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running two stereos in car

Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=121315
Printed Date: July 06, 2025 at 2:10 AM


Topic: running two stereos in car

Posted By: johndbb
Subject: running two stereos in car
Date Posted: April 13, 2010 at 5:25 AM

Hi all

Looking to running two stereos (OEM unit connected to CD changer and an Alpine IDA X305 dedicated mp3 unit) in my 2001 Golf

I guess I would need a relay for each speaker connected to the amp power send of the second unit to switch the speakers over but what options would i have on powering the units themselves? Is it simply a case of running another wire from the battery for the second unit or can i use the one thats already there somehow? 




Replies:

Posted By: tedmond
Date Posted: April 13, 2010 at 6:40 AM

use a harness and connect both together, but leave the connection 12v connection untouched. Run a 10-12 gauge wire from the battery fused at 20 amps to the deck area, then run your constant 12v sources off of that.

that way you dont have to worry about turning both on and blowing the radio fuse.

just remember, use one or the other only.



-------------
Ted
2nd Year Tier 1 Medical School
Still installing as a hobby...pays for groceries
Compustar Expert




Posted By: awdeclipse
Date Posted: April 13, 2010 at 7:18 AM
Perhaps adding a "selector switch" that connects to the ground would help prevent trying to power both units at once and remove the need to add a bunch of relays to switch over the speaker outputs.

However if you are interrupting power to one unit or the other, no presets for you...

I guess you could switch the ignition wire instead then, so you could maintain preset memory and then toggle between which radio you want to use. A SPDT switch would work fine for this.

1 - Stock Radio
2 - Switched Ignition
3 - Alpine Radio




Posted By: oldspark
Date Posted: April 13, 2010 at 10:36 AM
awdeclipse wrote:

Perhaps adding a "selector switch" that connects to the ground...

If by that you mean "breaking" the GND connection(s) - don't - because units still GND thru other paths. (Unless you know they are fully GND isolated except for their power/chassis connection.)




Posted By: Ween
Date Posted: April 13, 2010 at 12:09 PM

two 4PDT relays to isolate/select the four channels of speakers, wire the relay coils in parallel connected to the remote out lead of the Alpine.  NO contacts of relays to the Alpine hu, NC contacts to the OEM hu, C contacts to the vehicle speakers.  may need to boost the output of the remote lead with a trigger module, depends on current output available on Alpine and relays used.  should be fine powering both headunits with stock wiring. Alpine unit has priority over OEM unit.






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