• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

Wrong 24v to 12v Converter?

Sand

Member
47
20
8
Location
Tampa, FL
I just got a stereo system installed in my M998 with a console, rear speakers, sub and amp. When I went to pick it up the shop told me that the converter that I supplied wasn't working because it was adjustable and the amp required a constant 12v converter. I have the Orion 2412-70a. Does anyone have any knowledge as far as what the correct converter would be? Any help you can give would be appreciated.
 

Gcelevator

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
503
717
93
Location
Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA
I just got a stereo system installed in my M998 with a console, rear speakers, sub and amp. When I went to pick it up the shop told me that the converter that I supplied wasn't working because it was adjustable and the amp required a constant 12v converter. I have the Orion 2412-70a. Does anyone have any knowledge as far as what the correct converter would be? Any help you can give would be appreciated.
I do have the same and yes, it is adjustable. But when it is adjusted, it does not fluctuate voltage. I set up mine to like 12.8VDC or so. I can not speak about music equipmwnt but know many people with the same and no issues.
 

FlameRed

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
351
541
93
Location
Florida
Perhaps I am just a simpleton, but if we have two 12V batteries in series to make a 24V system - instead of using a converter, why not tap off the first battery's system ground and 12V, install a circuit breaker, or bus fuse, then a fuse box for the individual 12V circuits?

What do I know? This is what I did. No need for any converters.

I do have a 200 amp with the lead that charges the 12V battery. But I ran this configuration before I converted to the 200 AMP.
 

Wreckclues

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
227
628
93
Location
Jefferson, Massachusetts
I just got a stereo system installed in my M998 with a console, rear speakers, sub and amp...I have the Orion 2412-70a.
What's the amperage of your stereo system?
If the total amps are more than 70 nothing will work. More amps in a converter are better, your equipment will draw what it needs.
 

Mogman

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
7,018
9,701
113
Location
Papalote, TX
Perhaps I am just a simpleton, but if we have two 12V batteries in series to make a 24V system - instead of using a converter, why not tap off the first battery's system ground and 12V, install a circuit breaker, or bus fuse, then a fuse box for the individual 12V circuits?

What do I know? This is what I did. No need for any converters.

I do have a 200 amp with the lead that charges the 12V battery. But I ran this configuration before I converted to the 200 AMP.
If you do not have a dual voltage alt. then if you draw off of the rear battery you will unbalance the charging system and the batteries will not last nearly as long as one will be under charged and one will be over charged, the larger the 12V load the faster the batteries die.

With the dual voltage system I would not pull more than 15A or so despite what claims the manufacture makes, those regulators are very expensive compared to an inverter and was designed to compensate for the transmission TCM which only pulls a few amps.
 

Mogman

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
7,018
9,701
113
Location
Papalote, TX
I just got a stereo system installed in my M998 with a console, rear speakers, sub and amp. When I went to pick it up the shop told me that the converter that I supplied wasn't working because it was adjustable and the amp required a constant 12v converter. I have the Orion 2412-70a. Does anyone have any knowledge as far as what the correct converter would be? Any help you can give would be appreciated.
If that amp was designed to go in a vehicle then it should be good to around 15V, in modern automotive alternators it is common to see 14.2 -14.5V so them saying it requires a constant 12V is also wrong.
 

98G

Former SSG
Steel Soldiers Supporter
6,092
4,499
113
Location
AZ/KS/MO/OK/NM/NE, varies by the day...
Perhaps I am just a simpleton, but if we have two 12V batteries in series to make a 24V system - instead of using a converter, why not tap off the first battery's system ground and 12V, install a circuit breaker, or bus fuse, then a fuse box for the individual 12V circuits?

What do I know? This is what I did. No need for any converters.

I do have a 200 amp with the lead that charges the 12V battery. But I ran this configuration before I converted to the 200 AMP.
That's called an "evil tap" and it destroys batteries for the reasons Mogman explained.
 

Foxclub83

New member
17
10
3
Location
Texas
Perhaps I am just a simpleton, but if we have two 12V batteries in series to make a 24V system - instead of using a converter, why not tap off the first battery's system ground and 12V, install a circuit breaker, or bus fuse, then a fuse box for the individual 12V circuits?

What do I know? This is what I did. No need for any converters.

I do have a 200 amp with the lead that charges the 12V battery. But I ran this configuration before I converted to the 200 AMP.
I tapped off the first battery in the series. I have 200 amp. It works fine.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Retiredwarhorses

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
4,414
4,209
113
Location
Brentwood, Calif
That's called an "evil tap" and it destroys batteries for the reasons Mogman explained.
this topic just gets beat into submission it seems weekly….
the hmmwv like all modern tactical vehicles use both 12 and 24 component’s , pulling 12v to feed those components is how they were designed,
work, the 14v tap coming off the regulator was specifically designed to prevent An imbalance of the battery feeding 12v component, there is nothing evil about it and I’ve done it for over 30yrs with absolutely no issues On hundreds of trucks that have come through the shop.
 

98G

Former SSG
Steel Soldiers Supporter
6,092
4,499
113
Location
AZ/KS/MO/OK/NM/NE, varies by the day...
this topic just gets beat into submission it seems weekly….
the hmmwv like all modern tactical vehicles use both 12 and 24 component’s , pulling 12v to feed those components is how they were designed,
work, the 14v tap coming off the regulator was specifically designed to prevent An imbalance of the battery feeding 12v component, there is nothing evil about it and I’ve done it for over 30yrs with absolutely no issues On hundreds of trucks that have come through the shop.
Dual voltage alternators.

And as you said, it was specifically designed to prevent an imbalance.

Without a dual voltage alternator specifically designed to avoid it, it's an "evil tap."

As I understood it, the original reference was without a dual voltage alternator and the protection provided.
 

Retiredwarhorses

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
4,414
4,209
113
Location
Brentwood, Calif
Dual voltage alternators.

And as you said, it was specifically designed to prevent an imbalance.

Without a dual voltage alternator specifically designed to avoid it, it's an "evil tap."

As I understood it, the original reference was without a dual voltage alternator and the protection provided.
long before dual voltage, I ran off rear battery,like anything electrical, you have to engineer the load, so a cigarette lighter adapter, USB charger, backup cam…none of these items draw enough amps to create issues, the key is, don’t have constant power draws, you need either the ability to turn off all items when sitting or install a relay to switch the 12v on to the devices, i personally now install a relay to switch the 12v on, just like the TCM off of 290C/291C.
 
Last edited:
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks