Author Archives: Scott
HamCation 2023 and Raleigh Car Shows
January and February were busy months for my car and mobile ham station! My previous post detailed the completion of a “micro tower” on the roof. Next, I worked on my amplifier and feed line installation. I shared that project … Continue reading
Rooftop Antenna Tower w/Rotator!
If you’ve been watching my site, then you’re aware that I’ve been slowly building a VHF contest Rover. I’m documenting my process on my new “Rover” page. My coverage there is brief; so, this entry will share more details about … Continue reading
Daughter’s Car is Fixed!
My daughter’s car is fixed and on the road! The repair happened before my daughter came home for Thanksgiving, which gave me time to take the car for a few test drives and to shoot a video (link below). In … Continue reading
Dometic CFX3-35 12V Cooler
I’ve mentioned my Dometic CFX3-35 12-volt cooler a few times during the two years that I’ve had it, starting with the kick-off for a coast-to-coast road trip. I’ve even published videos dedicated to it. But I had not shared an … Continue reading
Electronics Overhaul!
I receive a lot of compliments regarding the level of detail and workmanship on my electronics panel. However, something interesting happens over the course of time as equipment is either added or changed, in this car as well as two … Continue reading
Six Year Anniversary – Still Adding Stuff
My GTI recently saw its six year anniversary. I bought my car new on Veteran’s Day in 2016 and it’s been really good to me. Yes, I did have an injector problem and a few minor issues over the years, … Continue reading
Is an Old Mk7 Golf Worth an Engine?
The official diagnosis, confirmed by a shop that I trust, is that my daughter’s 2015 Launch Edition Golf needs an engine. Compression and leakdown testing confirms a major leak in the block. So, this isn’t a problem with the head … Continue reading
Needs an Engine?!
My daughter’s 2015 Launch Edition Golf recently had the dreaded Cylinder #3 misfire. She’s recovering from shoulder surgery; so, she couldn’t do much. Unfamiliar with any European specialists in her area, I suggested going to the dealer for what could … Continue reading
Eurofest Maggie Valley with Growing Comms Exhibit
A few weeks ago, I shared an update which shared recent amateur radio activity as well as my plan to attend more car shows with my communications exhibit. Eurofest at Maggie Valley, NC was easily the largest VW show on … Continue reading
Ham Radio Updates
I’ve been neglectful, but busy. I’ve enjoyed making YouTube videos and publishing every week. However, spending so much time making videos meant that the writing on my website had fallen behind; plus, the more time I spend creating, the less … Continue reading
Volkswagen Show Catch-Up!
This entry is a bit late. I find it difficult to take the time to write articles when I’m focusing on creating YouTube videos. Coincidentally, I find it difficult to DO the things worth sharing if I’m making YouTube videos. … Continue reading
My First POTA Road Trip
My website has fallen behind. I hope to do some catch-up work in the coming weeks. While this site has been primarily automotive-related, my content has always followed my interests. I’ve been doing a lot of upgrades to my amateur … Continue reading
Orion-Tr Smart 12|12-30 360-Watt DC-DC Charger
A car’s alternator is NOT appropriate for charging LiFePo4 batteries. First, it’s 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 … Continue reading
100-Ah Lithium Iron Phosphate Secondary Battery
This year is the first time in many years that I spent a lot of time using my ham radios. As much as I like to drive, operating on the HF bands often requires log work, especially during contests or … Continue reading
Deep Discharge – Get Restarted Fast!
Own a car for long enough and you’ll eventually find yourself with a weak starter battery. If the battery is just old, then maybe it will turn-on all of your accessories, but lack the grunt to turn the starter motor. … Continue reading
Five Years in a Mk7 GTI! More Mods or Time to Sell?
I can’t believe it’s been five years in my Mk7 GTI already! Is it too late to add more mods to this geriatric GTI or should I sell it? According to some, I’m way overdue for ditching this car! I … Continue reading
Rear Seat Delete: New and Improved
This entry may seem like déjà vu if you’ve been following my site for a while. Yes, I had created and installed a rear seat delete in 2019. I removed it after a couple months of use because I felt … Continue reading
Coast to Coast: Fault Diagnosis and Lessons Learned
This report is LONG overdue! I had drafted it, then forgot about it. Oops! What follows is my recollection of a engine fault that my GTI suffered while pulling a trailer on its first Coast-to-Coast trip. I have a series … Continue reading
Fuel Economy with IS38
One look at that title must have you wondering – “What kind of lunatic tracks fuel economy in a modified GTI?” THIS GUY does. HAHA! Coming from a Volkswagen turbodiesel background and having a lifetime of fuel economy testing under … Continue reading
VA to CA and Back: Full Trip Wrap-Up
Being a former TDI owner, I still love to track fuel economy and other technical stuff. Come to think of it, I’ve tracked MPGs from the day I got my first car, a 1973 Beetle in 1986. Overall for this … Continue reading
Return to VA: Part 3
As I was digging in my suitcase and deciding what to wear, I saw a strange color that surely was not my normal thing. “What’s this?” A kid somewhere is upset! I guess finding someone else’s clothing mixed-in with my … Continue reading
Return to VA: Part 2
I left Rawlins, WY bright and early. The drivers of the pickup trucks that had parked around me were early birds! They were already gone long before sunrise. I was certain that I-80 would be endless miles of boredom; that’s … Continue reading
Return to VA: Part 1
My wife got up around 3:30am to pack her bags. I slept until about 10 minutes before we needed to leave. The hotel was just five minutes from the departure terminal; so, I had the luxury of kicking her out … Continue reading
Return to CA: Packing and Sequoia National Park, Round 2
After a good night’s rest, we went to my mother’s storage unit to unpack and decide what was coming home with us. I nearly had a heart attack every time I heard my wife say, “Awww…” It seemed like a … Continue reading
Return to CA: Sequoia National Park, The Giant Forest
In my previous entry, I had left my trailer in a pull-out just below the snow-line on the mountain climb to General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park. I didn’t want to spend too much time away from it since … Continue reading
Return to CA: Sequoia National Park, The Ascent
I awoke nice and early because I wanted to beat the crowds to Sequoia National Park. My goal was to photograph the car with some Sequoias and to get a photo with the car/trailer in the fallen tree tunnel. The … Continue reading
Return to CA: Part 3
Next, I entered the place that compelled me to pack extra fuel in the trailer: Death Valley. Websites and blog write-ups warn that there is no cellular coverage in Death Valley. They’re not kidding! I easily drove over 150 miles … Continue reading
Return to CA: Part 2
I mentioned in my previous entry that I arrived in Flagstaff under moderate snowfall. I settled into my hotel room and enjoyed an early evening inside. Silly me, I didn’t look at the weather forecast before going to sleep. I … Continue reading
Return to CA: Part 1
Rainfall during the days leading up to my departure was killing my workflow. But I got things done when I could. Here’s the trailer’s interior as it was for the outbound trip. I don’t think I mentioned that I’d be … Continue reading
Return to CA: Kick Off
It came time to hit the road again. You may recall my “Coast-to-Coast” series from November (shared in January). My wife and I had driven to CA to retrieve my mother’s cremains and some of her effects. What we didn’t … Continue reading
From the Vault: Our 2011 Road Trip
Note: This journal is printed as it was shared on my previous website at StealthTDI.com. It was updated periodically and followed by friends at TDIClub.com. I duplicated the journey on this site because it was a good trip and still … Continue reading
From the Vault: Our Tour of the Northern United States (1999)
Note: This journal is printed as it was shared on my previous website at StealthTDI.com. It was updated periodically and followed by friends at TDIClub.com (before it was a registered site). As a result, it is written in a present … Continue reading
Tiny Cargo Trailer Conversion – Rear Door and First Camping
This post covers the final touches to the conversion and my first overnight in the trailer. I had shared in another entry that I was going to create a rear slide-out to increase my legroom a bit. However, I decided … Continue reading
Tiny Cargo Trailer Conversion – Exterior
The exterior: The final stretch! I had initially sanded the original paint and had a plan to have it wrapped. I did that before a lot of other projects started. Lockdowns put the wrap on hold. My goal was to … Continue reading
Tiny Cargo Trailer Conversion – The Interior
With the roof resealed and basic wiring done, it was time to work on the interior. I started with the insulation. A lot of DIY trailer converters like to use the pink stuff or the blue stuff. Unfortunately, the green … Continue reading
Tiny Cargo Trailer Conversion – Electrical
With the roof fan installed, I had some encouragement to rework the trailer wiring so that I could get some airflow while working inside. The factory wiring was terrible! It looked like this on both sides of the back door. … Continue reading
Tiny Cargo Trailer Conversion – The Roof
In “The Problems,” I mentioned my need to reseal the roof after finding leaks inside the walls. In order to reseal the roof, I first had to strip away the existing sealant. I thought that would be easy enough with … Continue reading
Tiny Cargo Trailer Conversion – The Problems
Converting my Homesteader Fury tiny cargo trailer into a sleeper turned out to be a real challenge! It was easy to assume the job would go smoothly since the original owner only had it for a year and was using … Continue reading
Coast to Coast: Return Trip, The Final Stretch
We continued to Oklahoma City and checked in at our planned stop. It was a convention center. I knew unloading would be painful as soon as the receptionist gave me a map to the parking area. UGH! There was only … Continue reading