See full version: Icom R8600 Blown Fuse
I suspect that the fuses Icom supplies are fast-blow or are actually below the rating marked on them. I was as surprised as you are. The only logical explanation was that because the pre-amp was still connected to the antenna, and that the co-axial braid is electrically connected through the antenna socket to the chassis on the R8600 - that the 'short' took a longer route through the coaxial cable through the R8600 power jack.
I powered off my R8600 last night via the Power button. It's connected to an Astron 13.8v power supply (RS-20M) via the fused power cable. The power supply drives two other radios. I left the power supply and one of the radios (R75) switched on overnight. here
I powered off my R8600 last night via the Power button. It's connected to an Astron 13.8v power supply (RS-20M) via the fused power cable. The power supply drives two other radios. I left the power supply and one of the radios (R75) switched on overnight.
The R75 did have a separate ground going to the ground terminal next to the Antenna 2 terminal; this ground ran to a copper water pipe in the house. here
Like you, I have my R8600 plugged into a 12V DC linear power supply - in my case a Yaesu FP-1030A. I also have a small break out box with multiple banana plug sockets in it for attaching accessories such as Bias-T's for Antenna pre-amps etc. What I did wrong was to unplug one of the barrel connectors out of the pre-amp to disable it. (I know - I should have pulled a banana plug) The socket was of poor quality (and design inside a diecast housing) and the plug created a short circuit during unplugging. Instead of blowing the fuse on that circuit, the inline fuse on the negative side of the DC power feed cord to the R8600 blew.
(2) I have no idea why a 3 amp fuse would have blown. I have not seen the power supply ammeter ever go above 2.1A (when driving all three radios)--any ideas for what may have caused a blown fuse? [links]
They started that with a few 2002 truck models and it took off from there. I am pretty sure you can remove your radio without affecting anything else, but the issue then is the amp, and this is an area where i'll have to make up a story that sounds plausible! Most higher-quality aftermarket radios have speaker-level outputs AND "line-level" outputs that come out on wires with RCA jacks on the end. Those are the same jacks you'll find on the back of vcrs and many tvs. If you use the speaker wires, you need to bypass the amplifier in the car, or just unplug everything and run two new wires to each speaker. (In every car model since the mid '80s, both speaker wires have six volts on them so no speaker wire can be grounded like in older cars). You can check at places like Best Buy. Or online places like Crutchfield to see if they offer an amp bypass plug. That would allow you to wire the new radio's speaker wires right to the car's wires in the dash. That way they'll get connected right to the speakers through that bypass adapter plug. [links]
AL514 might be able to help with the amp's location. I can share a few details on the amps I'm familiar with, but you'll have to take it from there.
I know the imports have a number of radio variations that fall somewhere in between the two extremes I described, but I'm pretty sure your radio needs the amp if that's what it came with. I worked on a lot of radios in the '90s but never ran into an import using an amp back then. I haven't kept up because every manufacturer except Chrysler became selfish with their radio service manuals to cut the little guys like me out so they could make big profits by grossly over-charging for their radio repairs. There aren't many repair shops left other than the two factory-authorized repair centers. more
If you elect to use the line-level RCA jacks, you must use an amp with that and this is where I'm going to tell you things I don't know. I don't know if all amps, whether factory or aftermarket, amplify the same amount. If they do, you can simply connect the RCA plugs to the car's wiring and the original amp will be in the circuit like it was before. Of course the amp has to be working or you'll have the same no-sound you have now. Every aftermarket radio has a yellow or blue "power antenna" wire. That gets 12 volts when the ignition switch and the radio are turned on, and it is the one used to tell the amp to turn on. If you forget to connect that one, the amp will be turned off. [links]
Other than the high cost of repair, original equipment radios are generally a lot better than most aftermarket radios. The older '90s Chrysler CD / cassette combos, for example, built for them by Mitsubishi, are the best car radios I've ever seen. GM CD-radios throughout the '90s had a 100 percent failure rate of their laser assemblies and when you sent one in for repair, (typically $450.00), all they did was install a completely new CD mechanism that would develop the same problem in a few years. A lot of people just installed aftermarket radios, so to combat all the lost revenue from the repairs they weren't getting, they started to build the Body Computer into their radios. Those could not be removed, so owners HAD to get them repaired. [links]
Post Number: 576
Registered: 1-2003 [links]
Freebird
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Post Number: 575
Registered: 1-2003 more
Freebird
Advanced Member
Username: Freebird [links]
Freebird
Advanced Member
Username: Freebird [links]
Hopefully, you will not only be able to do this on your own but will also be able to explain it to others by the time you are done reading. So, let’s begin!
A CB radio is very prone to blowing fuses, sometimes even after using the correct fuse type. Fuses may blow when the microphone is keyed up or when you switch on the CB radio. [links]
Tune your antenna properly. Check the mic plug or cord and ensure it’s plugged in properly. As already mentioned above, check the battery & power connections, power cord connection, and the electric system of the car. [links]