Trying to add a Revo DAB tunner... need help please

[youngdad33]

Hi guys,

Just got a Revo DAB tunner for my car coz there are some stations that I love to listen too, but are only on digital.  I've come close to fitting it, all I need help with is powering it.  It claims you "simply have to Connect the red and black power cables from the Revo cradle to the vehicle's switched 12V supply."

Ok, fair enough, but where the hell is the "vehicle's switched 12V supply"?  and more to the point, how do you connect it.  All I have are a Black and Red cable with a bare end.

Any help, I would trully be gratefull.
Thanks,
YD33

[youngdad33]

Anyone?  this is what I got from the technical revo support guys.
"The switched 12V supply in your vehicle is a supply that is only live when the ignition is switched on, sometimes this supply becomes active in the 1st key position without the ignition circuit being fully energised. If you are not familiar with hardwiring devices to your vehicles supply we recommend getting advice or arranging fitting through an auto electrican."
About as helpfull as a choclate tea pot.  If anyone can tell me where I can hook four bare wires to the 12V supply, I'd REALLY appreciate it.

Ta again,

[youngdad33]

just tried a twelve volt cigarette lighter plug, which worked, but it's not a long term solution...  Any one with help???

[tommk3cab]

the cigarette lighter is fine, it is a switched power supply, that is all that is required, im assuming, because you said it worked, you have connected the black wire to an earth?

another example of a switched live is the wire which comes off your ignition to turn your stereo on.
you could run [ that (EDIT: I meant ''a wire'',  not '' that wire''! don't wire this wire straight to your battery whatever you do!) straight to your battery with a switch if you wanted, that would be a switched live too!

you could even run the wire from where the interior light switch, this is also a switched live, only when the door is open though!

you get my point though yeah?!

[youngdad33]

the cigarette lighter is fine, it is a switched power supply, that is all that is required, im assuming, because you said it worked, you have connected the black wire to an earth?

another example of a switched live is the wire which comes off your ignition to turn your stereo on.
you could run that wire straight to your battery with a switch if you wanted, that would be a switched live too!

you could even run the wire from where the interior light switch, this is also a switched live, only when the door is open though!

you get my point though yeah?!

Yeah, got the concept, but how do I attach the wires to these wires?  do I need to cut the wires, put in a splitter, then wire it all back up, or is that just getting just a little too complicated?
I really don't want to get the fitters out as it costs 50 odd quid(!), so I want to DIY it.
Thanks for you help Tommk3cab.  just that last bit will be real helpfull.

[Heyho]

First off, you don't say what your car is, that would help!

The radio loom for you car should contain both a permanent live and a switched live.  If it's a mk2, you may have to have a rummage around behind the radio to find this, as it's not in the main loom.

Once you've found the wire/s you need, you can either strip back some of the insulation, and solder directly to it, use something like a scotchlock (a bit of a bodge in my opinion), or you could cut the wire, then re-connect it with an inline crimp, but including the new wire in one side of the crimp.  If you're going to use crimps, I recommend you invest in some decent ratchet crimpers.

Hope that helps.

[tommk3cab]

the cigarette lighter is fine, it is a switched power supply, that is all that is required, im assuming, because you said it worked, you have connected the black wire to an earth?

another example of a switched live is the wire which comes off your ignition to turn your stereo on.

you could run that (EDIT: I meant ''a wire'',  not '' that wire''! don't wire this wire straight to your battery whatever you do!) straight to your battery with a switch if you wanted, that would be a switched live too!

you could even run the wire from where the interior light switch, this is also a switched live, only when the door is open though!

you get my point though yeah?!

[tommk3cab]

ive edited my above post to make more sense, I reread it and it sounded ridiculous!

[youngdad33]

First off, you don't say what your car is, that would help!

The radio loom for you car should contain both a permanent live and a switched live.  If it's a mk2, you may have to have a rummage around behind the radio to find this, as it's not in the main loom.

Once you've found the wire/s you need, you can either strip back some of the insulation, and solder directly to it, use something like a scotchlock (a bit of a bodge in my opinion), or you could cut the wire, then re-connect it with an inline crimp, but including the new wire in one side of the crimp.  If you're going to use crimps, I recommend you invest in some decent ratchet crimpers.

Hope that helps.

Sorry, been working.
I have a 1994 Golf GTi 2.00L (mk 3 I believe?).  I don't particularly like the idea of soldering it (although it seems the obvious choice), but crimps are easyer.  I looked at them in Halfords, I could get some doubles to wire it in... which wires would I need to crimp IE what they look like/are?

I appreciate I'm a complete nonce and realy appreciate your patience.

[Heyho]

Unfortunately, having never owned a mk3, I can't help you regarding the actual wires in your car.  I'm sure that there is somebody here with the same car who can point you at the correct wire colours.  I'm sure they'll both be in the radio loom on a mk3.