[OZAPRS] set up ford territory

Damien Gardner Jnr vk2tdg at gmail.com
Sun May 27 16:49:17 EST 2012


I think the problem is that if you connect directly to the battery, then 
your antenna cable (and rig case, if it's bolted to something metal) 
become a significant part of the earth return line, if the 
battery->chassis cable becomes compromised.

Personally, I run a 4AG cable to both +ve and -ve, but both have a 100A 
fuse on them.  The -ve is bonded to the chassis under the handbrake 
mechanism in the centre console.  And then +ve is separately fused to 
every item being powered in the car (both rigs, GPS, Opentracker, 
phone/ipad chargers, etc), and -ve is also fused separately for items 
which are earthed themselves (aka rigs).

Although I also have a 4AG -ve lead running from the chassis to the 
alternator mount on the drivers side of the car, incase the standard 
chassis->aircon mount one on the passenger side lets go..

And just to be 100% sure when winching, I have the negative cable from 
the battery to the control box, four braids from bull bar to chassis, 
and one directly from the winch to chassis also.  Super-safe, though I'm 
90% sure that the negative feed to the winch is actually separate from 
the 'earth' anyway..  I'm curious to know why the winch HAS an earth 
lug.. :)

As for mounting, my D710 head uses the supplied double-sided tape on top 
of the dash - and the main unit is screwed into the back of the centre 
console.  The FT857 head mount is bolted to the top of the guage pod in 
the centre of the dash.. - but that pod is custom, and i'll likely 
re-install the original pod if for some reason I ever sell the pajero.. 
I'm thinking that having 8 guages on the dash is only going to confuse 
the heck out of your average punter ;)

Cheers,

DG


On 27/05/2012 4:37 PM, Peter Bye wrote:
> Re the below, why not??  I have done several mobile installs, most my 
> own, but also for others.  I always connect both +ve and -ve direct to 
> the battery, with a fuse on both.
> I also use rig runners for power distribution.
>
> Cheers
> de
> Pete VK2MPJ
>
> On 27/05/12 14:32, Michael Carey wrote:
>> ...
>>
>> Make sure you don't connect the negative wire to the battery... 
>> always connect to an earth point on the body, close to where the 
>> negative battery wire is connected...
>>
>> ...
>>
>> Michael.
>> VK5ZEA
>>
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> OZAPRS at aprs.net.au
> http://lists.aprs.net.au/mailman/listinfo/ozaprs


-- 
Damien Gardner Jnr
VK2TDG. Dip EE. GradIEAust
vk2tdg at gmail.com - http://www.rendrag.net/
--
We rode on the winds of the rising storm,
  We ran to the sounds of thunder.
We danced among the lightning bolts,
  and tore the world asunder



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