Hello,
I am about to purchase a Motorola mobile radio and install it in my car for FD use. I was wondering if I could adapt the power cable to be plugged in to my cigarette lighter, or does it need to go straight to the battery? I have never used a mobile in my personal vehicle, so I thought I'd ask. I'm not sure if there's a place in the firewall to run wires through, or at least I can't find one, and I want the wiring to be as neat as possible. The car is a 93 Grand Am, by the way. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!!
Wiring question for mobile radio
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As a general rule, you NEVER plug in a mobile radio to a lighter. Lighers are usually rates for a couple of amps which is fine for receving, but to transmit may require more than 20 amps!
So yes, wire it to your battery!
So yes, wire it to your battery!
Lowband radio. The original and non-complicated wide area interoperable communications system
Do not run it to your lighter plug, as previously stated, not enough juice to run on transmit, if it were just for monitoring purposes, then it would be fine.
There is room in every firewall to run a cable through. Look for other things that are already going through the firewall with a rubber grommet around them and stuff the wire through that hole. If theft or removal was of concern, then put a connector in the line inside of the vehicle. Although I normally wouldn't recommend this practice due to resistance of the connector and therefore voltage loss, it will work when quality parts are used.
There is room in every firewall to run a cable through. Look for other things that are already going through the firewall with a rubber grommet around them and stuff the wire through that hole. If theft or removal was of concern, then put a connector in the line inside of the vehicle. Although I normally wouldn't recommend this practice due to resistance of the connector and therefore voltage loss, it will work when quality parts are used.
If it's a 40 or 45 watt radio, there won't be any problem using a lighter socket- that's why it's even a manufacturer option when you order certain radios. Simple mathematics will tell you this.
An average 45 watt radio (according to my VHF M1225) pulls 11 amps on transmit. There is plenty of power avaialble from any cigarette lighter socket to run a radio of this wattage.
Just don't try to run a 110 watt Mitrek like this!
An average 45 watt radio (according to my VHF M1225) pulls 11 amps on transmit. There is plenty of power avaialble from any cigarette lighter socket to run a radio of this wattage.
Just don't try to run a 110 watt Mitrek like this!
I agree, do not use the cigarette lighter - for no other reason than once they've been used, they are dirty and contact is questionable. They aren't the most reliable connectors anyway. But as for current capacity, lighters use plenty of juice. The fuse on the one in my 1992 Mercury Grand Marquis is 20A and as far as I can tell, the lighter is the only thing on that fuse.
I will tell you this. I have a 45w GM300 in that Grand Marquis, and it is powered from the line to the lighter. It works just fine. I did that as a last resort after realising going through the firewall was more trouble than it would be worth.
Again, don't plug into the lighter, but tap into the wire behind it. That should be fine. It's not the first choice, but it'll work. As long as it's not a 110w syntor or something that is!!!! (Just curious, but what radio is it?)
Good luck,
I will tell you this. I have a 45w GM300 in that Grand Marquis, and it is powered from the line to the lighter. It works just fine. I did that as a last resort after realising going through the firewall was more trouble than it would be worth.
Again, don't plug into the lighter, but tap into the wire behind it. That should be fine. It's not the first choice, but it'll work. As long as it's not a 110w syntor or something that is!!!! (Just curious, but what radio is it?)
Good luck,
Chris,
Hamming 31 years
http://www.wa2zdy.com
Wesley Chapel, Pasco County, Florida
Snow? What's that?!
The human race is proof that Darwin was wrong.
Hamming 31 years
http://www.wa2zdy.com
Wesley Chapel, Pasco County, Florida
Snow? What's that?!
The human race is proof that Darwin was wrong.
My old car was a 1990 Oldsmobile Ciera. I was debating running wires from the battery for a CB, Radius, and a scanner.
Well, I decided I'd just tap into the cigarette lighter wires. I measured the current draw when the lighter was being heated up, it was almost 15 amps.
I then measured the current draw when the scanner was receiving at full volume, the Radius transmitting full power and the CB transmitting, and it didn't go above 10 amps.
Obviously, there'd be no issues here.
The only issue I could possibly see with this arrangement would be that the DC has a lot of noise from the alternator, etc... A power-filter from a stereo shop would no doubt address this problem quickly.
What's better is that the fuse in the fuse-panel in the car for the cigarette lighter ONLY serves the cigarette lighter socket, so I didn't have to worry about installing a fuse. This way, when/if the fuse ever blew, it'd be right in there with the factory installation, making it very clean.
I didn't cut off the cig. lighter socket though, I just bought some in-line taps from Home Depot. That way, I can still use my cell-phone adapter, etc...
I'm really not sure why everyone says not to use the cig. lighter socket. It's not recommended for long-term use, but for short term, reasonably low current (ie, below 10 amps), I'd say..why not?
Or, if you're really insistant on using the cig. plug, go buy one from RadioShack and install it under your dash - at least that way you'll be sure to get a solid connection.
Mike
Well, I decided I'd just tap into the cigarette lighter wires. I measured the current draw when the lighter was being heated up, it was almost 15 amps.
I then measured the current draw when the scanner was receiving at full volume, the Radius transmitting full power and the CB transmitting, and it didn't go above 10 amps.
Obviously, there'd be no issues here.
The only issue I could possibly see with this arrangement would be that the DC has a lot of noise from the alternator, etc... A power-filter from a stereo shop would no doubt address this problem quickly.
What's better is that the fuse in the fuse-panel in the car for the cigarette lighter ONLY serves the cigarette lighter socket, so I didn't have to worry about installing a fuse. This way, when/if the fuse ever blew, it'd be right in there with the factory installation, making it very clean.
I didn't cut off the cig. lighter socket though, I just bought some in-line taps from Home Depot. That way, I can still use my cell-phone adapter, etc...
I'm really not sure why everyone says not to use the cig. lighter socket. It's not recommended for long-term use, but for short term, reasonably low current (ie, below 10 amps), I'd say..why not?
Or, if you're really insistant on using the cig. plug, go buy one from RadioShack and install it under your dash - at least that way you'll be sure to get a solid connection.
Mike
-
Tom in D.C.
- Posts: 3859
- Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2001 4:00 pm
- What radios do you own?: Progreso soup can with CRT
Mobile radio power wiring...
There's got to be SOME reason why the radio manufacturers have for years recommended wiring the radio's power cables directly to the battery, including the ground wire, with fuses in both wires.
Easiest combination way of getting the wiring installed right is to give the wire to your shop guy the next time your car is in for some kind of work and have the shop guy do the dirty work of finding the firewall access hole and running the two wires through for you. Then you do the terminations and connections. Result: Job done right at nearly no cost except for materials.
Remember, too, that some new cars come with power outlets, which are made for power takeoffs, not for cigarette lighters, and are rated usually at 15 or 20 amps. I use the rear power outlet in my Outback to run my remote Vertex FT-90R which puts out about 50 watts.
Tom, W2NJS
...in D.C.
Easiest combination way of getting the wiring installed right is to give the wire to your shop guy the next time your car is in for some kind of work and have the shop guy do the dirty work of finding the firewall access hole and running the two wires through for you. Then you do the terminations and connections. Result: Job done right at nearly no cost except for materials.
Remember, too, that some new cars come with power outlets, which are made for power takeoffs, not for cigarette lighters, and are rated usually at 15 or 20 amps. I use the rear power outlet in my Outback to run my remote Vertex FT-90R which puts out about 50 watts.
Tom, W2NJS
...in D.C.
Last edited by Tom in D.C. on Sat Dec 14, 2002 12:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The biggest problem with a cig. plug is that you get ashes and other buildup in them on the tip contact. Clean it and it will be fine at 15 amps. If you never used your lighter, then you'll be okay. Remember- you aren't drawing current unless you are transmitting. For the 15 seconds that you will transmit, everything will be fine. In receive, your radio MIGHT pull 1.5 amps. This won't even be relevant. For a vollie or a ham, this is fine, since you aren't on the radio all day long like you would be in a police car using the radio all day.
Reminds me of an "install" I saw back living in Niagara.
A ham operator had, I'd say, 6 radios, all powered off of his cig. lighter.
I'm not talking your small-time ham mobiles either. I'm talking radios like an FT-600 HF radio, laptop computer (inverter), HR2510, Maxtrac (2), and who knows what else.
All this was on his cig. lighter.
Incidentially, his truck caught fire awhile back. Probably un-related, but it sure makes you wonder
Mike
A ham operator had, I'd say, 6 radios, all powered off of his cig. lighter.
I'm not talking your small-time ham mobiles either. I'm talking radios like an FT-600 HF radio, laptop computer (inverter), HR2510, Maxtrac (2), and who knows what else.
All this was on his cig. lighter.
Incidentially, his truck caught fire awhile back. Probably un-related, but it sure makes you wonder
Mike