So what is the actual purpose of a capacitor? I am using one to prevent my accesories from suffering due to sudden power drops caused by my 1300 watt stereo. You know dimming headlights, etc.

I recently caught criticism for doing this. Am I incorrect in my idea of what a cap is for?

well it acts like a reserve. it keeps power in the cap...when the amp demans the power it is sucked out of the cap instead straining the electrical system and starving tha maps. some dont say that it reduces the electrical system strain....but to each his own

here is Rockfords answer

http://www.rockfordfosgate.com/scrip...cGFnZT0x&p_li=

So I'm not using it incorrectly. Just checking.

nope you have it for the right reasons.....there are some people who dont believe in using a cap they work and its proven to increase db and keep the alt and battery from killing over

I never said you were wrong for using it. Anything over 1000 or 1500w should have one, unless you have dual batteries, multiple alts, etc. But if you have an older OE alternator, and a 3 year old battery, a capacitor isn't going to solve problems, it'* a bandaid.

All the power in a vehicles electrical system originates from the battery or alternator, and the amp uses however much power it needs all comes from those parts, They'll still get the drain on them. Yes they do have a place, no stock setup can keep up with how fast amps pull juice from the system, but optimally you should have more then enough amperage to push it. It is a resivoir, and it does smooth out the load. It really should only be used IMO if your electrical system is good, and you still have issues.

Useful? Yes, but not a fix all i think.

Exactly. . . . . . . Adding cap to a electrical system that can't keep up will only strain the system even more. After running a batcap, I don't think that I would run anything else.

get a batcap

I wasn't taking about you. And I had a new alternator and battery when I got the cap.

What'* a batcap?