Mobile Scanner Antenna Question

[specopsmedic719]

Ok I am putting a pro-163 (analog) scanner in my POV. I currently have a motorola NMO 800 antenna on the top of my equinox which I had planned on using for this scanner. I am toying around the idea of putting an actual 800 trunking mobile in there as well so that will occupy that antenna. I will eventually move to a digital scanner so keep that in mind.


Question is: What type of antenna would best suit my needs. I have a hockey puck "cell band" NMO laying around that I could install (even though I was hoping to use that on my future storm spotter truck for my wifi hotspot card to gain some extra signal).


I would like to keep the additional antenna as low profile as possible as I have a VHF NMO and 800 NMO already up there to go along with the OEM GPS/XM/radio antenna.

 

[NorthernPhoenix]

If you don't need to scan much low band, I would say add another 1/4 wave VHF and call it a day. Reception will be reasonable on most bands. Or see what the market has for shorter or lower-profile multi-band choices just for scanning. From my experience, those "hockey puck" types are a compromise at best, and tune extremely narrow, as well as the Antenex Phantom style.

 

[tnems7]

which frequency spectrum will need the most scanner selectivity? For a quarter wave antenna, use 2950 divided by the frequency in megahertz gives the length in inches. Most uhf/VHF scanner antenna are approximately 18.5 inches, and these work well for 800 MHz too.

 

[tvsjr]

It all depends on what you intend to load in the scanner. If you have almost all of one specific band, install an antenna for that band. If it's a mix of bands:


VHF quarterwave - great on VHF, good on 800, tolerable on UHF


800 quarterwave - great on 800, good on VHF, tolerable on UHF


800 3dB gain - great on 800, tolerable on VHF/UHF


Other options would be the Maxrad MAXSCAN, the RadiallLarsen NMO150/450/800, or the Panorama ASFQHB-155-S4-821 (you'll also need the SAB-181 NMO adapter).


Personally, I currently use the RadiallLarsen NMO150/450/800 driving a 4-port Stridsberg receiver multicoupler as the master receive antenna in the truck. I've got one of the Panorama units on order for testing (both as a master RX antennas and as a triband transmit antenna to drive APXs and XTLs and potentially reduce antenna count a bit).

 

[lafd55]

What would you use the 800mhz radio for?


Fall back answer would be to get a scanner antenna, all the brands have them, but if you only scan a certain bandwidth then get an antenna for that bandwidth. I mostly scan VHF so I have a VHF antenna.

 

[tvsjr]

What would you use the 800mhz radio for?

Fall back answer would be to get a scanner antenna, all the brands have them, but if you only scan a certain bandwidth then get an antenna for that bandwidth. I mostly scan VHF so I have a VHF antenna.

Usually... to listen to (or talk on) an 800MHz trunking or conventional system?

 

[lafd55]

Usually... to listen to (or talk on) an 800MHz trunking or conventional system?

Well, if he was going to use it as a "scanner" I was gonna laugh out loud because that would be stupid.

 

[Travelin Man]

Well, if he was going to use it as a "scanner" I was gonna laugh out loud because that would be stupid.

As someone who uses an 800MHz radio for receive only, tell me why this is stupid?

 

[tvsjr]

Well, if he was going to use it as a "scanner" I was gonna laugh out loud because that would be stupid.

Remember children... it's better to remain silent and appear a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

 

[DJIceman97]

Personally, I use a standard Laird VHF antenna, but that's because I intend on adding a VHF radio later down the road. At that point, I'll purchase a decent scanner antenna for it. However, I don't seem to have much of a problem picking up UHF and 800MHz systems with it either.

 

[CHIEFOPS]

I swear by the Comtelco A11331 V/U/800 receives low band very well too

 

[Skip Goulet]

Check out Scanner Master's website. They have a huge selection of antennas and some are at very reasonable prices. I bought one that's very small and only cost about $15 from them, and I get good reception on my Pro197 digital scanner.

 

[Skip Goulet]

It all depends on what you intend to load in the scanner. If you have almost all of one specific band, install an antenna for that band. If it's a mix of bands:

VHF quarterwave - great on VHF, good on 800, tolerable on UHF


800 quarterwave - great on 800, good on VHF, tolerable on UHF


800 3dB gain - great on 800, tolerable on VHF/UHF


Other options would be the Maxrad MAXSCAN, the RadiallLarsen NMO150/450/800, or the Panorama ASFQHB-155-S4-821 (you'll also need the SAB-181 NMO adapter).


Personally, I currently use the RadiallLarsen NMO150/450/800 driving a 4-port Stridsberg receiver multicoupler as the master receive antenna in the truck. I've got one of the Panorama units on order for testing (both as a master RX antennas and as a triband transmit antenna to drive APXs and XTLs and potentially reduce antenna count a bit).

Whoa....you're beginning to sound more like B. John all the time. Dangerous territory!

 

[specopsmedic719]

Sorry haven't checked this thread in a while. Scanner is mainly 800 freq. right now. I have a VHF mobile that does my VHF freq. I have no real need for UHF. If I were to scan vhf or uhf it will be within the county I would be in at that time. So I did the following:


VHF NMO - MCS 2000 VHF Mobile radio


800 NMO - Analog scanner (soon to be replaced with digital)


[Broken External Image]:http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t398/specialopsmedic719/20131113_165645.jpg


[Broken External Image]:http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t398/specialopsmedic719/20131113_165624.jpg


I opted out of installing an 800 mobile radio as I have 2 portables and would prob end up just monitoring with it. In the equinox real estate is at a premium. This is a mock-up of the mcs


[Broken External Image]:http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t398/specialopsmedic719/20131113_164922.jpg


The scanner will go in the arm rest portion of the console as it is large enough to accommodate a laptop. I will snap pics of all that stuff once I get it installed.


Thanks for all the input. If I ever go with the 800 mobile and need another scanner antenna I will definitely be using all the info ya'll have given.