Operating the radio

Lobodemar

My boat is a 270 2006.  Is it possible to make the radio play without turning the key to accessories

LaRea

Nope.  A lot of Rinkers (not all) have the radio wired to the ignition key accessory position.  That's the way mine is wired.  You could re-wire it fairly easily.  

Weber

Mine works as long as one of the battery switches are turned on.

I would not have it wired to the ignition key.

MarkB

If it's wired through the ignition, then the only way to avoid that is to rewire. I don't think it's a big issue though. I think you just need to bridge two wires - you should google that!

Lobodemar

Thanks guys will look in to it

howardrams

My old Fiesta Vee had the radio in the cabin and you could turn it on without the key. Convenient but I always had to go down into the cabin to make sure it wasn't left on, without the volume turned up, draining the battery.  My new 260 I always have to leave the cabin, put in the key and turn to acc which annoys me when I want to turn on the radio in the middle of the night.  I can see the logic in either system.  Both have advantages and minor drawbacks.  Easy to run a wire to make yours hot all the time if you want it that way. 

LaRea

One other annoyance:  sometimes, when you turn on the ignition key to run the radio, the hour meter on the Faria tach will start running even though the engine is off.  Over time, you can build up a big error in the hour meter.  Mine is off by about 40 hours.  (The actual hour reading is always available from the engine computer.)  

Not a big deal but something to be aware of.

Dream_Inn

& to add to LaRea's comment, if you notice it running (or tach displaying something other than zero), just tap on the tach gauge until it stops.

diggin2day1

No need to run a new wire.... Just cut  the ignition wire(red wire) and splice it to the constant battery wire(yellow wire) on the back of your radio... Done.