Radio interference

I recently wired up some cubes and used the ACC slot for my fuse tap to power the switch. This slot also powers the radio and a few other accessories. No when I turn the lights on the radio gets very staticy and quiet. This only happens when I'm listening to the radio not a cd or cassette. Any ideas?

 

Sounds like you need to find a better/more direct ground for the cube lights as their driver assemblies are noisy and you may be sharing a ground plane with the radio.

 

Use a different fuse slot.

 

They are grounded to the frame right by the fuel tank.

 

Are you using a relay?

 

Yes, it's in the engine bay right next to the fuse block

 

try putting a condenser/capacitor on the power to the lights. that might mellow out the draw.

 

Examples of where to get such a device? How big of a capacitor, are we taking micro farads or farads?

 

Just try a different fuse real quick. When i plug an led spot light into my accessory plug my radio does the EXACT same thing...

Utilize a fuse other than the accessory one. Not just swap a fuse. Take ya 3 min.

 

True. what other fuses turn off when remove the key from the ignition?

 

you can go to just about any parts store and get a capacitor for the alternator, radio, or a distributor. you don't need to worry about capacitance ratings since you aren't running anything that needs capacitance for constant flow of electricity (like a household blower motor). just add it to any easily available power, or the power of the lights, and it should act as a sort of dampener for the erratic signal in the positive line. if it doesn't work, then the issue isnt an erratic signal as im suspecting.

and im also wondering if your alternator isnt putting out enough amperage to power everything. that may also be a possibility.

 

Not a problem with the alternator. The cubed draw a total of like 6 amps and I have no other accessories.

 

Not sure off hand, im sure there prolly is one though. You dont have a test light? If not you should get one they are suoer cheap and make electrical work/troubleshooting 1000x easier.

Just for sake of finding the problem you can atleast use any ole one (circuit) pretty much. Then you atleast know and can figure out a different fuse slot after ya get a test light or find the right circuit to use....

I really feel like you will find this to be the problem....maybe not, but, i think it will be.

 

I agree 100% that the problem is the fuse slot. I was using a multimeter to test which slots went on and off. Some had very low voltages so I wasn't sure if they would work. Also does anyone know if there is a fuse that can be tapped into so that the light on the switch goes on with the dash lights?

 

Youll have to splice into the lighting circuit to get light to come on with dash lights. There used to be alot of good info for wiring switches into the dash lights that even dimmed in one of skygear's threads for his rtmr boxes he was selling, but i think his threads got deleted when he decided to kinda screw peeps over...

 

Yeh don't really wanna dig through all those wires. I'll just deal with the led being on all the time. I drive with my lights on all the time so it won't bother me too much.

 

Its not that bad really. If youd like to do it i can walk ya through it. And if you dont need it to dim its really easy. The leds dont really dim anyway, kinda do but its not really noticeable. It just turns off before it dimms much.