My radios operate on a variety of bands. So, although I have four microphones, they pack the capability of having many more since I can switch between bands. My primary band is ~146 MHz, aka "2-meters." That's the one that I use every day to talk with local hams. The others are for when I want to talk outside of my region or to contest and experiment. It's overkill, for sure, but it's all part of the fun. Check out my "KE4WMF" play list for more videos specific to ham radio. I have a rather long "FAQ" video there, too. Take Care!

HAHA! Yes, my car can be quite overwhelming. In my experience, GMRS is more of a tool for specific gatherings instead of a preferred medium for reaching out to strangers. Ham radio is the place to be if your interest is in seeing who you can reach. I'll address your other comment in a separate post. Thanks for visiting!

My radiator is 38 inches tall, which is two inches taller than the Scorpion caphat radiator. I think 36" may be better and yields a little bit of "buffer" when tuning 17m. I have since removed the W8UZZ caphat and gone back to Scorpion. The smaller caphat is easier to pack when traveling. I will still tinker with other ideas, though. Videos in the works... Thanks for visiting!

Some sites say that it's made from "fiber." Mine was fairly rigid; so, I suspect that it's a reinforced paper of sorts. It's still holding well. Thanks for visiting!

​@@StealthGTIthanx for the help

Too funny! Will Hunting could probably calculate how many bodies can fit in the box for Jason Bourne! ;-) Thanks for visiting!

It does not fold. Thanks for visiting!

I cannot be sure. The earlier cars are known for bad coil packs, but you also have a mix of aftermarket parts. Even at IS38 tuning, I'm still using factory coils, injectors, and OEM R7 spark plugs. IF you're confident in your plugs, coils, and injectors, then check your compression and leakdown. Good Luck!

@@StealthGTI Compression is even on all cylinders so the engine is healthy thankfully. Leak down test it is appreciate it.

Thanks for your report. Thanks for visiting!

Haha! Good one! Thanks for visiting!

Oh, nm, on the first question. I did see the plate mounted in a couple of shots, probably just the numbers were fuzzed out.

Thanks for writing, Rick! And, yes, I see your follow-up reply. I do blur my license plates in online content. Most utility trailers have their license plates mounted beneath their driver's side tail light since there's a clear lens that glows beneath it. Unfortunately, my plate kept getting beat up since the tiny trailer runs the plate so close to the ground. Here in Virginia, we have the option to mount a motorcycle plate instead. So, I opted to flip my license plate bracket and put the plate above the light. I added a separate light to make everything legal. Thanks for visiting!

Thanks for visiting!

I just keep doing the maintenance as scheduled. I'm passed 223,000 miles now. Thanks for visiting!

@@StealthGTI could u send me the list of maintenace intevrald

No issue at all! I've gone weeks with an empty box just so that I'd have the space available for an impulse transport of some object. Thanks for visiting!

I've never understood how some cars can run through lights the way they do. I've always had good luck with mine. Not sure why. Thanks for visiting!

Agreed if you want to avoid demanding and expensive maintenance and repair. But, if you can stomach the extra attention, the drive of European cars is great! With that said, I may move to a boring import in a few years when I look to something more simple. ;-) Thanks for visiting!

As a European there is nothing fun in a Volkswagen that’s not in a honda or a mazda .. the little engine with huge turbo ma was just a move from European car manufacturers to double the profit of parts and repair instead of sales.. most of french cars are made in africa while most of german cars are made in mexico .. enjoy ur TSI/TFSI with a new oil leak every 2 weeks and carbon build up at 25k miles .. I rather drive a boring camry than a little GTI with big problems 😂

Thanks! I have a few other videos in which I describe my car as a "micro utility vehicle," especially now that I'm doing even more utility things with it. I need to create an updated video to share the latest ideas. Thanks for visiting!

Glad to hear it! Thanks for visiting!

Yikes! Very bold to purchase a 23 year old car as your first VW. ANY 20+ year old car can be unreliable simply because there's no way to know how well it's been maintained. Best of luck with your journey.

You're welcome! Thanks for visiting!

Thanks for visiting!

The Off-Grid blocks the rooftop antennas; so, ON-Grid is not possible! ;-) Thanks for visiting!

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for visiting!

Thanks for the comment! Everything is well. These days, I just let the pump auto-stop and then move on. My car has 360,000 kms and the original evap cannister. Thanks for visiting!

Thanks! I went back for Round 2 a few months later. Thanks for visiting!

No! RF signals can pass through plastic boxes. So, the antennas still work fine so long as I do not have metal cargo in the back of the box. Thanks for visiting!

@@StealthGTI …….Took my Thule box home empty today for first time and had full XM signal but I didn’t try all directions. XM antenna was fully covered from the top by the Thule cargo box. When I go under heavy tree cover or under certain car canopies I lose signal. Thanks stealth GTI

Twisting the chains weakens them. I'm sure making them the correct length is a better solution, but twisting is definitely not a great idea. Look it up on your favorite search engine. Thanks for visiting!

I haven't thought about that and haven't noticed additional glare. Regardless, my particular cluster has a plastic cover, not glass. Thanks for visiting!

Thanks! It doesn't help that the manufacturers market and sell them as "duplexers." I'm not sure why they do that unless it's a language issue (most are Japanese units). Thanks for visiting!

@@StealthGTI I think it's hype, makes the part sound very important. But you and I know better.

HAHA! Indeed! Thanks for visiting!

Thanks for the info! I think I was doing that I felt like the thread was at the edge of stripping. I don't recall what spec I use, but I do recheck them from time to time. Thanks for visiting!

No idea. Contact EuroZone Tuning and ask him. Last I recalled, he's very responsive to e-mail messages. Thanks for visiting!

Thanks for the info!

Thanks!

My coolant leak eventually appeared. I had my thermostat, pump, and pump housing replaced at ~115,000 miles. I'm past 220,000 miles now and all is well. Thanks for visiting!

Well, Toyotas DO tolerate a lot of neglect. ;-) Thanks for visiting!

Excellent report! Thanks for sharing!

Very nice! American VW enthusiasts know that Europe gets all of the good stuff! ;-) Thanks for visiting.

I bought my dongle via online dealership sales. I may have gotten lucky and scored my unit before corporate caught-on and closed-off online sales for that "dealer-only' product. Thanks for visiting.

Thanks for your comment! I' cannot speak to why the unit costs so much in New Zealand. I don't know if there's a higher import tax there or if perhaps the dealers have increased the prices to discourage customers from buying an accessory that their shops don't want to deal with. Depending on your sound goals, you could achieve *some* success by finding the speakers wires for your setup, tapping them for external feeds, and then sending those feeds into a subwoofer amplifier that accepts speaker level inputs. You may even be able to achieve a better sound. Good Luck! -Scott

@@StealthGTI I noticed you mentioned a clip ("Small Jumper") that you lost when you wired the Helix. A clip that is used along with installation in the Right Hand Drive vehicles. How does this installation work and what does the small jumper do? I have RHD - What will happen if I don't install the clip?

@@stephanpieterse6960 - ​ The DSP circuits account for the different distances of each speaker from the driver's ears. If you drive a right-hand car and don't install the jumper, then it *may* sound a tad off... but it'll sound great to your front seat passenger. ;-)

I appreciate that! My daughter says I'm "like a dad," too. But I'm probably more strict with her than with my visitors! ;-) Thanks for visiting!

Thanks! My wife is a keeper for sure! Not only does she not care what I do to my car, she even said that she doesn't care if I decide to erect a tower at the house. "What? Did you just order me to install a station at home?" HAHA! See my KE4WMF playlist for a related video. Thanks for visiting!

Thanks! When I first upgraded to General in 2007, setting my memory slot to the lower edge of my privileges helped me to remember the lower edge. The upper limit is easier to remember. Over time, it simply became a convenience to jump to the lower edge when I dialed through the memory channels. Thanks for visiting!

@@StealthGTII've now done the same thing. Helps especially when mobile.

Interesting! Perhaps your expansion tank cap needs replacing? It's designed to bleed off excessive pressure. It may be bleeding too soon. Good Luck!

Most modern trailer hitches don't require drilling. In fact, I think most manufacturers go through great lengths to design their hitches to use existing holes in the body that were used by the robots that built the car. My hitch fastens at seven of the eight factory bumper points using slightly longer bolts. The other two points use carriage bolts that are fished into factory holes where robots held the body during assembly. Shop at etrailer.com for your hitch. Each hitch page shows the instructions for your particular car. If you see a step that requires drilling, then look at another hitch to see if you can find one that doesn't require it. Thanks for visiting!

No. It simply provides a place for some of the sound waves to bounce around and get absorbed. It's a straight-thru design. Thanks for visiting!

I won't be contesting this month due to my support of two different bicycle tours. I expect to make a light effort in CQ's WWVHF contest next month. I'm planning to show at hamfests in Roanoke and Berryville in August. Stop by and say hello. Regarding the Crab Net, Sundays at 20:00 ET on 50.180 MHz, I think we get some check-ins from your area from time to time. *I* can't hear them, but NCS can. Point your beam toward Gloucester, VA for the most direct heading to NCS. Thanks for visiting!

Thanks for sharing your perspective!

Enjoy the Corolla! I'd consider one myself, but I may get something just a little larger for my next car. Thanks for visiting!

@@StealthGTI You are welcome. How about a Prius or something completely else ?

@@sierraecho884 - I've considered a Prius. The latest version has good looks and more power than before. I like that I could run the AC while parked without idling the engine, but the system would automatically start the engine to recharge the battery, if needed. I don't know about the car's cargo carrying capacity, though, such as rooftop rack and a trailer hitch. Believe it or not, those are important to me, even with a small car. Thanks for the suggestion. -Scott

Very nice! Thanks for sharing!