Instead of running straight to the battery I want to run my cb into a relay in my 04 f150. Do I need to get an extra relay or is there an existing one I can use / is there extra ones. I have been trying to research how to wire them but if anyone could explain this a little more clearly I'd appreciate it.

Thanks

 

sorry i can't answers your question, but i was just wondering what the advantage of using a relay for an accessory would be? i have a cb also but mione is wired directly to the battery, should i change it to a relay?

 

By running if through a relay I believe then it cant be left on when the trucks ignition is off. I have a set of off road lights that are wired straight to my battery and I left em on last weekend so I dont want the same to happen if I was to leave the cb on.

 

A relay is basically a switch that can carry a heavy load. It is activated by electric, that can come from alot of places. Using an ignition hot will only let it work when the key is on.
There are many things you can use a relay for. They can be normally open and/or normally close. A very basic electrical component.

 

alternatively you could use a fork style wire connector and plug it right into a acc/ engine on fuse. just shove it in with the fuse and you should be fine. the fuse wont get power when the engine is off/ not on acc setting so you cant get power to the CB. but depending on the fuse you pick you may have to deal with engine noise in the CB. If you have a miltimeter just turn the engine off and probe a few fuses, then turn it to key on engine off and see what you get, then start the truck and restest. whatever works with acc/ and engine running is you boy. anything with power with the key off wont do what you want.

 

dont bother with a relay, just find an acc source on the fuse panel and use that.

 

Once I find an acc source how do I go about wiring it into it? The fuse panel is in a pretty tight spot

 

I just shoved mine in with the hazards fuse...opposite of you I wanted to have power to it all the time ...and I was to lazy to run it right to the battery

 

you can take a spade connector and shove it in the power side of the fuse (assuming the power lead for the cb radio has its own fuse).

 

What I ended up doin was taking my multimeter and finding a wire just above the fuse panel that gave me power with the ignition on and just stripped a little bit of the wire and soldered in my power to my cb. Works just the way I want it to. Thanks for the help guys.