I am running 2 audiobahn a800t amps that run 800 watts rms each. I am running a distribution block for the power and i need some help with a capacitor. Should i run one big capacitor before the d-block or 2 smaller ones after the d-block? And since it is 1 farad per 1000 watts do you go by the rms watts or the peak power? or would you go by what your gain will be set at? thanks for your help.

try running the amps at night with the bass up, and see if you get headlight dimming or bad battery drop off

I would recommend that you Spend the money and upgrade the Batt and Alt FIRST, you might not even need the cap

I have an Optima yellow top, a 140 amp alt, and 1300 watts of stereo. I had BAD headlight dimming with a stock alt and battery, so I got a 1 farad cap which fixed it. I later upgraded my alt and battery to the aforementioned when the stockers died a short time later (why, I don't know why they died, they were 2 years old.). I've removed the cap to troubleshoot some whine, and my lights don't dim, but I do see voltage drops of .5 at times.

agreed


if you have bad dimming, a capacitor will only hide the problem when it still exists. look up "big 3" with google, follow directions. still a problem? buy a high output alternator, then a battery


btw, im running 1800w RMS and see no problems on stock electronics with the big 3.

As far as the cap ?'* go:

1) A capacitor is a storage device for electrical energy, that being said I would run the caps before the dist. block, because with electricty you start from the top and work down.

The battery would power the caps,

The caps would then inturn power the amps, signal processors etc...


2) You would go by the RMS power 1 farad for every 1,000 watts of power.

3) The level settings of the amps would have nothing to do with it. All they are, are gain controls to help match signal strnegth.

4) The best path to take with any high powered system is always get as powerful battery as you can.

The Optima yellow tops are an excellent choice.
One thing to keep in mind is you may have to get a more powerful alternator.

The alt. has a lot of components fighting for its power, Headlights, AC or Heater, Wipers interior lights, and unfortunatly the stereo is last.

Wait and see what some other member chime in with.

Tim

I would agree with upgrading the alternator and battery first. Many folks get a cap only to realize that their alternator and battery die a short time latter (such as the member noted above). Why does this happen? First off, when your headlights dim a lot, that means that your electrical system cannot supply enough current to the amplifier for it remain >13.5V. Since a cap store electricity, it seems like the perfect fix -- when a big bass note hits, the cap discharges, thus supplying the necessary current to keep voltage up. That'* all fine and dandy, but this isn't a magical device! After the cap discharges, it must recharge. Again, your alt can't keep up with the amp to begin with, and now it has to recharge the cap as well. Chances are, if your alternator can't supply with current to power the amplifier, it definately isn't going to like to recharge the cap as well. If your electrical system isn't up to par, a cap isn't going to take any load off your alternator, thus the reason why many people see their alternator or battery (usually both, since they put a load on each other when one or the other is dying) fail.

So, as someone above me noted, save your money from the cap, and upgrade your alternator and battery first.

Not to stir the pot, but caps can still have their place. The fact that a cap can alleviate voltage drops shows that it reduces strain by giving the alt/battery more time to recover. The alt still has to create the same number of joules of energy, but not as quickly. It is my theory that the cap can delay the laternator and battery failure.

If your charging system is built well, the a cap will help you out by smoothing out the peaks in the power delivery.

cliff notes: a cap is only a bandaid to a weak electrical setup. Upgrade ALT and BATT before a cap.