Sound System "Power-ment"

[Matt]

I have 2x JBL 1000 Watt 10'' subs; 1200Watt PerforanceTeknique AMP; 2x Alpine 250Watt speakers. The Alpines are already powered by the car itself..
I still need to power the AMP and the subs. I was wondering whether it would be okay to power those by the car itself? Or would it be smarter to get another battery and have the car charge the battery while the battery powers subs and amp?

Let me know what you think.
Thanks

- Matt

[blackouthx]

you'll be good with the car battery, just get some capacitors and you'll be good.

my buddy is running 2 rockford T2 12's (2000rms each) and a 2000 watt amp and his 6.5s/6.9's with 2 1farad caps and hes been just fine.

PM me if you are gonna get some, I have 2 one farads I can sale you.

[bumpstick]

i would not add a capacitor unless you have serious issues with dimming lights or other accessories. a capacitor stores energy just like a battery, but extra batteries and/or capacitors actually create even more load for your charging system. just run the amp off your battery and make sure your charging system is in good shape. and upgrade your grounds if possible.

[rudsone]

x2 on bumpstick...i had two alpine type R's without a cap and it worked perfectly...no diming or anything...

[ownercarry]

sounds good, but bs is wrong about caps. they store energy, yes, but they do not create a load like a battery does. the problem with a second battery is that it's a charge load for the alternator. a cap however, is a reservior. the alternator quickly fills it, talking milliseconds here, and that's it. no more load for the alternator. shoud the cap need "give up" its energy for a huge bass passage or some-such-thing, it does, and then is filled back up nearly as quick. a battery on the other hand, actually creates energy chemically. restoring this chemical reaction is what the alternator does by putting a higher voltage back into the battery. that's why alternators charge your 12 volt battery at 14-14.4 votls. matt also has it right, that if you're not seeing dimming lights or dashboard, then alternator is able to keep pace. if you start to get some of that and you haven't used cheap shit 10 gauge wire for your system, then you should consider a stiffening cap. 1 farad per 1000 watts or better, 1 cap per amp will solve it.

[bumpstick]

Your battery and cap will have the same voltage, roughly equal to the output of the alternator when it is on, or the voltage of the battery at rest. as both of these items are electrically conductive, they have a resistance, which creates a load. a capacitor is a "reservoir" of electrons, present in an electonic field created between two opposing conductors. these electrons represent the potential to do work. work is energy consumed to produce power. you're right, caps are different than batteries because there is no chemical reaction in a cap, but there is an electrical field present between two opposing conducters in both devices, making a cap "just like" a battery. i'm not wrong you just read too much

[ownercarry]

yes, but the load of the cap is at least a 4th order lower than a battery. that's why the load it does indeed have, is essentially nothing compared to a battery. check one sometime.

[BlownspeakerBoX]

caps are all hype, they dont work

[dalmyd1]

caps are all hype, they dont work
x10000000

[4bangin]

i'm a fan a beefin up the capacitor and if that aint enough go the kenitic battery route, capacitors are a bandaid for small fix type problems

[4bangin]

^^^my bad, i ment alternator not capacitor

[BlownspeakerBoX]

caps are all hype,,, DONT BELIVE THE HYPE