Batboard

Our agency just purchase a 04 Dodge 2500 4 foor 4X4 pickup. We are installing a console that will hold a maritrac head, cdm-1250 and a siren\lights unit. I would like to run a fused 6 ga line from the battery to a terminal block in the console. The loads would hook in the block and have there own fused leads sized for the equipment. What about the ground or negative lead? Do I run another line from the battery and connect all the negs to another terminal block. I seem to remember a post awhile back about just grounding to the console which would have a good ground if screwed to the sheet metal floor. I am not sure which way is best. I would appreciate any suggestions as to which is the best way to do this.

Thanks

#6 hot from battery to console distribution block.

#6 ground from dashboard-to-A post mount bolt run into the console. I use a 1.5" x 1/4"-20 stud in the console floor. Connect the ground to this stud and all grounds terminate here.

Never rely on a self-tapping screw in sheet metal.

Jim's exactly right (but you probably knew that).

For your fused power distribution, check here:
http://www.sdi.cc/
Click on the very first Accessories link on the left, then scroll down to the SDI 7209-6. 1 up-to-4-gauge input, 6 individually fused outputs.

Fuse your #6 power lead at the battery with an appropriate fuse!

see the 5025 and 5028 at http://www.sunwize.com/catalog/images/elect_fuses.pdf

and.. http://batboard.batlabs.com/viewtopic.p ... highlight=

Wrangler Northwest makes some nice power blocks with individually fused circuits. I use one for power distribution in the console in my '97 Dodge truck. Their website is http://www.wranglernw.com. It is kind of hard to navigate, so download the PDF catalog and then search for the part number on the website to see pricing and better pictures. Their prices are kind of high on a lot of things, but I've never seen fuse blocks like theirs anywhere else. You can see one in action at http://hitechredneck.net/ram/console/DSCN2779.JPG. That picture is pretty outdated, as I have one their 15 circuit models and alot more wiring now, but you can get the idea.

For grounding, if you look in the picure, you can see that I am bringing all the grounds to the main distribution block. I have added an addition fuse block since the picture was taken, but you get the idea. I think I got the big block from Wrangler as well.

Let me know if you have any questions.

We use the ATC fuse panels.
We use 3 of them. 1 for constant power, 1 for switched power (fed from a constant duty solenoid) and 1 for timed power (fed from a "Power Tamer").

Check out http://www.waytekwire.com and look at part number 46050 for a 6-position ATC fuse panel. Catalog page is at http://order.waytekwire.com/IMAGES/M37/catalog/216_63

The power tamer is a timer that keeps items like radios and computers on for a pre-set period of time (typically 2 to 6 hours. Info at http://www.copelandengineering.com/