Rewiring radio. Looking for diode info

[Familymarmite]

I want to rewire my radio.
Currently it operates off the ignition key (Ducato X250).
As there is no accessory position on the key I can't use the radio with the ignition off.
I plan to rewire using the method below.
Can anyone recommend the suggested diodes to use?

 

[XxAnthxX]

I’ve got a box of about 500 in the garage.....i‘ll dig the info out if you still need it.

I think I’ve got some images of it done too....somewhere

My x250 is the same without the acc position.

I could probably stick some in an envelope and post them, if that’s easier.....

 

[XxAnthxX]

They are 6A8 axial diodes.....

 

[tonyidle]

Or use a spco switch instead. Centre to radio & one contact to each supply.

 

[eddie]

Why not put a simple On/Off switch on the red wire going to the radio (load) and the spare yellow to power it (supply)

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[Manic]

I did the same recently, wired in a separate feed via a switch but didn’t think about it back feeding, so when I switched radio on via new switch it put all dash electrics on, I then fitted a diode but can’t tell you what I fitted because Paul Two on Tour gave me a diode he had but it worked.

 

[XxAnthxX]

Two diodes behind the head unit=no additional switching or hole cutting.

Ignition live turns it on when driving, control unit live turns it on when parked...

Blocking diodes prevent cross feeding.

 

[Familymarmite]

Two diodes behind the head unit=no additional switching or hole cutting.

Ignition live turns it on when driving, control unit live turns it on when parked...

That's exactly what I'm looking for.
I then don't have my Wife asking me "What's this switch for which way does it have to go, why can't it......"?.

I did consider the switch on the dash option.

Thanks for the replies and suggestions.

 

[XxAnthxX]

That's exactly what I'm looking for.
I then don't have my Wife asking me "What's this switch for which way does it have to go, why can't it......"?.

I did consider the switch on the dash option.

Thanks for the replies and suggestions.

Let me know if you struggle to source small quantities and I’ll pop some in an envelope for you.....

 

[eddie]

Two diodes behind the head unit=no additional switching or hole cutting.

Ignition live turns it on when driving, control unit live turns it on when parked...

Blocking diodes prevent cross feeding.

A no ability to turn it off as it stays on standby, so a high quiescent drain!

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[XxAnthxX]

A no ability to turn it off as it stays on standby, so a high quiescent drain!

Explain why you cannot switch it off please?

 

[eddie]

A no ability to turn it off as it stays on standby, so a high quiescent drain!

Actually are you saying that you have a ON/OFF switch somewhere else? If so I apologise, as then two diodes is a good idea, other wise you have to remember to turn the "somewhere else" switch on before sitting in the drivers seat

 

[Familymarmite]

Actually are you saying that you have a ON/OFF switch somewhere else? If so I apologise, as then two diodes is a good idea, other wise you have to remember to turn the "somewhere else" switch on before sitting in the drivers seat

My plan was to take the habitation power supply from the entertainment power supply from the Sargent control unit.
This would become live when the habitation electrics are switched on. The habitation electrics are turned off when the ignition is on.
So yes there could be a possibility of drain while on standby and habitation electrics are switched on. This I would have to measure and if unacceptably high then I could add an isolating switch.

I'm open to all suggestions.

 

[XxAnthxX]

Any drain would be the same as it would without the modification, irrespective of wether the cab or hab battery supplies the permanent live....it keeps the station memory Etc so the drain will be the same as it left the manufacturer, unless you re-wire to the hab battery which will then maintain the memory etc.

The switched live from the ignition will turn it on through cab battery when the ignition is on and when it’s off and the control panel it turned on it will supply the power to turn on the radio from the hab.

If the ignition is off and the control panel is off.....the radio is off.

You could put a switch in the permanent live to isolate the radio for longer term storage...but it will cause the radio memories to be reset.

 

[eddie]

My plan was to take the habitation power supply from the entertainment power supply from the Sargent control unit.
This would become live when the habitation electrics are switched on. The habitation electrics are turned off when the ignition is on.
So yes there could be a possibility of drain while on standby and habitation electrics are switched on. This I would have to measure and if unacceptably high then I could add an isolating switch.

I'm open to all suggestions.

Some units "clear" information and GPS units dump erroneous data when the ignition is switched off. The standby drain of some units is pretty much the same as the "off" draw, turning the panel off, doesn't really do anything. I really isn't a problem to have a permanent 12 volt supply and the same supply loading the Accessory (ignition) via a simple on/off switch

So long as you can make the Accessory(ignition) wire 0 VDC it doesn't matter how complicated you want to do it!

After all it isn't like anyone is going anywhere anytime soon is it

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[eddie]

Any drain would be the same as it would without the modification, irrespective of wether the cab or hab battery supplies the permanent live....it keeps the station memory Etc so the drain will be the same as it left the manufacturer, unless you re-wire to the hab battery which will then maintain the memory etc.

The switched live from the ignition will turn it on through cab battery when the ignition is on and when it’s off and the control panel it turned on it will supply the power to turn on the radio from the hab.

If the ignition is off and the control panel is off.....the radio is off.

You could put a switch in the permanent live to isolate the radio for longer term storage...but it will cause the radio memories to be reset.

Which is what I said in my amended post. If it is a dedicated "audio" button on the control panel, just be aware that your radio will be on all of the time that the habitation electrics are on

The quiescent drain of a radio, especially one with GPS is much higher with the ignition on, than off, which is why most converters or installers such as ourselves will always install with a switch to replace the need to have the ignition on.

 

[Pausim]

I would use a changeover relay using the D+ signal to swap from leisure to engine battery when the engine is running.

 

[Lenny HB]

I just wired my stereo to the leisure battery via an output on the Elektroblock that was permanently live.

 

[eddie]

LOL Actually I listen to the radio via my phone Bluetoothed to my Sony Surround sound system, much better sound quality and no DAB radio issues

 

[berni109]

On the last van I fitted an aftermarket andriod head unit and took a fused and switched(new switch with led on dash) live feed direct from the vehicle battery feeding both red and yellow so no power drain when not on. I have noticed u dont want an extra switch but I also wanted a another manual on/off for the reversing camera so I could see anything happening behind the van. Intend to do the same on new van.

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[bobandjanie]

Ours is a 2017 Ducato and we connected the red and yellow from the radio into the yellow and leave the red and it's On all the time. ? Bob.

 

[tonyidle]

I have mine on the hab battery full time with a switch on the dash to turn it off. I don't see any point in providing an ignition-switched feed. The 'memory' lead is left permanently live. The extra switch was needed because of current draw if the radio was turned off using its own off switch. I can't remember what I measured but it's substantial. The memory lead current draw is minimal.

 

[Lenny HB]

The extra switch was needed because of current draw if the radio was turned off using its own off switch. I can't remember what I measured but it's substantial.

Depends on the stereo, my Clarion is very low, with Pioneers it can be several amps.

 

[tonyidle]

Depends on the stereo, my Clarion is very low, with Pioneers it can be several amps.

You're right - this (it's a Kenwood) is the first I've needed to switch that I've come across. It even had permanent display lighting set as default - really useful at night in a mh. Not! It took me a while to find the option to turn that off.

 

[Manic]

Ours is a 2017 Ducato and we connected the red and yellow from the radio into the yellow and leave the red and it's On all the time. ? Bob.
View attachment 387126

I had my old unit like that but the new unit has Bluetooth so it would be on standby all the time, so I fitted a live switched feed to use when ignition is off, with a diode to stop back feed.

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[peterc10]

You're right - this (it's a Kenwood) is the first I've needed to switch that I've come across. It even had permanent display lighting set as default - really useful at night in a mh. Not! It took me a while to find the option to turn that off.

Our Kenwood is wired to the hab battery so it can be used all the time if we want to. It seems to switch almost everything off when it is switched off with its own switch. Very little draw from it then.

 

[tonyidle]

Our Kenwood is wired to the hab battery so it can be used all the time if we want to. It seems to switch almost everything off when it is switched off with its own switch. Very little draw from it then.

I don't think it's any particular make - it seems to depend on the model. Mine is fine used as intended - when the ignition was off the memory supply current draw was minimal. If (what would be) the ignition supply is permanently on because it's connected to the hab battery it becomes unacceptable. Which to me is anything over 250mA. IIRC its draw was in the region of 500mA - or 4Ah per overnight.

 

[Sandancers]

I want to rewire my radio.
Currently it operates off the ignition key (Ducato X250).
As there is no accessory position on the key I can't use the radio with the ignition off.
I plan to rewire using the method below.
Can anyone recommend the suggested diodes to use?

View attachment 387049

That's more or less what I did except I put the diodes into the input of a timer circuit, the output of the timer circuit fed the coil of a relay. The contacts on the relay fed the 12v into the radio.

This meant that the timer circuit kept the radio ON while the ignition was ON. But if you had your Alt-on switch made the radio would continue playing for 45 min after the ign went OFF (as the Pioneer did not have that run on facility). There was also another small push button which when pushed gave you a further 45min of music. The idea of that was that the radio, without the ign ON, would never stay ON beyond 45min and hence not run the battery down.