From a QRZ search, we recently learned of the passing of Bill Fater, K5EDR   Bill and his XYL Irene were members of the San Antonio TX Good Sam Chapter where In 1983 a group of ham members formed the Good Sam Hams HF net known as the Good Sam Hams. In 1986 when the net grew 150 members, too large for the chapter to support, they became a separete organization called The Good Sam RV Radio Network. The 10 chapter members who started the net became the founders of the new organizatioin and were assigned the first 10 Net Numbers.

B0est Regards

Tim K5TGS

Best Regards

The first suggestion and one I use is RG 8X. This coax is smaller in diameter and while it has higher loss, short runs have negligible loss for the shack.

Another favorite coax but more expensive is LMR- 240. This too is a smaller diameter coax, but has very nice loss characteristics.

You should be able to find these at your favorite Ham Radio store. Hope this answers your question, good luck.

Best Regards

Temflex, however, has no UV protection so you must wrap this tape with a good 3M electrical tape that will provide UV protection.

You can find both of these products at DX engineering or your local hardware store.

If I understand your question correctly many of us use a bulkhead connector as shown in the link below. It is likely the best, low loss way to get a good coax pass through for a side wall of the RV. The location on the wall is dependent upon the antenna mount. You will need a hole about 1/2 inch diameter for the SO-239.

I use a cap on the outside of the RV to protect against water and dirt when not in use.

Other folks have used the item in the second link as it provides a longer SO-239 connector. Using this, one could fashion a face plate on the outside wall of the RV.

Let me know what you think!

Thank you for your question and sorry to hear about the failure in the Solar panel mount. Not knowing the dimensions for the panel array, and whether it was a rigid or flexible panel makes this question a difficult one to answer. For a rigid panel array I recommend using bolts into/through the roof structure. Flexible panels can be mounted on the surface with adhesive. Drilling holes into the roof will need to be coordinated with the actual RV roof structure and structure below the roof surface. I have found many manufacturers are very helpful with questions like this.

However, if you wish to mount with a no-hole version here is a link to help generate some ideas for you. There are many more on the web. Attaching Solar Panels to RV Roof Without Drilling - portablesolarexpert.com

Here is an example of a mounting system that is very popular. Again the internet has many, many more examples for you to consider.
Install Solar Panels On Your RV Roof | Best Solar Panel Brackets To Use On Your RV Solar Series Ep 3
This is an important decision as an adhesive mount is less secure and could create liability if it comes off while driving. Take time to do some research for your specific RV type.

Thank you again for your question today!

Tim K5TGS

Paul, this is a very interesting question and one I get quite often. It’s difficult to say in your case because I do not know what the specs are for your coax. If you know who manufactured or sold the coax, you may wish to go back to them and see if this is rated for putting underground. Most coax sold today has this rating and are just fine to lay down in a trench.

The question of using a conduit to bury these is quite an involved question. It is recommended, and in fact, many professional installers do not use conduit for one simple reason, they will collect water over time. Irrespective of the conduit material condensation will allow water to build up inside the conduit and eventually the coax will sit in water day and night. If one does use conduit, a few things are recommended. First, be sure there are weep holes for any water buildup to drain. Second, try and have the conduit at a slight angle for gravity to help the water escape. It is also recommended that you use small gravel around these openings of the conduit for the water to travel away from the conduit and coax.

Sam, thank you very much for your question. the most popular vertical HF antenna today is the quarter wave vertical antenna. The radial field provides the second half of the antenna, so the vertical portion of the antenna uses the ground field to work against. So sadly, the answer to your question is yes, you will need a radio field for the antenna to work efficiently. There is an alternative, which would be to go with a halfway vertical, but those are more difficult to use primarily because of their size.