i just purchased a Rockford Fosgate 1 Farad Cap, but i realized it says 20vdc, now i know you can get 16,18,20, etc ,. since i now have a 20VDC cap, will it matter that i have a stock battery??? i have a 02 Lincoln LS V8. my system includes Rockford Fosgate 800aii, which is 942@4ohms bridged. i am using 2 12"inch Cerwin-Vega - Vega Series 400RMS/800MAX. i just need to know if this 20vdc Rockford Cap, is gonna be a problem, or if everything will be fine, any suggestions please help!
Replies (13)
swez on 04/6/2007 08:46:00
That's normal for a CAP to have a slightly higher rating then the voltage supply can deliver. It will just store to the value the ALT delivers, (12.5-14.4 volts) and feed your sub amp as needed.
FYI: Caps are sometimes useful for moderate light dimming at low engine RPM's. However, with such a large sub amp, this may not be the last word on light dimming.
If this Cap does not cure the problem, we often go in stages:
1. Big 3 wire upgrade
2. A large capacity BAT (750 CCA or higher rated BAT)
3. Buy a H.O. ALT for this one
I believe this Lincoln uses a large format, 650 CCA rated BAT as stock. If it's the original BAT, you're living on borrowed time as most factory BATs last about 4-6 years. It all depends on the climate you live in. Colder winters tend to wear out a battery sooner while warm climates tend to a bit easier on a BAT.
If it's getting weak now, it may start the car OK, but have very low reserve power for add on like this amp. If you elect to replace it soon, consider a high CCA rated Gel Cel battery. They cost a bit more than normal batteries, but they deliver a lot more too.
Swez
schust06 on 04/6/2007 09:41:42
i read about the big 3, the thing is my the lincoln ls stores its battery in the trunk next to the spare tire!
schust06 on 04/6/2007 09:44:28
also if i do decide to get a new battery is a good brand and kind you said Gel Cel? im not to into batteries so i have no idea! do you have any suggestions for a battery? also i just take my stock battery out then put this one in? and i can keep the same alternator?
ShootuhMcBustaCap on 04/6/2007 13:16:15
That sucks that your battery is in the trunk. This will make doing the big 3 a pain in the rear, since you will have to dismantle the whole interior, and use a bigger guage wire fot it.
Optima, Stinger and a few others make some good batteries. Also, your local parts store should definitely carry batteries that are a hefty upgrade from stock. Gel Cell would be the way to go here.
You can also keep the same alternator. If dimming is still a significant problem after a battery/big 3 upgrade, than you may want to consider going with a H/O alternator, but this isn't as easy as it sounds. Most have much smaller pulleys than stock, and need to be tensioned perfectly, or they will make little or no current at idle, and probably begin to slip at higher RPM. Plus, a big 3 upgrade will HAVE to be done to accomadate all of the extra current, which again will suck with the battery in the trunk.
swez on 04/6/2007 13:41:08
You may only need a larger CCA rated battery here as trunk mounted BATs often use pretty heavy cables to get the power from the ALT, all the way back there. Dodge Magnum's do that w/ a stock #2 gage line. Hopefully Lincoln uses a fat line that way too.
I looked up your car at the Optima site and they list no batteries as a drop in fit for the LS. (1999-2004) Bummer! You may have to check around at say NAPA Auto and see if they can recommend something that will fit and supply more juice for your needs. NAPA carries a brand of Gel Cel too, (Besides Optima) and are often well priced too. Give them a call and see what you can learn over the phone.
Swez
ShootuhMcBustaCap on 04/6/2007 17:52:49
That was the exact battery I was thinking of from NAPA. My buddy put one in his camry, and with a big 3 and that, dimming lights were never a problem, even with 100 amps of auxillary current draw. I will be purchasing one for my car.
schust06 on 04/6/2007 19:27:04
but in other word, the 20vdc cap will be fine, with the stock battery an the 940 watts of power the has? eventually i should upgrade i know this, but i just didnt know if the cap was gonna do something to the battery since the volts' was too high on the cap
cplkittle on 04/6/2007 19:50:17
the rating 20vdc is a measure of the voltage spike it can discharge. It is kinda like saying "up to 20 volts DC". The cap will not hurt your battery. It will probably not do much to help, they just don't do what they say they will. Capacitors were used in DB drags to gain tenths of a decimel on a short burst. They are really nothing more than eye candy for the everyday system.
schust06 on 04/6/2007 20:18:40
yeah but they have to provide some positive's!!! i mean it helps the battery/atlernator out, dont they?
cplkittle on 04/6/2007 20:40:10
you might notice the lights not dimming when listening to rock where there is a steady beat of the bass drum.
Basically it charges up and discharges. If you are listening to rap and your system is playing a low note, the cap will discharge within the first second, and wait until there is not a drain on the system to recharge.
Check this out.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stiffening_capacitor
schust06 on 04/6/2007 21:39:37
so i shouldnt even install one? the bass will hit harder without it? according to that link it says, " inappropriate for systems that will require prolonged delivery of power" so just the amp and subs, no cap??
jamesp on 04/6/2007 21:55:04
The bass wont hit harder without it.
If your electrical system is adequate for the added strain of your audiosystem the cap will not hurt anything and may help a bit as kittle explained above.
If your charging system is inadequate for powering both your cars needs and your sound systems needs together..the cap is not going to correct those deficiencies. The cap can only provide a very short burst of power to fill in for less than 1 second when your electrical system has its capacity exceeded.
swez on 04/7/2007 04:24:09
Caps are small storage devices. Although 1 Farad seems like a lot of storage, (And it is) this is very short term storage and the cap empties its charge in a matter of seconds or less.
This is why larger storage batteries are used. They store many times the power reserve any cap can deliver. If you can return the Cap and get a full refund, use that money to upgrde your battery. This is especially true when listening to Rap, Country and other long bass tone music. Rock, Techno and most Jazz are not as demading on long bass tones.
In short, Stiffening Caps are a bandaid approach at best and can only do so much. A large capacity battery and a solid ALT are keys to full performace of any large bass engine system.
Swez
Replies (13)
swez on 04/6/2007 08:46:00
That's normal for a CAP to have a slightly higher rating then the voltage supply can deliver. It will just store to the value the ALT delivers, (12.5-14.4 volts) and feed your sub amp as needed.
FYI: Caps are sometimes useful for moderate light dimming at low engine RPM's. However, with such a large sub amp, this may not be the last word on light dimming.
If this Cap does not cure the problem, we often go in stages:
1. Big 3 wire upgrade
2. A large capacity BAT (750 CCA or higher rated BAT)
3. Buy a H.O. ALT for this one
I believe this Lincoln uses a large format, 650 CCA rated BAT as stock. If it's the original BAT, you're living on borrowed time as most factory BATs last about 4-6 years. It all depends on the climate you live in. Colder winters tend to wear out a battery sooner while warm climates tend to a bit easier on a BAT.
If it's getting weak now, it may start the car OK, but have very low reserve power for add on like this amp. If you elect to replace it soon, consider a high CCA rated Gel Cel battery. They cost a bit more than normal batteries, but they deliver a lot more too.
Swez
schust06 on 04/6/2007 09:41:42
i read about the big 3, the thing is my the lincoln ls stores its battery in the trunk next to the spare tire!
schust06 on 04/6/2007 09:44:28
also if i do decide to get a new battery is a good brand and kind you said Gel Cel? im not to into batteries so i have no idea! do you have any suggestions for a battery? also i just take my stock battery out then put this one in? and i can keep the same alternator?
ShootuhMcBustaCap on 04/6/2007 13:16:15
That sucks that your battery is in the trunk. This will make doing the big 3 a pain in the rear, since you will have to dismantle the whole interior, and use a bigger guage wire fot it.
Optima, Stinger and a few others make some good batteries. Also, your local parts store should definitely carry batteries that are a hefty upgrade from stock. Gel Cell would be the way to go here.
You can also keep the same alternator. If dimming is still a significant problem after a battery/big 3 upgrade, than you may want to consider going with a H/O alternator, but this isn't as easy as it sounds. Most have much smaller pulleys than stock, and need to be tensioned perfectly, or they will make little or no current at idle, and probably begin to slip at higher RPM. Plus, a big 3 upgrade will HAVE to be done to accomadate all of the extra current, which again will suck with the battery in the trunk.
swez on 04/6/2007 13:41:08
You may only need a larger CCA rated battery here as trunk mounted BATs often use pretty heavy cables to get the power from the ALT, all the way back there. Dodge Magnum's do that w/ a stock #2 gage line. Hopefully Lincoln uses a fat line that way too.
I looked up your car at the Optima site and they list no batteries as a drop in fit for the LS. (1999-2004) Bummer! You may have to check around at say NAPA Auto and see if they can recommend something that will fit and supply more juice for your needs. NAPA carries a brand of Gel Cel too, (Besides Optima) and are often well priced too. Give them a call and see what you can learn over the phone.
Swez
ShootuhMcBustaCap on 04/6/2007 17:52:49
That was the exact battery I was thinking of from NAPA. My buddy put one in his camry, and with a big 3 and that, dimming lights were never a problem, even with 100 amps of auxillary current draw. I will be purchasing one for my car.
schust06 on 04/6/2007 19:27:04
but in other word, the 20vdc cap will be fine, with the stock battery an the 940 watts of power the has? eventually i should upgrade i know this, but i just didnt know if the cap was gonna do something to the battery since the volts' was too high on the cap
cplkittle on 04/6/2007 19:50:17
the rating 20vdc is a measure of the voltage spike it can discharge. It is kinda like saying "up to 20 volts DC". The cap will not hurt your battery. It will probably not do much to help, they just don't do what they say they will. Capacitors were used in DB drags to gain tenths of a decimel on a short burst. They are really nothing more than eye candy for the everyday system.
schust06 on 04/6/2007 20:18:40
yeah but they have to provide some positive's!!! i mean it helps the battery/atlernator out, dont they?
cplkittle on 04/6/2007 20:40:10
you might notice the lights not dimming when listening to rock where there is a steady beat of the bass drum.
Basically it charges up and discharges. If you are listening to rap and your system is playing a low note, the cap will discharge within the first second, and wait until there is not a drain on the system to recharge.
Check this out.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stiffening_capacitor
schust06 on 04/6/2007 21:39:37
so i shouldnt even install one? the bass will hit harder without it? according to that link it says, " inappropriate for systems that will require prolonged delivery of power" so just the amp and subs, no cap??
jamesp on 04/6/2007 21:55:04
The bass wont hit harder without it.
If your electrical system is adequate for the added strain of your audiosystem the cap will not hurt anything and may help a bit as kittle explained above.
If your charging system is inadequate for powering both your cars needs and your sound systems needs together..the cap is not going to correct those deficiencies. The cap can only provide a very short burst of power to fill in for less than 1 second when your electrical system has its capacity exceeded.
swez on 04/7/2007 04:24:09
Caps are small storage devices. Although 1 Farad seems like a lot of storage, (And it is) this is very short term storage and the cap empties its charge in a matter of seconds or less.
This is why larger storage batteries are used. They store many times the power reserve any cap can deliver. If you can return the Cap and get a full refund, use that money to upgrde your battery. This is especially true when listening to Rap, Country and other long bass tone music. Rock, Techno and most Jazz are not as demading on long bass tones.
In short, Stiffening Caps are a bandaid approach at best and can only do so much. A large capacity battery and a solid ALT are keys to full performace of any large bass engine system.
Swez
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