Phreddy
Bye SV6 - still love you
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2005
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- 1,425
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- Location
- W-Sydney NSW
- Website
- www.asr-audio.com.au
- Members Ride
- VS-II Statey-8
No need to Morg!
You're exactly right - a capacitor (well, in that particular application) functions as a storage vessel. Not unlike a battery in a way, except that it can release the stored charge much more quickly than any battery possibly could. However, it WON'T allow you to run the system with the engine off for any longer than you would without the cap.
You see, the capacitor receives its charge from the battery in the first place. When the amp makes a huge current demand spike (like a bass kick or summink) the capacitor can dump that charge into the amp in a couple of microseconds if needed, and recharges (again, from the battery) during the time in between the first instant and the next bass kick that comes along.
But they certainly don't "make their own power", or come anywhere near working as a reserve battery as such. A typical 1.5V AA cell actually holds more energy that your 1 Farad cap, but as mentioned before cannot deliver that energy in a single "belt" - there are physical and electrical characteristics within batteries which limit the peak current that can be pulled from them - limitations that capacitors don't suffer from.
Hope it's a bit clearer....
Cheerz!
You're exactly right - a capacitor (well, in that particular application) functions as a storage vessel. Not unlike a battery in a way, except that it can release the stored charge much more quickly than any battery possibly could. However, it WON'T allow you to run the system with the engine off for any longer than you would without the cap.
You see, the capacitor receives its charge from the battery in the first place. When the amp makes a huge current demand spike (like a bass kick or summink) the capacitor can dump that charge into the amp in a couple of microseconds if needed, and recharges (again, from the battery) during the time in between the first instant and the next bass kick that comes along.
But they certainly don't "make their own power", or come anywhere near working as a reserve battery as such. A typical 1.5V AA cell actually holds more energy that your 1 Farad cap, but as mentioned before cannot deliver that energy in a single "belt" - there are physical and electrical characteristics within batteries which limit the peak current that can be pulled from them - limitations that capacitors don't suffer from.
Hope it's a bit clearer....
Cheerz!