2nd car battery question
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w5cyc
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Sure you can.
mjthomas59
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The simple answer would be yes..... but why would you 1) have 2nd battery in your trunk, 2) need to run the cb off of it, 3) how do you keep the battery in the trunk charged, and 4) how do you talk on the cb if you are driving and it is in the trunk?
Just wonderin!
Just wonderin!
n4voxgill
Silent Key
make sure it is very securely mounted.
902
Member
Some vehicles have a similar setup. My Suburban has two batteries; both fit under the hood.
Thing is that CB radios don't draw that much power. Are you sure you need a second battery?
Thing is that CB radios don't draw that much power. Are you sure you need a second battery?
mjthomas59 said:
The only reason that I can see why he would want to run his CB radio off a battery in the trunk is for a linear amplifier!
Geeze, a modern CB radio might draw 3 amps on transmit. A big linear amp will draw anything between 20 and 200 amps.
Be sure to run a LARGE 12 volt wire back there.
P.S. Don't forget to fuse it at the alternator!
You can also isolate the two battery circuits with 2 diodes, one to each battery. The diodes would need to be something like 100 amp and mounted in heat sinks. As far as fuses are concerned, there really should be two fuses; one on each end of that long wire going to the trunk. One fuse as close to the battery in the trunk as possible, and one from the feedpoint under the hood. That way if the insulation on that wire rubs off or melts there will be a fuse to kill power from either source. Otherwise keep a fire extinguisher handy.
The trunk is a dangerous place to put a battery. Check them out at the next "key down" and you'll see what they do with battery banks, locomotive alternators and gazillion watt amplifiers. You'll learn what real idiots are if you survive the RF exposure and don't come out looking like the videos I've seen, all scrambled.
WP4MZR
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902 said:
Is the second battery hard wired to the fuel pump?
WileyClarkson
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2nd battery
I run a second battery on my truck that is mounted in my toolbox. It is a deep cycle battery that I isolate from the starting battery by an ignition controlled high current relay mounted under the hood. The charging wire from the battery is a #8 stranded copper wire with high current spade fuses on both ends. All of my electronic equipment runs off the deep cycle battery and can be left on when I am not in the truck without fear of killing my starting battery. The equipment included an FT-857d HF/VHF/UHH transceiver, CB, GPS, Vehicle rear view video, radar detector, two 12vdc to 120 ac 500 watt inverters (one under the front seat and one in the toolbox, and Nokia cell phone vehicle mounting system. It also powers a winch mounted in the tool box that allows remote control of the tool box lid for lowering the antennas and opening the toolbox. I have been running this arrangement for 2+ years.
http://www.clarksons.org/AmateurRadio/my_mobile_installation.htm (photos of installation)
WA5OTR
I run a second battery on my truck that is mounted in my toolbox. It is a deep cycle battery that I isolate from the starting battery by an ignition controlled high current relay mounted under the hood. The charging wire from the battery is a #8 stranded copper wire with high current spade fuses on both ends. All of my electronic equipment runs off the deep cycle battery and can be left on when I am not in the truck without fear of killing my starting battery. The equipment included an FT-857d HF/VHF/UHH transceiver, CB, GPS, Vehicle rear view video, radar detector, two 12vdc to 120 ac 500 watt inverters (one under the front seat and one in the toolbox, and Nokia cell phone vehicle mounting system. It also powers a winch mounted in the tool box that allows remote control of the tool box lid for lowering the antennas and opening the toolbox. I have been running this arrangement for 2+ years.
http://www.clarksons.org/AmateurRadio/my_mobile_installation.htm (photos of installation)
WA5OTR
Ch1ronTL34
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WileyClarkson said:
Very cool install!
You should post that link in the "Pictures of your Shack" forum, I'm sure many more people would love to see your install. Do you have any pictures of the outside of your truck/antennas?
kb2vxa said:
Somebody needs to let the car manufacturers know this.
Mike
WileyClarkson
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2nd battery
Here's a link to photos of my truck and antennas
http://www.clarksons.org/truck.htm
Wiley
WA5OTR
Here's a link to photos of my truck and antennas
http://www.clarksons.org/truck.htm
Wiley
WA5OTR
mdulrich said:
+1... there's a reason why they put it in the trunk... if he puts it in the trunk in its on enclosed box, then there shouldn't be any harm done... learn some facts
WileyClarkson
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2nd battery
"For a CB, can I run power from an additional battery stored in the trunk instead of running from the main battery?"
If you are going to run a 2nd battery in your sedan trunk, I would give carefull thought to using a sealed battery instead of a standard style battery with refillable cells. While I don't think there is much to worry about with a trunk mounted battery, there could be the possibility of fumes from a charging non-sealed battery that could get into the passenger compartment if the seal between the trunk and the passenger area were not very tight.
Just a thought.
Wiley
WA5OTR
"For a CB, can I run power from an additional battery stored in the trunk instead of running from the main battery?"
If you are going to run a 2nd battery in your sedan trunk, I would give carefull thought to using a sealed battery instead of a standard style battery with refillable cells. While I don't think there is much to worry about with a trunk mounted battery, there could be the possibility of fumes from a charging non-sealed battery that could get into the passenger compartment if the seal between the trunk and the passenger area were not very tight.
Just a thought.
Wiley
WA5OTR
WileyClarkson said:
The "Fumes" I would worry about are the hydrogen and oxygen.
And I would worry that they do not leak out, not that they do leak out.
If you are overcharging to the point you get other fumes, you have a whole orther problem.
If you ever have a car fire, having a battery in the trunk could null and void your car insurance coverage.
I have one in my truck as well. a 120A surepower isolatorto keep them isolated even when charging, its basically two diodes in a package.
My reason for using the second, isolated battery is so I can run my CB and camping lights ans such off of it for long periods of time without worrying about draining the starting battery.
My reason for using the second, isolated battery is so I can run my CB and camping lights ans such off of it for long periods of time without worrying about draining the starting battery.
GreatLakes said:
Tell that to BMW who puts their batteries in the trunk from the factory!
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