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Battery help

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:24 pm
by Fireman90
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

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:52 pm
by W5TCU

Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 5:13 pm
by kg4ere
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 7:01 pm
by akardam
I'm a big fan of marine style blade fuse blocks like so:

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

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 3:46 pm
by firegood
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?

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:02 pm
by akardam
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 :)

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:21 pm
by firegood
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?

Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2005 6:48 am
by Res168cue
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

Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 5:20 am
by KitN1MCC
i dont care for the way the Rig runner is built seems Flimsy and if ti gets wet forget it

Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 6:48 am
by akardam
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.

Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 8:07 am
by stay-con
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

Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 8:59 am
by va3wxm
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. :D

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.