CB Install Gone Wrong - Electrical Sys. Going Haywire When I Key-UP
JK Newbie
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: groton, connecticut
Accessory power tap
Could this help. I used this to hook up my cobra radio kit. I installed it 4 months ago and havent had any problems yet. Im not an electrician and would like to know if there are any bad reasons why not to use the power tap?
JK Enthusiast
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 282
Likes: 0
From: Dayton, Ohio
It's not a cig lighter short!!! (that would cause blown fuses)Power Taps are evil. You ALWAYS want to run directly to the battery for Communication equipment. RF and grounding do funny things when undervolted not to mention jeep parts. By using a tap you are robbing something else of power that was SPECIFICALLY designed to have that much power. If you rob peter to pay paul you will end up burnt.
JK Enthusiast
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 282
Likes: 0
From: Dayton, Ohio
I checked continuity in all places. Everything is fine going off of the Firestik diagrams.
I guess I'l have to hard-wire it.
Could I have done any damage to my electrical system??? It shorted out 3-4 times....
Whats the best rout to hard-wire this thing?
Thanks for all the replies!
R7
I guess I'l have to hard-wire it.
Could I have done any damage to my electrical system??? It shorted out 3-4 times....
Whats the best rout to hard-wire this thing?
Thanks for all the replies!
R7
Did you DC the antenna and key it breifly to see if it still exhists? and no you did not do any damage.
Most likely what you were taking power from did not like it and went bonkers.....
back to the rule of ALWAYS power Communication equipment from the battery.
If that does not fix it do the other things i said and post back here.
JK Freak
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 553
Likes: 0
From: Monroe, Ohio
Originally Posted by rpaulson
It's not a cig lighter short!!! (that would cause blown fuses)Power Taps are evil. You ALWAYS want to run directly to the battery for Communication equipment. RF and grounding do funny things when undervolted not to mention jeep parts. By using a tap you are robbing something else of power that was SPECIFICALLY designed to have that much power. If you rob peter to pay paul you will end up burnt.
I notice that you are in Dayton. If you want to go wheeling check out the West Chester / Cincy Jeep JKers group on facebook. There are about 20 of us in this area that get together and go ride a couple of times per month.
JK Enthusiast
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 282
Likes: 0
From: Dayton, Ohio
I might take you up on that.
and yep a dead short would send 12v straight back to the battery and do NOTHING with the cb. the current would head back to the battery and nothing else.
His prob is probably a grounding problem at the antenna or that he tapped into some wires meant for somewhere else. Jk's are finicky and need SPECIFIC amounts of power to specific systems you go robbing power from them you will have exactly this happening.
I have seen people put Cig lighter ends on cbs and get them to work by plugging it in. I have seen people tap into the cig lighter wires before with success, But doing it any other way than a direct wire opens you up to things like this. Sometimes you get lucky and it works. Most of the time it doesn't.
and yep a dead short would send 12v straight back to the battery and do NOTHING with the cb. the current would head back to the battery and nothing else.
His prob is probably a grounding problem at the antenna or that he tapped into some wires meant for somewhere else. Jk's are finicky and need SPECIFIC amounts of power to specific systems you go robbing power from them you will have exactly this happening.
I have seen people put Cig lighter ends on cbs and get them to work by plugging it in. I have seen people tap into the cig lighter wires before with success, But doing it any other way than a direct wire opens you up to things like this. Sometimes you get lucky and it works. Most of the time it doesn't.
