Radio standby current on leisure battery

[jimmo62]

I've connected my car radio to the leisure battery so I can use it when camping. So I have both the main supply for the radio plus the memory backup supply connected to the LB all the time.

The problem with this setup seems to be that the radio never really goes into standby - it's pulling about 200mA all the time when turned off at the switch on the unit. I'm assuming that in a normal car setup, when the ignition is turned off and the radio only has a feed to the memory backup, the radio goes into a very low power mode. But if the ignition lead is on then it is in some sort of warm standby mode drawing the higher current so it's ready to start immediately perhaps.

Has anyone seen and/or managed to get around this problem - I could put a switch in of course but then I'd have to remember to turn it off every time I didn't want it. Has anyone found a model which does not draw so much current when powered from the LB? Any other ideas? 200mA is too big a drain if I'm away for the weekend without a hookup because it's draining all the time whether I'm in the van or not......

[wonkanoby]

is this an aldi radio as they have been reported to draw a lot

[jimmo62]

It's a Sendai - came with the car. I may try another unit I have lying around in case it's something to do with this particular model.....

[cmm303]

My radio is a Sony. It has a config setting that defines a time delay after which it "hibernates". Factory default is for this timer to be inactive, meaning it does not go into hibernate, unless the off button is pressed in for a while.

[Dodgey]

On mine I have the main high power (higher fused) cable going to the lb . this cable is also the memory backup cable . the other cable , which would normally go to ignition live, instead goes to a switch I installed in the dash so I can turn it off the same as it would with ignition off. This switches live from the lb.

[helen&tony]

Hi
Dodgey...
I've done the same on mine..It works well!...small illuminated switch for "Ignition". I have only a minor (I think) current drain from the alarm circuit, and that's from the SB, and I top the SB every fortnight with a few days on a C-Tek
Cheers
Helen

[the.sasquatch]

I just have the memory cable connected directly and the main power is switched so I can just turn it off when i'm not using it