WA Radio Scanner Users' Group

I have a uniden 93xlt and got one of the rubber duckies with it. Are these any good for scanning or are they junk?

People seem happy with the 93XLT (I don't have one). The rubber ducky is just a convenience antenna. It will be OK if you are in the right location (outside, up high, close to whatever you're receiving etc) If you want to improve on it then a decent scanner antenna on the roof will improve things immensely.

The antenna itself is average. As robbage said you need to be in a good location to use that, but it worked while at the airport listening for Iron Maiden to come to Perth as well as for Police and FRS when I was working in East Perth, however at home I have a base scanner antenna and in the car I have a mobile antenna. for improved performance.

A small helically wound rubber ducky antenna will never be able to perform as effectively as a full size antenna. As has been stated, they're a convenient size to use on the handheld.

I have a "scan ducky" antenna from mobile one and it helps to open up the airband, but the one supplier is not too bad - for local reception that is.