Building the Humungus machine

[cruzn2the max]

I must say yes australia is 240 volt, as im going to the usa and they are 120 volt that creates problems with charging a video camera, hence why i bought a AAA
battery powered video camera, as i cant charge it at the road warrior event, even if i use the generator on the RV a camera would have to be left on for a while
to charge it, at $3 an hour for using the generator but i would still need a convertor. So i went the AAA baterys to eleviate any problems with not being able to
recharge at the event. As long as you get the pos and neg right and you must run a fuse otherwise a meltdown will occur, but sounds like Daz has put you on the
right track though.

Humvee if you have any problems not getting it working i can have a look at it when im in LA as i do know how to wire a CB PA but i hope you get it working
before hand as im sure you will.

I have also followed the build of this vehicle and am looking so forward to meeting you Dave and seeing it in the flesh and getting lots a pics.

The mrs just bought some rechargable AAA,s that last about 2 weeks and stay charged when not being used for about 12 months, the last thing i need is the
batterys going flat at the event and missing everything.

I didnt realy add much but good luck and see you there....in november....

[Daz]

I must say yes australia is 240 volt, as im going to the usa and they are 120 volt that creates problems with charging a video camera, hence why i bought a AAA
...
As long as you get the pos and neg right and you must run a fuse otherwise a meltdown will occur, but sounds like Daz has put you on the
right track though.

Most chargers for cameras/computers/etc nowdays will autoswitch between 120/240 automagically. The main problem is the plugs are different. I couldn't find an adapoter in the US for our Aussie plugs, so I just bent them with pliers and it worked.

umm..it won't melt, unless something is really wrong. The fuse just protects the unit and wires from exceeding the rated amperage. It's not required, but is a good idea to protect your equipment.
A quater fuse will protect a $250 piece of equipment.

[HUMVEE Driver]

Thanks, guys. I have everything hooked up except for one wire, so we'll see how that goes tomorrow.

As for hooking up the speaker to the battery, I didn't do that; I just touched the wire to the terminal for a second to see if I got any static (which I did). That was only to see if the speaker was working.

So once I get power to it I'll see if everything is working. If not and I can't find the problem, I'll just go and buy the speaker that is made for this system.

cruzn2the max, I'll be in touch soon. I'm getting my packing list together now... still dreading that long drive...

HUMVEE Driver

[HUMVEE Driver]

Ok, I spliced in the power, and I can hear the siren(s) coming from the box; it must have a very tiny speaker inside of it. So I know it has power. But, after trying all the switches I don't get anything at all from my speaker. Using a volt meter it doesn't seem that the speaker wires are hot. So I don't know what to think. My next step is to buy a new, professional speaker that is made for this kit. Then I'll see if that works; if not I'm going to take it somewhere.

Here is the kit I'm installing:



And here is the diagram for the kit:



Coming from the Siren, I have the two Brown wires going to my Speaker. I have the Black and Red wires correctly hooked up to the battery (with a fuse). I connected the Yellow wire to the Red to give the Siren power, and I know the Siren is getting power because I can hear the actual siren coming from it. I'm not using any of the other options so they aren't hooked up to anything.

So... anyone?

HUMVEE Driver

[Soulblinder]

Dave, it seems basic and obvious, but what s your speaker's ohm-rating? 11 ohms seems odd; standard is usually 8 ohms...

[Daz]

Disconnect all wires apart from the battery going to pins 1 and 2 and the speakers (brown wires) going to pins 7 and 12.

Keep it simple to bug fix.

[Daz]

Dave, it seems basic and obvious, but what s your speaker's ohm-rating? 11 ohms seems odd; standard is usually 8 ohms...

Some 100watt outdoor horn speakers (PA) are 11ohms.
http://www.carson-mfg.com/siren-speakers.asp

Why? I don't know, but they are.
Even with a 8, 6 or 4 ohm, connected, you should still hear some noise. It just won't be as loud as your not dropping all voltage across the coil.

Can you post a pic of the speaker you are using? Or try another speaker

[HUMVEE Driver]

So I got the speaker that is made for the siren (the box) and hooked it up. I tried all the switches and knobs... nothing. I guess I'm going to have to take it to a guy to get it fixed.

HUMVEE Driver

[HUMVEE Driver]

I got the whole thing working.

I went through every little thing, and as it turns out, I had everything wired up correctly. You know the plug that has all the wires? Well it plugs into a female socket, and one of the tiny round connecters in that female socket was loose. I had to look right at it to see it. The freaking problem was from the factory and not me, which is a pretty good feeling. Anyway I got it fixed and everything works.

All's well that ends well. Thanks to everyone for their help!

HUMVEE Driver

[cruzn2the max]

Grouse that is such great news, i thought something was a bit wrong as nothing u did seemed to work, at least in the end all turned out well.

I gave you a call and left a mess, i eventualy found out what no to ring the usa lol.

See you soon