Wiring Advice needed.

[Quacken]

I have a 3rd Gen 4Runner (99), i want to mount my ham radio in the cargo area and use the existing 12v cigarette lighter wiring if possible. However, i have essentially no experience with vehicle wiring and if this is feasible. Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[Dave in AZ]

12v cigarette port will do 10A, maybe 12A, so 120-144 Watts. If that will run your ham setup, great, do it. You need to figure out ham power needs.

 

[rgallant]

@Quacken it will work , but as noted check your radio. My Kenwwod pulls 4/6/13 ish amps Low/Med/Hi power. Most radio docs will provide the amp draw

 

[Shawn686]

Also don't forget to check if the port is switched or not. As in if the port stays powered with the truck off or not. Some truck have secondary cig ports that are not switched and stay powered with the key out / truck off. Could make for a little surprise if you don't check.

Shawn

 

[El-Dracho]

As some have already said, the current consumption of the device could be too high for the instllation/ design of the cigarette lighter port, you need to check this. I also always advise against this variant of connection. At first glance, it seems smart to use an existing installation and have the option of simply plugging and unplugging, but this type of connection sometimes causes interference with the radio. Added to this is the fragile connection that these cigarette lighter sockets or plugs often have. So, this is not suitable for off-road use. Because when things get rough in the car, the plug often comes loose with perhaps all its consequences. I am therefore always in favor of fixed wiring with adequate fuse protection and cable dimensioning.

By the way, we have a separate subforum for electrical Q&As and one for comms here in the forums. Take a look, you'll find lots more tips there.