OEM Built-in Stereo Using Battery While Boondocking

[rlpeeler]

The built-in OEM Jensen AWM965 stereo receiver / DVD player system is apparently hard-wired into the electrical system as I see no plug (have not removed the stereo from the wall to see if one is behind it), but the blue dial light is on ALL THE TIME!  My concern is over how much juice this thing is pulling and impact on battery life, especially when not in use.  (Besides, the light is bright and bothers me when I'm in bed!)

I have installed a 2nd 12-volt battery, converted all lights to LED, installed a Fantastic Model 1200 vent fan (which only pulls 3 to 5 amps, depending upon speed), and will of course use propane for refrigerator and water heater when boondocking.  But that darned stereo still pulls something.  If it is only the dial light, that's one thing, but how much drainage is occuring through its other components?

Obviously, I am attempting to be very judicious when boondocking ..... Any ideas?

Thanks ..... Randy

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I'm guessing that only Jensen can really supply that info.  You can get their customer support here:

[urlhttp://www.jensenmobile.com/contactus/][/url]

If it really bothers you, I suppose you could pull the fuse from that circuit . . .

 

[Back2PA]

If it really bothers you, I suppose you could pull the fuse from that circuit . . .

Or install a power switch. I did that with my dash radio that replaced the OEM. The install instructions said to only install on ignition circuit so the radio wouldn't be left on and run down the battery - incredibly there is no off switch on the radio! Obviously I wanted to be able to use the radio while I was parked so I didn't wire it to an ignition/off circuit.

So I installed a rocker that matches the OEM dash switches - kills all power to the radio.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Most 12v radios these days have two power wires, one that keeps the display alive for clock, etc., and one that powers the actual receiver.  The display doesn't use much power, but it's not zero either. The low power wire is also what keeps the circuit active so that the switches on the front work.

You can install a switch as Scott did. Pulling the radio from the wall to access the wires should be simple enough, but you may find a bundle of wires and a single plug connector, with speaker and power wires together in the bundle.

There are a lot of Jensen manuals & tip sheets available online at https://jensenrvdirect.com/manuals-guides

 

[Debra17]

I have the same issue with my Jensen. It is annoying that there isn?t a way to turn off the display when not in use. I have enough solar that I?m not to concerned with the power usage. However the brightness was very annoying. I don?t like any light when I?m sleeping. After hunting around through the menus I finally found where to lower the brightness and that helped.

 

[Frank B]

I have the same issue with my Jensen. It is annoying that there isn?t a way to turn off the display when not in use. I have enough solar that I?m not to concerned with the power usage. However the brightness was very annoying. I don?t like any light when I?m sleeping. After hunting around through the menus I finally found where to lower the brightness and that helped.

Would you be willing to share that with us? 


And, though it is decidedly low-tech, we have simply put black tape, or black paper over the offending displays.  8)

 

[Debra17]

I had to hunt for it again LOL!  My model is a JWM6A. Press and hold Audio Menu button to enter system menu. Press the arrow button to navigate to the BRI setting. Turn the volume knob to select the LCD brightness level from 1 to 4 or off. You can turn the LCD off, but it is always off, which isn?t very useful.

 

[8Muddypaws]

One of the things that sucks lots of power is Carbon Monoxide detectors.  (Certainly more than the keep alive circuit of most radios).  I replaced mine with one from Home Depot.  It takes a single 9v battery that lasts for about a year.

 

[Bhfromme]

I just pull the fuse on the radio when I'm boondocking.

 

[Seilerbird]

The light on your stereo does not draw enough power to worry about. A fraction of a watt.

 

[Rene T]

One of the things that sucks lots of power is Carbon Monoxide detectors.  (Certainly more than the keep alive circuit of most radios).  I replaced mine with one from Home Depot.  It takes a single 9v battery that lasts for about a year.

I don't know about the Carbon Monoxide detector but the LP detector does also.  My CM detector in all my RV's were not hard wired but powered by a battery like the smoke detectors.

 

[FunSteak]

Would you be willing to share that with us? 


And, though it is decidedly low-tech, we have simply put black tape, or black paper over the offending displays.  8)

While I don't have this issue on our coach, I did have a boat for a while that had an installed remote station for the radio controls at the helm.  That sucker was BRIGHT, and had no way to dim it.  Very annoying and distracting at night, and played heck with my night vision.  I didn't want to completely cover it up, as I used it rather frequently, so I cut a small piece of window tinting film (forget the % right now) and it did the trick perfectly.  Dimmed that light about 75% (or so it seemed to my eyes), without interfering with operation.