As I've slooowly been preparing my "new" 2006 CVPI to become "my" car and replace the '98 that I've driven for so long, in addition to adding antenna mounts and running power, I created a 7-1/4" sloping hump-mount console to hold radios. (One of these days, I'll include a picture of it). To go with it, I created a drop-in "power module". It has a 2' input lead with a Powerpole connector pair. For output, in addition to 7 powerpole connections for radios and other equipment, it also features two "cigar lighter" power sockets and four USB sockets. Power is monitored by a ITS-12 module (rated for 35A continuous use), which senses when the voltage drops from Alternator level (roughly 13VDC or higher) to battery level; I set it to automatically shut everything off after 7 hours in this state, or if the voltage drops below 11.4V (so there's still a little juice to start the car). A master power switch disconnects the entire system (including the monitor), and a red illuminating override switch allows me to trigger an extra 15 minutes of emergency power or even keep the system powered on indefinitely, whether the monitor thinks it's a good idea or not.A digital meter displays voltage and current use. Though designed specifically for the hump rack, the power module is self-contained and easily transferred to another housing or used loose in the field. Such a module could be handy for deployment to a temporary incident command center. |
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