CB Direct Battery Install

fjfreak24 · 10-15-2006, 02:30 AM

I have Cobra 19 DX Radio IV that I wired under my FJ directly to the battery. Then I also have a PA Horn that is connected to the back of the Radio. On the positive side power cord of the Radio there is a fuse, but Im not sure if I need any sort of converter for my power cord or if I just directly connect it to the battery.

Castle Rock FJ · 10-15-2006, 05:42 AM

I found the Manual - HERE

From what I can tell - wiring to the battery is OK so long as you have an in-line fuse lhat is located closer than 12 inches from the battery terminal. The directions instruct you to wire it to the fuse box so the battery would be OK.

If it is wired to the battery - BE SURE TO TURN IT OFF OR IT WILL DRAIN YOUR BATTERY.

There is an accessory fuse on the fuse box to the left side of the dash that you can use with an "add a circuit" adapter from Pep Boys or Autozone. I can give you the position number if you PM me. The manual does not say what size fuse to use. There should be a sticker or label on the device that tells you the amp rating. Buy a fuse that matches the Amperage Draw.

There is a toll-free number on the front page of the link above (on the right) for questions if you cannot find the AMP Rating for the fuse.

Hope that info helps
Steve
"Castle Rock FH"

fjfreak24 · 10-15-2006, 12:26 PM

Yeh originally I had the positive and negative wires connected directly to the battery and the fuse that comes with the radio, connected to the positive side like 5 inches away from the radio. It appears that I blew that fuse, but I have no idea what I did wrong.

fjtribe · 10-15-2006, 01:07 PM

Quote:

fjfreak24 previously said:

Yeh originally I had the positive and negative wires connected directly to the battery and the fuse that comes with the radio, connected to the positive side like 5 inches away from the radio. It appears that I blew that fuse, but I have no idea what I did wrong.

turn the cb off. connect the positive (red w/ fuse) to the positive battery terminal. connect the black to the negative. check the fuse. If the fuse is good, turn the cb on. If it blows the fuse, the cb has a problem that needs correcting by someone trained in repairs. If it works, then you may disconnect and connect it up where ever you intend to wire it to permanently. And welcome to the forum.

fjfreak24 · 10-15-2006, 01:17 PM

So for the fuse on the positive end it doesnt matter where it is relative to the radio or battery (as of now its inside the car close to the radio)

fjtribe · 10-15-2006, 02:02 PM

If I understand your question, the answer is not really. The hot (positive) side is normally the fused side. As long as you're getting power to that and a good ground, it should work. The order of the procedure that I described was to help you determine first that your wiring was in the correct order, and doing it in the prescribed seuence was to help you determine where what your problem is with the blown fuse that you had. If you don't understand, just keep asking and some of us will be able to guide you through. I'll keep checking back. One more thought. One possible reason that the fuse blew is that it might be the wrong fuse (unless you knew that it was previously working with that fuse. If you don't know the history of the cb, look on it and find out what the amperage draw is and replace it with that size or 1 amp more fuse.

Angry Andy · 10-15-2006, 02:21 PM

Quote:

fjfreak24 previously said:

So for the fuse on the positive end it doesnt matter where it is relative to the radio or battery (as of now its inside the car close to the radio)

DONT do that.

Fuses are made to usually protect devices from overcurrent.

But they also protect WIRE from burning up.

Lets say you have a 5a fuse for your cb, near the radio.

And now your postitive wire gets too close to the exhaust manifold...or perhaps runs thru the firewall on its way into your cab...and that wire gets shorted to ground. The wire WILL burn up, and hopefully not catch your interior on fire in the process.

I ALWAYS put my fuses as close to battery as possible, to protect the complet wire run, and keep my rigs from catching fire due to shorts and groundouts. They can and WILL happen.

fjfreak24 · 10-15-2006, 02:47 PM

Yeh before the fuse blew out the radio was working with it and the PA horn was also working. As for the fuse that blew out, it came with the radio so Im pretty sure its the right one and its came with the system that close to the radio. Not sure if the problem had anything to do with me putting the PA wire directly into the radio without a audio plug. But I was going to go to radioshack, do you think I should just get the same size fuse and try again because I think my wiring is fine.

fjtribe · 10-15-2006, 03:03 PM

yea, he's right about the closer the fuse to the power source, the safer. I was just trying to get the cb going to prove it's OK before any more big moves. I thought maybe you bought it used and didn't know if it worked before you bought it or the possibility that the fuse was bad before you started. If you feel it worked OK before you messed with it and it's the size fuse called for on the radio, just get the same size fuse. The less stuff (wire, connections, auxiliary items, etc. the less possibilities you have for causing problems) in line, the easier to prove what does and does not work and therefore, what or where the problem. You need to prove what is good in order to find what is bad. It's a sort of process of elimination deal. The more things you eliminate up front, the fewer possibilities you have to deal with. By process of elimination, you find out what's good and what's bad. You'll get it, just takes a little patience.

fjfreak24 · 10-15-2006, 05:05 PM

Just got back from radioshack, I bought new fuses 3AG 2amp and a stereo plug to saunter my PA horn wires to. Does anyone have a good spot to mount my PA horn and with what. I was thinking about putting it under the hood on the opposite side of the batter where there is this opening. Not sure if I should buy some sort of velcrow to hold it in place ANY suggestions?