Slip seat radio question??????

[brown67]

I'm not an electronics person, so need a little input here. I'm a new UPS feeder driver and I'm putting together a slip seat radio. I'm looking at car stereos and I'm wondering how to wire it into the truck. I have positive and negative power post that I connect the power to. Have two speaker connections in the truck that I can plug the speaker wires into. I have an antenna wire and antenna I can pug into the stereo. Is it really that straight forward? Just connect to the power, speaker, and antenna connections? Most stereos I'm looking at have an ignition switch wire. What if anything do i do with that?

 

[AZBrown]

These are the best in the industry

Slip Seat Radio Box / Trucker Radio Box / from The Aluminum Box Company

Just hook up to the power supply and everything is ready to go.
They cost a few extra pennies, but it is the last box you'll ever buy.
They even make a model designed for UPS lockers.

 

[cachsux]

Connect the ignition switch wire to the pos wire. It'll power up when plugged in. If you're going to put it on the seat then build in a loop for the seatbelt to go through to buckle it in place.

 

[104Feeder]

Our Mack's already have CD stereos in-dash but I could never stand having the radio on the passenger seat. I find turning to mess with anything too much of a distraction. Most of our guys stack the stereo & CB on a flat piece of board and use velcro or a EPDM strap to hold that on the dash.

BTW, the Internationals have the hot wire way down below where the speaker connectors are so leave that wire longer and not tied up with your speaker wires.

Also, I find in any setup that you are using satellite radio, MP3-player etc that this powered modulator kills any alternator whine: Amazon.com: Soundstream VFM5 Pll FM Modulator (Black): Car Electronics

 

[rod]

Ask a old package driver at your center. They all know how to hook up a radio to UPS power.

 

[Old International]

Thats about it. Not much more. I have my radios(am/fm/sat, CB, and 2m ham rig all on the dash. Left/right speaker leads, and power.

 

[over9five]

If you build your own, go down to the tractor shop. They will give you both ends of the quick disconnect cable, so you can plug it in to any tractor.

FUSE IT!!!!!

 

[brett636]

Yes, the older tractors that just have the hookups, but not the actual radio, are just that easy. Negative and positive connections for two speakers, antenna, and power. I run a splitter on the power so that I can plug in my cb radio. All the new Macks that we have starting in late 2010 came with factory stereos that lack an aux jack if you desire audio from a source other than AM/FM or CD. I use a small FM transmitter so that I can hear audio that I stream from my phone. Just this year we started getting in new Kenworth tractors, and they have a factory aux jack on their radios, but those just started coming in and my guess is not a lot of buildings have them yet.

 

[brown67]

Thanks everyone. Wish I could get new Mack or Kenworth, but that doesn't appear to be in the cards for awhile. Got to check out a new Kenworth the other night and they are nice. Air ride, stereo, led lighting inside. Driver said it had great power. Maybe one day.

 

[rod]

the rule of thumb is "if it is smoking--reverse the wires"

 

[2Slow]

Most car stereos have 2 power inputs, one for main power (this is the one you want to use) and one meant to be hot all the time to save your station presets. The ground goes to the ground, hot to hot, antenna to antenna. The speakers have a polarity, but it isn't that important.

I have a slipseatcb box and I like it. It's expensive though.

 

[Dracula]

Thanks everyone. Wish I could get new Mack or Kenworth, but that doesn't appear to be in the cards for awhile. Got to check out a new Kenworth the other night and they are nice. Air ride, stereo, led lighting inside. Driver said it had great power. Maybe one day.

If you sleep in your tractor, you don't want to be in a new Mack or a new Kenworth.