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01-07-2022, 08:53
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: South Haven Michigan
Boat: Beneteau 331
Posts: 381
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AM/FM radio
This is silly and frustrating.
I am replacing an AM/FM radio in my cabin. I wanted an upgrade to bluetooth.
It needed a very simple harness change out, which I did.
I confirmed that there is voltage to both the red wire and the yellow wire in the power harness. However, the radio will not turn on.
I even tried returning the radio for another one in the assumption that if there is power to the bloody thing it must be a bad radio. Neither radios work.
What am I missing?
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01-07-2022, 09:11
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kingston, ON
Boat: Albin Vega 27'
Posts: 530
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Re: AM/FM radio
Is there an inline fuse holder in the wire without a fuse in it. I come across this a couple of times over the years.
__________________
Glenn
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01-07-2022, 09:27
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,483
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Re: AM/FM radio
Need more info. Is there an installation diagram?
Is it possible there's another feature that needs connected?
Some radios have a "clock always on " function. Does this require to be powered also?
etc
What are the red and yellow wires?
__________________
"I spent most of my money on Booze, Broads and Boats. The rest I wasted" - Elmore Leonard
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01-07-2022, 09:31
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#4
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Miami Beach
Boat: Prout Snowgoose 37
Posts: 182
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Re: AM/FM radio
Tmacmi,
Is the ground wire connected? Are you checking voltage with a multimeter? Try testing with a test light. Sounds like a bad connection. I found out the hard way that sometime a test light is better than an expensive multimeter. You can be showing 12 volts on a meter by yet will not light up a small test light. With the test light, it’s easy to determine if the bad connection is on the positive or negative side. Good luck.
Capt Clark
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01-07-2022, 10:16
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: POW Alaska
Boat: Trlåren 31
Posts: 340
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Re: AM/FM radio
I installed a car stereo a few years ago that would not work unless both there was power to both the unit's power connection and its "always on" (clock, radio preset, etc.) connection. The unit wouldn't work when only connecting the power. In my case the power was the red wire and "always on" was the yellow one.
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01-07-2022, 10:24
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,483
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Re: AM/FM radio
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nord Sal
I installed a car stereo a few years ago that would not work unless both there was power to both the unit's power connection and its "always on" (clock, radio preset, etc.) connection. The unit wouldn't work when only connecting the power. In my case the power was the red wire and "always on" was the yellow one.
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__________________
"I spent most of my money on Booze, Broads and Boats. The rest I wasted" - Elmore Leonard
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01-07-2022, 12:38
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Lake Ont
Posts: 8,547
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Re: AM/FM radio
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nord Sal
I installed a car stereo a few years ago that would not work unless both there was power to both the unit's power connection and its "always on" (clock, radio preset, etc.) connection. The unit wouldn't work when only connecting the power. In my case the power was the red wire and "always on" was the yellow one.
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Yeah, this.
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01-07-2022, 12:50
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Cowichan Bay, BC (Maple Bay Marina)
Posts: 9,705
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Re: AM/FM radio
What make and model radio? BT is only for input from another source, so there HAS to be a physical way to turn the radio ON to just listen to AM or FM. I have a BT radio, and there are buttons and knobs to turn it on and switch inputs, as well as volume and fader controls.
__________________
Stu Jackson
Catalina 34 #224 (1986) C34IA Secretary
Cowichan Bay, BC, SR/FK, M25, Rocna 10 (22#) (NZ model)
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01-07-2022, 14:52
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#9
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Nearly an old salt
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Lefkas Marina ,Greece
Boat: Bavaria 36
Posts: 22,801
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Re: AM/FM radio
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tmacmi
This is silly and frustrating.
I am replacing an AM/FM radio in my cabin. I wanted an upgrade to bluetooth.
It needed a very simple harness change out, which I did.
I confirmed that there is voltage to both the red wire and the yellow wire in the power harness. However, the radio will not turn on.
I even tried returning the radio for another one in the assumption that if there is power to the bloody thing it must be a bad radio. Neither radios work.
What am I missing?
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Harness change out, what did you specifically do
__________________
Interested in smart boat technology, networking and all things tech
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01-07-2022, 15:08
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Minnesota, USA
Boat: 21' trailer sailor & 8' sailing dinghy
Posts: 1,742
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Re: AM/FM radio
I have a 2010's radio in a 1970's RV, wired directly to the house battery to prevent accidental coach (starter/alternator/ignition coil) battery depletion.
I have an illuminated switch on the wire that would normally go back to the ACC ON position of the ignition key. When that switch is hot, I get a green light and the radio acts like it is in a car with the key turned on. When the same switch turned off it acts like a regular radio in a car and also turns off. The power button on the radio itself can also turn off the radio if the switch is on but not the other way around.
If both of those V+ wires are hot, I would suspect a missing ground.
If you can get us make/model or schematic it should be able to be spotted.
__________________
Big dreams, small boats...
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01-07-2022, 15:48
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2021
Posts: 318
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Re: AM/FM radio
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spot
...If both of those V+ wires are hot, I would suspect a missing ground....
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+1. Ground/negative is frequently not included in the harness and is either a separate wire going to a screw terminal on the radio, or just a chassis ground (in which case you need to turn a screw on the chassis into a ground/negative connection).
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01-07-2022, 20:24
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Lake City MN
Boat: C&C 27 Mk III
Posts: 2,647
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Re: AM/FM radio
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stu Jackson
What make and model radio? BT is only for input from another source, so there HAS to be a physical way to turn the radio ON to just listen to AM or FM. I have a BT radio, and there are buttons and knobs to turn it on and switch inputs, as well as volume and fader controls.
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Just to clarify a comment
Blue tooth specification is bidirectional even if your speakers aren’t
__________________
Special knowledge can be a terrible disadvantage if it leads you too far along a path that you cannot explain anymore.
Frank Herbert 'Dune'
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02-07-2022, 05:37
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: South Haven Michigan
Boat: Beneteau 331
Posts: 381
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Re: AM/FM radio
Here's some more information:
Its a Boss radio. The former radio isn't that old, it just didn't have BT, so the existing harness was fairly modern.
I replaced the harness matching colored wire to colored wire when replacing the harness.
Red is "ignition switch "
Yellow is "constant power"
I have matched those and tested with a multimeter. Red to black gets voltage, Yellow to black gets voltage.
I checked the fuse and its fine.
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02-07-2022, 05:46
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#14
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Nearly an old salt
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Lefkas Marina ,Greece
Boat: Bavaria 36
Posts: 22,801
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Re: AM/FM radio
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tmacmi
Here's some more information:
Its a Boss radio. The former radio isn't that old, it just didn't have BT, so the existing harness was fairly modern.
I replaced the harness matching colored wire to colored wire when replacing the harness.
Red is "ignition switch "
Yellow is "constant power"
I have matched those and tested with a multimeter. Red to black gets voltage, Yellow to black gets voltage.
I checked the fuse and its fine.
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All you need is red yellow and black. Then push the volume control in to switch it on
__________________
Interested in smart boat technology, networking and all things tech
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02-07-2022, 07:05
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: South Haven Michigan
Boat: Beneteau 331
Posts: 381
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Re: AM/FM radio
Quote:
Originally Posted by goboatingnow
All you need is red yellow and black. Then push the volume control in to switch it on
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That's the issue. I have red, yellow and black with voltage and it doesn't turn on.
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