Want 12 volt for radio ect.

[IMA944T]

Going to install radio and other 12 acc. Does anybody have any senseable objections from past failures about running electrical juction block off one battery to gain the 12 volt power supply ??
After making the cab quiet wife wants radio and 12 volt plug for her phone.

 

[Westech]

your good to go if your amp draw is low. If your going to run a big sub or something your going to want ti get a inverter but if its just some lights, CB radio (or the like) cell phone charger, GPS.. small amp draws you will be fine. When the Amps get up there (above 20) its going to draw down that first battery and really mess with the charging system.

 

[IMA944T]

No just basic old car radio and two speakers.

 

[nk14zp]

12 Volt 189 Amp add on alternator kit for deuce/multifuel 5 ton engines - Steel Soldiers::Military Vehicles Supersite

 

[gimpyrobb]

Headwizard here on the site sells 24v to 12v converters. 30 amp and can maintain a 12v battery. Send him a PM>

 

[Recovry4x4]

ICT2412-15AS Adapter ICT 24V-12V DC Converter 24Volt to 12 volt - Steel Soldiers::Military Vehicles Supersite
Got me one of these. Great price too!

 

[stampy]

Mine radio is run off one battery (not the one the blower runs off of) and works great I put my 3 port 12v accesory recepticle in under the steering wheel it works great too! Speakers mount under the dash pad and you can either build boxes for the ones in the rear or buy enclosed speakers and just mount them in the back.

 

[cranetruck]

If you are reasonable familiar with electronics , you can build your own little power supplies. I like what I would call "point of load" linear voltage regulators, which can be put together with a power transistor, a few resistors and capacitors from Radio Shack.

For just a radio, CB or an instrument that needs 12 volt DC, a linear supply is clean and electrically noiseless. Can easily be made short circuit/overload proof and add a heat sink (shown in image below) if needed. No extra wires from the battery, just install where 12VDC is needed.

 

[hemichallenger]

Just wondering how you made it quiet enough to hear a radio? I am hopring to do the same.

 

[Carl_in_NH]

Agree with cranetruck on this - for light loads a small linear PS is a viable option. Just remember that you should always have a crowbar circuit - designed for overvoltage protection - and a properly sized fuse at the output of such a device; overloaded output pass transistors have a habit of failing with an emitter-collector short circuit - supplying 24V to your 12V device and making it very unhappy. Fuse / SCR / zener diode trigger crowbar are very cheap insurance for such devices.

 

[Carl_in_NH]

Just wondering how you made it quiet enough to hear a radio? I am hopring to do the same.

I pull my "Engine Stop" cable. Otherwise, it's headphones.

 

[nhdiesel]

I'm planning to tap into one battery to power the small blower on my 12v heater unit I'm installing. Its rated as only drawing 1.5 amps...not sure how a blower can only draw 1.5, but we'll see. For personal electronics- GPS, charging the MP3 player and cell phone, and CB radio, I bought one of these:



Its a power reducer, 24v to 12v, rated at 10 amps. They have larger ones as well. Got it off ebay for $25. I'm going to make up a small box, attach this, and install a few power outlets to plug stuff into. The box will be portable so I can use it in a different truck. I don't need anything to drive locally, but the stuff I listed will be handy on my 1100 mile recovery.

Jim

 

[cessnatwin]

I just came in from installing a 24-12v converter, WOW! I found this Post! What is the best place to tap into the power + source on this truck, as the unit I have is designed to come n when the ignition is on? Is one place better than the next, and any quality way of adding it in, as I do not like to RIG anything? thanks guys!

 

[IMA944T]

Carpet was the majic quiteing button. Good layed carpet and it helped enough the wife doesn't mind riding. Next is hiding a muffler. But then I'll hear all the strange noises the truck engine make that you don't hear normally and think hmmmm that sound bad.

 

[cranetruck]

I just came in from installing a 24-12v converter, WOW! I found this Post! What is the best place to tap into the power + source on this truck, as the unit I have is designed to come n when the ignition is on? Is one place better than the next, and any quality way of adding it in, as I do not like to RIG anything? thanks guys!

I use an MX-7777 suppressor for all electrical devices, it connects to the battery and provides primary protection with its own on/off switch as well.
Many references on the site if you need pictures etc.

 

[KaiserM109]

ICT2412-15AS Adapter ICT 24V-12V DC Converter 24Volt to 12 volt - Steel Soldiers::Military Vehicles Supersite
Got me one of these. Great price too!

Dito on the price.

You might also look at Newmar’s DC-DC Converters – Standard Series – converts 20-50 VDC to 12 or 24 VDC for powering communication / navigation equipment, on negative ground systems. The standard DC to DC converters are ideal for powering voice, data and

I'm not sure what their prices look like.

Arlyn

 

[nhdiesel]

Wow. For just a little more than half that price (when you factor in shipping) you can get THIS converter, 45a, brand new (not used). Seems like a better deal...3 times the output for $23 less. Just a thought. I didn't see the 45a versions available when I bought mine, otherwise I would have gotten one of those. I will probably get one to install in each truck once I get them home.

Jim

 

[yellobronc]

How about tapping into the 12v on the battery for trailer brakes. Since they are only used when the engine is running (gen output), and only briefly here and there, would using that as a 12v source for the brake controller be a bad situation?

On my truck, I have a shelter with 12V so I am going to tap to that for trailer brakes but that is not being charged from the engine. Because I use 2 golf cart batts, I dont think the batts will be a problem for most trips.

 

[nhdiesel]

I don't think there would be a problem for trailer brakes, thats a short intermittent draw. I wouldn't use it for full trailer lights though, unless maybe if they are LED (very low power requirement).

My theory about tapping into 1 battery for small draw items is that no 2 batteries are exactly equal, and drawing from 1 for a small load is no more of a difference than you might find normally between 2 batteries.

Jim

 

[steelandcanvas]

Wow. For just a little more than half that price (when you factor in shipping) you can get THIS converter, 45a, brand new (not used). Seems like a better deal...3 times the output for $23 less. Just a thought. I didn't see the 45a versions available when I bought mine, otherwise I would have gotten one of those. I will probably get one to install in each truck once I get them home.

Jim

Why does this converter have 3 wires in and 3 wires out? I've been following this thread, and this looks like the way to go.