HAM Radio power hookup

rk911 wrote:

ShutterStuff wrote:
I can keep the wires under 10-12 feet to the battery if I go sloppy, but 15 feet is more likely to keep things neat. There is this engine thing in the way...

I was going to use a buss of some sort but I like to use Powerpole connectors and was looking to see if there is a buss for those. It would simplify the mess in the long run. I did not plan on a fuse for the ground, but that would be easy.

Thanks for the input! I will post pictures when done, but this is my winter long project and I am working slowly on it. I still do not know where I am going to mount the switch for the screwdriver antenna.

the West Mountain Radio RigRunners use the powerpole connectors. I personally don't use them...can't get my fingers to work with them.

Wow, they do and they are pretty proud of them too! I think I might stick with a Chinese made fuse block for $15 for now and save the powerpole connectors for the home shack.

ShutterStuff wrote:
I can keep the wires under 10-12 feet to the battery if I go sloppy, but 15 feet is more likely to keep things neat. There is this engine thing in the way...

I was going to use a buss of some sort but I like to use Powerpole connectors and was looking to see if there is a buss for those. It would simplify the mess in the long run. I did not plan on a fuse for the ground, but that would be easy.

Thanks for the input! I will post pictures when done, but this is my winter long project and I am working slowly on it. I still do not know where I am going to mount the switch for the screwdriver antenna.

the West Mountain Radio RigRunners use the powerpole connectors. I personally don't use them...can't get my fingers to work with them.

Do You Have a Copy of The ARRL Handbook?
Read - Assembling a Station.
My newest is 1987, but copper hasn't changed.

Matt - long quiet, but not silent

WyoTraveler wrote:
First, you don't need a complete wire for ground unless you have a plastic chassis on your MH. You need a good ground to the chassis at the battery. Then you need a good chassis ground to the chassis at your transceiver. For the positive lead you need at least #10 wire. I'm running 100 watts with no problems. Just my humble opinion but I think the metal chassis on your MH is larger than any wire you could use to replace it. LOL. I just couldn't stop laughing at that previous post. A #10 wire to replace a metal chassis beam? Of course if you are running a full KW you will need something heavier for positive lead.

Actually, steel makes a TERRIBLE "conductor" of electricity when compared to copper wire.

Even though the steel beam or chassis of a vehicle contains a lot of steel it actually can cause a nasty problem called "ground loops".

In the audio world ground loops make for nasty hum and buzz noises.

In the RF world it can actually cause enough RFI to interfere with your cars on board computers (I remember a few years ago when a Ham friend installed a HF rig in a new vehicle, each time he keyed up the vehicle odometer GAINED mileage :E while sitting still and key off, took a while to figure out that they needed to run the radio ground directly to the battery).

To ensure I don't interfere with the on board systems I route the antenna and power as far away from any of the car wiring. I have also run my 12V wires at the back of each radio through a toroid ferrite core for good measure.

First, you don't need a complete wire for ground unless you have a plastic chassis on your MH. You need a good ground to the chassis at the battery. Then you need a good chassis ground to the chassis at your transceiver. For the positive lead you need at least #10 wire. I'm running 100 watts with no problems. Just my humble opinion but I think the metal chassis on your MH is larger than any wire you could use to replace it. LOL. I just couldn't stop laughing at that previous post. A #10 wire to replace a metal chassis beam? Of course if you are running a full KW you will need something heavier for positive lead.

I ran separate 4AWG cables from the battery terminals back to a spot under the back seat of my Super Cab truck. I fused this line on the firewall close to the battery terminal with a 60AMP Blue Sea Covered FUSE BLOCK.

I terminated the 4AWG cables into a BLUE SEA 6-postion 12VDC SUB PANEL with ATC fuses mounted on the floor under the rear seat area..

Here I run the radio provided 12VDC Cables to each of two way ham radio units. I have one 2M/440 50WATT dual band FM radio and a ICOM 706 radio setup.

From the two radios I ran my remote cables to the dash area of the truck. I used KENWOOD KES-5 mobile speakers.

Antennas come into the supercab back seat thru the rear door jam...

I have two 2m/440 dual band antennas mounted on the rear door lip on each side of the truck. I also have a TARHEEL LIL TARTHEEL screwdriver antenna on the drivers side of the rear bed about a foot back from the rear window. This is mounted on the bed rail.

All worked out great but I still have RFI noise I can't seem to cure being picked up on the HF frequencies of the ICOM 706. Some places it is pretty bad... Good luck with your setup RFI noise wise...







Roy Ken

Your dual bander probably only draws about 11 amps on transmit. The HF rig will probably be closer to 23 or so on transmit. A 15 amp circuit isn't enough. I would use larger than 10 gauge wire. It really doesn't cost that much more money when your talking such small lengths of wire. I would run 8 min. or maybe even #6.
Both should go straight to the battery with a fuse in both leads.

I can keep the wires under 10-12 feet to the battery if I go sloppy, but 15 feet is more likely to keep things neat. There is this engine thing in the way...

I was going to use a buss of some sort but I like to use Powerpole connectors and was looking to see if there is a buss for those. It would simplify the mess in the long run. I did not plan on a fuse for the ground, but that would be easy.

Thanks for the input! I will post pictures when done, but this is my winter long project and I am working slowly on it. I still do not know where I am going to mount the switch for the screwdriver antenna.

I would recommend running directly to the battery for best results.

I have found over the years that direct connections for high power equipment like Ham or even car stereo amps tend to work the best.

I use weather proof ATC fuse holders near the battery.

10Ga is usable for your HF but I would keep it as short as possible, I typically up size the wire which lowers the voltage loss. For instance I use 10 ga on my dual band 2/440 rig. I have maybe 10ft of wire between battery and radio.

yes, i'd run both a positive and negative 10-gauge wire directly to the coach or automotive battery (your choice...I ran mine to the coach battery). fuse both leads as close as you can to the battery terminal.

what I did was run the leads from the battery to a bus and then connected the dual-bander, scanner, CB, etc. to the bus. each connection to the bus is fused and the leads to the coach battery are fused. the RigRunners from West Mountain Radio may make this task easier if you have the room for them.