Power question.

   I have a 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser.  My alternator and battery are both stock.  I have a kenwood kvt911dvd head unit and a kenwood khd-c710 music keg.  I plan on getting two Rockford Fosgate power HX2 12" subs with an Audiobahn A2300HCQ amp.  I also plan on getting an Audiobahn A3201Q amp to power my component speakers but have not decided which speakers yet. 

Will I have enough power to run all of this if I get a capacitor?  How big of a capacitor will I need?  What is the difference between digital capacitors and non-digital capacitors?

Also, I am not completly sure of when to use a two channel amp and a four channel amp. I think that I need a two channel for components..is this correct?

What kind of alternator do i need to buy?

What about batteries?

I have heard that if you have over 1000 watts you need a cap is that wrong?

Would I be ok with just the subs and the A2300HCQ until I get a new alternator?

   I am going to upgrade both the front and rear, I just have not decided on the speakers yet.(any suggestions?)  How do I know how many amps I have available now?  About how much does an alternator cost with and without installation?  Will just the A2300HCQ and the subs be too much for my stock alternator?  What about battery upgrades?

Thanks for the info!!!

If you’re going to be upgrading both front and back speakers I would go with a 4 channel amp instead of a 2 channel. I don’t know how big your alternator is but can tell you that the A2300hcq alone will use more power than your stock alternator can put out. As far as the price of the alternator goes depends on the company you go with. I would call this guy  C.S.A

In the article that you e-mailed me, it said...

 -- "Here's a simple formula: divide the RMS power rating of the amplifier (in this case, 300 watts) by the amount of voltage your car's electrical system will produce. Most cars have a standard 12-volt system that actually cranks out about 13.8 volts with the motor running. So, 300 watts divided by 13.8 volts equals 21.7 amperes of current. Your car's electrical system will need to produce an additional 21 amperes (the term for measuring electrical current) of electrical current to power the amplifier and subwoofer at a reasonable performance level."  

If I am calculating this for a multi-channel amp do I add the rms power rating of all of the channels together and then divide it?

Don't replace the battery for audio. Just don't. If you draw so much current that you need to touch the battery, then you need a larger alternator. I'm too lazy to look up specs on those amps, but if you're going to go crazy, add a second alternator instead of replacing the alternator. Also, a capacitor will help if you have a big system, but it will not be anywhere near a substitute for the alternator. And whatever you do, do _not_ add a second battery unless you want to be able to run your system for a little while in acc on AND you have a very high current alternator. Letting the system run from battery with a weak alternator just gives the alternator more work to do, and ultimately ends up making matters worse.

If your system is really big, your alternator is good but you idle your car a lot (much of your driving being stop and go traffic, for example) then you could look at battcap, but like I said before it is not a replacement for an alternator.