the fuse box under the hood.


Modified by nsxxtreme at 10:31 AM 5/15/2003

 

rcurley55 gets the award for best one liner analogy in this thread:

"go try to run a marathon while breathing through a straw and get back to me on how it worked !!"


*Golf clap*


Anyone know off the top of their head how much a digital diplay on a cap draws?