Dual Power source for Audio Head Unit?

podgemc

Hi
I am about to install a new head unit as seen here
http://www.xtrons.com/doce/productdetail.aspx?pid=59 to my camper.
It has a tv and dvd player built in. In normal installation, it would be powered off the vehicle battery but what Im looking to do is install some sort of switch so that its possible to power it off my 2deep cycle leisure batteries when not travelling. Is this easily done or does anyone know how to go about such a set up?The unit will mainly used for reversing camera and gps and audio when driving but would like to be able to use the tv and dvd player without fear of flattening my starter battery on those rainy evenings indoors.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Buford T Justice

podgemc wrote: »

Hi
I am about to install a new head unit as seen here
http://www.xtrons.com/doce/productdetail.aspx?pid=59 to my camper.
It has a tv and dvd player built in. In normal installation, it would be powered off the vehicle battery but what Im looking to do is install some sort of switch so that its possible to power it off my 2deep cycle leisure batteries when not travelling. Is this easily done or does anyone know how to go about such a set up?The unit will mainly used for reversing camera and gps and audio when driving but would like to be able to use the tv and dvd player without fear of flattening my starter battery on those rainy evenings indoors.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Very do-able indeed. You would need to have a head for wiring though.

Two options:

• Wherever the power diverts out of your zig, (Where you switch power to the vehicle accessories) take a feed from there and replace the current permanent live into your radio. As you switch your vehicle over to Leisure batt, external or Van battery you will draw the power from there. The only problem is that if you switch off the power entirely, you will lose all preset stations / presets that have been stored in the head unit
  
  That would be the easiest option.
  
  
• Alternatively, run a feed from the leisure battery (be sure to put an inline fuse on it) into a three way switch (Make sure the switch can handle the load that the head unit will pull). Run the permanant live from the radio into this switch also, with the output running to the headunit. Mount the switch in the dash, and heypresto, you can toggle between the two as you drive.

defike

What would be the down side to just wiring the radio to the leisure battery only as i'm thinking of doing.Ok it wouldn't switch on/off with ignition but its got a remote controll.

Buford T Justice

defike wrote: »

What would be the down side to just wiring the radio to the leisure battery only as i'm thinking of doing.Ok it wouldn't switch on/off with ignition but its got a remote controll.

Switching on and off with the ignition, it has nothing to do with the permanent live that you want to change. There is a switched live supply into the radio that does that.

As regards to the downside, there isn't one really with the exception that there is the possibility that you would be on the road with a dead leisure battery and have no radio.

podgemc

thanks for the reply. Shall be attempting a bit of work on the van over the easter holidays so hopefully it doesnt prove too problematic.

niloc1951

Fingers McGee wrote: »

As regards to the downside, there isn't one really with the exception that there is the possibility that you would be on the road with a dead leisure battery and have no radio.

Just wire it directly off the leisure battery.
When the engine is running the leisure is (should be) getting charge from the alternator, which will compensate for the power required by the radio.
When you are parked up you wont run the risk of flattening your starting battery. Just remember to turn the unit off when leaving the 'van, so you wont run the leisure battery down.