VHF radio connection

[zach103]

So i am beginning to pull the larson apart and rewire it. now i have a vhf radio that i want to get working.. it has an inline fuse but i would go to hook up the negative wire to the battery it would burn the wire. Do i have something not grounded? or not a big enough wire?

 

[dchris]

Re: VHF radio connection

What size is your fuse? If it's burning the wire you have a major short. A missing ground won't cause this. Did it work before the re-wire?

 

[zach103]

Re: VHF radio connection

so i just tested it with just the wres that are connected to it with no fuse and it turned right on.. so you think that i just have the wrong fuse in there?

 

[rwidman]

Re: VHF radio connection

so i just tested it with just the wres that are connected to it with no fuse and it turned right on.. so you think that i just have the wrong fuse in there?

A fuse won't cause a wire to burn. A fuse is installed in a circuit to prevent a wire from burning.

You're going to have to provide a lot more information if you expect an accurate answer to your question.

 

[NYBo]

Re: VHF radio connection

so i just tested it with just the wres that are connected to it with no fuse and it turned right on.. so you think that i just have the wrong fuse in there?

Something is definitely funky with your wiring if the unit works with the fuse removed. Can you give us a diagram or picture of the wiring?

 

[rwidman]

Re: VHF radio connection

so i just tested it with just the wres that are connected to it with no fuse and it turned right on.. so you think that i just have the wrong fuse in there?

Anyone who decides to test an electrical device that is blowing fuses by bypassing the fuse and connecting it to power would be well advised to have a fire extinguisher handy.

A typical marine VHF radio would use a 7.5 amp fuse. Some might use a 5 amp fuse. The manufacturer will furnish the correct fuse with the unit and the installation/operating instructions will specify the fuse rating.

The wires providing power and ground or negative must be capable of carrying the same or more current than the fuse. Problems with VHF radio performance are often traced to a voltage drop cause by wires that are too small to carry the current without a significant voltage drop.

 

[ajgraz]

Re: VHF radio connection

How long is the wiring run and what gauge wire?

Is it really the wire that's burning, or the fuse? If the wire, where is the burning happening...battery side of fuseholder or device side?

When you "tested with no fuse," exactly what did you do? Did you carry the radio back to the battery (or a battery to the radio) and hook up some short test leads? Or did you use the wiring as-is and replace the fuse with a jumper wire (or cut out /bypass the fuseholder)?