Is a voltage reducer needed?

[1badsilverado]

Got an electric club car to install a radio on. It's got lights on it already wired to 2 batteries. Can I just wire the radio the same way or should I buy a voltage reducer for it. I'm not sure how many volts it is. I forgot to look at the batteries to see if it is 36 or 48 volts. I will look later.

 

[HotRodCarts]

It depends if it's a 36 or 48 volt cart. You can get away with lights on 16 volts but a radio will need 12 volts.

 

[dougmcp]

Although the cart voltage is important, these questions are just as important.
How much amperage are you going to draw with the "radio"?
Will it have an additional amplifier?
How many hours at a time will you run it?
The answers to these will determine the solution of whether you should wire it to the batteries, get a voltage reducer, converter or get another 12v battery.

 

[1badsilverado]

I'm doing all this for a friend. He dropped it off yesterday and he had bought a kit from Buggies Unlimited for the radio and overhead console. No amp for it. I would say an hour or so playing at a time. He mostly uses it for camping trips. I will check the voltage when I get home.

 

[dougmcp]

That's not a big draw on the balance of the battery system. I would suggest if it is a 36v cart, just tie it to 2 of the 6v batteries and all will be fine. If it is a 48v cart, you will need a 16v-12v voltage reducer.

 

[1badsilverado]

Whats best. A reducer from 16 to 12 volts or a converter thats 48 to 12 volts?

 

[HotRodCarts]

Either one will do but the 48-12 is the best way to go.

 

[dougmcp]

The converters spread the load better but there's not much load to spread.
Converters are $150, reducers are less than $50, you choose.

 

[1badsilverado]

Thanks for the inputs guys.

 

[1badsilverado]

Ok, got a 48-12vt converter now. It didn't come with a wiring diagram. It's got 4 terminals. Whats the correct way of wiring it up. Do I need 2 new cables for the battery to the 2 main terminals? I guess have 1 negative terminal hooked up to 1 side and the positive hooked up to the other side. It's got the 12v labeled positve and negative. I guess just hook up the lights and radio straight to those terminals? Nothing grounded to the frame, correct. Sorry for all the questions. Just want to do it right the first time. Thanks in advance.

 

[HotRodCarts]

Correct, the power in would be connected to the battery pack positive and negative. The 12 volt wires are for hooking up the accessories. No frame ground...