schlegle910

ok i got my stereo installed, now i need to install my capacitor, but i read all these things about charging the cap with a voltometer and a resistor but i dont really understand it, its not in lamens terms to me, ok this is what i know its a 2 farad capacitor that came with mounting brackets, the screws andstuff and a little light bulb with a little piece of metal wire on each end ofthe bulb( i think thats the resistor) but it didnt come with very good instructions, so i was wondering if someone could explain to me how to go about charging it in lamens terms so i can understand it becuase all the stuff i read online seems to be for people from MIT lol, any help would be greatly appreciated becuase i really need it



thanks,
schlegle910

RussB

By no means am I a capacitor expert, but most electrolytic capacitors depend upon an oxide coating on an aluminum or tantalum foil. The oxide coating is the dielectric. IIRC, electrolytic capacitors that have been stored a while or are brand new have little or no oxide and should, to ensure best performance (low ESR, etc) be "conditioned" by slowly charging them, starting with a low DC voltage and slowly increasing voltage. Doing this slowly builds a uniform oxide coating.

A light bulb in series with the capacitor across a battery would probably do this. (Observe polarity: make certain that the "-" terminal of the capacitor is connected to the "-" terminal of the battery.)

Why don't you post the text of the capacitor instructions here, and maybe someone here will translate it for you?


Disclaimer: I have no personal experience with 2 Farad capacitors in car audio systems.


Everything that you ever wanted to know about electrolytic capacitors:<ul><li><a href="http://electrochem.cwru.edu/ed/encycl/art-c04-electr-cap.htm">http://electrochem.cwru.edu/ed/encycl/art-c04-electr-cap.htm</a</li></ul>

stadtjunge

it's easy

broke90

I think you've just confused him more.