Author Archives: Scott
ATAS-120A vs. Scorpion Mobile HF Antennas
I’ve been using Yaesu’s ATAS-120A since 2007. It’s an “easy button” for their mobile HF radios. I bought a Scorpion mobile HF antenna in 2021. I hadn’t been on HF in several years, which meant that I didn’t have an … Continue reading
Yaesu ATAS-120A – An “Easy Button”
Note: This is a trimmed version of my ATAS-120A failure article. I bought my Yaesu ATAS-120A in 2007 after upgrading to a General Class Amateur Radio license. Being new to the HF bands at the time and operating while mobile, … Continue reading
R.I.P. ATAS-120A… What’s Next?
I bought my Yaesu ATAS-120A in 2007 after upgrading to a General Class Amateur Radio license. Being new to the HF bands at the time and operating while mobile, I wanted a multi-band antenna that was affordable and easy to … Continue reading
Diamond K9000 Motorized Antenna Mounts
As if my mobile ham station wasn’t already kooky enough, I’ve gone “full nerd” by adding four Diamond K9000 motorized antenna mounts! WHY? When my VHF rover had only three Yagis (50, 144, and 432 MHz), I was comfortable with … Continue reading
RARSfest and VW Nuts!
The first weekend in April brings RARSfest, an annual ham radio festival hosted by Raleigh Amateur Radio Society (RARS) in North Carolina. April can be a tricky time of year to schedule events with outdoor activities due to sporadic rain … Continue reading
2026 Virginia QSO Party (VAQP)
The 2026 Virginia QSO Party (VAQP) took place over the weekend of March 21-22. The sun experienced a coronal mass ejection (CME) on March 16 that drove geomagnetic storms to reach Earth in time to disrupt HF communications around the … Continue reading
The “Frankenhat”
It’s been a while since I last shared anything about my Scorpion mobile HF antenna. It’s too large to leave on my car full-time, especially since doing so blocks access to the hatchback. Still, it’s my go-to antenna when I … Continue reading
Do You Need Heat for your LiFePo4 Battery?
Some Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePo4) batteries can be bought with internal heaters. However, most batteries don’t have them. I added my own heating pad in the bottom of my battery box. Still, I had to ask myself, “Is a heater … Continue reading
2026 January ARRL VHF Contest
It was just a few weeks ago that I finished installing my big battery upgrade. January’s contest is always a challenge: Unpredictable weather can make working on the car outside unpleasant, the evolving long-term weather forecast can make route planning … Continue reading
Installing New 4kWh Battery Box
Last month, I shared my latest lithium iron phosphate (LiFePo4 or LFP) battery project. I went into enough detail that I decided to share its installation in this separate article. I mentioned that I would mount the battery in the … Continue reading
WAY Too Much Lithium Storage!
When I last posted, I had shared that my four year old component-built 100Ah Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePo4 or LFP) battery had degraded to a capacity of only 74Ah. Given the cost and shipping charges for a replacement cell and … Continue reading
12V 100-Ah LiFePo4 Battery – Final Review
In 2021, I participated in a “Builder’s Group” session with my local ham radio club, Williamsburg Amateur Radio Club. We had made portable 12V 100Ah Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePo4 or LFP) batteries from Fortune 3.2V 100Ah cells and a separate … Continue reading
Tower-Delete: Is THIS Still a “Micro-Tower?”
I discovered roof rack fatigue in July when I removed it for the car’s annual paint maintenance. I was able to find the misplaced parts from my old RhinoRack, shown here, a discontinued rack that I had not yet used … Continue reading
Meshtastic Solar Beacon by Atlavox
Meshtastic is a relatively new form of decentralized communications that allows users to send and receive encrypted text messages in the 900 MHz band without the need for cellular networks or a license. Meshtastic nodes are inexpensive, open source, and … Continue reading
Roof Rack Functional Failure: AGAIN!
I had been collecting parts to make what I think will be a final change to my micro-tower setup. Yeah, right: Will it ever be “final?” 😀 I had delayed the change until after performing my car’s annual paint maintenance. … Continue reading
“Mobile” Ham Station Defined
What defines a ham radio mobile station? I once checked into a local radio net as “KE4WMF-mobile.” The net control station asked, “Are you actually driving or just sitting in your car?” I answered that I was parked, but also … Continue reading
Cargo Organization with Husky Build-Out
Originally published at StealthGTI.com on 3/24/2025. Updated in 2026. I have been a fiercely independent traveler for a very long time, both in vehicles and on my bicycles. I often carry more tools or parts than necessary. I had been … Continue reading
Autoexec Car Desk: Reach to Gripmaster
I bought my Autoexec Reach car desk in 2021 when I started doing more with ham radio, particularly when I began exploring digital modes and needed a computer to ride with me. I was still logging on paper sheets and … Continue reading
My Other Mobile Stations
I’ve had a few e-mails over time where showing someone an image from a previous install might have been helpful in providing ideas that they could use for themselves. I’m not going to do full write-ups for each photo, but … Continue reading
2025 Virginia QSO Party
I don’t participate in HF contests with one exception: the Virginia QSO Party (VAQP). Mobile HF stations are at a disadvantage when compared to home stations, especially those with HF Yagis and 220V amplifiers. The disparity can make operating during … Continue reading