Tired of a small low-efficiency mobile antenna when you’re parked in an RV park? Try this novel use of two World Radio SD20 carbon-fiber masts for a full-sized antenna on your RV.

This article was published in World Radio, January 2004. Click on image to right for a .pdf file of the article.

I have long wanted a "real" antenna, something better than a mobile whip, when I'm static-mobile in an RV park. I gave up on sling-shots, push-up TV masts and cumbersome tilt-up multi-band commercial verticals long ago - too much work. Today, two World Radio SD20 carbon-fiber-composite telescopic masts are my easy-to-erect answer.

With one at each end of my 5th wheel, merely slipped over permanently-mounted short TV masts, I can very easily put a full-sized 40 Meter dipole in the air at a very reasonable height over my RV. With a tuner I run all HF bands and 6 Meters. No more "wimpy" signal from a mobile whip.

The photo shows my 33' 5th wheel with antenna. The antenna wire exits through the side of the RV near my rig, up the side of the coach (spaced away), forward to the base of the front mast, spirally up it, across the top and then spirally down the back mast. I have graphically added the top wire to the photo for visibility. The total is slightly over 1/2 wavelength on 40 Meters. (Antenna tuners frequently arc if the antenna length is near 1/2 wavelength.)

This is the mount for front mast. It is made from 1 1/4 in. common water pipe. A 5' TV mast merely slips into the top. The fiberglass SD20 mast then slips over the TV mast. Clamps are not necessary. The pipe mount has tack welds at the threads to prevent rotation during windy conditions. The mount and TV mast remains on the RV at all times. At the rear of the RV, a second TV mast is simply clamped to the ladder.

The actual antenna is made of stranded stainless steel aircraft cable (graphically added in the picture). At this length, wire resistance is low compared to the radiation resistance. So, stainless steel works just as well as copper and is more durable and convenient. You can make the wire longer if you wish, by extending it to a convenient tree if available.

At 100 watts I use the random-wire automatic antenna tuner for my ICOM 706 MIIG. In RV parks that have 50 amp electrical hook up, I run a linear amplifier and an MFJ Versatuner V 3 kw manual antenna tuner. I ground the tuner with a short strap directly to the aluminum skin of the RV. For a plastic-shelled RV, drive in a temporary ground rod.

For disassembly and transport of the antenna, I installed two large crimp-on ring terminals, a stainless bolt and wing nut in the antenna wire just where it exist the coach..

The SD20 telescopic masts do, however, need strengthening at the base to permit then to tolerate sideways torque in high winds. I use three common stainless steel hose clamps placed close together at the base of the SD20s, tightened gently. This antenna has easily tolerated many very strong breezes in beach RV parks. The little flag is optional, though it does help other campers not to wonder what the strange-looking structure on my rig is. Surprisingly, I have never had an RV park object to it.

Do not run the antenna wire up though the middle of the SD20s – it’s too difficult to erect that way. Merely lightly coil it externally around the masts as you are erecting them, securing it at the top and bottom with several wraps of good-quality electrical tape. When you have put the whole antenna up the first time, mark the taping spots on the wire. I can climb to the top of my rig and put this antenna up in ten minutes at most. Grandkids also train easily for this chore. The whole structure colapses and rolls up very easily for transport.

This antenna is certainly not a three-element beam. But it definitely competes much better on the bands than a mobile whip or screwdriver-type antenna. Perhaps my biggest pleasure is to check into an RV net and tell them that my big signal is coming from a “mobile.” This normally generates a good rag chew.