1998 VW Jetta Install of Yeasu 7100M

[KD6OIZ]

Hello.

I recently purchased a 7100M for my VW Jetta but did
it on a whim (it was $250 off!) and didn't think about
the installation.  Now I'm left with a radio wasting away in my living room in the box.  I'm faced with 2 problems:
1) I'm terrified of the battery connections.  This doesn't make me much of a manly man, but I've been shocked enough times to be nervous especially with the amps in a car battery.  I haven't the slightest idea how I'm going to route and connect the power cables to the battery.
2) The Jetta dash and console are packed.  There isn't alot there, but it's large enough not to leave any room for radio and/or head.  I could "bust a hole" in the dash I'm sure, but I want to be able to remove this thing without a trace later in life.  

Any ideas as to how and where to install this guy?  The best I can come up with is to mount it on the right side (vertially) of the middle (shift) console, but that impeeds the room of the passanger and could get whacked.

I'm faced with having to have it perfetionally installed, but the local radio installer guy (very compitent, but...) is estimating about $200 for install.  I think I can talk him down, but I only paid $250 for the rig....

Any help is GREATLY apprecited.

73's.  KD6OIZ

[WB2WIK]

First of all, congrats on the great deal on the rig!

Next, there's nothing dangerous about "all the amps" a 12V car battery can provide.  12V is too low a voltage to receive an electric shock -- it's impossible.  If you've ever received a shock from your automobile, you must have come in contact with HV wiring when the engine was running, which is possible if you have leaky spark plug wiring/boots/insulators, etc.  If the engine's shut "off," there's nothing to create a shock.  The main reason automobile manufacturers settled on 12V was its excellent compromise between safety and efficiency (6V was also used, and is very safe, but less efficient).  I cannot recall ever hearing of anyone receiving a real electric shock from 12V, the voltage is too low -- it doesn't matter that the battery can deliver 1000 amps, your body cannot even draw one milliamp at such a low potential.

There is real danger in working with automotive electrical systems in two regards:

1.  Jewelry!  People have received serious burns to their hands, arms, necks and so forth when metallic jewelry finds its way to short circuit +12V to the chassis of a motor vehicle.  A ring, or bracelet (or whatever) worn and creating this short circuit becomes very hot, very fast and can cause serious burns.  Obviously, wearing jewelry when working on anything electrical is not a great idea.

2.  Explosion!  Lead-acid wet cell batteries outgas hydrogen, an explosive gas.  You don't want to be making sparks right near the battery, just in case.  That's why advice about "jump starting" cars always recommend making only the "+" connection at the battery, and making the "-" connection elsewhere, like to the engine block, some distance from the battery, where any spark created is very unlikely to ignite hydrogen gas that may be wafting around the battery itself.

That being said, cars are safely jump-started by the thousands, every day, all over the world, and we very rarely hear about any accidents.

Mounting the rig vertically, on the passenger side of the center console, is a great idea, and one I use, myself.  My own 2m mobile rig, a Yaesu FT-3000M, is mounted there and really does not intrude into the leg space of the passenger -- although occasionally a passenger will bump his or her leg against the rig.  Oh well.  It may be the only space you have.

If you're skittish about making the electrical connections, I'd recommend driving the car, with the rig pre-installed mechanically, into your local car alarm or car stereo installer and just having them make the connections to the battery for you.  They do this all day long, they're really good at it, and cannot possibly charge much.  The $200 is a bit steep!  I've seen our "local" (here in Los Angeles) stereo installers charge $25 to do a ham rig installation, very professionally, in about ten minutes.

73 & good luck with the new rig!

Steve WB2WIK/6

[K9SA]

I'm pretty sure the 7100 is remote-able.  Most VWs I've had have a storage compartment in the console.  There should be enough room in there for the 7100 control head.  The radio could go under the seat.  Power is the hard part.  The best place to get power is directly from the battery.  This means finding a way thru the firewall.  An alternative is to rob power from some fairly hi current source - like the lighter.  You should be able to connect to the lighter from the back.  The lighter has a push on connector for power that is similar to the single automotive push on lugs you can find in a hardware store.  You could make a Y type adapter that will let you get power without cutting into the wiring.  One word of warning though - there's a good chance you will experience some alternator whine problems.  I've found that the high current alternator whine filters from Radio Shack work well for fixing whine.
I have a '98 Passat.  I know the Jetta is pretty different tho - good luck.

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K9SA