how to attach wires?

[Walleye]

well, i'm installing my computer in my car today, i am trying to figure out how to attach the wires to the battery. i have the big alligator clips (the ones that look like jumper cables) but that wont work for day in day out driving. i need a better option. how to do it?


oh, and 68 is a shelby year for mustangs, right?

 

[Heisenberg]

Do your battery cables attach to posts, or do they screw into the battery?

 

[Evadman]

get a battery clamp that has an extra post or screw in terminal (they make these for 4x4's with winches Something kinda like this) or get a battery that has both posts and side terminals.

Don't use alligater clips. They will come off when you drive out of your driveway.

oh, and 68 is a shelby year for mustangs, right?

yep.

 

[aircooled]

Slice it into the hot wire that powers the radio..

Make sure the fuse can handle it...

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: aircooled
Slice it into the hot wire that powers the radio..

Make sure the fuse can handle it...

It can't. Assuming he is using a small desktop, he would need a fuse in the range of 40 amps (he will be pulling 25-30 under normal operation) His radio is probably 25.

 

[aircooled]

Originally posted by: Evadman

Originally posted by: aircooled
Slice it into the hot wire that powers the radio..

Make sure the fuse can handle it...

It can't. Assuming he is using a small desktop, he would need a fuse in the range of 40 amps (he will be pulling 25-30 under normal operation) His radio is probably 25.

Then he'll need to find some other 12v connection that is only hot during ignition that can handle the load, or run a new main line from the battery and manually turn it on and off.

 

[Walleye]

Originally posted by: Evadman

Originally posted by: aircooled
Slice it into the hot wire that powers the radio..

Make sure the fuse can handle it...

It can't. Assuming he is using a small desktop, he would need a fuse in the range of 40 amps (he will be pulling 25-30 under normal operation) His radio is probably 25.

i'm using a mini-itx board, and a hard drive. that's all.

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: aircooled
Then he'll need to find some other 12v connection that is only hot during ignition that can handle the load, or run a new main line from the battery and manually turn it on and off.

That was.. um.. the point of Walleye's post.

 

[Walleye]

Originally posted by: aircooled

Originally posted by: Evadman

Originally posted by: aircooled
Slice it into the hot wire that powers the radio..

Make sure the fuse can handle it...

It can't. Assuming he is using a small desktop, he would need a fuse in the range of 40 amps (he will be pulling 25-30 under normal operation) His radio is probably 25.

Then he'll need to find some other 12v connection that is only hot during ignition that can handle the load, or run a new main line from the battery and manually turn it on and off.

i am running it off the main line, and will be manually turning it on and off.

i am using an inverter, and will be wiring a rocker switch into the power like for the inverter, and placing that rocker switch in the dash (between the power and reset pushbuttons)

 

[aircooled]

Originally posted by: Walleye

Originally posted by: aircooled

Originally posted by: Evadman

Originally posted by: aircooled
Slice it into the hot wire that powers the radio..

Make sure the fuse can handle it...

It can't. Assuming he is using a small desktop, he would need a fuse in the range of 40 amps (he will be pulling 25-30 under normal operation) His radio is probably 25.

Then he'll need to find some other 12v connection that is only hot during ignition that can handle the load, or run a new main line from the battery and manually turn it on and off.

i am running it off the main line, and will be manually turning it on and off.

i am using an inverter, and will be wiring a rocker switch into the power like for the inverter, and placing that rocker switch in the dash (between the power and reset pushbuttons)

If that's the case, I'd wire the power inverter in the line that runs the cigarette lighter.
edit: assuming you will not be using the cigarette lighter or it's outlet for anything else.

 

[Heisenberg]

Originally posted by: aircooled

Originally posted by: Walleye

Originally posted by: aircooled

Originally posted by: Evadman

Originally posted by: aircooled
Slice it into the hot wire that powers the radio..

Make sure the fuse can handle it...

It can't. Assuming he is using a small desktop, he would need a fuse in the range of 40 amps (he will be pulling 25-30 under normal operation) His radio is probably 25.

Then he'll need to find some other 12v connection that is only hot during ignition that can handle the load, or run a new main line from the battery and manually turn it on and off.

i am running it off the main line, and will be manually turning it on and off.

i am using an inverter, and will be wiring a rocker switch into the power like for the inverter, and placing that rocker switch in the dash (between the power and reset pushbuttons)

If that's the case, I'd wire the power inverter in the line that runs the cigarette lighter.

There's no way that the cigarette lighter line can handle that much current.

 

[aircooled]

Originally posted by: Heisenberg

Originally posted by: aircooled

Originally posted by: Walleye

Originally posted by: aircooled

Originally posted by: Evadman

Originally posted by: aircooled
Slice it into the hot wire that powers the radio..

Make sure the fuse can handle it...

It can't. Assuming he is using a small desktop, he would need a fuse in the range of 40 amps (he will be pulling 25-30 under normal operation) His radio is probably 25.

Then he'll need to find some other 12v connection that is only hot during ignition that can handle the load, or run a new main line from the battery and manually turn it on and off.

i am running it off the main line, and will be manually turning it on and off.

i am using an inverter, and will be wiring a rocker switch into the power like for the inverter, and placing that rocker switch in the dash (between the power and reset pushbuttons)

If that's the case, I'd wire the power inverter in the line that runs the cigarette lighter.

There's no way that the cigarette lighter line can handle that much current.

He said he was using a power inverter. Power inverters are designed to be plugged into cigarette lighter ports (or other 12 volt ports).
edit: I've run my 27" TV, satellite receiver, & laptop using a 400w power inverter plugged into the cigarette lighter port in my car (during a power outage), as long as the inverter can handle the load all it needs in 12v DC.

 

[Heisenberg]

Originally posted by: aircooled

Originally posted by: Heisenberg

Originally posted by: aircooled

Originally posted by: Walleye

Originally posted by: aircooled

Originally posted by: Evadman

Originally posted by: aircooled
Slice it into the hot wire that powers the radio..

Make sure the fuse can handle it...

It can't. Assuming he is using a small desktop, he would need a fuse in the range of 40 amps (he will be pulling 25-30 under normal operation) His radio is probably 25.

Then he'll need to find some other 12v connection that is only hot during ignition that can handle the load, or run a new main line from the battery and manually turn it on and off.

i am running it off the main line, and will be manually turning it on and off.

i am using an inverter, and will be wiring a rocker switch into the power like for the inverter, and placing that rocker switch in the dash (between the power and reset pushbuttons)

If that's the case, I'd wire the power inverter in the line that runs the cigarette lighter.

There's no way that the cigarette lighter line can handle that much current.

He said he was using a power inverter. Power inverters are designed to be plugged into cigarette lighter ports (or other 12 volt ports).

If it's an inverter that's supposed to go into the lighter, then yeah, it'd be okay. If it's a heavy duty one designed to connect right to the battery, it wouldn't. I assumed since he was powering a computer, he'd need something pretty big. But maybe not.

 

[aircooled]

Originally posted by: Walleye

Originally posted by: aircooled

Originally posted by: Evadman

Originally posted by: aircooled
Slice it into the hot wire that powers the radio..

Make sure the fuse can handle it...

It can't. Assuming he is using a small desktop, he would need a fuse in the range of 40 amps (he will be pulling 25-30 under normal operation) His radio is probably 25.

Then he'll need to find some other 12v connection that is only hot during ignition that can handle the load, or run a new main line from the battery and manually turn it on and off.

i am running it off the main line, and will be manually turning it on and off.

i am using an inverter, and will be wiring a rocker switch into the power like for the inverter, and placing that rocker switch in the dash (between the power and reset pushbuttons)

If you plan on using a toggle switch to turn it on and off, then I would run heavy gage wire directly from the battery to the inverter.

Edit: Just make sure you turn it off or you'll drain your battery.