J&M CB installation

[goldstar225]

I have my J&M CB mounted up, everything in place except power. J&M recommends tapping into the wire for the taillight. Can anyone tell me the colors of the taillight wire?

[macmac]

The wire you want is under the seat (main) at the forward end of the rear fender in a robbins egg blue. This will have the CB radio come on with the key.

I sure wouldn't want that to come on with the key, but you can. I would wire the radio to either the battery straight up with a in line fuse and a switch or wire it to the acc leads which are on all the time rated to 10 amps and still use a switch.

Other wise you are likey to suffer loud popping noises when you crank the engine over, not to mention add more drain to the battery load at starting times.

If this radio has internal helmet speaker I predict you will be a very grumpy rider sooner than later..

I expect the radio has it's own switch, but I would still add one with illumination to power the radio up with. That might save you from a dead battery one day.

[goldstar225]

Thanks Mac, I appreciate your help. I'll give some serious thought to an alternate hookup.

[coacha]

Thanks for the heads up macmac. I have a J & M on the way and will remember this.

[rhunt4]

The j&m has two hot wires one for the radio and one for the illumination to work off of. Make sure they are both on key switch power or you will have to turn it off manual.

[strobe]

I have mine through a separate relay I use for accessories, and it activates with the key. There is a noise filter inline that comes with the J&M unit, there is no popping noise when I start the bike, the only popping that ever occurs is when a person plugs in and that is a small 'pop'.

[macmac]

Strobes way also works.. IMO there is too much on the 'key'switch as it is.. The key switch seems to be rated at 10 amps...

Now I am not familar with this specific radio, but I have a Cobra in one of my cars, and it pops loud when it gets power. Once I had it wired for power turning the key on, but not on any fuel injection or ognition circuit, but just the same that pop was irritating. Now of course it still pops when I go and turn on power to it, but no more does weather pop on from no where...

There are some of you guys approaching a need for a acc circuit that is switched.

That is ok by me, but I tend to be a minimalist, and don't want everything you get in a RV..

With a main you can remember to cut off all the acc's you have with one switch. That main should have some warning lamp. I have passing lamps and a voltmeter as my one real 2 acc's. The voltmeter doesn't draw much so it stays on all season, day and night, but the passing lamps have a blue led in the switch because I tend to forget they may be on in day light.

I have no idea the draw this radio is, and bet is is around 1 amp, which in theory you could leave on with out the engine and start the bike in as much as 9 hours or so later. Goetting past 9 hours just might leave you needing a jump though.

That starter probably draws 360 amps in a few seconds and if you don't have it you are left walking.

Leave on (2) 55 watts passing lamps and you are stuck walking in 1.5 hours, or about that.

When you have added a bunch of stuff that draws you have to remember these bikes put out a lot , but only for a bike! They do not put out 65 + amps like cars do!

Some where a point will come with all these things added on that you will have to select which ones you can run and still have something left for the battery.

All you wise guys with gps, FM, CD, TV, Cruise, 1,001 lights, a personal vibrator, hot and cold running water and a electric flush toliet are pushing what that charging system can do...

I can't wait for CJ to come up with a sleeper trailer complete with Christmass lights

[strobe]

I agree with macmac on the 'key switch' wiring. I am not a fan of adding any load to the existing bike circuits. Some have the room for accessories, and many power the driving / spot lamps off the headlight circuit for example, but I always prefer to have a circuit that I know what the loading is, with the only things on that circuit is what I put on. I do not want to risk overloading an existing circuit and having a blown fuse spoil my day somewhere on the road.

I don't have a lot wired up to my bike so could get away without the relays, but I have my spotlights on one, tied to the headlight so they are only on when the headlight is, not drawing power with the key being turned on, and a couple accessory plug and the J&M unit on the other one. It could all be done off the existing bike circuits I guess, but I feel more comfortable with the relay method.

[macmac]

Yeah there is a lot of ways to wire things.. So it all depends on what your needs are..

One of my needs is lights with no engine, for parking in the barn at night, where I still need to see, and or bike road camping where I pull in and toss a sleeping bag down somewhere, and tinker around before bed, while other people might be sleeping.

What bugs me about passing lamps on the same fuse as a main lamp is if the fuse blows and everything goes out at once..

On a older bike not a Nomad I had a relay drop out which put out all the forward lamps on that bike, at night on a way out back road in the boonies..

I had to work by the light of a BIC and a test light to get back running. That old relay had rust sand in it, so the contacts couldn't close.