Thanks in advance for your help………….I know just enough about this electrical and audio stuff to be dangerous so I’ll apologize now for the long post, just trying to get you all the detail I can. I’ve read a lot of the amp threads and kind of have a plan, but still got some doubts and need to bounce it off you guys first……………

To start we’re talking 2013 FLTRX with stock HU and J&M Rokker 7.25 speakers. A guy owes me for some work and offered me a pretty much brand new RF PBR300x2 and I’m going to take it because I’m relatively certain I’ll never see cash otherwise. Other than that I’m not obsessed with audio so it should keep me happy. So here’s my question:

I have the HD hidden antenna mounted already (note that it taps off the cig lighter spade tabs for power) and it worked just fine – until I got the genius idea to install a USB charging port in the glove box and used mini-taps to tap into the power supply. Of course I tapped into the cig lighter line for the USB charger, confirmed that it had power and would charge my phone, and slapped the fairing back on and headed down the road as happy as a pig in s***. The next day I turn my radio on and of course no reception at all, the only thing that has output is the CD and aux port. Take the fairing back off, pull the taps for the USB charger and of course the reception is fine.

I still want power to my USB charger and I want to keep the hidden antenna set up. Do you think I lost reception simply because I’m pulling too much current off the line to the cig lighter or is the USB charger interfering with the hidden antenna and causing the loss of radio reception?

I guess the other easy power supply to get to is the lights. Should I move the USB charger to tap off one headlight and then tap off the other headlight for the on input for the amp when I get it? Or leave the USB charger on the cig lighter and move the hidden antenna to the light for power? Am I just asking for more problems having stuff tap off the lights? If so, what else could be used for power? I thought about running something from the accessory port under the seat, but that’s on the same circuit as the cig lighter and figured I would get the same interference as being tied into the cig lighter.

 

You probably lost reception because the power supply for the USB charger isn't shielded and generating interference. I would try powering it as far from the powered antenna as possible, or you might have to get a shielded one (more expensive).

 

And also when you install the amp you want to run power and ground all the way to the battery. You do not want to tap into power under the fairing for the amp.