I finally did it-w3 astro spectra in 04 durango

sglass · Post by **sglass** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 3:00 pm

Rick Rock · Post by **Rick Rock** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 3:24 pm

OH MY GOD! HE POPPED HIS CHERRY!!! SOMEONE CALL A MEDIC!!!

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 5:40 pm

LMAO....

Now he just needs to clean up that wiring back by the radio, a few cable ties and maybe some loom.

BTW... The envelope on the floor in the one pic, what was in that? Looks like the same darn envelope and stamps that an item i bought off ebay came in from Hong Kong.

At least you went all out and drilled a hole in the roof for a good antenna! Nothing like the smell of drilling through metal and paint.

Rick Rock · Post by **Rick Rock** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 5:55 pm

BTW, what's sitting next to the roll of electrical tape on the seat?

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 6:29 pm

Rick Rock wrote:BTW, what's sitting next to the roll of electrical tape on the seat?

Looks like a Saber.

sglass · Post by **sglass** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:02 am

astro saber 3 vhf

Post by **VE9MP** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 7:51 am

Like I said on Hamsexy Seth, that is a really sweet install man! My jealously factor went up ten fold

The only thing I would have done different is I would have the HHCH coming out on the drivers side as opposed to the passenger side.

apco25 · Post by **apco25** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 3:36 pm

Looks good!

I really can't stand those stereo type power blocks. I know its really hard to find good quality HIGH AMP load capable fuse blocks. Most blocks won't take more than 40amps per position unless its the funky stereo junk. Kinda of a no-win situation when its comes to fuse blocks.

Just curious why did you fused your grounds leads?

Black electrical tape? Tell me its temporary???

Check out Tessco - they have some really nice heat shrink that's adhesive lined.

sglass · Post by **sglass** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 5:27 pm

apco25 wrote:
Just curious why did you fused your grounds leads?

Black electrical tape? Tell me its temporary???

Check out Tessco - they have some really nice heat shrink that's adhesive lined.

Ground isn't fused, I have solid brass slugs in there. So, it's just a ground bus.

no heat shrink handy. My normal "hey snag me a couple feet" source was with his new fiance for thanksgiving.

apco25 · Post by **apco25** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 5:53 pm

ah ok, could't tell if it was a bus or a fuse block from the picture angle.

sglass · Post by **sglass** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 6:13 pm

apco25 wrote:ah ok, could't tell if it was a bus or a fuse block from the picture angle.

it started life as a fuse block, now it is a bus

EC-7 · Post by **EC-7** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 11:41 pm

Just curious why did you fused your grounds leads?

Ground isn't fused, I have solid brass slugs in there. So, it's just a ground bus.

I fuse my grounds on radio equipment. I once saw someone hook up a CB with a trunk mount antenna. The trunk mount and coax were connected to the radio, and then the person tried connecting the ground directly to the Positive on the battery. It sure did make a pretty spark! If the ground wire would of been fused, it would of just popped the fuse.

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 12:17 am

No offense, but if in that case the ground would have been put to the body/frame of the vehicle in the first place there never would have been the chance for error at the battery with the ground lead.

Fusing the ground lead and connecting to the battery is acceptable, but a better install practice is to go to body/frame ground at the radio mounting location. Unfortunately all the ham rigs sold come with power cords that have fuses in both leads and recommend connection directly to the battery.

The only reason why they did this is because if you connect the negative lead to the battery instead of body/frame ground there is a potential that the radio if mounted to a grounded surface will become a current path for the vehicles starter and electronics in the case that the battery to body/frame cable fails. However, if the radio and its mounting bracket is not grounded the fuse in the negative lead makes no difference since the radio is no longer a potential path from the battery to the body/frame if the vehicles ground lead fails.

Now when you install the radio with the ground lead to the body/frame if the main battery ground fails then the radio has no return path just the same as everything in the vehicle and is therefore protected from any damage without a fuse in the ground lead.

JustinHale · Post by **JustinHale** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 4:13 pm

Just my 2 cents... No change required.... If the fuse on the ground side blows, (in most cases) the radio will seek out the antenna coax and chase it like wild fire right to where the other end of the coax hits ground. Most of the time you won't even realize you lost your main ground and start seeing all sorts of off the wall problems.

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 5:26 pm

That's another reason for not fusing the ground lead. Imagine a 110w Spectra pulling through the coax for ground when the negative lead fuse blows and you don't know because the radio is still working.

cbus · Post by **cbus** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 11:20 pm

nice install seth.

nothing like 110w digital power

I finally did it-w3 astro spectra in 04 durango

I finally did it-w3 astro spectra in 04 durango

Fused ground lead...