How to mount a VHF/UHF antenna on Class A motor home

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CDKrahl

Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2006
Posts
9
I have owned a FRED Class A motor home for 1 1/2 years now, and want to mount a VHF/UHF ham antenna, but don't know the best place.  I'm thinking of a side mount at the top front left, above the driver.  Where to ground it.  Since I have a FRED, does it make a difference in mounting.  I already own the ICOM 706MKIIG which I plan on using. 
73, Don, N1KSY
 
I'm not sure how your MH is configured but on mine the coax runs up the windshield post on the left side and back under the roof about 5 feet.  I mounted a very short VHF/UHF antenna there.  I think it was a Comet one about 12" long but may have been another brand.  It looks like a cell phone antenna.

The radio is mounted, temporally on the dash till I get the HF rig mounted and have both of them together.  BG

Jim
AC7PO
 
Well.  The fact it's a FRED does not make much difference, Is it skinned with Aluminum or Fiberglass?  My rig is fiberglass, no good ground plane anywhere.  (Though the mirror arms are metal) I used a Diamond "No ground plane" antenna mounted on the mirrors

Something like http://www.rfparts.com/diamond/nr770ha.html might do it, NOTE that some Diamond antennas require grounding, some do not, Mine is one of the latter.  AES or HRO both carry a full ine of antennas and their catalogs can be of great help in choosing.
 
I looked for a good place to drill a hole and decided against it. I have an Itasca Sunrise 35L. The top of the cabinet over the driver is metal. I found a magnetic mount that would accept a bnc antenna and I put an old dual band off an HT. I ran the wire down the "A"  post. It works well, not as good as an external but well. I also put my XM satellite aantenna up there and it works great and I have no new holes for water to come in.
KA4VFI
 
BBH you might check your SWR, those hand held antennas are rather non-resonate

I drilled my mirror arm and mounted mine there. Diamond, dual band, no ground plane type

 
Re Mirror mount antenna.

    I know John has one. What method did you use to get the feed line into the RV.

Also, did you drill and tap the mirror mount casing to bolt on the antenna mount?

carson FL  85.0 F

 
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