CM200 question - double chirp?

[teethtranspo]

Not much experience with mobile radios, lots with handheld. Trying to make a portable CM200 rig for wifey's auto so she can monitor the work traffic from her car.
Got the programming done but when I key the mic I get a double chirp that sounds just like the low battery alert on a CP200. But it's plugged into the cigarette
lighter, how could it have a low battery? I have ordered a beefy aux plug but while I wait for deliv, thought I'd reach out and see if anyone knew what those double
chirps indicate. All help appreciated
Bob

 

[FFPM571]

CM200 are designed to work directly off the battery.. Modern day 12v outlets are not going to have the amps to run a radio

 

[K2NEC]

Chirp means it's drawing power that the power supply can't support. Go directly to the battery

 

[mmckenna]

All help appreciated
Bob

Sort of echoing what's above,

#1 "new guy" mistake is to wire radios to the cigarette lighter.

That's going to lead to headaches, as you've discovered. "Beefed up" plug isn't likely to help, but may hide the underlying issue.

Modern vehicles have very small wiring for the cigarette lighter sockets. Often they are fused at 10 amps. Also, the circuit may be shared with other accessories. That creates a number of issues:
1. Radio may be voltage starved, which would give you the double beep.
2. Relying on spring loaded contacts in the socket/plug is going to eventually fail. It can lead to arcing contacts, damage, etc.
3. The shared circuits may result in RF interference being introduced into the radio via the power lead.

For some reason, Motorola sometimes sells cigarette lighter cords for some of their lower tier radios. Used to be they came with a warning about running the radio on low power to prevent these sorts of issues.

Any reputable radio manufacturer, up fitter, install shop or tech will tell you that the only way to properly power your radio is to source the power directly from the battery and only directly from the battery. The positive lead for the radio needs to go direct to the positive post on the battery with a fuse installed very near that connection. Negative lead should NOT go to the battery. It should be grounded to the body close to the radio.

Do that and it should solve your problems.