[Vwdiesel] Ham Radio in 03 Jetta

Fri Sep 5 10:20:55 EDT 2003

Thanks for your ideas.  Right now, I'm looking at a roof mount antenna
(that's the easy part).  I don't know about the speaker,  After trying to
fit newer radios, and looking at their functionality, I'm thinking
I'll stick with my old 732 Kenwood (I already have one in the 92 Jetta).
But I'd gladly buy a new radio if it fit well.

I was considering pulling two switches by the 4 way flasher and placing a
FT-90r there, but the radio looks too big for the holes.  There's a
rectangular hole behind the lowest trim on the console, which could
host a mic connector.

About the fit...the curved plastic at the top of the tray by the shifter
pops off, so I can cut a wedge of maple, angled, so that I can look at the
display readily.  It'll leave a big gap to the right of the display, so I
figure I stuff the mic there when not using it.  I thought that ultimately,
I'd drill some holes in the kickboard area, and mount a speaker there.
Since I'm a big guy (6-4 or 6-5 on a good day), I like the legroom, and
stuffing a radio there is not a good idea.   The mic in the shifter tray
gets around the tripping over the cord (grin).

The head on the 732, or just about any other dual band radio is detatchable,
so there's allot of mounting flexibility.  After I pull the shrouds and panels
I'll have a better idea of where to mount the radio itself, but I think that
I can attach it to the walls of the plastic between the console and the dash.
Ditto for the duplexor.

Any problems with RF getting into the TDI electronics?  Any interference
or birdies from the vehicle electronics?

BTW, the 92 Jetta was REAL easy.  I used a saw to cut out the ash tray,
and lighter.  Mounted the whole radio in the hole, and it looks like it was
meant to be there.  The duplexor is velcroed to the wall of the console
to shifter wall.  In 12 years, I've had to pull it about 5 times.  PL-259s
on the duplexor get loose (3x), and I've had the VHF final power module
fail (2x).  The power module got fixed by opening it up, and finding the
solder joint failure, and reflowing it, with a copper bridge wire.

Val  n2epo

>
> 98 Jetta, same problem, nowhere to put radio.  I run a cheep kenwood 2m only.
>  the only place I could find was on the drivers side kick panel.  Believe it
> or not, its easy to see what frequency the radio is on, you can reach the
> volume and squelch pretty easy, and I use the mike for changing frequencies, VFO
> -Memory, etc.
>
> I also installed a remote speaker in the only wasted space in the car, that
> little pocket in front of the shifter.
>
> Only problem is the mike is stored in the seat pocket, and if your not
> careful you can trip over the mike cable when you get out.  I already made it about
> 8' long one time when it was tied around my leg as I got out of the car.
>
> I spend several weeks thinking where the radio could go, that's the only
> place that little kenwood would fit.
>
>
>
> In a message dated 9/4/2003 9:30:45 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> val at swamps.roc.ny.us writes:
> The point of this...has anyone dealt with similar mounting issues, that would
> want to share some of what he did?
>
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> <DIV>
> <DIV>98 Jetta, same problem, nowhere to put radio.&nbsp; I run a cheep kenwo=
> od 2m only.&nbsp; the only place I could find was on the drivers side kick p=
> anel.&nbsp; Believe it or not, its easy to see what frequency the radio is o=
> n, you can reach the volume and squelch pretty easy, and I use the mike for=20=
> changing frequencies, VFO -Memory, etc.</DIV>
> <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
> <DIV>I also installed a remote speaker in the only wasted space in the car,=20=
> that little pocket in front of the shifter.</DIV>
> <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
> <DIV>Only problem is the mike is stored in the seat pocket, and if your not=20=
> careful you can trip over the mike cable when you get out.&nbsp; I already m=
> ade it about 8' long one time when it was tied around my leg as I got out of=
>  the car.</DIV>
> <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
> <DIV>I spend several weeks thinking where the radio could go, that's the onl=
> y place that little kenwood would fit.</DIV>
> <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
> <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
> <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
> <DIV>In a message dated 9/4/2003 9:30:45 PM Eastern Daylight Time, val at swamp=
> s.roc.ny.us writes:</DIV>
> <BLOCKQUOTE style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue=20=
> 2px solid"><FONT face=3DArial>The point of this...has anyone dealt with simi=
> lar mounting issues, that would<BR>want to share some of what he did?</FONT>=
> </BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
> <DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>
>
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