The Ford Barn

Chibears · 08-10-2025, 11:50 AM

How do you get power to radio from harness or switch

HDowse · 08-10-2025, 12:09 PM

My 1940 radio is wired to the firewall block where the ignition resistor and circuit breaker is located. It’s wired to the far right post which is the hot side of the circuit breaker. The wire to the radio has an inline fuse.

Chibears · 08-10-2025, 06:42 PM

Thank you HD! Will follow that advice and see if I have some tunes!!

tubman · 08-10-2025, 07:22 PM

Maybe no tunes, but you will get crop reports or Spanish programming depending on where you are.

Seriously, the last decent AM station up here (North-Central Minnesota) disappeared about 15 years ago.

hueyhoolihan · 08-10-2025, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubman

Maybe no tunes, but you will get crop reports or Spanish programming depending on where you are.

Seriously, the last decent AM station up here (North-Central Minnesota) disappeared about 15 years ago.

ha, maybe THAT's the reason a couple of my 2007 model cars with otherwise excellent sound systems were so terrible when trying to tune in an AM station. and i thought it was because the manufacturers were on some kind of cost-cutting crusade! smh.

Ken/Alabama · 08-10-2025, 09:52 PM

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The power wire gets attached to the left terminal on the circuit breaker underneath the dash.

Kube · Yesterday, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken/Alabama

The power wire gets attached to the left terminal on the circuit breaker underneath the dash.

Spot on Ken.
Guys, this is correct.

hueyhoolihan · Yesterday, 06:17 PM

i suppose one could connect it to get power when the ignition switch is on or off depending on where one chooses to connect it to the fuse/breaker box. where it was in 1940 IDK. i'd have to guess it was dependent on the ignition switch being in the "on" position. seeing as how radios at that time had power hungry tubes in them. not that that in and of itself would be of much benefit unless the engine was running.

in any case i clearly remember (because my dad was furious) completely running down the battery while listening to the radio (tubes) for a couple of hours in our 1961 Buick LeSabre for "Wild Thing" (the Trogs) and "Li'l Red Riding Hood" (Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs) to be played.

it probably makes little functional difference with the solid state radios of today.

08-10-2025, 11:50 AM	#1
Chibears Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2024 Posts: 2	1940 ford deluxe radio How do you get power to radio from harness or switch

08-10-2025, 12:09 PM	#2
HDowse Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Hancock, New Hampshire Posts: 393	Re: 1940 ford deluxe radio My 1940 radio is wired to the firewall block where the ignition resistor and circuit breaker is located. It’s wired to the far right post which is the hot side of the circuit breaker. The wire to the radio has an inline fuse.

08-10-2025, 06:42 PM	#3
Chibears Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2024 Posts: 2	Re: 1940 ford deluxe radio Thank you HD! Will follow that advice and see if I have some tunes!!

08-10-2025, 07:22 PM	#4
tubman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Minnesota, Florida Keys Posts: 11,629	Re: 1940 ford deluxe radio Maybe no tunes, but you will get crop reports or Spanish programming depending on where you are. Seriously, the last decent AM station up here (North-Central Minnesota) disappeared about 15 years ago.

08-10-2025, 09:52 PM	#6
Ken/Alabama Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Alabama Posts: 3,394	Re: 1940 ford deluxe radio Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) The power wire gets attached to the left terminal on the circuit breaker underneath the dash.

Yesterday, 06:17 PM	#8
hueyhoolihan Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2024 Location: central coast california Posts: 255	Re: 1940 ford deluxe radio i suppose one could connect it to get power when the ignition switch is on or off depending on where one chooses to connect it to the fuse/breaker box. where it was in 1940 IDK. i'd have to guess it was dependent on the ignition switch being in the "on" position. seeing as how radios at that time had power hungry tubes in them. not that that in and of itself would be of much benefit unless the engine was running. in any case i clearly remember (because my dad was furious) completely running down the battery while listening to the radio (tubes) for a couple of hours in our 1961 Buick LeSabre for "Wild Thing" (the Trogs) and "Li'l Red Riding Hood" (Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs) to be played. it probably makes little functional difference with the solid state radios of today.