‰  NOW 40 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM AUGUST 2012 QST  PAGE 60‰
SWITCH WAFER WITH FIVE SETS OF CONTACT LUGS SEE FIGURE 4.  DROPS OF THREAD
LOCKING COMPOUND SECURED THE STAINLESS NUTS ON THE ROTOR WHILE SOLDER HELD
THE NUTS ON EACH CONTACT LUG SOLDERING STAINLESS CAN BE A CHALLENGE.  I
SWISHED SOME TARN X OVER THE SILVER PLATED COMPONENTS, PUT THE ENTIRE
SWITCH ASSEMBLY BACK TOGETHER AND RAN IT THROUGH THE ULTRASONIC CLEANER TO
ELIMINATE ANY GRINDING DEBRIS AND DIRT.  ONCE IT WAS CLEAN, I REPLACED IT
IN THE TUNER AND THE SWITCH HAS PERFORME

CONSIDERATION WAS NOT TO DAMAGE THE VINYL DASHBOARD MATERIAL WHILE
ATTACHING THE BASEPLATE.  FOR THAT, I USED THE LEFTOVER ADHESIVE STRIPS
FROM A 3M COAT HOOK.  HOPEFULLY, YEARS FROM NOW ALL I WILL HAVE TO DO IS
PULL THE TABS AND THE ADHESIVE WILL COME OFF CLEAN.  I SECURED THE FRONT
END OF THE MOUNTING BASE PLATE TO THE PLASTIC VENT WITH A FEW SMALL SQUARES
OF HOOK AND LOOP MATERIAL, SINCE I NEEDED SOME ROTATIONAL STABILITY FOR
BUTTON PUSHING AND SOME HEIGHT TO FILL THE GAP.  AS YOU CAN SEE IN FIGURE
2, THE DESIGN IS SIMPLE A BASEPLATE WITH A FEW ANGLED BRICKS, PLUS A
SUPPORT ARCH TO TAKE THE LOAD IF I PUSH TOO HARD ON THE BUTTONS.  IF THE
SUPPORT POPS OFF, ILL GLUE IT DOWN, BUT FOR NOW IT SEEMS TO BE HOLDING
STRONG.  NONE OF THE BRICKS ARE GLUED.  THERES PLENTY OF ROOM FOR MY
FINGERS TO PUSH BUTTONS AND TUNE WITH AND I LUCKED OUT WITH THE REMOTE HEAD
CABLE IT MANAGED TO FALL RIGHT IN LINE WITH A DASHBOARD/CONTROL PANEL SEAM.
SOME COAX SEALANT, WHICH ALSO MATCHED THE INTERIOR COLOR QUITE WELL, DID A
NICE JOB OF KEEPING IT IN PLACE.  SINCE TAKING THE PHOTOS, I COLORED THE
WHITE ADHESIVE TAB STRIPS WITH A BLACK MARKER TO ELIMINATE REFLECTION IN

HINTS KINKS STEVE SANT ANDREA, AG1YK, HK ARRL. ORG  TOYING AROUND, ROTARY
REPAIR AND BANISHING BEES LEG O HAM NEW CAR NEW PUZZLE.  HOW DO I INSTALL
MY MOBILE RIG, WHICH FIT FINE IN MY 1997 TAURUS, IN A 2011 CAMRY?  AS HARD
AS I TRIED, I COULDNT FIND A GOOD PLACE TO MOUNT THE REMOTE HEAD FOR MY IC
208H TRANSCEIVER WITHOUT IT INTERFERING WITH A VEHICLE CONTROL OR BEING
UNREADABLE BECAUSE OF THE VIEWING ANGLE.  I EVEN TRIED A CUP HOLDER MOUNT
BUT FOUND THAT THE HEAD STILL ENDED UP FLOATING IN THE WRONG PLACE AND I
LOST A CUP HOLDER.  I CONCLUDED THAT THE ONLY PLACE TO SAFELY OPERATE THE
HEAD, KEEP IT OUT OF THE WAY OF THE AIRBAG SYSTEM AND CLEARLY READ IT WAS
JUST ABOVE THE DASHBOARD VENT.  YET, THERE WAS NO EASY WAY TO MOUNT IT
BECAUSE OF THE DASHBOARD SLOPE, WHICH AIMED THE HEAD TOWARD THE FLOOR.
AFTER TOYING AROUND WITH A FEW IDEAS, TOYING AROUND BECAME THE ACTUAL
SOLUTION I NOTICED THAT THE VERSATILITY OF LEGO BUILDING BRICKS WAS JUST
WHAT I NEEDED.  OUT OF THE HUNDREDS OF BRICK SHAPES ID SEEN, ONE OF THEM
HAD JUST THE RIGHT ANGLE TO LEVEL THE REMOTE HEAD.  WITH THE BRICKS MOUNTED
TO ONE OF THE SMALLER LEGO BASEPLATES JUST FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO CONTOUR TO
THE DASHBOARD CURVE, I COULD GIVE THE WHOLE THING A STABLE BASE AND PLENTY
OF MOUNTING SURFACE AREA SEE FIGURE 1.  LUCKILY, BOTH GRAY AND BLACK BRICKS
WERE AVAILABLE AND MATCHED THE CARS INTERIOR CLOSE ENOUGH.  ANOTHER
‰  END OF 40 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ