HELP!: Installing a stereo with the DESS reed switch in '97 Challenger

[pigsticker]

Hello all,

Well I bought the Challenger and have committed to installing a stereo. All holes are cut, speaker wire and power wires buried except for one.

I have reached a point where I need to supply power to the stereo through a switch. This boat is obviously different than a master on/off or key switch. It uses the DESS and I read how the powering works but I don't understand it.

The radio install manual calls for my fused memory power line be supplied to the battery which I did. The black is obviously ground which I also ran back to the battery since finding a grounding source on the boat is a nightmare. The radio also has a red wire which calls to be hooked to an ignition switch or an ignition circuit. I imagine it needs to be connected to the backside or completed loop of a switch so when the switch is disengaged power to the radio is also cut. I have no idea which wire to tie into to accomplish this power supply.

There are three wires to the switch: Black, Black with yellow stripe, White with Gray stripe. Can I plumb my stereo power wire into any of these? Or is there an alternate location I should be looking for?

Please help!

 

[Biffitis]

Personally, I wouldn't wire it to the DESS at all. You might want to sit and listen to the tunes without having to plug in the DESS key, which ads an additional (albeit minor) drain to the battery. Wire it to a separate switch, or directly to power, and just don't forget to shut it off when you park it.

 

[Dr Honda]

The DESS switch is a TINY set of contacts... and it's not really switching power to the MPEM. It simply telling the MPEM that there is a lanyard on the post. SO... you can't pull any power from it.

If you look at your fuse block... there is a set of wires for a radio. (orange and black wires on a 2 pin plug) That is a switched set... and I'm sure you can find consent power also. But, you would be better off going direct to the battery for the main power.

Be VERY careful with hoking anything to the system wires. The MPEM is VERY fragile, it can be burnt out easy... and is no longer available.