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Where to find accessory power on a deuce...

rlwm211

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It will make no difference where you connect to the 24 volt system as long as it is on a wire that is substantial. It is not necessary to connect as close to the alternator as possible and it actually may be a source of noise that is actually unwanted.

In Ham radio where we apply loads up to and sometimes over 20 amps to a system for HF radios on transmit, the manufacturers universally recommend connecting as close to the battery as possible. I cannot see why that would change regardless of the load.

The fact is the battey buffers the peak demands on the B+ and therefore protects the alternator from surges that could be damaging to the regulator or diode circuits. Now, a 20 amp load is not substantial as far as a dc circuit in a Deuce is concerned but the logic is sound and in practice should hold true no matter how large or small a load you are placing on the power system.
 
The radio equipment in a Deuce is connected to the slave recepticle terminations, when avialable. I even have a computer power pigtail that has a slave cable plug on it. I think if the military is using this source for computers, it should be OK for a GPS or cell phone.
 

cranetruck

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......
So, maybe the correct question is where does the MX7777 get its power?

You said it was wired to the battery, but is that directly to the battery terminals, or some other point?

-Chuck
It's rated and designed for 50 amps, uses #8 wire with shield (=GND), which connects directly to the battery terminals (+ and -).
It's used with radios, intercoms and combinations of both and provides surge, overload and reverse polarity protection.
 

stumps

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The radio equipment in a Deuce is connected to the slave recepticle terminations, when avialable. I even have a computer power pigtail that has a slave cable plug on it. I think if the military is using this source for computers, it should be OK for a GPS or cell phone.
Thanks Greg! I am just looking for an easy fool proof place to connect my converter. I have a preference for not running cables through doors, or out
windows. It sounds like the back side of the slave socket is the easiest place.

-Chuck
 

stumps

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It's rated and designed for 50 amps, uses #8 wire with shield (=GND), which connects directly to the battery terminals (+ and -).
It's used with radios, intercoms and combinations of both and provides surge, overload and reverse polarity protection.
Thanks Cranetruck. I can see what they are doing now. I generally only connect monster loads where I know the alternator cannot handle the instantaneous short term current directly to the battery. Back in the day of tube taxicab radios, they were done that way. 60A to an RCA Carphone on transmit, was a bit too much for the usual 40A alternator.... but since it was generally for only a couple of seconds at a time, it wasn't a problem.

The disadvantage to connecting directly to the battery is the battery amp meter will no longer correctly indicate the current that is going into or out of the battery... but it appears that deuces now have voltmeters rather than amp meters... probably for just this reason.

-Chuck
 

stumps

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It turns out that my deuce used to have a radio in it It still has the antenna mount, no antenna, though. It also still has the standard dogbone connector used by comm sets everywhere. I just stuffed the wires from my 24 to 12V adapter into the proper socket pins of the connector, taped it up to keep them in place, and safe from shorts, and was in business.

-Chuck
 
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