Cargo Organization with Husky Build-Out

Posted on April 4, 2025 by Scott
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 carrying cargo in bags, then boxes, and even some stackable cases.

Then I discovered the new Build-Out series of tool cases by Husky. I bought my first units in 2024 to support my side job as a bicycle tour mechanic. It didn’t take long for me to realize that the Build-Out boxes are a great fit for my in-car use. Continue reading →

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Autoexec Car Desk: Reach to Gripmaster

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Scott

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 content to continue. At the time, I had a simple “desk” that slips onto the steering wheel. I still use it for some tasks today (shown below). I knew that I needed more space when I committed to bringing my laptop out for radio activities.

Oddly enough, I hadn’t shared much about the Autoexec desk before now because I was constantly experimenting with it. I didn’t want to write about it until I found a configuration that I liked. I replaced it with a homemade project after about two years. Continue reading →

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My Other Mobile Stations

Posted on March 23, 2025 by Scott

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 I will show an image of the platform and then load a bunch photos into a related album. Loading all of the photos proved to be very time-consuming for visitors. I’ve created pages for each platform. I’ll work from most recent to oldest. In some cases, the same car will be shared twice because of the major changes to its setup. Please feel free to contact me if you have specific questions. Continue reading →

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2025 Virginia QSO Party

Posted on March 21, 2025 by Scott

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 a crowded contest weekend quite a challenge.

The VAQP isn’t limited to Virginians, but the level of participation is much lower than nationwide or worldwide events. Unlike many HF contests, the VAQP has a category just for mobile stations, which means that I’m “competing” only against other mobiles. Better yet, any station can work a mobile in each county they visit and get extra points for doing so.

As a result, many operators seek and even follow mobile stations throughout the event, which effectively enables mobile stations to “become the DX” over and over again! In a way, it’s similar to being a roving Parks on the Air as an activator, working with stations that I know can hear me because they’re calling ME. What’s not for me to like about that? Continue reading →

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Bonding for My HF Mobile Setup

Posted on March 3, 2025 by Scott

I’ll start by saying that this article is not about why to bond an HF mobile setup. Instead, my goal is to show you what I’ve done to my car. Alan, K0BG, had stated that bonding horizontal surfaces is more critical than the vertical surfaces. This photo shows one of the bonding straps for my hood. I have braided straps to bypass each hinge.

I had bonded each of my doors, too, but the braided straps eventually broke from door use (photo below). I did not replace them. I also did not bond my hatch since it is another vertical surface. My most significant bonding efforts happened along the exhaust system. Continue reading →

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2025 ARRL January VHF Contest

Posted on January 22, 2025 by Scott

Contrary to what online photos may suggest, I do not drive year-round with my micro-tower and VHF contest setup on the car. There are places where I drive that a 10.5-ft tall vehicle can not go, especially during the months when trees are full of leaves and their branches hang just a little lower. I operate as a “Limited Rover“ during VHF contests; so, my station has fewer antennas than the Classic and Unlimited Rovers.

I mount the tower base and loop module at my leisure and then install the tower and Yagis about a week before each contest or special event, sometimes sooner if the weather forecast is unpleasant. Everything is tested and finalized 2-3 days before the big event. This photo shows me on a rather cold day after mounting the mast and as I was securing the coaxial cable runs. My fellow car enthusiasts cringe when they see my tools and supplies laying directly on the paint! 😀 Continue reading →

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POTA: An Intro and How I Activate

Posted on December 19, 2024 by Scott

Parks on the Air, commonly referred to as “POTA” (POH-tuh), is an international radio sport that encourages amateur radio operators to communicate with or from state and national parks, as well as a wide variety of other designated public lands such as wildlife management areas, national trails, and historic sites. Broadly speaking, there are two types of radio operators in POTA: activators and hunters. Activators operate in designated parks while hunters search for the parks and call them.

Most hunters call the parks from a home station, but some are also activators in other parks. That’s a simple explanation of POTA. As with any activity that grows in popularity, the program can be more complicated than that. Continue reading →

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LiFePo4 Battery Shenanigans and Long-Term Review

Posted on December 6, 2024 by Scott

I recently had recall work done to my car that required access to the fuel tank. Guess where the fuel tank is accessed? That’s right, it’s accessed by removing the rear seat! If you’re familiar with my car, then you know that I don’t have a rear seat. Instead, I have a 1280 watt-hour lithium iron phosphate (LiFePo4 or LFP) battery where the rear seat once was. There’s no way that I’d let anyone else work on this battery, much less remove it! Removing it requires the tedious unclipping and disconnecting of dozens of wires, as well as extra electrical safety precautions when working with secondary power sources. Reinstalling it requires even more attention to detail! I postponed removing the battery until I knew that my travel schedule would be clear. Continue reading →

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Why Use a DC-DC Charger in a Mobile Installation?

Posted on December 3, 2024 by Scott

So, you want to add a “house battery” to your van or an “auxiliary battery” to your touring rig? Adding a lithium iron phosphate (LiFePo4 or LFP) secondary battery is not as simple as simply placing it in parallel with the vehicle’s starter battery! Believe it or not, a passenger vehicle’s alternator is NOT appropriate for charging lithium batteries (dedicated secondary alternators are an exception). First, its output voltage is not quite correct; nor, is it intended to charge two batteries (starter and aux) with differing chemistries at the same time.  Next, and perhaps more important, lithium-based batteries will draw far higher charge current than a standard alternator should supply. My particular LiFePo4 battery management system (BMS) will take as much as 120 amps of charge current while others can take 200 amps or more. That can lead to alternator damage and possibly start a fire under the hood! The goal is to find a solution that adjusts charge voltage, limits charge current, and isolates the lithium battery from the starter battery. Continue reading →

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Victron Energy Orion XS 12|12-50A DC/DC Charger

Posted on November 21, 2024 by Scott

I charged my LiFePo4 auxiliary battery with an Orion Tr 12|12-30A for nearly three years with good results. My only complaint was that the unit heats quickly and then de-rates its power output. The “30-amp” output was usually closer to 22 amps after about 20 minutes. It was tolerable, though, because it still isolated the two battery circuits and would not overdraw from the alternator.

Still, I was fairly pleased when the new Orion XS 12|12-50A was announced late in 2023. I knew that I’d want to upgrade! The first units were sold and tested in Europe early in 2024, with shipments arriving in the United States a few months later. I was finally able to order mine in June and received it in July. I had to upgrade some wiring, but I was quick to install the charger afterwards. Continue reading →

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MMBT Tour Mechanic as Bicycle Mobile

Posted on October 26, 2024 by Scott

I shared that I had built a new bicycle mobile station about three weeks ago. I recently returned from its shakedown tour. A close friend, named Sharon, formed a bicycle touring company called Magical Mystery Bike Tours in 2023. She swiftly selected me as her bicycle mechanic due to years of seeing my high level of mechanical preparation during long rides. Our October 2024 tour was originally slated to run on the New River Trail. This trail has limited access for support vehicles; so, Sharon wanted me to ride as a “sweep” so that at least some of my tools and skills were on the trail with the riders instead of in a truck on a distant road. However, Hurricane Helene decimated New River Trail and some of our planned destinations. Continue reading →

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A Return to my Roots: KE4WMF Bicycle Mobile!

Posted on October 13, 2024 by Scott

I’m a long-time avid cyclist and was a daily bicycle commuter when I got my Amateur Radio license in 1995. As is often the case with new hams, my first radio was a handheld transceiver (HT). As a technical nerd, it was natural for me to mount it to my bicycle for use during my commute. This old photo shows one of the many variations that I had tried. Most of the other hams on a local “commuter net” were surprised that I could reach the repeater with an HT along my commute. I credit the J-pole antenna that I had taped to a fiberglass safety flagpole. Later, I added a 30-watt amplifier and pair of 6.5-Ah lead acid batteries (heavy!). I even rode that setup on an 1100-mile bicycle tour. Today, my options are both more sophisticated and lighter. Continue reading →

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2024 Solar Eclipse Road Trip, Including SEQP and POTA

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Scott

As the sun enters totality, there is a flash called the “Diamond Ring.”

I had loosely planned this trip in 2017 when a partial solar eclipse passed over Virginia. I was at work and got a brief glimpse of the ¾-eclipsed sun through an office window with a set of borrowed safety glasses. I thought it was interesting, but wanted to see if there was an even better opportunity in the future. A web search revealed that the 2024 total eclipse would pass directly over my family’s small town in central Texas. Even better, my brother built a house on 10 acres outside of town in 2018. I knew it would be a perfect location for a private eclipse viewing. But there were a few things that I didn’t know at the time… Continue reading →

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Feed Line Pass-Thru

Posted on February 26, 2024 by Scott

I have a cool widget in my setup that I haven’t detailed beyond a small paragraph on my Rover page. I presented the question, “How do I get so many feed lines out of the car and to the roof?” As many new Rovers often do, my first execution was to simply feed the coaxial cables into the car through a rear window and seal it using a piece of pipe insulation, shown here. I saw how others had used a piece of wood, much like what might be used in a home window. I didn’t like that at all. It didn’t take long for me to conclude that I wanted something that’s both better looking and durable enough to last in the elements during extended use. Continue reading →

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Yet Another New Tower: Is It the Last?

Posted on February 20, 2024 by Scott

My trailer-mounted tower was a success during ARRL’s January VHF contest. Unfortunately, there was one area in which it fell short: AGILITY. Sure, the trailer works fine when my goal is to proceed to a destination, park, and operate. On the other hand, agility is very helpful when working grid lines with other rovers. We tend to skip back and forth across the grid lines to maximize our points multipliers. I can be quite the wizard at maneuvering my small trailer during the day. See my “Stunt Parking“ page for details. However, things change for the worse when I need to back the small black trailer in the dark, especially in unlighted areas. As a result, I very quickly returned to a rooftop setup after the contest. Continue reading →

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Hood Mounted Antennas

Posted on February 19, 2024 by Scott
Updated in 2026 to include latest configuration with a fourth and lower Yagi; plus, shorter tower configuration…

The idea of hood-mounted antennas had not appealed to me. With my sedans, I would either use a lip mount or (eventually) a hole mount. Lip mounts are not compatible with my GTI because of the plastic cladding on the hatchback. I went with a replacement for my factory shark fin antenna on the roof. See how I did it here.

Eventually, I decided to keep my roof rack mounted full-time and populated it with antennas. The latest configuration of my my contest rover’s “micro-tower” has lowered the Yagis by about 12 inches. That brought the lowest Yagi within easy striking distance of three of my rack-mounted vertical antennas. I also concluded that mounting two of my verticals to the hood when the tower is mounted would lower their overall height and eliminate collision hazards. Continue reading →

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January VHF Contest: Trailer Tower Retired

Posted on February 1, 2024 by Scott

Happy New Year! Yes, I know I’m a bit late. I’ve been both busy and distracted. I mentioned my decision to build a tower trailer in November. I can’t believe it’s been so long already! What have I been doing to make progress on the trailer build? Well, there was a slow grind toward getting my feed lines rerouted to the rear bumper. Rather than reroute, I decided to purchase new feed lines and route them as additional cables. I also added four 4-ft sections to couple the trailer to the car. One of my greatest delays was due to my indecisiveness about whether I wanted to add Type-N fittings to the rear bumper or just run with loose cables that I’d tuck when not in use. Continue reading →

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Attaching Displays and Equipment: More Details!

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Scott

I recently shared a write-up about how I mounted my displays. A recent discussion prompted me to share even more detail. I’m asked fairly regularly, “How did you put that there?” Every make and model of car or truck has its own challenge for placing radio components. I prefer to use transceivers with detachable displays so that I can minimize how much real estate is used on my dash or other areas of the car. If you’ve poked around my website, followed me on Instagram, or watched my YouTube channel, then you know that I’m fond of “Amazing Goop.” It’s an adhesive that holds well, but is flexible enough to avoid cracking or breaking, even in high-vibration applications. Best yet, it can be removed without a trace with steady pressure. Nearly all of my displays and microphones are held in place with Goop, either completely or with assistance. This article will share how I mounted all ham-related equipment, not just the displays. Continue reading →

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Tower Trailer – Still a Mobile Station?

Posted on November 17, 2023 by Scott

You may recall that I experienced a functional failure of my roof rack due to the extra leverage applied by its roof-mounted antenna tower. Read here for more info. Note that nearly any factory-installed roof rack is up to this task since they’re mounted with more hardware and attach to structural points along the vehicle’s roof. Having an aftermarket rack that attaches to a “naked roof,” I determined that there is no way to strengthen the rack in my particular application. Rather than abandon the idea of using a mobile tower for contesting, I opted to move the complete tower setup to my small utility trailer. It presents its own challenges, but also a few benefits. Here’s how I made the switch. Continue reading →

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MFJ-1924 Screwdriver Antenna Controller

Posted on November 13, 2023 by Scott

This review is way past due. I’ve had my MFJ-1924 screwdriver antenna controller for about three years. I bought it around the same time as my Scorpion Mobile HF Antenna. Later, I replaced it with an automated controller that measures SWR, memorizes antenna positions, and has a small remote control head. In the end, I felt that the tech in the automated unit was too temperamental in my particular mobile installation. It routinely failed to tune, had to be reset, or emitted annoying codes to indicate a problem. So I reinstalled my MFJ-1924. Continue reading →

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