Radio Installation...do I REALLY need the yellow wire?

[H@ystack]

Hello again.

I am installing a radio in my boat. Can I just run the red power wire to a switch and just leave it at that? I know the downside is my radio won't have "memory" anymore, but I really don't care. I just want it for bluetooth. It's a gauge style stereo. I'll never use the FM stations, so I don't need it to remember those.

Will it work? and Am I missing any downside or con to not having the yellow wire getting constant 12 volt?

 

[R055]

Hello again.

I am installing a radio in my boat. Can I just run the red power wire to a switch and just leave it at that? I know the downside is my radio won't have "memory" anymore, but I really don't care. I just want it for bluetooth. It's a gauge style stereo. I'll never use the FM stations, so I don't need it to remember those.

Will it work? and Am I missing any downside or con to not having the yellow wire getting constant 12 volt?

When I did Mines the radio didn't want to turn on without the yellow connected so I combined the yellow and red and connected them to an on/off switch.

 

[H@ystack]

When I did Mines the radio didn't want to turn on without the yellow connected so I combined the yellow and red and connected them to an on/off switch.

Yeah, I'm looking at diagrams and it seems the red only has a control switch option on its circuit. Plus, I didn't think about the yellow having the fuse. I may just tap them like you did and run it to a switch.

You didn't mind not having memory?

 

[bruceb58]

I would also do what R055 did as long as the radio remembers the bluetooth pairing information.

 

[H@ystack]

I would also do what R055 did as long as the radio remembers the bluetooth pairing information.

Ah, I didn't think of that. That might be a pain in the butt.

I just wonder how much power these pull for their memory. It can't be much right? I imagine it's like a motherboard on a computer with that tiny battery to hold some of its memory in a computer.

I keep a battery tender on it.

I was just thinking that I like to disconnect my battery often when stored at home for a long period of time.

 

[bruceb58]

I was just thinking that I like to disconnect my battery often when stored at home for a long period of time.

That's why I connect the two of them together and tie to a on/off switch anyway since I turn my batteries off.

The radio I have in my pontoon boat stores all presets in non-volatile memory so turning all power off keeps everything stored.

 

[wrvond]

It's not going to be any different than the radio in your car. Since you already keep a tender on the battery or disconnect for long term storage, it should be a non-issue.

 

[gm280]

You always could connect an amp meter to the leads one at a time and then turned off the radio and see what current they draw. Then go from there. If the current is low enough, you could install a lithium Ion battery (or some other type battery) for the memory circuit and leave the power lead connected via the switch. Just a thought.

 

[H@ystack]

That's why I connect the two of them together and tie to a on/off switch anyway since I turn my batteries off.

The radio I have in my pontoon boat stores all presets in non-volatile memory so turning all power off keeps everything stored.

I'll have to check. Mine might have it's own internal memory. I can't imagine the draw on that is much at all. Just micro fractions I would imagine. I'd think a watch battery could handle that, but I'm only guessing based on comparisons to computers when they're turned off and the boot information remains on the MOBO.

Either way, I like your idea and will probably start there instead of running to the main 12 volt. I have another thread open about getting to my LED lights hooked up properly. I finally figured that out, so while I was in there, I dropped in a few wires to another switch to make sure I was all set to go and then realized having a radio on a switch vs. the ignition would be nice.

 

[rjcamel2355]

Won't have an issue, tie the red and yellow together and put your switch in. Most radios require both the red and yellow wires get a 12V source. You could always tie the red (I believe is the constant) to a constant power source and just remember to turn it off when you're done boating for the day, completely up to you though. You will lose the stations that you "set", bluetooth is questionable about staying paired, it varies with radios.

 

[s.hadley81]

The memory circuit (yellow wire) would take months to drain your battery. Personally I would just hook it up right because you would loose all your settings including sound settings (bass,treble, and so on) so that could be a pain if you have to play with them all the time. With my stereo it sounds like crap with the factory settings so to get it to sound good I have to have my levels set correctly. one of biggest reasons for me was the clock, I know it sounds minor but I like the clock on the radio because it's more visible than the one on my gps and it's nice to just look at the radio to check the time being I'm fishing and like to know when the tides changing.Just something else to think about

 

[bruceb58]

50mA times 24 hours times 31 days = 37AH. I wouldn't want my battery to be 50% discharged. That's why you should turn the yellow wire off with your battery switch.

 

[H@ystack]

50mA times 24 hours times 31 days = 37AH. I wouldn't want my battery to be 50% discharged. That's why you should turn the yellow wire off with your battery switch.

The radio I got has a "zero current draw memory". I have to assume this means this radio has its own memory built in. But I'm only assuming.

So, back to your prior post, I'll just try what you did and if it becomes a pain, I'll redo it.

I can't imagine it pulls that much there though. I keep going back to my motherboard comparison.

 

[H@ystack]

The memory circuit (yellow wire) would take months to drain your battery. Personally I would just hook it up right because you would loose all your settings including sound settings (bass,treble, and so on) so that could be a pain if you have to play with them all the time. With my stereo it sounds like crap with the factory settings so to get it to sound good I have to have my levels set correctly. one of biggest reasons for me was the clock, I know it sounds minor but I like the clock on the radio because it's more visible than the one on my gps and it's nice to just look at the radio to check the time being I'm fishing and like to know when the tides changing.Just something else to think about

I didn't think about EQ settings.

My last post mentions the radio is zero current draw memory so I hope that means it has its own built in memory. I can't find that answer though.

 

[bruceb58]

The radio I got has a "zero current draw memory". I have to assume this means this radio has its own memory built in. But I'm only assuming.

So, back to your prior post, I'll just try what you did and if it becomes a pain, I'll redo it.

I can't imagine it pulls that much there though. I keep going back to my motherboard comparison.

That's good then. Just tie the wires together. If it is zero draw then then everything is stored in flash memory which is non volatile like a motherboard memory. My radio in my pontoon boat has everything tied to a power switch and it doesn't lose the presets so it's like yours.

 

[TyeeMan]

Yeah the previous owner of my boat put a Sony deck in the boat and didn't connect the yellow wire. For me, it's a PIA cuz I listen to radio stations. And as previously mentioned, all my sound settings go away as well, , that's almost worse than the presets.