Re: car stereo instal vs. boat
 

because you are doing it wrong, or the radio is screwed up. the CB uses no more, or less, power or ground than the radio... and it wires up the same....

Get a meter, it will make life simpler..... it is just $8...

Re: car stereo instal vs. boat
 

So you are switching back and forth and the CB always works and the stereo doesn't? If that is the case I'd be checking the wires on the back of the stereo.

Get a volt/ohm meter and you'll have it figured out in 5 minutes.

Re: car stereo instal vs. boat
 

The stereo will certainly use more current than the cb. If your batterys are below 10.5 volts the radio might not work but the cb might. Noboat said it , get yourself a volt ohm meter! Much better than a test light! My guys hook up systems all the time and by the time they get it tuned the batt is dead and the thing shuts off and they think something went wrong. I laugh. Sounds like a simple thing though.

Re: car stereo instal vs. boat
 

alright, bought the meter just a minute ago, havent been home yet to check anything but after a nite of no sleep and thinking this over, ive narrowed it down to the battery, contrary to dean's thought, i really dont think i can be doing something wrong, ive used to many other control factors to narrow out human error. after reading what hunster said ive got to belive its the battery, strong enough to power the CB, but too weak for the radio... like i said, the radio is 3 for 3 off the truck battery, never failed, hooked up the same way in the boat, and it even worked in the boat for about a minute, after the boat had been sitting all nite and i hooked up the radio, then turned on the battery switch, (maybe had some stored up juice) cause it only worked for about a minute... Yet the CB right after still worked, and the deck hooked up the same way right after to my truck worked again... gotta be the batteries, otherwise i have a nice kenwood deck for sale,

Re: car stereo instal vs. boat
 

I believe this happened to me once, charged batteries and found that low voltage would not "trip" power on circuit. I think they do this now to prevent low voltage causing higher current draws in the internal amps..thus preventing overheating.

Did not remember this until I reviewed the posts about low voltage in the Battery.

CB does not have this "power monitor circuit".

Re: car stereo instal vs. boat
 

Duhhhh, just called Eugene, he owns a LARGE car audio place....

Said wire it straight to boat battery and see if it works.....

Said it was POSSIBLE CB would work and head unit would not, but VERY low probability....

Also said check your ground again, said it sounds like a grounding problem.

This guy's shop installs 300 to 500 units a year.

Re: car stereo instal vs. boat
 

thanks for calling dean-

ive been wondering about the ground too, but i cant figure out how seconds after i unhook the deck, i can hook up the CB and it works, without moving where i am sitting, moving the wires or anything, and i can do this time and time again, not just a one time luck thing, i just also bought one of those battery jumper packs (always wanted one) since i cant get my truck to the boat battery to jump it, im going to hook this up, i should have the root of this problem in no time, thanks again for all your help guys

Steve

Re: car stereo instal vs. boat
 

Back to the auto parts store for a charger! :argue:

Re: car stereo instal vs. boat
 

Is it possible the CB Antenna ground is supplying the ground to the CB and the actual ground wire is bad or not connected? Run a jumper from the CB chassis to the stereo chassis or ground and see if this works.
Like the other posts say use a light or VOM to confirm!

Re: car stereo instal vs. boat
 

good idea.. im also going to try running the deck right off the battery, what im wodnering, is will running the deck off the battery give me a true result? isnt power lost from the battery to the stereo switch in my cabin,

so the deck may fire up right off the battery, (barely if weak) then not fire up off the switch due to losing power?

the antenna of the CB isnt hooked up, just the ned/pos off the back