i have a rocford digital top wired up in the trunk and want to know if it is contantly on. there is a switched power wire connected to it, but i think its used to turn the digital read out on only. experts please inform me. its greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

Caps are always charged.

 

....not all of them


--Don

 

Elaborate some on that Don. I'm always looking to learn new things.

 

Alumapro caps turn on and charge up when you turn on the radio. This would also include the Phoenix Gold caps which are made by Alumapro.

--Don

 

Actually PG used to use alumapro caps but now I think they just licensed the technology and build them in house. They use a large very low ESR relay to switch the cap on and off. The downside of the alumapro is that it tries to charge instantly when you turn the stereo on, via remote turn on switch to relay. The PG has supposedly solved that issue and has the relay internal like the alumapro 50 farad.

Any cap or second battery can use a large relay to switch it on with the stereo. For information how to wire this go to Stingers site, http://www.stingerelectronics.com/st...%20diagram.pdf

Without a relay or some other device to switch the cap off a normal cap will be a slow drain on the battery. From what I have read the drain is low enough that most cars could sit a month and still have enough battery power to start the car. But in a system that is already damaging the battery it may not have the charge to last as long.

I researched this when my old CAP 15 died and talked via phone and email with several super cap companies tech's.