power problems !! :(

when i listen 2 my system, my head lights dim.. my head unit dims.. all my lights on my car dim.
my car is a honda civic. so i know the alternator doesnt put out alot of amps.. only about 73 amps. and i got a stock battery. i was thinkin about buying the opti. battery. does anyone know how i can stop that so my lights wont even dim at all..i got $500 to spend. any sugestions ?

upgrade the big 3 first to 4ga or bigger (add them to the stock wire, don't replace it, more wire is better)
alt + to batt +
batt - to ground
engine to ground

That should REALLY help, if not kill your dimming issues. If you still have problems then you can go for a new battery if your stock one is old or bad, or you could get a HO alternator if you want.

get a capacitor such as this (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051826176412&skuId=5393399&type=product)
my friend use to have a beater ford tempo, w/ a sound system that damn near turned his headlights off, he got one of these and it was fine

don't waste your money on a cap, atleast not until all over avenues have been persued

don't waste your money on a cap, atleast not until all over avenues have been persued
BANDAID SPEACH!BANDAID SPEACH!BANDAID SPEACH!BANDAID SPEACH!

caps work for some cars and not for others, sugeest you TRY it first - before shelling out $100+ for one

the real problem is that the load on the cars electrical system by a large amp is not straight DC, it's pulsed DC - more like an AC wave, so the impedance of the wire (in this case the iductive reactance). This is so because the power input is controlled by a pusle with modulation circuit.