[Matt Ion]

mike wrote:
Chad Wahls wrote:

"Matt Ion" wrote in message
news:PFIhh.496825$1T2.457808@pd7urf2no...

mike wrote:


Where are you measuring this?



It's on the bench using a power supply.
The yellow backup wire draws essentially zero. The PS meter
has only 1mA resolution and I've not bothered to measure any more
precicely than ~zero mA.
The Red power wire is the one consuming 230mA.
Speakers are disconnected, output from PreOut to amplified speakers.
System draws 800mA or so average playing a mp3 CD.
230mA when switched off sounds excessive.


It does indeed...


I don't think you'll find anything particularly "better", unless
your specific deck actually has something wrong with it. The only
thing it needs to draw current for when off is the memory backup,
and that will be mostly the same for any deck (although personally,
I don't know why they even bother anymore - they solved the problem
with shuttle decks years ago).



Well, that was my quesiton. Is 1/4A when off typical?


I'd tend to think not... but then I've never measured a deck's idle
current.



But the red wire is switched so it's no problemo right?

Chad

Well...

The red wire is switched if you swtich it. I wasn't gonna.

But that's not the only issue. That much current drain when off, is a
serious design error. Yes, vendors sometimes do stupid things, but
you'd expect I'd not be the only one with an issue.

In retrospect (and considering Chad's post), I don't think it is a "design
error". Standard car deck design provides for that lead to only be hooked up to
switched power, so idle current isn't a consideration.

My "conclusion" is that mine's broke and current is going somewhere it
shouldn't...like
a leaky output amplifier. It's more likely to get worse than better.
It's a walmart special, so good luck getting parts.

I really like the radio. And it was cheap.

So, go back to Walmart and trade it in for another unit of the same model. If
your measurements are repeated, then it's probably due to the design of the
deck. If not, then that one unit was faulty.

I suspect you'll find the former to be the case, and again, I suspect you'll
find it to be the case with most decks you try. You are, after all, attempting
to wire the deck up in a manner it's not designed for.