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Old 11-29-2009, 09:40 AM   #11
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Re: Radio Switch Drains Batteries?

I wired my aftermarket radio up like this; The constant power wire is from the house battery. That means I'm basically drawing the power to run the radio from the camper battery all the time. I have a single pole on/on switch (is that double throw? It has a total of three terminals on the switch) that has the factory switched wire coming into it as well as a power from the house battery. When the switch is in the "van" position the radio behaves like stock, it shuts offf when I remove the key and exit the van. When in the "camping" position it stays on all the time unless you turn it off. This has worked great for me and never drained my starting batteries.

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Old 02-03-2010, 11:19 AM   #12
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Re: Radio Switch Drains Batteries?

After becoming frustrated with the time it takes to load up the Super Kenwood Stereo I had installed at SMB I had to investigate. It takes 20 seconds each time there is an interuption of power. Turn key on, wait for Glow Plugs, Start engine. Each time the key was turned the Stereo would have to load up again.
This means that you would have to crawl into the back to switch from van battery to house battery each time you wanted to power the radio or deal with the inconvenience of the on, off, on off of the radio.

I checked with Rob who does the Installs and it is an SMB Modification.

1 The Radio is ALWAYS powered by the Extra Battery

2 The only thing the van / extra battery switch does is to energize the relay. See diagram.

The Relay was located just under the radio above the doghouse.

I installed a switch in the dash next to the radio to control power to the relay. WA LA

Now I just control power to the relay from the drivers seat. This also may be a reason some batteries are draining down with the radio off. The relay is still drawing power from the house battery as long as the rear switch is on extra battery.


[img]7718[/img]

[img]7719[/img]

[img]7720[/img]



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Old 02-03-2010, 11:34 AM   #13
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Re: Radio Switch Drains Batteries?

Sorry, I Goofed, Here are the photos.




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Old 02-03-2010, 02:39 PM   #14
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Re: Radio Switch Drains Batteries?

First, I don't think that every install is identical in this area,.....

Second, and I am not sure if this helps Jages initial question, here is how our instal works:

We have an Aux Battery switch for the radio. When "off" the radio is powered by the van battery through the normal ignition circuit. When "on" the battery is powered by the house batteries.
ALSO, when ON the house and van batteries are connected through this circuit so there would be the opportunity to drain everything; this means that the isolator is essentially bypassed and cannot act as a safety measure.
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Old 02-03-2010, 02:52 PM   #15
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Re: Radio Switch Drains Batteries?

Mine is the same as Greg's
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Old 02-03-2010, 05:16 PM   #16
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Re: Radio Switch Drains Batteries?

Are you certain about that? Did you verify it? Or just ASSUME that when you run it on van battery the radio is being powered by the van battery not just the relay. Maybe mine is different but I was told differently by SMB also.

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Old 02-03-2010, 05:51 PM   #17
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Re: Radio Switch Drains Batteries?

Paul,

That is why I said there are different builds. Yes, verified and discussed with SMB numerous times during the build and after.
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Old 02-03-2010, 07:15 PM   #18
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Re: Radio Switch Drains Batteries?

I'm not saying YOURS is the same. I'm not even saying it is an improper way to accomplish the end result. I'm just trying to provide info for anyone on the forum. This is the way mine is wired and I'm confident many others. Also , it wouldn't bypass the battery isolator as the contacts are not common. Also, was yours built in Fresno, or Texas as there could be differences. I have NEVER seen a REAL wiring diagram. Just a generic overview. ( which by the way shows the van AM/FM Radio connected to the power distribution center ) I'm sure it would be very difficult to provide a complete diagram with all the customization they do. A quick check would be with the van off and the radio off have someone with good ears Listen while some one flips the van radio, extra battery switch in the rear. If there is a clicking it could be the relay. Yours is also a 2008.

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Old 02-03-2010, 09:04 PM   #19
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Re: Radio Switch Drains Batteries?

I guess this could be an update to the previous wiring methods. In your diagram the power for the radio will always come from the house battery, the switch will determine if the van start circuit or the house circuit picks the relay. The relay should not draw power unless you want the radio on by either of those methods.

I think part of the problem with the radio switch was caused by newer stock radios that draw more power (say for the CD), so when the radio came on they would draw more power from the always on circuit. When the radio went off, the unit would go to just keep the memory/clock alive. Both the always hot (F2.22) and hot in Run or Acc (F2.3) are 15 amp fuses.

From what I gather the radio switch in either case would only control the circuit fused by F2.3

Paul, thanks for the info, I believe their are many that have a similar set up to yours

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Old 02-03-2010, 09:31 PM   #20
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Re: Radio Switch Drains Batteries?

After thinking more about it, the easiest way to determine if it is 100% true, which I believe it is, is to switch to Van Battery and UNPLUG the Radio fuse in the House fuse panel. If you can put the ignition key on ACC and play the radio it is not wired this way. This is because you should be running on the Van Battery. I'm chicken as it may lose all the Stereo presets and security codes. I would feel honored if someone would be brave enough to test this.


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