can i check to see if my aftermarket receiver is working by putting the battery wire and acc wire on the positive terminal and the negative on the negative battery terminal? also can i try this on a battery that isn't in my car just laying in my house?

 

yup.

 

it, works. Thats how I did it with my last flip out. I left a dvd in it and needed it out.

 

so i can do this on a battery taht isn't grounded to anything?

 

You sure can. I would just make sure you have an in-line just in case. I fried a friend's Alpine doing this once. The electrical system was completely screwed up and I didn't know it. If I had used a fuse it would have just blown it and not fried the head unit.