Where to hook up a radio lead

[Elandan2]

From: Oldbag373861
Sent: 6/26/2005 5:09 PM

I'm finally replacing the old 8-track deck that came with my rig. In keeping with my frugal nature I am using a garage sale replacement. It has two power leads: one goes directly to the battery ( I guess to keep the clock on at all times), but the other has to go to a terminal that is hot only when the key is turned on or in accessory mode. I am having a very hard time finding a place to connect at the fuse box (hard to get to anyway!), and I heard somewhere that one of the terminals on the coil, or starter, or (?) (could be used to power an accessory which only comes on with the key turned on. Any ideas?

Also, does anyone know if the stud that bolts down the rear support strip from the radio to the chassis will function as a ground?


 
From: denison
Sent: 6/26/2005 5:59 PM

One of the hardest parts of installing my radio was finding a good pickoff for the radios ON circuit, as opposed to its Memory circuit. I finally got a wire in one of the fuse holders, and forced the fuse back into place to hold it there. Hoky, but it worked. I would not mess with the ignition circuits on top of the motor. Neither of the terminals on the ignition coil have a steady 12 volts on them, and you would probably have a lot of ignition noise inteference anyway. You might have better luck with one of the terminals on the windshield wiper switch or heater switch; I know its hard to reach them. I take the drivers seat out to work under there. 



From: Oldbag373861
Sent: 6/26/2005 7:04 PM

Problem is, that almost all the switches on my dash function without turning the key on. Even the wipers, the fog lamps, washer, and of course the lighter. The only one that seems to need the main switch on is the fan, but I've pulled each of the leads off of the selector switch one at a time, and the fan still works! It must be getting its juice through the heater or something. I thought the red would be the hot lead, and tapped into it, but still no juice. Hmm...



From: OldEdBrady
Sent: 6/26/2005 8:55 PM

The 8-track (got one in the Whiny Beggar) should have one lead already hooked to it, with a fuse in it.  Just use that for your new radio lead.

Yes; the strip will act as a ground.  does in the Beggar, anyway
 

   
From: Oldbag373861
Sent: 6/26/2005 9:18 PM

Ed-
the one lead was hooked directly to the battery, so I used that for the "always on lead" (probably for the clock and the memory). Got that part figgered. Now the other lead is what I have to find.



From: OldEdBrady
Sent: 6/26/2005 9:30 PM

The the problem just got a touch more compicated.

On the fuse box, there should be a fuse marked Accessories.  That's where you want the radio to be connected on the "hot" side.  There are little clips that will insert under the glass fuses that you can use to plug into.  If it has been converted to the flat plastic fuses, though, I have no idea.

Anyway.  If they are glass fuses. A full vehicle electrical kit (and, sometimes, just parts) would have these things.  They are just little metal pieces that have one end curved.  The curved end plugs in directly with the fuse.  The other end is where you would attach the connector from the radio.  You would clamp the connector to the lead from the radio. plug it is, and it should work when you turn on the ignition switch.

Hope this helps.


   
From: Oldbag373861
Sent: 6/27/2005 9:44 PM

Hello again Ed-
and thanks again for the help. I actually found a fuse which is hot only with the ignition. I just used a light with an aligator clip for the ground, and a probe for finding the hot lead. Don't remember which fuse it was, but it sure was a bugger to get down under there, past a nest of wires, pry out the fuse, and an even more diffiult to fanagle the end of the wire under the fuse. Never did see one of those clips you're talking about, but that would have been nice.
Anyway it works! Now if I can just figure out what an "antenna trimmer" is, so I can get the AM band to work...



From: OldEdBrady
Sent: 6/27/2005 10:54 PM

Glad you got it to work.

As for the trimmer, it has been a l-o-n-g time since I dealt with one of those, but, as I recall, you turn the dial to where you know a station is supposed to be.  The trimmer is a variable capacitor.  You turn it until you find that station.  It takes a lot of experimentation to do it, but it can be done.

They tell me patience is a virtue.  I just think of the vulture, sitting on a tree  limb saying, "Patience, my a$$!  I'm going to kill something!"
 

   
From: Slantsixness
Sent: 7/18/2005 7:41 AM

Just a long note to add:

The "accessory" portion of the chassis electrical system in almost all Winnies has been eliminated, connecting the Battery and accessory sides of the fuse box together with a small jumper (usually a red wire) between the "a" and "b" side of the fuse box.

As far as adding accessories to a normal fuse box, there are two screws between the flashers.... on the rear side there are nuts on these screws. This is where accessories were intended to be connected, one being "battery" and one being "accesssory"....

In my case, the dash radio runs off my Coach Battery, which is the black wire coming from the wall on the left side, along with the rear speaker wires.

There is no harm at all connecting the memory 12V and accessory 12V leads together on any radio, it just won't shut off when the key is removed, unless the fuse box has been rigged as I mentioned before, and in that case, it won't matter anyway!

Trimming the AM radio:
If the radio is an aftermarket with a cassette, the trimmer is usually inside the cassette door.
If the radio is a factory car radio, the trimmer is usually next to or near the antenna lead.

If the trimmer is located within the cassette deck, pleas take extreme case not to use metal screwdrivers, and not mar or damage any of the cassette mechanism.

Trimming procedure:
1. Fully extend the recieving antenna.
2. locate the trim knob and an insulating screwdriver (plastic tweeker tool)
3. Tune the radio to center  frequency (1060 Khz)
4. Slowly and carefully, as not to damage the trimmer, turn the trimmer capacitor until the maximum amount of noise is obtained.

Now the radio is trimmed properly for the entire AM band. You can trim specifically for one station, but the other end of the dial will be out of adjustment. The best adjustments are made using the background noise, rather than a station, since without having a signal strength meter, you cannot tell when the signal is tuned an peaked correctly.


Tom



From: ibdilbert01
Sent: 23/09/2007 10:09 PM

I just got around to replacing my 8-track and put some thought into where to get power from. I didn't want to hook the radio up to the chassis battery, as I like to use the Radio while camping and don't want to risk running the battery dead. I'm not sure if I'll regret this or not, but I ran power from the house battery/converter and hooked it up that way.

I figure I might kill a few birds with one stone. If I'm going down the road and I have the radio on, I could always flip the duel battery switch if I think the house battery is getting low.

If I'm hooked up to electric at a campsite the radio will pull its power from the converter and I won't run the risk of running my chassis battery down.

The only downfall is I need to remember to turn the radio off, as its not tied into the starter switch. Secondly I hooked the power wire and the memory wire up constant, so when winter hits and I'm not using the winnie, I need to make sure I unhook the house battery so I don't run the battery down and let it freeze. This shouldn't be an issue, as I normally unhook the battery and hook it to a battery tamer in the garage every winter anyhow.

If I run into any weird issues with it hooked up this way, I'll let you all know.



From: Matt_Elyash
Sent: 29/09/2007 4:16 PM

Those "clips" you are talking about are available at any autoparts store. They clip onto one side of the wire, then you take the wire you want to add, and put it into the other half of it and use plyers to clamp the thing shut, this runs a small piece of metal down and displaces the insulation and gives you the contact. Very safe and Very easy.

Most I have seen are called power taps and are blue in color.



From: ontheroadagain7
Sent: 30/09/2007 7:31 AM

when i installed my radio i put a 3 position toggle switch on-off-on  i hooked up one side to the ignition switch key on  power  and the other side to coach power and now when camping i can plug in the headphone output from the tv or laptop into the dash radio flip the switch and i have home theater suround sound just got to keep the volume down when we are near other campers you dont know what they may here and give you a funny look in the morning!



From: ibdilbert01
Sent: 30/09/2007 6:16 PM

You know, thats a VERY good idea. Maybe when I re-do my dash, I'll add a switch like you have yours set up. 



From: Froggy19362
Sent: 22/03/2008 11:22 AM

Hi, Beleive it or not this is the only Thread i could find for radios, I dont know if any body has experienced a problem like this or not. Before installing my tarp for the winter i unscrew the C/B antenna at the mounting bracket and lay the antenna across the wiper blades (makes shure i dont forget to reinstall) Then i place a peice of duct tape over exposed antenna connection at bracket. now the problem i am having is a constant chirping on all C/B channels (the weather channels 1 thru 7 work good (wont work with antenna removed) If i touch the antenna wile chirping the noise stops I have installed another (new) C/B and it does the same thing It is possible the antenna got wet or water got into opening at antenna connection (tarp leak) Anybody got any ideas I am going to try to apply compressed air at disconnected antenna wire (radio end) to see if any water blows out other than that i am stumped  Frank



From: denisondc
Sent: 22/03/2008 11:30 AM

I suppose it could be water in the coax. You may need to lay the coax in the sun to dry it though. Or put in new.


 
From: Froggy19362
Sent: 23/03/2008 7:12 PM

I remembered that i had a magnetic mount antenna in the garage   I connected the new antenna  same thing constant high speed chirp  The unit worked fine (parked in the same spot)  last fall (Oct. )before i buttoned up Now i am wondering if its an interference from   Ill  have to wait till i can move the M/H   ( its up on stands)  to see if location changes function  if not ill drive to a repair shop and let them hear it  Frank



From: ClydesdaleKevin
Sent: 23/03/2008 7:47 PM

Could just be your location...something nearby interfering, especially if the other antenna is doing the same thing.  If you do end up replacing the coax, replace it with the same length that is there.  On ours, which has the original antennas that came with the rig, but a new CB, there are several feet of coils of coax under a panel above the windshield (in the compartment flooring)...and according to the original paperwork that came with the antennas, the extra length is necessary...something about grounding the signal field...not sure I understand it, but that's what it says, and it still works after all these years!

Kev


 
From: Froggy19362
Sent: 24/03/2008 10:11 AM

Thanks Kevin, Mine also has a lot of extra wire wrapped up & tied, Normaly i would just eliminate the extra (hate extra) Did not know that its necc Thanks again  Frank.