Sport Headlight Conversion (lots of photos)

[ofelas]

I had good luck with Meguiar's headlamp restoration kit on my '01 Sport....

 

[Shelby Griggs]

Gary, good to hear from you! Besides the UV getting them, both sets of Depo's I have had, leak water somehow AND by all accounts the OEM housing have better designed optics, so I thought maybe I would upgrade. My original non sport lens were totally fogged over when I swapped in the 1st set of Depo's so I know what you mean. My current Depo's are still serviceable, just starting the thought process on if I could actually get OEM assemblies someplace. BTW, was through JD last fall once, had a project in Ukiah! About 290K on my 2001 now. Give me a shout if you ever get my way and I will buy you a coffee! BTW, since we last meet up I got my Ham ticket Shelby-N7SHG General now studying for the Extra.

 

[Shelby Griggs]

Most of the restoration kits seem to be temporary, although the ones that also have a UV sealant which are now on the market have some promise, they just don't fix the leaks and knockoff optics

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Hi again Shelby - I'll do you one better - get over this way, and I'll buy you lunch! Still using my Extra Class license since 1970, and now an accredited FCC/ARRL Volunteer Examiner - get over this way after our next local area training session, and we'll test you for that Extra!

Examiner

Gary, good to hear from you! Besides the UV getting them, both sets of Depo's I have had, leak water somehow AND by all accounts the OEM housing have better designed optics, so I thought maybe I would upgrade. My original non sport lens were totally fogged over when I swapped in the 1st set of Depo's so I know what you mean. My current Depo's are still serviceable, just starting the thought process on if I could actually get OEM assemblies someplace. BTW, was through JD last fall once, had a project in Ukiah! About 290K on my 2001 now. Give me a shout if you ever get my way and I will buy you a coffee! BTW, since we last meet up I got my Ham ticket Shelby-N7SHG General now studying for the Extra.

 

[Shelby Griggs]

Hi again Shelby - I'll do you one better - get over this way, and I'll buy you lunch! Still using my Extra Class license since 1970, and now an accredited FCC/ARRL Volunteer Examiner - get over this way after our next local area training session, and we'll test you for that Extra!

Examiner

Thanks! Goal is this year on the Extra, Tech and General were both in 2016 about a month apart, we shall see! Do you have enough VE's to run tests over there? When I took my general in Bend there was a lady at the table from someplace over that way and IIRC she said Bend was the nearest place at that time? She might of been from Prairie City, John Day, Fossil, can't recall, I do know she said it was a several hour drive to Bend.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

We've been extremely "Radio Active" in this area over the past year, I'm a board member of the new Grant County Radio Club, we have a club call of K7GCO - Grant Count Oregon - we have 2 repeaters, one purely local, another up at the airport that links into Bend on 2 meters, and is part of the HIDARG (High Desert Amateur Radio Group) emergency communication network. We have gone from a few scattered Amateur Radio operators with very little local communication - to about 30, with very GOOD communication, and provide local radio training and VE testing - we have 4 Extra Class VEs, so can handle whatever class that shows up - should be similar capability over in the Bend/Redmond area. In the past year, John Day/Grant county Amateur Radio operators associated with the Bend/Deschutes HIDARG group now outnumber the Bend group - not bad in a years time. The HIDARG group net which includes 7 repeaters including our local one, meets on Tuesday evenings at 7 pm - search online for "HIDARG", to see which repeater you can hit best - would be nice to hear you on. Locally, our local group meets same evening at 7:46 pm on 3955 khz - and really would like to hear more guys from outside Grant County.

To keep all this "Sportlight" related - along with the radio part - I'm including a pic of the tailgate I made for my truck when towing our 5er, and shows the Depo style Sport tailights - as well as truck and radio related bits...

Thanks! Goal is this year on the Extra, Tech and General were both in 2016 about a month apart, we shall see! Do you have enough VE's to run tests over there? When I took my general in Bend there was a lady at the table from someplace over that way and IIRC she said Bend was the nearest place at that time? She might of been from Prairie City, John Day, Fossil, can't recall, I do know she said it was a several hour drive to Bend.

 

[Shelby Griggs]

OK back on topic, now back off! Great report on the group over there, wasn't aware. I can't get into ANY HiDARG machine from my house so hearing me on the airport machine won't happen from home. May try the 80m net some night, I just bought an 80m "hamstick" for my truck (see what I did there, mentioned the truck again), haven't tried it yet.