Mobile rig installation problems in Honda Civic

[KG6YNS]

I just installed my first mobile rig with an FT-2800 in my Honda Civic and everything went well, and it works great, except, the car doesn't idle well and stalls when at stop lights. I had the same problem once before when the battery drained because I didn't use the car for a couple weeks, and it would only idle correctly after the battery was fully charged again.
The battery is about half the size of a normal battery, so I don't know if this problem is a shortcoming of the battery or possibly the alternator. Does anyone have any suggestions?

TIA (Thanks in advance)

KG6YNS

[KC8AXJ]

Could be high SWR ??

[K5LXP]

Lots of unknown variables.

Is the idle only rough while the radio's on or off?  Transmitting or receiving?

Why is there only a battery 1/2 the normal size in there?

What does a voltmeter say when the engine is idling roughly?

Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM

[K0BG]

Like Mark said, Jagon, there just isn't enough information to go on.

The Honda Civic has a form 24 battery which is smaller than the form 28 that's normally installed in most V6 Hondas. Nonetheless, it's big enough to power the radio even without the engine running. I suspect you have a bad alternator and/or a bad battery, and the next place you should take the car is to your dealer for a checkup.

Alan, KØBG
www.k0bg.com

[KG6YNS]

The idle gets rough only when the radio is on. When I turn it off, it seems to be ok. And this is only when just receiving.

The battery compartment is small too, so I guess the Civic just uses a smaller battery than normal.

When the engine is running, the voltage is around 14.5  volts.

[KG6YNS]

Thanks for the response Mark and Alan,

I'm sorry, I should have given clearer information. Thanks for the suggestions. Maybe I can start by getting a new battery. I think it is getting close to it's maximum lifespan anyway. I checked all of the connections and everything seems fine except for the car's idle. I can turn on the CD player, AC, headlights, wipers and everything without getting the same symptoms. It's very strange.

Thanks,

Jagon, KG6YNS