Battery help

Fireman90 · Post by **Fireman90** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:24 pm

Hi Guys,
what is the best way to run 2 radios and 1 siren using 1 battery thats already in your car? On the radios I dont transmit on them..is there a way to run a cable from your battery to like a junction box type thing and then run all the other wires to the junction box?

Thanks
Ryan

W5TCU · Post by **W5TCU** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:52 pm

Try this:

http://www.westmountainradio.com/RIGrunner.htm

Brian

kg4ere · Post by **kg4ere** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 5:13 pm

Post by **akardam** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 7:01 pm

I'm a big fan of marine style blade fuse blocks like so:

http://www.bluesea.com/product.asp?Product_Id=30990

firegood · Post by **firegood** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 3:46 pm

While on the subject i have a similar problem. Im my truck i am switching to a dual battery system with a combiner so they will charge with the truck running and be isolated when parked on scene. The second battery is going to run the lights and radios. Is there a better way, or will this work ok?

Post by **akardam** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:02 pm

That's more or less how I have it setup in my own truck, and I've not had any problems yet. Can sit onscene for quite a while running the radios and lights, and don't have to worry about not being able to start the truck :)

firegood · Post by **firegood** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:21 pm

yup thats what i want, let um go dead at a structure fire. As long as i dont need a jump. What do you use as a combinder?

Res168cue · Post by **Res168cue** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 6:48 am

akardam wrote:I'm a big fan of marine style blade fuse blocks like so:

http://www.bluesea.com/product.asp?Product_Id=30990

All the products the carry under "fuses/fuseblocks" looks like it could come in really handy for any vehicle install... NICE

KitN1MCC · Post by **KitN1MCC** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 5:20 am

i dont care for the way the Rig runner is built seems Flimsy and if ti gets wet forget it

Post by **akardam** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 6:48 am

That's why I'm a big fan of marine grade stuff. While not all of it is designed explicitly to be waterproof, it's all made with a damp, mobile environment in mind.

The reason I don't like power poles so much is that there's really no way to keep from pulling them out. Back when I had a rigrunner I was constantly surprised with how little effort it took to jar or pull loose the leads. And for some reason, they made both the positive and negative shells the same. While there are integrated units, most of them are loose, so you could plug them in bass ackwards. I'd hate to have to be trying to connect one of those late at night with little or no light, plug them in, and then hear spark fizzle pop crack and have let all the magic smoke out of my shiny radio.

stay-con · Post by **stay-con** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 8:07 am

W5TCU wrote:Try this:

http://www.westmountainradio.com/RIGrunner.htm

Brian

That's more for a temporary (Amateure radio field day, or emergency exercise) type application.

I prefer these for a fixed mobile install.

http://www.tessco.com/products/displayP ... =11&page=3

A but pricey, but then cheap ain't good and good ain't cheap.

Jeff

va3wxm · Post by **va3wxm** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 8:59 am

akardam wrote:While there are integrated units, most of them are loose, so you could plug them in bass ackwards.

If assembled properly you can't plug them in backwards. The contacts only go in one direction and the red and black Powerpoles slide together to form one unit.

Now... if you've wired it up backwards to begin with then you get what you deserve.

I have a RigRunner in the shack and it works well for what it is. A friend has one in his truck and he's had no problems with wires pulling out.

ARES likes Powerpoles because they're standardized and easy to assemble, again with the caveat that the +'ve lead goes to the red plug and -'ve to the black.