Installing a Motorola Maratrac Radio

[CCHLLM]

The 40 amp fuse requirement should be a clue. MaraTracs have 100-110 watt transmitters that require a solid 26-30 amps @13.8 volts to work at specs. If your power supply isn't capable of continuous and clean 13.6 volts @ 30+ amps, you need to stop and get a power supply that IS capable of powering the MaraTrac.

Get a volt meter and check the voltage at the power supply terminals. If the voltage is OK with no load, but is NOT OK with the radio connected, you need to stop and contact a qualified technician. Not to be mean, but you have demonstrated several times in this thread that you have neither the electrical knowledge nor the experience to proceed further without the strong probability of damaging the radio, if you haven't already damaged it. We are willing to help you, but blindly trying to diagnose something through an inexperienced second party relationship over distance is a crap shoot at best. Go back to the tech that helped you out previously.

 

[Railham_CJ]

How many amps does this radio need to work? I am trying to run this radio off of a 15 amp power supply. The big red, small orange and green are all conected to the positive on the power supply and the big black is on negative. I go to turn the radio on and the channels start counting up higher and the volume starts counting louder and does not stop so I quickly turn the radio off. Am I doing something wrong? The radio used to be in a 2001 Ford F-150, worked just fine. The other radio is in an "88 GMC diesel. He wired them up the same way I am trying to do.

Help greatly appreciated.

Make sure the plug that goes to the radio unit not the head and make sure it is VERY tight and that should solve it . I had mine to do it and it was do to a contact not making a very good connection. doing that should solve your problem .

 

[02intlbluebird]

I have since taken the radio off my desk for use, but I will have to check it out. Unfortunately, those radios aren't worth much to sell.

 

[kb8qeu]

MaraTrac current load

I'm writing a pamplet on the MaraTrac radio sets.

Also, just starting to have a website and video on the same subject.

The listed current draw on transmit is 27 Amps.

I know Moto states to use a 40 Amp fuse but if you have a slow blow 30 Amp fuse, it will be better because an arc can form without shorting the 40 but the 30 will go.

For protection of the radio and leads, I'm using the slow blow 30s.

Ed --- KB8QEU