Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Taking my complete ham radio setup on the road for a full RV vacation, this video walks through every piece of gear that keeps me on the air while off grid, from power generation to antennas to digital modes.
The power system starts with a 316AH battery bank paired with 390W of solar mounted permanently on the roof. For days when that isn't enough, I also carry an additional 400W portable solar panel that plugs into the side of the camper, plus a generator that can run the entire RV as well as all the ham radio gear when solar alone can't keep up.
On the radio side, a TN07 32 foot mast gets deployed at each stop to support HF operation with the Icom IC-705, paired with an X1 Carbon laptop running YAAC for APRS. For handheld operation I'm carrying both a BTech UV-Pro and a Kenwood TH-D75, and I cover how both HTs can be used for APRS while mobile.
The second half of the video covers a Meshcore test I ran using a drone as an elevated node, since there's no existing Meshcore activity in this area to connect to. I walk through how the test was set up and what kind of range and connectivity resulted from putting a node in the air instead of on the ground. As a bonus at the end, I show a successful Meshcore contact with a neighbor back home while the drone was airborne, proving the setup actually extended coverage beyond what ground level testing alone would have shown.
If you're planning your own off grid or RV based ham radio setup, this video should give you a real world look at what it takes to stay powered and on the air away from shore power and away from established infrastructure.
🔹My Favorite Gear - amazon.com/shop/km4ack
🔹Links mentioned in the video
Solar Bag - amzn.to/4fkm7Ng
WattCycle Battery - amzn.to/4w82H5m
Btech UV-Pro - baofengtech.com/product/uv-pro/ref/km4ack
Eberlystock Pack - amzn.to/4ppG0XN
ThinkNode M6 - amzn.to/4wpQPMx
30lb Propane Tanks - amzn.to/4fEdvlV
Generator - amzn.to/4hg3yfF
Digitenna - digirig.net/product/digitenna/p/10
🔹Weekly Newsletter - https://mailchi.mp/40da1fe472e3/km4acknewsletter
🔹Follow Me
Twitter @km4ack
🔹Cool Ham Gear - km4ack.com
🔹Support the channel through Patreon - patreon.com/km4ack
🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Taking my complete ham radio setup on the road for a full RV vacation, this video walks through every piece of gear that keeps me on the air while off grid, from power generation to antennas to digital modes.
The power system starts with a 316AH battery bank paired with 390W of solar mounted permanently on the roof. For days when that isn't enough, I also carry an additional 400W portable solar panel that plugs into the side of the camper, plus a generator that can run the entire RV as well as all the ham radio gear when solar alone can't keep up.
On the radio side, a TN07 32 foot mast gets deployed at each stop to support HF operation with the Icom IC-705, paired with an X1 Carbon laptop running YAAC for APRS. For handheld operation I'm carrying both a BTech UV-Pro and a Kenwood TH-D75, and I cover how both HTs can be used for APRS while mobile.
The second half of the video covers a Meshcore test I ran using a drone as an elevated node, since there's no existing Meshcore activity in this area to connect to. I walk through how the test was set up and what kind of range and connectivity resulted from putting a node in the air instead of on the ground. As a bonus at the end, I show a successful Meshcore contact with a neighbor back home while the drone was airborne, proving the setup actually extended coverage beyond what ground level testing alone would have shown.
If you're planning your own off grid or RV based ham radio setup, this video should give you a real world look at what it takes to stay powered and on the air away from shore power and away from established infrastructure.
🔹My Favorite Gear - amazon.com/shop/km4ack
🔹Links mentioned in the video
Solar Bag - amzn.to/4fkm7Ng
WattCycle Battery - amzn.to/4w82H5m
Btech UV-Pro - baofengtech.com/product/uv-pro/ref/km4ack
Eberlystock Pack - amzn.to/4ppG0XN
ThinkNode M6 - amzn.to/4wpQPMx
30lb Propane Tanks - amzn.to/4fEdvlV
Generator - amzn.to/4hg3yfF
Digitenna - digirig.net/product/digitenna/p/10
🔹Weekly Newsletter - https://mailchi.mp/40da1fe472e3/km4acknewsletter
🔹Follow Me
Twitter @km4ack
🔹Cool Ham Gear - km4ack.com
🔹Support the channel through Patreon - patreon.com/km4ack
🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
