How do i charge the farad cap?

[labelhunter]

The instructions arent that clear. Do I connect the ground to the bulb or just hold the light bulb? I think holding it i should be grounded right? It says should only take 30 seconds for it to charge. Any help would be great. Thanks guys.

[jaydub]

actually it's not called a "farad cap," it's just a "cap." Farad is a unit of measure. For a bit more detailed instructions, check this out, I got it from a car audio website i belong to.

TECH TIP:

Charging large capacitors:
When connecting a large capacitor (1/2 farad or larger) to the 12 volt source, you may want to charge it slowly before making the final connection to the power wire. Most capacitors come with a resistor to charge the cap slowly. If you're working on your system, and disconnect the capacitor, the cap may get discharged (something might accidentally touch across the terminals or it may partially self discharge over time). If you can't find the original resistor to recharge the cap, you can recharge it with a standard test light (you know, the one with a light bulb, not one of those fancy pants test lights with LED indicators). There's a somewhat helpful demo near the bottom of the page.

If you don't have a test light and want to use a resistor to charge or discharge your capacitor, use a ceramic encapsulated high power resistor like the one below (I'd recommend using a resistor rated for 10 watts or more and about 20 ohms). If you use a small resistor (i.e. a 1/4 or 1/2 watt) of too low value (less than 100 ohms), it may get hot enough to seriously burn your fingers.

[labelhunter]

I have this cap. ( http://www.carstereoexpo.com/lsligaud1far1.html ) Sorry i dont understand how to charge it from your reading. Its late and maybe in the morning i can. I dont think that the bulb they gave will burn my fingers. Right?

[jaydub]

Hmm, will ///this\\\ (http://www.lightningaudio.com/scripts/latech.cfg/php.exe/enduser/std_adp.php?p_sid=pUxLLOTg&p_lva=&p_faqid=46&p_created=1030131165&p_sp=cF9ncmlkc29ydD0mcF9yb3dfY250PTQmcF9zZWFyY2hfd GV4dD1jaGFyZ2luZyZwX3NlYXJjaF90eXBlPTMmcF9wcm9kX2x 2bDE9fmFueX4mcF9wcm9kX2x2bDI9fmFueX4mcF9jYXRfbHZsM T1_YW55fiZwX3NvcnRfYnk9ZGZsdCZwX3BhZ2U9MQ**&p_li=) help? It's directly from Lightning Audio's website.

[labelhunter]

Yea i was on that site dismorning. I still dont get it. The package says to connect the bulb on the negative side. Like inline with the ground wire. I dont know. Thanks for trying to help im just retarted. Also will this thing always be on?

[jaydub]

Absolutely not, otherwise it'll drain your battery. It's not the sort of thing that's really on or off, it's more like a "tank" for power. It just holds the power there, until the amp needs it, and then it is recharged very quickly. I'm not sure where else to lead ya, in terms of charging it, but I might suggest if you're still confused that you find a car audio shop around your town who might be able to assist. If you're not sure what's going on there, it could be a bit dangerous.

[labelhunter]

Thanks for your help i guess i should have taken this thread to pm but yea i got it. everything is goin well. I just did what it said i dont know why i was so confused. Thanks man i guess i was out to late lastnight.

[jaydub]

Good deal man. Glad you got it workin.

[labelhunter]

the led display telling me the voltage isnt lit up. theres a adjustment screw under the plastic, What is that for? Is the cap working? i charged it till the light went out then hooked it up. I dont know Its been an all day thing. and should only take a few mins.