Antenna question

[OzPrepper]

Hello All

Quick question about antennas as I have just purchased a UBCD396XT after using a UBC355XLT for a while, I believe my current one is the standard uniden 25-1300Mhz antenna but wondered if there was a better option to try so I can receive more signals.

I live in rural south west so my options are a lot more limited than people living in Perth, at the moment all I seem to be able to pick up is local Fire, ambulance and the usual UHF CB the rest of the time its very quiet. (I was hoping to pick up a little more with the 396XT). If i could afford a discone I would go that way but money is a little tight at the moment.

Would the Mobile One BandSpanner Antenna be any better or am I better off sticking with what I have

[Steve]

So are we talking 'at your house' or 'on your vehicle'?

[yorky]

If it's a case of replacing the small stock antenna with a large bandspanner and preferably in a higher up location (top of your house roof) then yes it will be better. But it's still only going to be as good as the signals making it to you, if they don't exist then it might not be any different.

Also changing scanner these days doesn't give a massive improvement. While some models have a better signal reception or noise ratio there isn't a big difference between cheap and expensive models, more so just in fancy features it can do.

[OzPrepper]

Sorry meant to say a antenna for home, at the moment I just have a small one on the roof and wondered if the bandspanner would make much difference.

I was looking at the bandspanner from prestige communications as an option to try.

[Steve]

From an entirely personal point of view, I have used a discone (Diamond D130J) for many years and it's a good antenna. The thing with scanner antennas is that we often have a receiver that covers a great range of frequencies between 70Mhz and 500Mhz, but no one antenna is capable of good performance across that kind of range - it will always be a compromise. The discone design allows it to cover a wide range of frequencies which is why it's been popular with scanner users for many years.

More importantly though, the positioning of your antenna (as high as possible) and the length of cable between it and your radio (as short as possible) and the quality and loss of that cable will probably have more influence on your reception than what antenna you choose, so consider all of those things together, not just what antenna to get.

[OzPrepper]

Thanks for the reply Steve.

I am unfortunately in a Gully where I live but do have some spare length on the cable so maybe I will try and mount it up higher and see if that makes a difference first.

If it doesn't then I might have to save the $$$ and buy a discone.

[Ozfisho]

Yep, +1 for the Diamond D130 discone antenna. Even better with an amp making it active.

[OzPrepper]

I keep saying dipole for some reason, meant discone.

Might look at getting a discone then, thanks for the advice everyone.

One other question, would anyone have a link to the correct scanner amplifier?

[Steve]

This one

http://www.scannermaster.com/Jim_M75_Pr ... 531151.htm

has been around for some years. There are probably others. Remember though, a pre-amp can only amplify signals that 'arrive' at the antenna in the first place, so positioning of the antenna and good quality, low-loss lead-in cable is still important.

[OzPrepper]

Thanks Steve

Certainly looks like it's an expensive hobby to get set up for the first time.

I would hate to buy a decent antenna, cable and amp only to find that there just isn't enough to listen to in my area.

[roland985]

Thanks Steve

Certainly looks like it's an expensive hobby to get set up for the first time.

I would hate to buy a decent antenna, cable and amp only to find that there just isn't enough to listen to in my area.

That's why I got a decent handheld scanner. Plugs into an adaptor at home, or runs off of batteries when I am not home.

[OzPrepper]

Thanks Steve

Certainly looks like it's an expensive hobby to get set up for the first time.

I would hate to buy a decent antenna, cable and amp only to find that there just isn't enough to listen to in my area.

That's why I got a decent handheld scanner. Plugs into an adaptor at home, or runs off of batteries when I am not home.

Unfortunately for me I decided at my age I wanted to try riding for a change after 20 years of driving so bought myself a 50cc scooter instead of a car so I'm stuck now in this little rural town with the 396XT.

Might have to sell it I think I go back to a car where I can at least trip around with the handheld.

[roland985]

Eh. Put a mobile scanner onto the 12v system. My pushbike has a 12v main bus.