Scanner Antenna Question... yes I read the FAQ

[BlackfrontyMike]

ok, I did read the FAQ.. so now that is mentioned, I had a question about an antenna setup that wasn't listed.

Can you hook a splitter into the back of one Scanner and split it off into the several ranged antennas.

it was said in the FAQ that an antenna is tuned for the range its going to be in and that a "master" antenna is not as good as a specific tuned antenna.

can you split into 2 antennas to get all the frequencies but better reception?

I was looking into the "dome" antennas (similar to the cop cars) to put into my roof, my friend had one and it worked good.

[Motor On]

Technically possible, but easier said than done.

Running one scanner with multiple antennas - The RadioReference.com Forums

[Stealth Stalker]

Yes, it will cost you more than it's worth, and it still won't yield the results that you think it will. Been there, tried that. Wish I had my money back.

My personal experience says the best route is to get a band-specific professional antenna for the band that is most listened to in your area, and use it for all, if you're using only one scanner. I have band-specific antennae for each scanner, utilising the band that is most represented in that scanner's programming. Second best is to just get a broadband antenna and accept mediocre performance on all bands.

Band specific wise, 800 mhz (cellular) antennae perform best all round on all bands. 450 mhz UHF antenna next best. With VHF antennae, you quickly lose UHF and 800 performance. But 800 antennae still do well on VHF reception.

[BlackfrontyMike]

Yes, it will cost you more than it's worth, and it still won't yield the results that you think it will. Been there, tried that. Wish I had my money back.

My personal experience says the best route is to get a band-specific professional antenna for the band that is most listened to in your area, and use it for all, if you're using only one scanner. I have band-specific antennae for each scanner, utilising the band that is most represented in that scanner's programming. Second best is to just get a broadband antenna and accept mediocre performance on all bands.

Band specific wise, 800 mhz (cellular) antennae perform best all round on all bands. 450 mhz UHF antenna next best. With VHF antennae, you quickly lose UHF and 800 performance. But 800 antennae still do well on VHF reception.

im sorry but I understand what the bands are, but can you refresh my memory, UHF is the high end police radios right? my best bet I guess it the 800mhz antenna then.

so from what I read from that link... Im supposed to use a tri-plexer to link 3 antennas into the one scanner.

one 800mhz .... one 450mhz .. and one vhf antenna... unless there was a box that I could switch them manually depending on the area im in... to visualize this... your TV has one A/V input.. but you have the xbox/ps3 and the DVD ... so you buy the switch to go between sources... get it?

[Stealth Stalker]

Ah, sorry.

VHF-LO: 30-50mhz
VHF-HI: 138-174mhz
UHF: 401-512mhz
UHF-HI: 800mhz +

In my experience, the 800/cellular antenna gets the best all-round performance of them all. UHF would be next best. However, if all you listen to is UHF or below, then I would go with a lower antenna.

[bradthemad]

Band specific wise, 800 mhz (cellular) antennae perform best all round on all bands. 450 mhz UHF antenna next best. With VHF antennae, you quickly lose UHF and 800 performance. But 800 antennae still do well on VHF reception.

Better than a tri-band 150/450/800 antenna?

[BlackfrontyMike]

Band specific wise, 800 mhz (cellular) antennae perform best all round on all bands. 450 mhz UHF antenna next best. With VHF antennae, you quickly lose UHF and 800 performance. But 800 antennae still do well on VHF reception.

Better than a tri-band 150/450/800 antenna?

theres such thing?.. sorry I dont know much about this, which is why im on here learning lol

if there is.. then this thread should be closed haha

[bradthemad]

Tri-band examples include, for your Googling pleasure:

Antenex ASCANC and ABSCANC
Maxrad BMAXSCAN1000
Larsen NMO150/450/800

All are NMO mounted, and look about the same. I have the Antenex, but SS has been at this game a lot longer than I have and used a lot more equipment, and I'm curious to know if he's found that a single-band antenna turns out to work better. I'm already surprised to hear that an 800MHz antenna is better all-around than a VHF antenna; I would have expected the opposite, that the bigger antenna would be better.

[BlackfrontyMike]

Tri-band examples include, for your Googling pleasure:

Antenex ASCANC and ABSCANC
Maxrad BMAXSCAN1000
Larsen NMO150/450/800

All are NMO mounted, and look about the same. I have the Antenex, but SS has been at this game a lot longer than I have and used a lot more equipment, and I'm curious to know if he's found that a single-band antenna turns out to work better. I'm already surprised to hear that an 800MHz antenna is better all-around than a VHF antenna; I would have expected the opposite, that the bigger antenna would be better.

thanks , I mean i'm just using this for the ems/fire/police spectrum however I want good reception over the other frequencies ( Cb,FRS, aviation, racing)

[Motor On]

CB is 27ish Mhz and 11 meter wavelength, it's kind of a big antenna
VHF lo is about 50mhz and is about a 6 meter wavelength
VHF hi is about 150mhz and about 2 meter wavelength
UHF is about 460mhz and 70cm wavelength
800mhz is about a 9cm wavelength

Strictly in terms of standard base load vehicle antennas....
The closer you get to the wavelength the better that antenna is going to be able to catch the signal. Minimal acceptable performance is usually found at about 1/4 wavelength, naturally 1/2 wave antennas are commonly used as a good comprimise. This is why CB antennas are big compared to a cell signal booster antenna. In terms of the electrical not, physical length of the antenna (they are often close but slighty different because wire slows signal)

Some antennas, use "matches" to catch various frequencies, so a VHF antenna can also have a match set to also function as 2 stacked UHF antennas. Some manufacturers have managed to go an add more matches to make 800hz frequencies perform well too. You'd be looking for multi or tri band or 150/450/800 antennas.

So these triband antennas likely wont preform well with CB frequencies, but most marketed consumer scanners also are maxed out by CB as well, so a CB with CB antenna is by far the best way to monitor that.

FRS is 460, and will be plenty well covered; Air band is 108-138 and is well received by the slightly higher frequency VHF hi antennas Racing is usually in the 460 range, but if you're expecting NASCAR, there are some technology changes being made that will make NASCAR control harder to monitor and some teams are leaning toward adopting the same technology, Motorola TRBO, and it requires special radios from Motorola to monitor.

Public safety is usually on VHF hi, UHF and 800mhz; with a handful of agencies still active on VHF-lo and having a handul of backup systems on VHF low and HF frequencies (below 30mhz)

Low profile antennas, rely heavily on electrical and not physical length and work well for nearby systems with high coverage areas in flat terrain, a base load antenna of a 1/4 wave length or more is going to give you greater performance when you're in the shadow of a building or over a hill or behind a patch of thick trees. So I think you'll be happy with any of the antennas that Brad mentioned most of which are based around a 1/4 VHF-hi antenna.