how to properly charge a capacitor with a small bulb
how to properly charge a capacitor i need help doing this (my cap came with a small charging bulb)..id hate to **** up my system or anything like that.my system is already hooked up. i just want to now add a capacitor.id like step by step instructions on how to do this.thanks everyone.HELP!!!
Last edited by HIZPANICGUY21; Oct 16, 2007 at 11:04 PM.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 6,157
Likes: 1
From: Texas
what exactly do you need help with? the + wire goes as close to the power drain as possible (ie the amp) the - goes to ground / bare metal. I usually use a resistor to charge caps up but in your case its a bulb. Just hook the cap to ground then take the positive wire to one side of the bulb and then the other side of the bulb to the + side of the cap until it is charged. Once it is charged hook it up like normal.
ok..so do i remove the fuse (near the battery), then disconnect the ground from the amp and connect it to the - on the cap. then run the power to one side of the bulb and the other side of the bulb to the + side of the capacitor then place the fuse back in place? this will charge the cap?see picture below
when its all charged up..is this the correct way to hook it all up.see picture below
when its all charged up..is this the correct way to hook it all up.see picture below
Last edited by HIZPANICGUY21; Oct 17, 2007 at 01:40 AM.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,273
Likes: 1
an easier way is hook everything up how you would want it wired but dont put the fuse in. go under the hood and put the light in place of the fuse wait for it to finish charging then take the light out and put the fuse in, did it like this at work all the time
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I always thought the point of a cap was to give your amp(s) a steady supply of power to draw from, keeping your sound more consistent. This wouldnt have an effect on the headlight issue as the lights are still drawing current from the same source. However the cap is always full, so the amp always has a full bank of power to draw from, even if the battery/alternator is being taxed. Kind of like those doggy water bowls, with the big tank on top... As the dog drinks the water, the tank refills the water in the bowl the second that its drunk, so theres always a constant level of water in the bowl. Without the tank(cap) then the water level would go down until its filled from another source (the sink 
or battery/alternator ).... if that makes any sense 
or battery/alternator ).... if that makes any sense 
your are correct, except, in your example with the doggy bowl, the cap is a thimble. They just don't hold enough power to be useful in most situations. They discharge very fast, which is good, but the amount of current discharged is just not enough to make an audible difference. A measurable one with test equipment, sure, but not big enough to hear.
Not even a thimble in a doggy bowl.
The amount of USABLE energy in a 1 farad cap is 49 joules at 14 volts. That means it can supply 49 watts for 1 second before it is totally drained. Or, 1 watt for 49 seconds before totally drained. Stereo systems dont operate below 11 volts (normally 12, but we'll say 11 just in case), so the actual usable amount is closer to about 30 joules. With the OP's 500 watt amp, it will power the amp for 3/50ths of a second.
In comparison, an optima yellow top stores 2,574,000 joules. How much do you guys think 30 joules will help a stereo when it has 2.5 MILLION in the battery? A battery that is only used when the alternator can't keep up?
The amount of USABLE energy in a 1 farad cap is 49 joules at 14 volts. That means it can supply 49 watts for 1 second before it is totally drained. Or, 1 watt for 49 seconds before totally drained. Stereo systems dont operate below 11 volts (normally 12, but we'll say 11 just in case), so the actual usable amount is closer to about 30 joules. With the OP's 500 watt amp, it will power the amp for 3/50ths of a second.
In comparison, an optima yellow top stores 2,574,000 joules. How much do you guys think 30 joules will help a stereo when it has 2.5 MILLION in the battery? A battery that is only used when the alternator can't keep up?
