Ham Overload: Outrageous Amateur Radio Art Car

There are people who are dedicated to their hobbies, people who go a little overboard with their hobbies, and people who are absolutely obsessed with their hobbies. And then there’s this guy. Starting with a 1985 Plymouth Colt, the owner stuffed the $500 car with $25,000 (and many lifetimes) worth of ham radio equipment – probably enough to listen to just about every bit of radio communication taking place on the planet.

The “Radio-Active” car, which resides in Jupiter, Florida, isn’t all talk. It’s also got some attractive additions that add to its already-considerable geekish charm. Awesome painted graphics on the hood, side door and gas cap door are definitely nice touches, but the hydraulic system is especially awesome. Inside, an HP laptop and GPS system help the driver plot out ham stations and keep track of all of the equipment.

Maybe coolest of all are the light accents: a layer of yellow LEDs on which the car seems to “float,” a scrolling LED marquee on the front, and a crazy laser projector that draws pictures on the rear window. Most of the additional equipment is run on a stock battery, but the car also features four additional batteries to keep up with the energy-demanding load of all of that gear.

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See more in Art Vehicles or under Transportation. April, 2010.