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Technical
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Like it loud?
If
your lights dim with the beat, or your speakers start smoking without permission,
or your CD skips a beat or two, your amplifier may be trying to use more
fast energy than the electrical system can supply. Unfortunately, your car's
electrical system is not thinking about the needs of your amplifier. Power
is being robbed from your audio system by such trifling matters as: the engine
and lights. This may leave your amplifier hungry for power, and worse, delivering
destructive distortion when it fails to get it.
Technically
, a capacitor is
an electronic device which consists of two rolled up plates of electrically
conductive material separated by an insulator known as a dielectric. Within
this frame an electrical field charge is developed. The quantum of this charge
is the capacitor's value, measured in farads. It is largely determined by
the surface area of the plates, the effective distance between the plates,
and the chemical composition of the dielectric material.
Audio
capacitors
are energy
reservoirs that store the necessary power your amplifier will need to punch
those big bass notes while limiting
clipping
(see
definition at right).
They store power during intervals when
it is not required, which is most of the time, and release it when a short
term transient demand exceeds what is available from the car's power system.
A stiffening capacitor for your amp is the simplest way to be sure your system
always gets every bit of immediate current it needs.
Many capacitors are rated for ESR. This is the Equivalent Series Resistance of a capacitor. A perfect capacitor would have only capacitance. All conductors have resistance. In a capacitor, there are many conductors such as terminal leads, foil and even the dielectric electrolyte. The resistance of all of these conductors contribute to the capacitor's series resistance. It's essentially the same as having a resistor in series with an ideal capacitor. Capacitors with relatively high ESR will have less ability to pass current from its plates to the load (the amplifier).
Discharging the Capacitor:
Charging with a Resistor:
For information on installing capacitors, see this page . |
MAIN
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ENCLOSURES:
Theile/Small AMPLIFIERS: About Installing Install Tips Power Ratings RECEIVERS: Installing NEON/LED: Installing TOOLS |
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