How long have you been in the industry?
I've been into cars and mechanics my whole life but I have been installing now for about five years.
How many years have you been MECP certified? How long have you been Master certified?
I got my MECP Basic Certification in February '07 I believe thanks to some good motivation from my General Manager at the time. I got my MECP Advanced about 4-5 months later and I got my MECP Master certification in February '08.
What is the year, make and model of the most difficult car you've ever worked on?
That is such a hard question to answer. So many different vehicles present so many different challenges it's hard to say one is worse than another. The most recent one I can think of is a 1981 Corvette that had been sitting for 18 years. The customer is trying to restore it, but in the time it was sitting mice got into it and chewed some of the insulation off of random wiring throughout the car. Car has been cleaned out and painted and a new interior but the wiring is a mess throughout the car with shorts and current draws. We've been making repairs here and there as more and more problems present themselves.
Give us a rundown of the system installed in your vehicle right now.
I ride a motorcycle most of the time, but in my wife's Mitsubishi Endeavor I have an Alpine 10.2" overhead for my little girl. I have an Alpine M450 and an F450 to put in as well, just need to pick up the speakers and sub and build an enclosure. Between school, work and family time I'll get around to it one of these days.
What is your favorite tool to use in the installation bay and why?
I would have to say my Digital Multi-Meter. There is just so much that you can do with them, and troubleshooting without one is practically useless. Without it you are just guessing with and hope that things works.
What's the best advice you have ever gotten in your installation career?
This is not just for my installation career, but for life... my Dad always used to quote Austin 'Dusty' Miller saying "Man's flight through life is sustained by the power of his knowledge." I think that really applies to the MECP program as well and how well it can positively improve your career in the 12v industry. Getting MECP certified alone will not make you a great installer, nor is it designed to, but it will give you the knowledge you need to grow into a great installer.
Who inspires you to further your skills and your career in mobile electronics installation?
There are so many people who have helped me further my career. My previous General Manager was the first to push me to get MECP certified. A fellow installer and I push each other all the time to get better and better. My wife and daughter and other family members always motivate me and cheer me on.
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