wiring up 12volt power source

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rossco

Active Member
has anyone wired up a 12volt power source in their package car to plug a radio into. my radio eats batteries like crazy. i know people will say you cant have a radio in the cab dont do it blah blah, but i know people must have done it and im looking for suggestions on how to "theoretically" do it. like where did you get a power source and where you chose to wire it into.
 
P

pickup

Guest
has anyone wired up a 12volt power source in their package car to plug a radio into. my radio eats batteries like crazy. i know people will say you cant have a radio in the cab dont do it blah blah, but i know people must have done it and im looking for suggestions on how to "theoretically" do it. like where did you get a power source and where you chose to wire it into.

save yourself a world of hurt and get rechargeable batteries. Fires have started in trucks that were wired up secretly. Whether or not the fires were caused by the unauthorized wiring is irrelevant , the presence of the wires was deemed the cause of the fires and the drivers were disciplined. Don't be an example, learn from the example.
 

OVERBOARD

Don't believe everything you think
Back in the day I put a radio in a wooden box with a speaker and two cables that I attached to the Pkg car battery, it work great and then some idiot who also made his own , left his in the pkg car over night and the radio got on fire and burned 12 pkg cars in the center, needless to say that was the end of my homemade radio. Just buy the batteries or better yet buy a Old Milwaukee radio with a rechargeable battery it works great and no need buy batteries all the time.
 
Friend,if you don`t understand how a 12 volt system works then you should`nt be trying to tap into one. Take their advice and get some rechargeable batteries.
 

rossco

Active Member
i like the dewalt radios but they are too big. i have a nice radio that i got from a customer called Tivolil audio. great sound and i can stash it on the little ledge to the left of the sun visor. but takes six batteries. hooking it up to power would be ideal
 

rossco

Active Member
i understand 12 volt systems... im just looking for ideas that people have used for setups that hookup and unhook easily to take home at night. i have to take everything out of my package car at night otherwise people steal it in the building. i have to lock up my two wheeler, otherwise someone grabs that too. someone stole my cheap sunglasses yesterday too
 

OVERBOARD

Don't believe everything you think
I place my radio on the floor , to my left and it works great. If you know your mechanic well and you should, ask him to install a outlet for you. I wouldn't jerry rig something and risk my job because I didn't want to buy batteries
 

rod

Retired 22 years
Friend,if you don`t understand how a 12 volt system works then you should`nt be trying to tap into one. Take their advice and get some rechargeable batteries.

I have to agree with this. Even if you do "know how 12 volt works" - if you have to ask for suggestions I would advise you not to tamper with it. The old "package car that burnt to the ground because a radio was hooked up wrong" story has scared many a driver into not doing it. Let me give you a hint ---use an in line fuse.
 

over9five

Moderator
Staff member
Go down to the tractor shop. They have radio hook up cables. They'll give you both ends, hook one end to your radio. Give the other end to the Package mechanic so he can install it in your PC. You'll be able to easily connect and disconnect.
 

tarbar66

Well-Known Member
Just buy some rechargeable batteries since you take the radio out every night!


The hot wire thing isn't worth the mechanic's or your job..
 

Dustyroads

Well-Known Member
Sears sells a really great radio, gets excellent reception, uses a 19.2 volt drill battery, it will run for 14 hours continually, on a single one hour charge. It sounds good, even in a package car that rattles. It's small, and bungee cords down to the dash really well. They are about 30 bucks, I'd say spend the extra 3 bucks for the 3 year Craftsman warrenty, and use your drill battery, or buy one at Sears. They are a real good deal.

For years I used a radio shack radio with a power source that plugged into the lighter of a sprinter. The Craftsman radio is so much better. No wires, sounds better, smaller.

I wouldn't mess with the wiring on a package car. Most of the package cars' wiring are not much to brag about, without having you try to tap into it. And, I noticed a memo about six months ago to the mechanics to remove any and all power jacks, non-factory lighter power sources, or any unapproved wiring modifications. I believe they have done that in our building to a couple cars where the drivers had installed a power plug.
 

Cementups

Box Monkey
My P7 has two battery terminals right under the dash. I just have wires from my radio running to a set of alligator clips that attach to these terminals. Thanks UPS for wiring these up for me.:D
 

EmerCond421

Well-Known Member
And, I noticed a memo about six months ago to the mechanics to remove any and all power jacks, non-factory lighter power sources, or any unapproved wiring modifications. I believe they have done that in our building to a couple cars where the drivers had installed a power plug.

Our mechanic did the same this summer :dissapointed:
 

SmithBarney

Well-Known Member
Go to walmart, pick up a 12V cig lighter accessory plug.. $2-4
Go to your mechanic, say "I need this installed so I can keep my cell phone charged
for when my oncar calls or if I need to call a customer"

Then of course get a radio of your choice with the proper cig lighter adapter.

You are then done..
 

helenofcalifornia

Well-Known Member
I like in theory the idea of a radio while in my truck, but I don't see how you could follow what's going on when you are in and out of that truck every few minutes or so or in the back sorting. Do you turn the radio off at every stop and then turn it back on again when you get back in the truck?
 
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