Yaesu: Yaesu 2400H Install question

Stimpy911 · May 17, 2016

I am installing my FT 2400 H in my Ford Explorer. My question is about power. Currently it has a power plug on it. I am going cut that off and direct wire it. Here is the question.

Can I wire it to my fused power block and my grounding bar I have installed inside my Jotto desk? Or, should I direct wire the positive and negative to my battery?

Thanks

k6cpo · May 17, 2016

If the "power plug" on your radio is the standard OEM "T" style connector DO NOT cut it off. If you don't have a wiring harness for the radio, you can get one from Powerwerx very easily. This will allow you to more easily remove the radio from the vehicle if desired.

You might be able to get away with wiring to the power block and grounding bar in your Jotto desk, but the accepted way recommended by most transceiver manufacturers is to wire it directly to the battery with both the positive and negative leads.

Because of the electronics in newer cars, sometimes the negative lead has to go the point where the negative side of the battery is grounded to the frame rather than directly to the battery. I'm not sure what model year this comes in at, but maybe someone else can chime in.

KC3ECJ · May 17, 2016

k6cpo said:
If the "power plug" on your radio is the standard OEM "T" style connector DO NOT cut it off. If you don't have a wiring harness for the radio, you can get one from Powerwerx very easily. This will allow you to more easily remove the radio from the vehicle if desired.

You might be able to get away with wiring to the power block and grounding bar in your Jotto desk, but the accepted way recommended by most transceiver manufacturers is to wire it directly to the battery with both the positive and negative leads.

Because of the electronics in newer cars, sometimes the negative lead has to go the point where the negative side of the battery is grounded to the frame rather than directly to the battery. I'm not sure what model year this comes in at, but maybe someone else can chime in.

Motorola has recommended to wire the negative to the body.

Wire the positive directly to the battery, the negative to the body.

Do not fuse the negative.

Stimpy911 · May 17, 2016

Here is a picture. I may have to add some length. Do I just leave it hooked up with the connector and run wire to battery? Or, do I cut wire just before the T connection and add wire, fusing near battery?

SteveC0625 · May 17, 2016

Stimpy911 said:
Here is a picture. I may have to add some length. Do I just leave it hooked up with the connector and run wire to battery? Or, do I cut wire just before the T connection and add wire, fusing near battery?

Leave the T connector. Get a mating connector and wire (of proper gauge). If you look you may find the proper power cables on Ebay or elsewhere for just a few bucks. As mentioned above. hot lead to the battery with the fuse within 6-12" of the battery, Ground to the chassis where the battery ground strap connects.

k6cpo · May 17, 2016

Stimpy911 said:
Here is a picture. I may have to add some length. Do I just leave it hooked up with the connector and run wire to battery? Or, do I cut wire just before the T connection and add wire, fusing near battery?

You forgot the picture.

Click on the link in my previous post for a look at a proper harness. My installations in both my 1998 Dodge truck and 2004 Suzuki SUV go directly to both positive and negative terminals on the battery and are fused at the battery. The FT-2400H has a fuse in the positive lead downstream of the T connector and that can just be left in the circuit. Additional fuses won't affect the operation of the radio.

Stimpy911 · May 18, 2016

Here is a picture

Project25_MASTR · May 18, 2016

Amateur manufacturers generally recommend directly to the battery with both leads fused. Commercial recommends grounding to chassis.

My Astro Spectra doesn't even have the ground lead attached to anything currently. There is a finite amount of those power connectors left and I haven't taken the time to splice longer leads in yet.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

mmckenna · May 18, 2016

Cut the cigarette light plug off and run it direct to the battery. + to the battery, - to the body.
If you have weird issues like I did with the 2400 and 2500, ground the radio chassis with a short wire to the nearest vehicle ground.

chief21 · May 18, 2016

As one poster indicated in an earlierpost, why would you NOT want to fuse BOTH positive and negative cables?

I also agree that the T-connector should be left on the radio side of the power cable... both for convenience and future re-sale.

John AC4JK

k6cpo · May 18, 2016

I agree. The first thing that should go is that cigarette lighter plug. It's essentially useless for anything ham related. You can either cut it off the cable and throw it away or unplug the wires at the T connector and put in a new harness with fuses in both leads. I would recommend the following:

https://powerwerx.com/radio-power-cable-yaesu-kenwood-icom

At 9 feet long, it should be more than sufficient to reach the radio from the battery.

Project25_MASTR · May 18, 2016

chief21 said:
As one poster indicated in an earlierpost, why would you NOT want to fuse BOTH positive and negative cables?

I also agree that the T-connector should be left on the radio side of the power cable... both for convenience and future re-sale.

John AC4JK

The reason you fuse both if you go straight to the battery assumes you have a properly installed ground dependent mount (i.e. Shield of coax shows continuity with chassis when radio is disconnected). If you were to lose the ground between the negative post and chassis while the radio was connected, path then becomes chassis down the coax and through the radio to negative.

By eliminating the negative fuse and going to chassis you eliminate the risk of catching the radio on fire, popping a fuse when you have other issues and eliminate a ground loop at the same time.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

chief21 · May 18, 2016

W5PKY said:
By eliminating the negative fuse and going to chassis you eliminate the risk of catching the radio on fire, popping a fuse when you have other issues and eliminate a ground loop at the same time.

Thanks for the simple explanation... very helpful.

John AC4JK

cmdrwill · May 19, 2016

Reminds me of one who had the black/ground lead fused and connected to the battery. The fuse blew and the antenna cable became the 'ground' and the coax cable melted.

Originally Posted by W5PKY
By eliminating the negative fuse and going to chassis you eliminate the risk of catching the radio on fire, popping a fuse when you have other issues and eliminate a ground loop at the same time.

Ground directly to the body/chassis near the radio.
Good advice, Sir.

Stimpy911 · May 19, 2016

Thank you for the help.

Stimpy911 · May 20, 2016

First, I apologize for not posting in the right forum. I just realized that. Second, just to be clear the NEGATIVE wire should not be fused? I have the wire routed through the cab to the engine. I have to do some minor soldering. If the negative line has a built in fuse encased in the white holder do I just open it and remove the fuse?

Thanks

SteveC0625 · May 20, 2016

Stimpy911 said:
First, I apologize for not posting in the right forum. I just realized that. Second, just to be clear the NEGATIVE wire should not be fused? I have the wire routed through the cab to the engine. I have to do some minor soldering. If the negative line has a built in fuse encased in the white holder do I just open it and remove the fuse?

Thanks

I do commercial and public safety installs all the time. I would not fuse the ground wire.

If you remove the fuse it is the same as cutting the wire and connected it to nothing. If you are going to eliminate the fuse, cut off the fuse holder and just ground the wire.

Look, honest suggestion here and not busting your balls. Your questions about simple 12vdc wiring pretty much indicate that you don't have much understanding about what should be a simple and straightforward install. I suggest you spend some time on the12volt.com and learn some of the basics of all this.

k6cpo · May 21, 2016

SteveC0625 said:
Look, honest suggestion here and not busting your balls. Your questions about simple 12vdc wiring pretty much indicate that you don't have much understanding about what should be a simple and straightforward install. I suggest you spend some time on the12volt.com and learn some of the basics of all this.

A better resource that is specific to ham radio is K0BG.COM. This site has all the information anyone installing a ham radio in a vehicle could ever want. Of importance here would be the last item in the menu, "Wiring and Grounding."

SteveC0625 · May 21, 2016

k6cpo said:
A better resource that is specific to ham radio is K0BG.COM. This site has all the information anyone installing a ham radio in a vehicle could ever want. Of importance here would be the last item in the menu, "Wiring and Grounding."

It is a better resource for installs, but the OP fails to understand that removing a fuse from the ground wire creates an open circuit and totally negates the function of the ground wire. Better that he understand the absolute basics of simple DC circuits first. Yeah, Alan covers how to do all aspects of installs well, but he doesn't (and should not have to) spend much time teaching simple DC circuitry. That's where the12volt.com excels.

N4KVE · May 21, 2016

I was taught to fuse the +, & - wires. This way, should you connect the wires between the battery, & radio backwards, you will be putting +12 volts on the - wire going into the radio. Should that not be fused, you will have a dead short because the ground from the antenna, & the - power cable where 12 + is connected to the radio, damage will happen. With fuses on both wires, The 12 + going down the - wire which is shorting to the grounded antenna cable will stop when that fuse blows. The fuse in the red positive does nothing in this case. In my hand is a power cable that came with my Icom IC 2720, & both leads are fused.

Yaesu: Yaesu 2400H Install question

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