New radio issue 12v no go vs 110v works

doesn't make sense unless the battery voltage is too low, like almost dead

I know - seems odd to me as well. I checked the battery and it is displaying 3 out of 4 lights... so yeah it should be working.

Be mindful that Vehicle type radios have two hot wires to deal with. The main chassis is turned on by the push button on the face panel. The other HOT wire is turned on by the ignition Key in the vehicles.

You have to be sure both of these HOT wires are getting the 12VDC.

In my case I wired the JENSEN Radio chassis to a +12VDC circuit and then I wired the IGNITION HOT wire to a separate 12VDC ON-OFF switch. You can see my separate 12VDC switch beside the Jensen radio here in this photo

Roy's image

This way when I am at the various different camp ground location I turn my radio on using both the front push button and the separate 12VDC switch. Then I setup all of my radio setting etc. When I want to shut down the radio I use the separate 12VDC ONLY to shut it down. This saves all of my setting for this location... Then I only use the separate ON-OFF radio switch while I am at this location.

this may not be your problem but is something to check on... You have to have both the main chassis and the ignition wire both hooked to 12VDC to operate the auto radio...

Roy Ken

X2 on not wired properly. Both power wires must be connected properly. One needs 12 volts constantly to keep time correct when ignition is off, one only hot when ignition is on so radio shuts off with the ignition key.

You need a meter. Without that all this is speculation. $5 at Harbor Freight

So, the converter is doing its job and the radio must be wired correctly. When the converter is off, so is the radio but the lights work. Does everything else work on just battery? What is the voltage at the battery?

garyemunson wrote:
X2 on not wired properly. Both power wires must be connected properly. One needs 12 volts constantly to keep time correct when ignition is off, one only hot when ignition is on so radio shuts off with the ignition key.

but the op says it works normally when the trailer is on shore power

inadequate voltage coming from the battery. Note the "15 amp" fuse spec. Of course, it would be of benefit if one actually knew what radio (ie. model / make) is being discussed.

The radio is a jdvd1500 - the battery is exide 24mdp less what 4 weeks old

The two power leads (yellow and red( ignition wire)) are merged together to the power lead to the camper

Note the radio I removed was connected the same way and was working both off the battery and the landline power