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How to run car radio off the leisure battery?

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  • 28-09-2012 9:20pm
    #1
    dickwod1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,101 ✭✭✭


    Hi all I was just wondering is it easy to set up the car radio in the campervan to run off the leisure battery?

    At the moment it just runs off the main starter battery.

    Any help welcome.


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    #2
    paddyp
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,927 ✭✭✭paddyp


    dickwod1 wrote: »
    Hi all I was just wondering is it easy to set up the car radio in the campervan to run off the leisure battery?

    At the moment it just runs off the main starter battery.

    Any help welcome.

    Cut and tape up the big and run a new one from the leisure battery via an appropriate fuse. If its and ISO headunit pin 7 on block a is the big red wire.


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    #3
    2 stroke
    Registered Users Posts: 2,921 ✭✭✭2 stroke


    Be careful messing with the wiring under the dash, it's not impossible to set off the airbags. It's best to isolate or disconect both batteries first.


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    #4
    dickwod1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,101 ✭✭✭dickwod1


    Thanks for the replys


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    #5
    defike
    Registered Users Posts: 222 ✭✭defike


    Hi I wired my dash radio to the leisure battery and now I get interference when I switch on the engine.('08 Ducato)If the radio signal is strong like in Dublin its not a problem but when travelling the country and the signal is week I can't get any signal atall.When stopped in the country radio works fine,start the engine and station is drowned out.
    I reused the origional earth to the radio which goes through the ignition switch should I change this.
    In the old days you could fit suppressors to the plugs on cars I assume these are long gone.
    Any suggestions.


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    #6
    killalanerr
    Registered Users Posts: 1,322 ✭✭✭killalanerr


    defike wrote: »
    Hi I wired my dash radio to the leisure battery and now I get interference when I switch on the engine.('08 Ducato)If the radio signal is strong like in Dublin its not a problem but when travelling the country and the signal is week I can't get any signal atall.When stopped in the country radio works fine,start the engine and station is drowned out.
    I reused the origional earth to the radio which goes through the ignition switch should I change this.
    In the old days you could fit suppressors to the plugs on cars I assume these are long gone.
    Any suggestions.
    Your problem could be the aerial or lack of same,in most new commercial vans the aerial is on the roof so when they get converted at the factory this is disconnected the very new ones have the aerials in the mirrors
    It might be worth checking if you have an aerial connected to your radio even if their is one going into the back of the radio it could still be chopped off up the line some where
    If you can get your hands on an FM aerial that comes with most hifi units or TVs you can mount this in the dead space inside the dash and it will improve things no end


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    #7
    defike
    Registered Users Posts: 222 ✭✭defike


    Hi its a home conversion and I made sure the aerial in the roof was connected before I buried it.Thats not to say something hasn't happened to it since.But what confuses me is the stations are fine with the engine turned off but die completely when I start the engine.


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    #8
    killalanerr
    Registered Users Posts: 1,322 ✭✭✭killalanerr


    So that rules that out then :D,it still sounds like a low signal problem best to rule that out first before you look at suppressing


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    #9
    Aidan_M_M
    Registered Users Posts: 2,213 ✭✭✭Aidan_M_M


    killalanerr wrote: »
    So that rules that out then :D,it still sounds like a low signal problem best to rule that out first before you look at suppressing

    Actually in most new Ducatos the aerial is built into the wing mirror.

    Sound like the OP has electrical interference.


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    #10
    2 stroke
    Registered Users Posts: 2,921 ✭✭✭2 stroke


    I have a second radio in the back. There is quite a bit of alternator interference on this when driving, even when totally isolated from the charging circuit. So dash radio when driving, camping radio when camping.


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    #11
    defike
    Registered Users Posts: 222 ✭✭defike


    Aidan_M_M wrote: »
    Actually in most new Ducatos the aerial is built into the wing mirror.

    Sound like the OP has electrical interference.

    Any solution for this.


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    #12
    paddyp
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,927 ✭✭✭paddyp


    I wonder if your charger/distribution unit is the source of the noise.
    If its rf noise then the first thing to try is wind the power cable a few turns around a ferrite ring at the radio end that will help. If you still have noise I'd add something like a 100n capacitor to earth after the ferrite. You can cannibalise an old computer power supply for chokes and capacitors the 5v output choke in series and the 12v output capacitors parallel should be very effective.

    You can buy them on ebay but could be chinese capola:
    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-NOISE-FILTER-HUM-KILLER-ENGINE-SUPRESSOR-POWER-WIRE-/260701376336?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item3cb3034f50#ht_2805wt_1348
    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/40-AMP-IN-LINE-ENGINE-NOISE-SUPPRESSOR-FILTER-12v-16v-/250734037372?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item3a60e9c97c#ht_2933wt_1348


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    #13
    defike
    Registered Users Posts: 222 ✭✭defike


    Hi Paddy.
    I will definitely try one of those suppressors thanks.


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    #14
    moodrater
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,638 ✭✭✭moodrater


    defike wrote: »
    Hi Paddy.
    I will definitely try one of those suppressors thanks.

    Halfords have one too but its only 5amp so you'd want to check the spec of your headunit. Maplin do the ferrite rings too for about 3 quid.


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    #15
    paddyp
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,927 ✭✭✭paddyp


    Was looking for parts on ebay.de and searched for a filter for you this plastic fantastic one is 10.19 delivered from germany:
    http://www.ebay.de/itm/Entstorfilter-Storgerausch-Filter-filtert-entstort-Brummen-Pfeifen-Isolator-/200750682199?pt=Kabel_Stecker&hash=item2ebdac5057#ht_1311wt_1115


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    #16
    defike
    Registered Users Posts: 222 ✭✭defike


    Thanks but already bought the china one.
    Should be here in a month.


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    #17
    paddyp
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,927 ✭✭✭paddyp


    defike wrote: »
    Thanks but already bought the china one.
    Should be here in a month.

    Chinese one is tidier anyway, hong kong is usually 5-9 days for me.

    Its really annoying that when you search ebay it doesn't show you all the items available even when you do an advanced search for items located in in any country / region. Theres a ton of stuff on ebay.de thats available but doesn't show up in searches same for ebay.fr, ebay.it. I have to manually search ebay.de, ebay.fr, ebay.co.uk, ebay.it to find stuff.


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