tractor radios

[Durkee]

I have a 1965 3020 I put a cab on it and would like to add a radio. What kind do I have to get with the pos. grd. Anyway to make a car radio work?

 

[RayP(MI)]

Going to have to hunt far and wide to find a 12V positive ground radio. How much trouble would it be to change the tractor over to NEGATIVE ground? I've done that with a couple, and wasn't hard. On one, I put an alternator on, reconnected the battery, the other way, and changed the coil and lights.(this was a 6 to 12 volt conversion, anyway) Tractor performs far better. Other one was magneto, so added 12v battery, 12v regulator, repolarized generator, and all set. With Negative ground, there are hundreds of car radios that will work, many available at salvage yards for next to nothing!

 

[tim s]

We use to get a radio called " Husky " that had a polarity switch in it, but I have not seen one for years,,you can isolate the radio chasis and pull power off one battery, but this is tough to do.. a good way is to convert to 12 volt neg. ground, takes about $500 worth of stuff,,I do it all the time if you want to mail me I'll tell you how..

 

[Jim in LA]

Try searching some of the electronic hobbyist wesites. What I am thinking of is a 12V DC dual polarity power supply. I made some years ago when I was a tv/electronics tech, but they were AC powered. The cost of building one may not justify the expense though. But there are companies that sell electronic kits that include timers for game feeders, small power supplies, amplifiers and such. electronickits.com is one website.

 

[buickanddeere]

Diesel or spark ignition?
If diesel only 1/2 of the system is pos chassis.
How are you going to protect your hearing and still hear the radio?

 

[Tx Jim]

buickanddeere,
Maybe he has earphones that plug into radio!

 

[dds]

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200331464_200331464, just a thought dds

 

[buickanddeere]

He will need something. If he's bare eared in that cab and turns the radio up load enough to be heard. He will be going deaf with the too high db.

 

[The Pennsylvanian]

Check this out on ebay- Item number: 200252018413

 

[alabamafrog]

On our 4010 and 4020 I just made a box and mounted a car stereo with 2 6x9 speakers and a small amp. I ran the wires directly to one battery with a fuse. Worked great for years. I wear earplugs and turn the radio up so loud I can feel it on my arm. The ear plugs make the tractor sound really muffled and make the radio sound just right. Dad has bought a couple of the real tractor radios that are designed to mount on the fender but they are not nearly loud enough to be heard over the Diesel at PTO speed.

 

[Jim in LA]

I hope you don't play tha rap-crap, it will kill your crops!

 

[Bill -- Banquete TX]

Sure you can make a car radio work. Insulate it from the tractor frame somehow. Since you have a cab on there, I presume it's rainproof, so dry plywood would work... if not that, use a plastic box of some sort, and just wire the radio frame to the (-) on the battery and the red wire through a 5A fuse to the (+) on the battery. BE DANG SURE TO FUSE IT! That way if you do get some sort of breach on your isolation it'll pop a fuse instead of creating a state of MSME (maximum smoke, minimum efficiency)

HTH--

Bill