I’ve always been skeptical about mobile ham radio setups. Over the years, I’ve experimented with various setups in several vehicles using just about every type of antenna mount imaginable: mag mounts, drilled NMO mounts, truck stake pocket mounts, and hitch mounts. None truly impressed me. It seemed that mobile station performance inevitably suffered the moment you tried using your vehicle as an antenna base. After all, our cars are only about 2 feet off the ground, which isn’t ideal for making distant contacts.
Fast forward to a few years after my last mobile station attempt, I found myself with a motorhome. On long trips, cruising at 55 mph, I began to wish I had a radio alongside me. The appeal of chatting with people, even if only nearby, rekindled. Moreover, the practicality of having a radio for emergency communications in remote areas became apparent. Ever caught a distress signal on the national simplex frequency? I make it a point to tune in as often as possible for exactly that reason.
Mounting an antenna on a motorhome is challenging without creating additional holes in the structure. I opted for a quick setup, though the visible wires are slightly unsightly. I chose the Kenwood TM-V71A for its robust cross-banding capability and ease of use with a handheld transceiver (HT). This radio has endured many bumps and scrapes over the years yet continues to perform reliably.
For the antenna, I initially purchased a Bingfu NMO lip mount from Amazon for just $29. As expected, you get what you pay for. I quickly returned it and replaced it with a Diamond K400 NMO lip mount—the best in its class by far. It’s weatherproof, offers versatile adjustment angles, and is exceptionally sturdy for such a minimal mount type. I paired it with an old Larsen dual-band antenna, which conveniently avoids the need to mount anything on the roof of my Class C motorhome.
I routed the cables through the engine compartment cover (found in the E-350/E-450 type cabs), adding extra wraps of electrical tape to prevent chafing. With these types of motorhomes, there is usually a 12v access point in one or several places, but I opted to wire the radio directly to the battery with fuses inline. The TM-V71A can draw up to 13 amps at full power. Generally speaking, IMHO 10 amps is the limit when using included vehicle wiring. More to come later on operating a ham radio in a motor home!
73
W5KV
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