What kind of radios had negative Buss inside?
In most early CB and commercial two-way radios, the negative buss inside the unit fully floated from the cabinet and any external ports. This included commercial two-way radios like the Motorola Motrac, Micor, and other expensive, high-quality, radios.
How does a grounded negative lead radio work?
The traces opened even though the negative lead was fused, because the radio’s transmitter current of ~20 amperes flowed through small circuit board traces to my CW key. The CW key was grounded by touching a metal bracket, and this melted foil traces on a circuit board inside the radio. With a grounded negative buss and battery post connection:
Can a negative radio be wired across a battery post?
There is a serious flaw with the suggestion mobile radios be wired across battery terminals. The negative radio lead should actually not have a fuse, and not be wired to the battery post. History of Vehicle Accessory Equipment Grounds
Why do mobile radios have negative or positive fuses?
As a result, systems with a floating negative buss were shipped with both negative and positive power line fuses. The floating negative buss system inside the radio allowed safe direct connection to the battery posts, and safe shutdown if either the positive or negative fuse opened.
What causes an old radio to burn out?
Dead electrolytic capacitors in the power supply have killed many old radios, and the coupling and bypass capacitors can cause tubes to fail and coils to burn out. Take a look at Photo 2. PHOTO 2. Bad electrolytic capacitors made this transformer burn out. There are a few approaches you can take while going through component replacement.
What happens if I hook up my CB radio backwards?
Hooking up the power backwards will probably burn out the protection diodes immediately. Red is positive 12 volts and black is ground. There are a myriad of CB antenna mounting options on the market. If you are reading this article, there’s a good chance you are going to go offroad with your vehicle.
What to do when your radio won’t turn on?
You have trouble turning the stereo on. Check the face plate to make sure it is securely attached to head unit. If the radio will not turn on, first check the fuse located at the back of the radio. If the fuse is burnt, replace with a fuse of the same amperage rating. Check the wiring located at the back of the radio.
What to avoid when installing a CB radio?
Most magnetic mounts are base loaded, meaning most of the coiled antenna wire is low at the bottom, which in most cases means reception and output is less than what it could be. Only sticks to ferrous metal (steel hoods, not fiberglass Jeep tops). Sometimes hard to ground. What to avoid – Avoid narrow magnetic bases.