from Optima

Red top is for starting.

• High voltage, short duration “bursts” of power when cranking the motor
• Put another way: Big-time cranking amps with only a little discharge because the motors starts and the alternator quickly takes over

Yellow top is dual purpose.

• Purpose #1: Starting, like the red top
• Purpose #2: Continuous or long periods of high demand, high power usage
• Put another way: Crank it, over power your alternator, drain it, then let your charging system catch up. Repeat. This up-down, repeated cycling is what yellow tops are made for.
• That’s the basics, let me add some other general rules (here’s where the wrench throwing starts)
  • If you think you need more than one battery, get yellow tops
  • If you use a “battery tender” or external charging source to keep your ride ready to roll, you need a yellow top
  • There’s no reason to have two red tops
  • If you’re not sure which one you need, you can’t go wrong with yellow top
  • Mixing red tops and yellow tops is wrong! (unless they’re wired completely separately)
  Finally, the most general rule:
  If you’re running anything on your ride that needs power, especially when the engine is off, that wasn’t there when it was built, you need a yellow top. For example:
  • Air compressors for air bags, air horns or whatever
  • Stereos with big amps or multiple “Pimp My Ride” style 20 inch LCD monitors in the trunk
  • Winch or off-road lighting
  • Games systems, DVD players or some alarms

 

copy I hear what you are saying . That has always been my rule of thumb and many others in car audio and the truth is it has been a on going discussion for a very long time and there good points on both sides I is up to the end user ultimately

 

And there's nothing wrong with that, it's not gonna hurt anything to only use a cap when you already have a ho alt, it's your personal preference. I just wanted to let the guys know who don't have any dimming that they too can enjoy the benefit of having a cap without having to shell out $300+ for a ho alt.

A good cap can and will help get rid of hysteretic distortion, which is a slow response to AC. That is the only beneficial use of a capacitor, IMO.

But here are some good uses of them:

1. Audio Jewelry- impress chicks with large cylindrical shiny thingy
2. Extra weight in winter time
3. A very POOR... BUT expensive distribution block
4. A projectile in the event of a crash
5. Rolling pin--for cooking purposes
6. A neat thing to tell your friend, "..Hey man, lick the top of this..

 

x2 man same here
LOL on the good uses Man !!

I do want to see what the guy has to say about the Batteries though I have never had a problem with a yellow top. I know there are othere brands and to each ther own but I said It was good not the Best

 

Blazed SS Do you have a Yellow Top.. Which one do you have

I wanted one of the ones that have top and side mounts. Top for the system and side for the stock terminals.

I might put the yellow up front and the kinetic in the back.

 

Jaws2008, please be careful doing this.. This is the ONLY place i have EVER made an error in my audio system it was the use of a dual post battery. I thought of the same thing and having separate terminals to make the stereo installation easier. It ultimately resulted in the demise of my wiring harness. In 1996 when i had my 94 3.1 cavalier, i had a dual post battery and used it for the purpose of hooking up my system.. i put a plastic snap together cover on the top posts because there wasn't a whole lot of clearance between the posts and the bottom of my hood. To make the story shorter, the battery tie down ended up snapping while whipping a corner, the terminal smashed the underside of the hood, welded itself to the hood after busting the cover i had on it and filled the entire inside of the car with noxious smoke from my wiring harness catching fire under my dash. I know there are safer ways of doing this and at the time i was not as wise as i am now, with safety and double-checking everything on forums and other websites. I fried a lot of nice things i had in this one incident though.

 

Yes I am up front
Optima Battery/Battery (D34-78) | 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 6 Cylinders K 3.8L SFI OHV | AutoZone.com


And 2
SHURiKEN SK-BT20 (skbt20) High Performance Battery with 20AH and
in the trunk

I have cleaned it up some since last year when I took those pics

 

I realize this is kind of a stupid question but... Does the battery you have in your trunk take the place of the capacitor then? And if so, it's probably best if i go that direction instead of the capacitor, correct?

EDIT* I checked the Autozone link you posted.. They don't have a yellow top optima battery that will fit in my car.. *sigh*

 

Ok I have 2 batteries in the trunk and a 200 amp draw. They just give me more juice in the way of run time under a heavy load (slower down the power loss )
A. When the car is off and I am bumping the system I.e. Car show ( I can run longer with out running the engin)
B. It helps me when I am competing at a car audio show I.e. Base boxing
I start at 14.1 and at the end of the run I am at 13.9 helping my system running at peak performance .

If that is what you are trying to get your system then that may be the way you want to go.

 

Thats the one I was looking at the D34 78. And Thats how I wanted to hook it up with the Top and Side post.

When you put the sound deadening in the trunk did you relay the carpet down on top of it then.. I dont know if I will since my design will fill up the entire trunk anyway and you wouldn't even see the carpet.

Thanks for those pics too. I cant wait to put my dynomat in.. Hopeing next wed and thur.