Batboard

Here's a question, if you had a choice would you want your electronic(s) wired to your ignition or straight powered. Honestly I hate anything that's gotta have the key on to be powered because of the security risk of monitoring you radio while you're working around your vehicle.. or in my one case.. I service radios for a small ambulance company, and this one guy leaves the truck and takes the keys... no key, no radio, no service. Drives me absolutly bonkers. Your thoughts?

I just set up my S-10 with a second battery that is isolated (80 amp relay) from the main battery when the ignition is off. I am using an Optima red top as the second battery and all lights and radios are wired direct off of the Optima. I can even jump start myself if needed !

Kevin

I go for the best of both worlds:

I always put in a main relay / solenoid for all of the ignition switched items. I connect the coil of the relay / solenoid through a heavy-duty SPDT switch located in an inconspicuous location.

I connect one side of the switch to an ignition switched source, and the other to a constantly hot source.

As a result, you can run the equipment ignition switched most of the time, but override it when needed. The big plus is that, by using a center off switch, you can disable everything when the vehicle is out of your hands, so that you don't have to worry about some valet, or guy at Jiffy Lube, doing something stupid on your dime.

I go both ways. My last personal vehicle had a number of amateur and commerical gear in it. Sometimes I like the power to follow the ignition, sometimes I wanted it on all the time. Other times I wanted it off all the time.

I have a key switch with a center off. Ignition on goes in one leg, full time power the other. Power is then fed to a relay that swiches battery power to the radio.

Center off gives me a valet position so I dont have to worry about prying hands if I leave the vehicle with someone for repairs.

I am getting ready to completely re-do the accessory electrical system on our utility truck for the FD. It is a tug-o-war. On the one hand, it is nice to be able to use the radio, repeater, and lights without the ignition on or leaving the key in accessory. On the other hand, turning things on and off each time you get in and out is not acceptable. Someone will always leave something on and kill the battery.

What am I going to do? Exactly what the others here have suggested. A two-way switch (SPDT) that controls a large relay on the main power feed from the battery. One side of the switch sends constant power to the relay, leaving everything on all the time. The other position is ignition switched and turns the relay off when I shut the truck off.