Maxtrac Power Supply

[ruffian75]

I am looking at getting a Maxtrac as a base and/or mobile. I understand getting the Astron or Samlex 13.8V power supply to use it as a base. I see cigarette lighter plugs sold on eBay for mobile use. Am I wrong, or will a cigarette lighter get overwhelmed by the power draw of the Maxtrac? Will I constantly being blowing fuses or is the power management through that type of power source a little better?

 

[teufler]

The Maxtrac and GTX supple that I have is an Astron ss-12sm. It does NOT have a cig plug. It is a switcher power supply. I recently bought a Jetstream jtps28m. 28 amps vs 12, for the Motorola suppl;e. A switcher and with a cig plug and amp and voltage meters, and adjustable amperage, alll forf less money. I think the l;ARGER supply would be better.

 

[mmckenna]

Depends on the plug/socket and how much current the radio will draw.
I've seen some "high current" cigarette lighter plug/sockets that claim they are good above 10 amps.

Personally I'd say skip the cigarette light plug stuff and just get a standard power cord for the Motorola radios, make sure it has a fuse and hook it up to the binding posts on the power supply.
Most of the cigarette light plug power cords for the Motorola radios are designed for lower power radios in a ---temporary---- mobile install.

Cigarette light plugs are not the right tool for the job. Especially in a base installation.

I'd recommend getting a 15 amp or larger power supply if you are going to be trying to transmit with a 50 watt Maxtrac.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

Depends on the plug/socket and how much current the radio will draw.
I've seen some "high current" cigarette lighter plug/sockets that claim they are good above 10 amps.

Personally I'd say skip the cigarette light plug stuff and just get a standard power cord for the Motorola radios, make sure it has a fuse and hook it up to the binding posts on the power supply.
Most of the cigarette light plug power cords for the Motorola radios are designed for lower power radios in a ---temporary---- mobile install.

Cigarette light plugs are not the right tool for the job. Especially in a base installation.

I'd recommend getting a 15 amp or larger power supply if you are going to be trying to transmit with a 50 watt Maxtrac.

To add to that, the Maxtrac PA efficiencies are as follows:
45/40W-25W - 23%
25W-10W - 24%
10W-1W (LPI) - 18%

Most Maxtracs that you find will be set to their highest rated power levels (it is something that can only be adjusted in the RSS). So a 45W will need about about 16A, a 25W will need about 8.7A and a LPI will need about 4.7A.

 

[ruffian75]

I totally understand for base operation. If I get one, I am getting a power supply. I am just wondering if I wanted to go mobile with it if the cigarette lighter is a fools errand and I should just hardwire it to the main battery for the vehicle. I think have the stuff I need for a base station operation under control. Mobile..not so much. Which is why when I see something like this... DC Power Cord Cable Cigarette Lighter Plug Jumper Hook Up for Motorola Maxtrac | eBay

I wonder if that is just something destined to be more of a problem than a solution.

 

[SteveC0625]

I am looking at getting a Maxtrac as a base and/or mobile. I understand getting the Astron or Samlex 13.8V power supply to use it as a base. I see cigarette lighter plugs sold on eBay for mobile use. Am I wrong, or will a cigarette lighter get overwhelmed by the power draw of the Maxtrac? Will I constantly being blowing fuses or is the power management through that type of power source a little better?

If the power supply has enough amperage to run the radio, do not use a cig lighter cord. They are typically 18 awg or smaller. Not good for a radio that can pull up to 10 amps or 15 amps, depending on the power level. Spend the extra dollar or two and get a proper power cable. Even if you have short run from the supply to the radio, you want at least 14 awg wire. HKN4137 is the part number for the 14 awg cable and can be had on Ebay for less than $8. If you have the higher power radio, consider the 12awg cable with 20 amp fuse. It's HKN4191 and can be had on Ebay for about $14 or so. They are both 10' in length allowing you to tuck the power supply out of the way yet have the radio where you want it.

Just get the right stuff.

 

[N4KVE]

Cigarette liter plugs should be avoided at all costs, unless you're a traveling salesman in a different rental car every week.

 

[ruffian75]

Thanks for the input. This is a new arena for me. Filing paperwork to get the right licenses, getting the right radios and not blowing them up. All new. I figured the cig lighter would be a bad move, but wanted to make sure. Is there a link for properly hooking up the mobile power with the HKN4191? Looking at the part, it doesn't look like that would be run straight to the battery.

And, again, once I get the the proper paperwork filed, the base station part of this I understand.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

The HKN4191 is a standard power cable supplied with most Motorola radios. It consists of 10 feet of appropriately gauged pair to run to the battery. The positive lead is fused (also has a QD) and the negative lead is not (goes to chassis ground).

What licenses are you filing for?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mmckenna]

I figured the cig lighter would be a bad move, but wanted to make sure. Is there a link for properly hooking up the mobile power with the HKN4191? Looking at the part, it doesn't look like that would be run straight to the battery.

The circuit in your car/truck that power the cigarette lighter socket are usually designed for running low current draw accessories. They are often a source of electrical noise that will cause all kinds of issues with your radio. As others have said, cross that off your list unless you swap cars frequently.

The power cable is easy to hook up, just make sure that the cable you order meets the following requirements:
1. It's rated for the current draw of your radio.
2. It's long enough to reach the vehicle battery.
3. It has a fuse located on the positive lead and close to the end where it connects to the battery.

The hook up is pretty simple:
Route the cable from where you want the radio through the vehicle firewall to the battery.
Use grommets or some way of protecting the cable from physical damage where it passes through sheet metal.
Protect the wire from heat sources.
Try to avoid other vehicle wiring, this helps reduce induced noise on the power.
Connect the red lead with the fuse to the positive post of the battery. Use appropriate ring terminals properly crimped and/or soldered.
Connect the black lead to the vehicle chassis ground. Avoid connecting it directly at the battery, I've had issues with noise before.

Should be a pretty simple install. If you are uncomfortable with it, find a radio shop and ask them to do it for you. Be cautious of using "stereo" installers unless they have a good track record of doing good installs.