Date: Tue, 1 Sep 2015 07:45:15 -0700
Reply-To: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Voltage leak found
In-Reply-To: <CAFnDXk3b8DjptdMWK=UcT_QbjWxdSD8KtfRiVX43f=KWERH8BQ@mail.gmail.com>
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The keying wire itself draws little current, it just provides a signal
voltage to the unit to put it to sleep or wake it up. The designers
assume that you don't want to draw a bunch of amperes through your
ignition circuit, so it's the the always-on wire that is the main source
of power for the unit.
How much current the unit itself draws from its always-on wire when
asleep (standby) is a matter of design. But the key wire is not a
significant current-drawer.
What I'm saying is that you can put the unit into standby with the key
wire and it can still be drawing hundreds of milliamperes through its
always-on wire. That's the one you have to watch out for.
--
Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott
1984 Westfalia, auto trans,
Bend, Ore.
On 09/01/2015 07:30 AM, Jim Felder wrote:
> I remember when you went through all that, about the same time I bought
> my radio. So, using the keyed hot wire will draw very little or no
> current? I like the idea from a previous post that I could install a
> switch to connect it to either circuit, aways hot and switched hot.
>
> Jim
>
> On Tue, Sep 1, 2015 at 9:26 AM Rocket J Squirrel
> <camping.elliott@gmail.com <mailto:camping.elliott@gmail.com>> wrote:
>
> Many car stereos/radios don't really turn off. They mute and the front
> panel goes dark, the power amp sections shut down, and the controls go
> to sleep, but they are still partially on and drawing current. I guess
> the manufacturers assume that you drive your car frequently.
>
> The current draw is through the main power wire, the other wire,
> frequently connected to the ignition switch, doesn't draw much current
> at all -- it is used to signal the unit to wake up.
>
> I had to search high and low to find a unit that actually powers off --
> not only from the front panel power button, but from the remote, too. So
> I could turn off the music when I get into bed rather than have to lean
> up to the dash to shut things down.
>
> --
> Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott
> 1984 Westfalia, auto trans,
> Bend, Ore.
>
> On 09/01/2015 06:08 AM, Jim Felder wrote:
> > About a month ago I wrote about having installed two pairs of USB
> ports and
> > an LED voltage display in my Vanagon. The round double outlet on
> the dash
> > took the place of my factory Eberspacher heater knob and the
> > outlet-and-voltmeter combination set neatly into what was the
> rear ashtray.
> >
> > That's when I noticed a drop in voltage that would flatten the
> battery
> > after a couple of days of being parked. Long story made very short, I
> > discovered that it was my radio in standby mode that was draining the
> > battery. I pulled the fuse to the radio on Saturday and this
> morning the
> > voltage is showing 12.9, exactly where it was when I pulled the fuse.
> >
> > The reason that this was unknown to me all this time is that
> coincident
> > with the addition of the USB ports the Vanagon was, except for
> use of my
> > wife's Prius, my daily driver had been the Vanagon. When I got a
> TDI Jetta
> > the Vanagon started sitting for days or a week at a time, and
> that's when
> > the problem showed up.
> >
> > I could wire the radio to the switched 12v circuit that no doubt
> came with
> > it, but then I would have to have the key on to listen to music while
> > camping. Is anyone using a switch on the circuit, and if so how
> was it done
> > and how does it work out for you?
> >
> > Jim
> >
>
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