Helix + Rockford Fosgate + Ham Radio

[StealthGTI]

I actually live near Fort Eustis. But no one says, "Hey, let's go visit Newport News!" I figured I'd list an attractive place where I don't mind meeting.

 

[StealthGTI]

Everything is reassembled!

Top to bottom: VHF/UHF digital ham radio, MIB2, D-Dock smartphone dock...

The ham display's data cable routes through the air vent...

I can quickly remove the display for storage and tuck the wire behind the mount. If you have a ProClip mount, then you know it's very easy to just remove the entire mount, too...

The microphone hangs on the door panel...

It seems like it could be inconvenient, but the cord pulls up and out of the way when the door opens...

That's it. Thanks for looking!

Scott

 

[Swoope]

wow,

super great job! i am guessing the ghost fleet has not moved. lol used to have a condo about 2 miles from base off of 60.

beers

 

[StealthGTI]

Thanks! The ghost fleet is much smaller now. I think there's just seven ships there now.

 

[flip7]

How did you removed the shark fin antenna - did you had to remove some headliner to get to it?

I am also looking to do a ham radio install on mine. Not decided on the radio yet, but Likely a Yaesu with C4FM

Hello,

Thanks for the comments. I finally received my Breedlove antenna mount. I was torn between painting it black or color-matching it to the car. I decided to color-match, but decided I didn't like it. I changed to a black antenna base today:


Scott

 

[StealthGTI]

Flip,

I have some photos on this page. The page doesn't exactly tell HOW to remove the sharkfin. But you may find the photos helpful to determining how everything is held together. The first minute of this video gives a general idea, too.

I didn't remove the headliner, but I did lower the last 12 inches of it. To do that, I had to remove the rear trim piece from the back of the ceiling and pop-out (but not remove) the tops of the two interior pieces beside the hatch. Once the sharkfin is exposed, simply remove the torque bolt (I don't recall the size) and disconnect the coax cables (be sure to label them with colors so you can put it back someday).

That's all I can think of at the moment. It's been a while since I did this.

Scott

 

[ATR]

There is a special way to remove the cables from the shark fin. The plastic color end piece will match the color of the connection in the shark fin. There's a small unlock tab on the colored plastic piece that should be unlocked before removing the coax cable connection.

I found this out after dealing with a body shop.

One final bit of advice. Be VERY careful with the connection as it's pretty fragile.

 

[StealthGTI]

Hello,

It's been a while since I last updated this thread. I decided to add another display for TorquePro, Waze, alternate navigation, or whatever. I mount it only during road trips...

Like with the ham radio display before it, I ran the power wire through the air vent. Then I relocated the ham display to the outboard vent...

Somewhat related since my voltage inverter is mounted with the stereo equipment, I discovered that a household outlet WILL fit on the rear side of the center console...

I still need to move my voltage inverter to under the passenger seat, which is where the cord to the back of this outlet goes, and then run 12V to it. I'll take care of that as I wrap up my rear seat delete project, which I hope to share in another thread soon.

Later,

Scott

 

[CariKahn]

Hi...the APO3 is a voltage-controlled switch. I've set mine up to kill the 120A relay 20 minutes after the battery voltage drops below 13 volts. It restores power to the panel about five seconds after the car is started.

turnkey pcb assembly

 

[StealthGTI]

Hello,

Hi...the APO3 is a voltage-controlled switch...

Did you intend to ask a question about this? I have since removed the second APO3 and manage my devices with a single APO3. I needed the space for another circuit breaker for when I relocate my inverter and add other stuff.

Scott

 

[StealthGTI]

My latest update:

1) Removed the EQL and replaced it with an LC2i - I should have made this work the first time. I've uploaded a video with a description and brief demonstration at

.

2) Removing the voltage inverter and EQL made room for another ham radio transceiver! I decided that I want the extra capabilities afforded by my HF radio. I didn't think I'd ever put this in my GTI because of the large antenna that it requires. But I got bored and decided to make some changes. While I was at it, I went ahead and did some rewiring to clean up the panel, improve my fusing, and reorganize my wiring:

The panel was out of the car for that job, as well as the photos. Next, I mounted the HF rig and added its wiring and transmission lines:

Since I was adding another microphone, I made a junction box for cleaner cable runs:

Then came the mounting for the HF radio display. I did some shifting of mounting plates on my ProClipUSA mount and routed the wiring through the vent:

You can see the added external speaker, as well as some excess glue that pooled at the top. That has since been fixed. Of course, I needed an HF antenna. For now, I've started with a automatic tuning antenna system that mates with my radio:

http://instagr.am/p/B_dKZ03n37n/
Click on this image to see my current selection of antennas, if you're interested...


Here's an overview of the station:

This setup can do both voice and digital communications without the aid of local infrastructure. I shared a video on my YouTube channel, if you're interested in seeing more:

 

[BlueHen]

I've been following your projects since the early days of TDI Club and your ingenuity never ceases to amaze me.

So, are on-the road level HF antennas pretty much shock-proof? I wasn't a radio guy, but in the Marine Corps, I remember our radio guys putting shock hazard tape around the HF antennas.

 

[StealthGTI]

Thanks, BH! My antennas are not shock-proof. I do not have any warning placards since I control the station locally and can see anyone who approaches. It's possible that the USMC antennas were taped-off because the operators could not see them from their operating positions, especially at night or if the controlling stations were at a different location.

 

[StealthGTI]

Test fit of the new ham antenna, a Scorpion SA-680BW. The "BW" stands for Black Widow. I'll powder coat the base plate once I've drilled more holes and tapped some threaded holes for more features. This kills my stealth image, but it's reversible and easy to be "Stealth GTI" 99% of the time. This will be an occasional use antenna. OH - The front door jambs have a hole that's threaded to accept an M6 screw. Using that and a star washer to break the rack clip's paint, my rack, base plate, and antenna now have a body ground. I still need to test to see if it's adequate for RF bonding.

There's still plenty to do before it's ready for the air. It's good to see it finally in place. I ordered this two months ago; each antenna is built to order.

 

[StealthGTI]

The roof rack didn't work out. There are grounding and technical challenges that I couldn't overcome without resorting to paint removal tactics that I didn't want to do to my car. Believe it or not, I'm a VW enthusiast first, ham radio is several slots down the list... far enough that I'm not going to do everything needed to maximize the performance of my ham radio in this platform.

Now the antenna is mounted on the hitch. This is not an ideal location for HF performance. But it sure is much easier to mount and remove. I don't recall if I've said this, but this is a temporary mounting scheme. I don't leave the antenna mounted full-time. In fact, I don't even leave it mounted overnight. Switching between "ham mode" and "stealth mode" takes just a matter of minutes. Here are some photos:

"Bonding," often called "grounding," involves connecting various parts to the body using braided straps in order to reduce interference. Here are most of my bonding straps...

I have a video about this antenna on my YT channel. Feel free to have a look. Search for "Scorpion" and it should be an easy find.

Thanks for looking.