Kinetik HC600 Power Cell Review
by Nick Mack ~ January 9th, 2009. Filed under: Product Reviews, Sound Systems.
Many people run into the same problem after they have installed sound systems into their vehicles. After the sound system is installed, when you turn up the music, the vehicle’s lights dim when the bass hits. This problem is caused by lack of amperage coming from the battery and alternator. When the factory designs the vehicle and its charging system, most of the time the charging system is only powerful enough to run the car, plus anything you can plug into the 15amp cigarette lighter. Most vehicles only have around a 70 amp alternator. The vehicles computer, ignition coils, warning light, parking lights, headlights, and other electronics can take around 60 amps to run. That leaves 10 amps for your sound system. A quality aftermarket amplifier usually draws 40 amps or more. So, you have a 30 amp over draw.
The correct way to fix this problem is a high output alternator. High output alternators cost a lot of money, plus you have to have it installed by a mechanic. More money. So, there is another solution. You can add one of two things, a capacitor or a power cell. A capacitor is a solution, usually you would use 1 farad per 1000 watts. The more farads the better. Capacitors have their downfalls. They must be initially charged with a resistor, so if your battery dies, you have to disconnect the capacitor and recharge it. Another downfall is they are expensive for what you are getting. A quality 1farad capacitor is about $75 minimum. There are cheaper ones, but from experience they don’t last very long. Instead of a capacitor, I recommend a power cell.
Power cells can be described as fast discharging batteries. The are extremely powerful for their size. An 850 amp power cell is equivalent to over 100 1 farad capacitors and measures 7″ x 3″ x 6.5″. They only cost a little over $100 and they will never need to be charged with a resistor.
The power cell I recommend is the Kinetik HC600. I have installed many of them and they always impress me. This power cell is extremely reliable. I Have never had one come back since I started installing them 4 years ago. As long as the vehicle’s charging system was in good working order, this power cell always has stopped the vehicle’s lights from dimming along with the music. If you have a really powerful system, over 2000 watts, I recommend a HC800. It is a little bigger and is equivalent to 200 1 farad capacitors.
To purchase the HC600 Click Here
To purchase the HC800 Click Here
