so i got a cap...
 

for 20$...cheap yes but whats there to lose besides a trip to the movies with my gf haha...

i was wondering if anybody on here has ever taken one apart ive been looking at it but cant seem to get the top off...reason i want to is bc there are 8 LED's that i would like to pull out to change the color..and if anyone knows anything about the little voltage displays that would be helpful to :)

the cap is a power acoustiks 2 farad

i have to get a better look at it tomorrow and ill see if i can get some detailed pics

Caps are built so you can't take them apart. They are either glued together or otherwise held together so it makes it hard for you to disassemble. If you do, make sure it is fully discharged before you tinker with it's inards. Caps aren't like batteries, they're the same thing that powers defibulators, and if you zap yourself, say bye bye to your heartbeat.

^ 1 farad is the same amount of power they use in defibrillators. (they use alot more voltage, and less current... but the size is the same)

if you cross the terminals, or connect it backwards, it'll explode into an oily mess. DO NOT OPEN CAPACITORS. You'll destroy it.


ramp this experiment up, about 80x...
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/ca...age/1955606930

holy crap...that would suck

but all im trying to do is take of this plastic piece







does that make a difference or is it still a little iffy?

wouldn't be easy to do with the bottom of the terminals wider than the hole in the plastic.

thats a plastic cap ontop of the capacitor. if you take the washers/nuts off the bolts, you should be able to pop it off.

it looks like the base of it has little indents to pry on, with a screwdriver.


...but i'd still be super careful. AND make damn sure that cap is fully dissipated. Google search that before you try anything. last thing you'd want is for that thing to zap you. if anything, i'd put you on your ass, and you'd be shaking/sweating

haha...yea thatd be a rush :p

i'd be like grabbing a 3 electrified cattle fences... at once. :lol:


granted, i've been electrocuted ALOT ( its not that i like it, i'm just always the one to get zapped) and thats one of the things that still scares me... those things holds LOTS of power.

okay well i took a test light and connected each end to the terminals and it did not even light up

does that mean its discharged?

it should. take a voltmeter to it, to be sure.

uhh...okay ive only used this thing once to check my gain on my amp...so what setting should it be on?

Volts? see if it says 12.

it only said 9v and 1.5v so i used the 9v (i figured if the light didnt light up it would be less than 9) and it read .01 so i switched to 1.5v and it read 10(idk what 10 is) so i put the light on it for a little and checked it again and now nothing comes up

then its done. you should be safe now.

(not entirely sure what the hell you have for a voltmeter... i think connecting two wires to a potato would be more of a precise measurement.... but whatever) :lol:

haha yea i believe that...i got it from my tech school years ago

Just leave it be.

A capacitor of that size, if it explodes, might just take your arm and chest with it.

okay cherry now is when i need your help(or anyone who can solder)

how would i go about getting these leds off?

haha too late sorry...

If you have a sodlering iron, just heat the solder on the bottom of the board. Eventually, you should be able to wiggle the LED's out of the holes. There will probably be some solder left on the board. When you go to put the new ones in, it might help to get some more solder.

so i can just wiggle them out after i solder them a lil?

i dont have a soldering gun yet...im picking one up before work...should i also get one of those de-soldering thingers? haha

i need a shopping list :p