24V Stereo

[RobVG]

The radio in one of our Zaxis's is toast. I'd like to get a car stereo for it and was wondering if there's any reason why I shouldn't just wire it to one battery?

 

[cutting edge]

no reason at all. should be a spare 12 v connector under the fuse panel

 

[RobVG]

Good to know.

Thanks

 

[heymccall]

Don't do it. Get a cheap 24 to 12 converter. Like this http://www.suntekstore.com/goods.php?id=14001378&utm_source=gbus&utm_medium=paid
There's one in almost every Cat machine, too.
Are you sure the dead OEM radio is 24v?
By wiring to one battery, you WILL have battery issues. The alternator sees the two 12volt batteries as one 24volt battery that will have 6 lazy cells. It will never fully charge the 6 cells that you're parasiting 12 volt from.

 

[RobVG]

****

 

[willie59]

Your choice to secure with either bungee straps or duct tape.

 

[RZucker]

Don't do it. Get a cheap 24 to 12 converter. Like this http://www.suntekstore.com/goods.php?id=14001378&utm_source=gbus&utm_medium=paid
There's one in almost every Cat machine, too.
Are you sure the dead OEM radio is 24v?
By wiring to one battery, you WILL have battery issues. The alternator sees the two 12volt batteries as one 24volt battery that will have 6 lazy cells. It will never fully charge the 6 cells that you're parasiting 12 volt from.

Been there, Done that one. Hes right. Get a convertor if the machine doesnt already have one.

 

[RobVG]

lol Willie.

This is the bosses machine and he's a true prima donna

 

[RobVG]

Been there, Done that one.

That's why I keep coming here.

 

[willie59]

lol Willie.

This is the bosses machine and he's a true prima donna

OMG, all the more reason to do it just for the reaction!

 

[cutting edge]

Been there, Done that one. Hes right. Get a convertor if the machine doesnt already have one.

fee poops sake, the machine is set up for 12 volt accessories. ever notice the 12 volt power port behind the seat?


no,you didn't,because you don't know.

 

[RobVG]

Just for fun, I tried wiring it to one battery. Long story short, I ended up with a hot ground wire which caused the antenna to arc against the radio. Left me scratching my head for awhile.

Got the converter today and all is well. I have an inline fuse holder going to the converter. It's weird, when I put a fuse in it, it arcs like it's got a dead short but doesn't blow the 5amp I'm putting in the holder.

I may come to regret this little project- all the other operators will want me to swap out their Jap radios.
By the way, radio from Hitachi is $300. I got a nice one from Oreilly's - $48.

 

[RZucker]

fee poops sake, the machine is set up for 12 volt accessories. ever notice the 12 volt power port behind the seat?


no,you didn't,because you don't know.

Try rereading my post... I SAID "IF it doesnt already have one" thanks for the insult though.

 

[Deeretracks]

Yep, many of the grey market machines didn't have the 12v port...........

 

[Ronsii]

Yep, many of the grey market machines didn't have the 12v port...........

Exactly.... they have what looks to be a 12v port... but when you put a volt meter on it you get 24V

Boss wanted a CB in our 120 but he wanted it removable... in other words plug it into the 12v/24v port... so I just soldered up a 7812 linear regulator inline with the power cord... a 50 cent part and all is good

 

[kshansen]

Boss wanted a CB in our 120 but he wanted it removable...

That's easy just park in the wrong neighborhood over night, unless he want to have it to use someplace else:tong

Question what is or where do you buy a 7812?

 

[BB64]

Question what is or where do you buy a 7812?

Electronics geeks 1.5A 12V output voltage regulator -- the TO-3 case survive up to 2.3 or 3 A with a lot of heatsink. Here's a link (but Radio Shack might still have them, if you still have a shop open near you): http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/L7812CV/497-1452-5-ND/585973 Link also has datasheet with "application circuit" diagram that includes a couple extra capacitors to enhance performance of the part. You are limited to about 18 Watts of power, though, unless you heatsink the heck out of it. For a permanent install of a small stereo, I'd almost consider a 7815 (15V 1.5A) since a lead acid battery will charge upwards of 14V, so a cheapo stereo should survive and you'd get about 22 Watts through it, and I'd screw the TO-220 case to something metal with bulk to pull heat off.

For a little more money and a few extra components, you could hook up a pair of LM317s and set them to 13.8V, but that starts to resemble work -- the LM317 is a variable voltage regulator, works great in the right situation. http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/LM317T/LM317TFS-ND/458678 Link also goes to a datasheet with more info and suggested circuits -- about 15 years ago, the senior technician and I came up with (and tested, that was the scary part) a circuit design based on two of these that lets us set constant voltage and constant current to charge lots of lithium ion laptop batteries, still using them today.

Good luck!

Mike the EE

 

[cutting edge]

Try rereading my post... I SAID "IF it doesnt already have one" thanks for the insult though.

must have been a little cranky that day...sorry man.

 

[Ronsii]

That's easy just park in the wrong neighborhood over night, unless he want to have it to use someplace else:tong

Question what is or where do you buy a 7812?

^^ LOL We actually had a JD410G on a job in a trucking warehouse and think one of the drivers helped us remove the CB that time...

BB64 typed most of the prominent info so I won't re hash it you can also still get the 7812's at radio shack but don't ask their 'help' where or what it is... as they don't have a clue I usually buy large lots of them so have plenty in stock but didn't have any 7815's otherwise I would have put one of them in... The boss was in a hurry so use what ya' got

ebay also has them pretty cheap if you don't mind waiting a week or three.

@BB64: yeah the 317's would have worked also but it was more work and he was in a hurry...

 

[RZucker]

must have been a little cranky that day...sorry man.

Hey, No problem. I was a little bit too. I did replace a cab shell on a Zaxis 160 around 2008, and it was not equipped with a radio. OR a 12V convertor with a 12V power plug. The machine was ex rental company and the customer bought it as salvage. The new cab shell went on with radio installed and a convertor to Power it. That was a good buy for him, nearly new machine with 270 hrs, IIRC.