capacitors

[speed100]

i heard of people puttin these big capacitors on ther motors and stuff.n i herd people puttin more den 1 on or sumtin.how u do it and wat does it do?

[AfrothundA]

basicly caps store energy and allows it to be relaesed when the throtle is applied.,, kinda like nitrous oxide
i dunno how to install them though.

[YzakB4DDRG]

AH! Easy, you need 3 capacitors for motors, they are non-polarized so you don't need to care much. They must be of the 104 type (says it on the ceramic head of the capacitor. One capacitor goes between the Motor's NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE ends. Another goes from MOTOR NEGATIVE TO GROUND (since 130-sized motors don't have a ground tab like 'some' 540 motors, you HAVE to solder the capacitor leading from the negative motor to the motor's can). Take the third capacitor and solder one end onto the MOTOR POSITIVE, and solder the end to the motor's can. Just like with the negative, but with the positive. The properly solder the motor wires leading from the ESC, or the 'EP' as you guys call them onto the proper tabs on the motor!

Remember when soldering your wires to the motor tabs:

+ goes to +
and
- goes to -
(duh)

If anyone wants more clear instructions, either add me to MSN, or send me an email at: [email protected]. This email is for my inbox and MSN.

Just remember this:

Capacitor = Motor + and Motor -

Capacitor = Motor - and Motor Can

Capacitor = Motor + and Motor Can

Just make sure you solder them on an easily accessible place on the can, out of the way of some things in your car. Remember, these soldered spots are exposed. Be sure to heatshrink wires on your vehicle so nothing gets shorted!

Taken from Miki's Helpful R/C Hints

[jimmythekid1]

are'nt they just to reduce electromagnitc interferince in the car couse by the ac voltage of the motor spining?

Also they would probaly absorb any shock that the motor might cause form damaging the board and eliminate interference of the siganl from your radio?

I don't know for sure but that is my therory I'm sure one of us knows for sure out there....

[YzakB4DDRG]

sort of... but you're thinking more in the lines of schottky diodes... I like what you're thinking! But with an Xmods vehicle, you're not routing 20AMPs here and there... in 1:10 and higher you need the schottky diode. yo don't want a burst of 20AMPS going to random places!

[Damau]

Jimmythekid1,
You are pretty much on the right track. Capacitors (condensers to us old timers) have the ability to store energy in an electric field. Electric motors generate some energy in the form of noise (alternating current). Capacitors aborb these voltage spikes and release them (discharge) back into the source voltage (the direct current from the batteries), thus eliminating the noise which can get into (interfere with) the electronics of the car as well as the radio signal.

Contrary to what some of the posters on some of the forums I have read, they do not provide more power. I read one post on another forum that went something like this, "Capicators, what do they do?' (note how he spelled capacitors) One poster answered, "I don't know but I understand they pack quite a punch". They do pack quite a punch, just ask someone who has poked around in a high voltage power supply without discharging the filter capacitors. They will light your eyeballs up!!!!!

Remember back in the days of points and condensers in the ignition system of automobiles? The condenser's role in those systems was to aborb (store) the electrical pulses to keep the points from arching and burning the contacts. We used to take a condenser, ground the case to an engine block and hold the terminal to a spark plug (with the engine running of course) and charge up the capacitor with about 18,000 volts of DC. Then hand it to someone and tell them, "here take this, it will work in your lawnmower". Then wait until they touched the terminal end while holding the can part in their hand. A real nice blue arc would would give them quite a jolt and make them mad in the process.

The bottom line is that capacitors store energy in an electric field and then discharges it when the source voltage (the voltage spikes from cd motors) falls. One other related note, inductors can store energy in a magnetic field, but they do not have the ability to hold the energy after the source voltage is removed like a capacitor has.

[civichatchguy]

I am not sure but I believe that the original post was relating to the capacitors that you add on between batteries. If this is true the answer for what they do is make your batteries stay the same for most of a heat/race. First off buy a nice motor with some real bottom end (not one that makes amazing speed claims). The guy next to you has lithium ion batteries and one of those engines that claims it does insane speeds. After the first lap or two his once rocketing lithiums are nearly juiced out, his board is heating up and his motor has to much power going to it, but your capacitor has allowed your 4 AAA batteries to maintain most of their full power, while keeping the board cool and the motor is running at its designed ranges. As the race progresses you will notice your car hasnt changed in acceleration and power but the other guy is getting a bit sluggish getting out of the corners and thats where you will get him. The capacitors you can add on between batteries are there to keep your car running at its initial state for relatively short races. Check out www.RCButlers.com to see a car running 4 AAA batteries, a decent motor and I do believe he was running a cap doing 25mph on dry pavement(not on a silly speed dyno).

[jimmythekid1]

Thank you Damau, for the infomation

[YzakB4DDRG]

Originally Posted by civichatchguy

I am not sure but I believe that the original post was relating to the capacitors that you add on between batteries. If this is true the answer for what they do is make your batteries stay the same for most of a heat/race. First off buy a nice motor with some real bottom end (not one that makes amazing speed claims). The guy next to you has lithium ion batteries and one of those engines that claims it does insane speeds. After the first lap or two his once rocketing lithiums are nearly juiced out, his board is heating up and his motor has to much power going to it, but your capacitor has allowed your 4 AAA batteries to maintain most of their full power, while keeping the board cool and the motor is running at its designed ranges. As the race progresses you will notice your car hasnt changed in acceleration and power but the other guy is getting a bit sluggish getting out of the corners and thats where you will get him. The capacitors you can add on between batteries are there to keep your car running at its initial state for relatively short races. Check out www.RCButlers.com to see a car running 4 AAA batteries, a decent motor and I do believe he was running a cap doing 25mph on dry pavement(not on a silly speed dyno).

Trust me, that's how it goes. How do you think us 1:10 guys have such efficient motors? Just ask me for pics if you wanna see how it's done and properly explained!

[kaptnmack187]

I bought one of those. I was wondering is anyone had any cool parts they have for sale....any aftermarket spoilers or hop ups!
Anyone wanna sell me their cap...i need a .1
I wanna Ford Lighting, who can make me one?

[Damau]

So, civichatchguy, tell me how you connected the capacitor between your batteries? Is is in series or parallel? I have never seen a capacitor that would permit the flow of electrons in a direct current circuit. Capacitors block direct current and conduct alternating current and I have never seen a battery that produces AC.

[SuperFastSupra]

Supplies Needed:
Solder Gun
Capaciters (Radio Shack Get the 6.3V ones)
Heat Shrink or Electrical Tape

Steps:
Ok here goes, this DOES WORK.

1. Take off the rear end, even the motor. Now, on the back of the battery holders, the left side should be negative(-), and right side should be positive (+).

2. Take the capaciter, solder it to the bottom part of the battery holders, there is a black wire running from each side. *EDIT*You should check with a LED or something to find out which side of the CAP. is (+) or (-) take a battery, and get a LED and get it to light. Then you know what is (+) and what is (-)*EDIT*
*I would take heat shrink of electrical tape and cover the wires coming from the capaciter otherwise you may happen to touch it to something then your car is done with.**

Easy, Simple, Done.


Have Fun with this, Don't shock yourself.

[YzakB4DDRG]

Originally Posted by kaptnmack187

I bought one of those. I was wondering is anyone had any cool parts they have for sale....any aftermarket spoilers or hop ups!
Anyone wanna sell me their cap...i need a .1
I wanna Ford Lighting, who can make me one?

you can get capacitors in RS

[jimmythekid1]

yeah a capacitor is just a battery it can not product an AC current.