Here's how I did my radio.
I found the switched wire that was already in the dash. Can't remember the color at this time though. Connect it to the red wire of your new cd player.
Run a new wire directly to the battery and connect it to your yellow wire on the cd player. Why all the way to the battery? Because I don't like adding a 15-20amp draw on the factory fuse panel since it was never intended. Be safe, not sorry. Be sure to put about a 20 amp fuse no farther than 12" from the battery connection. Skip this and you might have a nice bonfire if you get a short.
Connect the black wire to a grounding point. Must be clean/bare metal and yes, the ground is very important.
Connect your speakers to the appropriate speaker wires. White is front left, gray is front right, green is rear left, purple or violet is rear right. Solid indicates +, with black stripe indicates -. If you have some speaker wires that are not going to be connected to the speaker, cap them off, tape over them, or slide some heat shrink over the ends so it does not short out.
There, your wiring is done. Now you get to cut the dash out and fabricate some mounting brackets to hold it in there.
Here's what I did. Sorry for the poor quality pics. I did this at night and pics were from my cell phone.

 

Do these colors also apply for a 1977 f 150 and is the wire coming from the ignition switch or somewhere else?

 

Yes, it's true for a '77. Both power sources to the radio (power, and dash illumination) come from the fuse panel.

 

i know this is an older thread but i have an aftermarket radio in but do not get reception. i don't think it is hooked up to the antenna. any help here? where do i find the antenna hookup wire. and isn't the "antenna" wire on the radios normally blue?

 

The antenna wire is a larger diameter black wire with a male prong plug on the end. The blue wire you are referring to is to power a motorized antenna or can be used to turn on amplifiers.

 

i have a 77 is it the same wiring as the 79?

 

Should be the same. Power, yellow w/ black stripe, backlight, blue w/ red stripe

 

i love your blue led light on dash.. where y get it and what kind led y use? do y have to paint on needle for gauge?? and remove filter from inside cluster ins,,,make look factory green light ?

 

Thanks for this.
FMC. awesome info. Looks like you may have deleted all your pics on your profile. But awesomeness

 

Thanks for the kind words. I just checked, and all the pictures seem to still be there. I only have one album.

 

oy. thanks! I see. was looking at "view gallery" and "My garage" under your name.
but found them. sweetness

 

Trying to find the switched connection right now.. the dude put an "after market radio in it".. but.. went as lame a deck as possible. stock style kraco tape player - that already seems to work with the key on.. but no actual wire off the deck for it. weird.

 

Sorry, I'm not following - can you clarify your question?

 

Well, this Kraco deck only has one lead for power. Basically, not power + Accessory Switched on feature to tell the deck the key is turned on. But, the deck works in that fashion as though it is hooked up with the ignition (i can turn the key half way and the deck starts running). Right now, it works, but the only power wire to the Kraco is a black/double lined white wire (which looks like it runs to the steering column area).
hm. Maybe just use that one black/white lead to the new deck on the constant 12v?

It's just weird and I havn't done this old skewl method for.. 20yrs.

 

I'm still having a little trouble following, but I'm sure that's me just being slow. Maybe it's easier for me to explain what I know, which is that older and/or simpler decks without radio memory or with mechanical station presets typically require one switched power source. They take all power they need from this one input. That's because they don't need to "remember" anything after the key is switched off.

Modern head units typically have two power inputs - one for constant power, and one for switched power. The constant power is typically the unit's main power feed (and the wire on the manufacturer pigtail, if equipped is typically a little thicker). This signal is also borrowed for memory. The switched power is typically a low-current trigger to "wake up" the unit.

In either case, there is typically an additional power input for dial illumination. Both switched power and dial illumination were housed in the factory radio connector - the former of which can serve as the main power feed for a memory-free deck, or the trigger for a modern deck with memory. I believe this signal's color varied depending on the year.

If you have a new deck, the switched power source needs to come from a switched source (and NOT a constant source), otherwise the deck will remain on all the time. Similarly, the constant power source needs to come from a constant source, otherwise the deck will lose its memory when the key is removed. Let me know if that answers the question.