I've had a power capacitor sitting in my garage for ages now; mainly because I keep getting conflicting opinions from people about how they operate and/or whether they're worth fitting!

Personally, I like the extra bling factor (it has nice LEDs and a volt gauge), but understand there's a correct procedure for installing one. Again, I've had conflicting comments ranging from "You need to charge it first" to "Just stick it in".

Can I just fit it and then a case of reconnecting the battery? If not, how on earth do I charge it?

 

Depending on the Farad rating, you shuold be able to just fit it and reconnect the battery.

However, it is "advised" that anything over 1.5 farad be charged first!
To do this there should have been a resistor with the power cap when first purchased. This needs to placed between the live cable and live terminal of the capacitor and allowed to trickle charge, then connect the live to the cap.

In my own personal experience, this take far to long and on occasions doesnt seem to work (done 4 now).

If the earth point is good and clean and the live cable run between capacitor and amplifer is kept as short as resonably possible (and the live cable has an inline fuse [v. important]) then you should have no problems. I have 2f cap mine and connected it with a second battery, all worked fine. Just connected it.

 

Brilliant - thanks very much. I'll stick it in tomorrow and see how it goes!