I'm getting ready to install a Magnum S9 in my '03 Chevy Silverado. How do I wire it up for the best power and ground? And do I need to run a separate ground wire to the radio itself?
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Powering a Radio
- Thread starter ctvanover
- Start date
An 8 gauge stranded wire straight to battery + would be great. Add a heavy duty fuse holder in this line near the battery as you can get it. Use size fuse that matches radio amp draw requirements.
A wire size matching whatever is supplied with the radio - (negative) will be sufficient and connect to framework under your dash at shortest location to radio usually works fine. That's what I do.
An extra ground from radio frame to nearby ground isn't necessary unless you experience problems with feedback through your speakers. Then this extra ground may fix it or it might require something else to eliminate the particular RF feedback that you experience.
Good luck!
A wire size matching whatever is supplied with the radio - (negative) will be sufficient and connect to framework under your dash at shortest location to radio usually works fine. That's what I do.
An extra ground from radio frame to nearby ground isn't necessary unless you experience problems with feedback through your speakers. Then this extra ground may fix it or it might require something else to eliminate the particular RF feedback that you experience.
Good luck!
Most mobile Ham rigs come with a double fuse system from the factory. Which means that both leads have a separate fuse on each line to the radio - it offers more protection. You can buy a double inline fuse kit from Sparky's CB Shack or other CB shops or even eBay for about 10-$12 or so. I run my Magnum with the factory single fuse right now, but I may upgrade it in the near future.
That radio should not draw more then 7-8 amps max. If your truck has a dedicated accessory plug you can run a cig lighter plug. These are good to 15 amps and 20 in some vehicles. I have run all my radio's in my company car this way for 12 years now with no problems.
The ideal way to do it would be 10 gage wire from the battery on the red side with a 10 amp fuse right at the battery. Then run a short ground to a seat bolt or firewall. Magnum also makes a filter power cord that does an exellent job of taking any noise out of the power line that might ride in on it. You might have to shorten the cord that plugs into the radio alittle and ad a plug or conector for a custom install.
You will hear a dozen different ways probably. What I have mentioned will work fine.
The ideal way to do it would be 10 gage wire from the battery on the red side with a 10 amp fuse right at the battery. Then run a short ground to a seat bolt or firewall. Magnum also makes a filter power cord that does an exellent job of taking any noise out of the power line that might ride in on it. You might have to shorten the cord that plugs into the radio alittle and ad a plug or conector for a custom install.
You will hear a dozen different ways probably. What I have mentioned will work fine.
Trust your vehicle chassis to carry the current to run your radio?
Why not run the black(-) directly to the battery as well.
The various metal parts of the vehicle frame could have corrosion on the joints and maybe drops some voltage.
Probably not an issue at a few amps, but is it at 8amps?
Also, alternator current is running thru the chassis, so you could get more alternator whine by running radio current thru the vehicle frame.
When starting the car, the currents thru the chassis could be very high.
There are two schools of thought about that power line routing. One says to run a dedicated ground directly to the battery. The other says to use a chassis ground. I've yet to have a problem with the chassis ground thingy, at least with vehicles that had a metal body/chassis. That's been for things requiring much more than just a few amps of current, and that were fairly voltage 'sensitive'. I also am a firm believer in 'over-doing' power lines. In most cases it just isn't going to hurt anything except my wallet. (After you've played with radios a little while, you sort of get used to wallets screaming, you know?)
I also like to sort of plan ahead, just in case I win the lottery someday. That means that running a 'large' power line inside the car/truck for a 'local' power tap (no half a dozen power lines for each doo-dad) is a nice way of doing things. Makes things simpler sort of. Or maybe I'm just lazy. Oh well...
- 'Doc
I also like to sort of plan ahead, just in case I win the lottery someday. That means that running a 'large' power line inside the car/truck for a 'local' power tap (no half a dozen power lines for each doo-dad) is a nice way of doing things. Makes things simpler sort of. Or maybe I'm just lazy. Oh well...
- 'Doc
1st of all, which is the best way to run the ground, the battery or the chassis?
2nd, it would probably be a good idea to run a large power wire to the inside of the cab to a power block for the radio plus extras, right?
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