mobile/base scanner for VHF aero

[novascotian]

This has likely been discussed many times but I have never seen a clear answer. VHF aero is what I like best in the scanning hobby and I have tried many different scanners. In the last ten years or so most of what I have bought have been trunking scanners of various types so I can listen to everything else too. Trouble is that none of them have done well at all on VHF aero, so that I continue to rely on my old Uniden BC590 XLT which is a simple VHF and 400 MHz scanner with no computer programming or alphatags. It does a great job, head and shoulders above everything else. I have or have had the following: PSR 400, BC 396 XT, 996, PRO 95, PRO 97, PRO 99, PRO106.... plus some others earlier. Yep, some of them are handhelds.... but the point is none were good on vhf aero... I just got the PSR400 and it like the others doesnt pick up my local ATIS and really only gets the strongest of the local airborne traffic, while the 590 will be hearing the ATIS and the tower, ground controller, area controller very well. So let's hear it.... what have you found to be good, and I am looking for comments based on comparing with something else using the same antenna and location.. ??

 

[ATCTech]

There is only one real answer and most people are going to balk at it, but a more robust receiver like an Icom R8500 or older R7000 are always going to outperform scanners for digging out the really weak stuff and being quieter and more stable.

I have 2 R7000s and a variety of handheld scanners plus SDRs including the Airspy. The R7000s will always be my baseline for performance in a receiver despite not scanning so to speak. (Do-able with computer control though.)

 

[PACNWDude]

If you are not digging down into the noise floor for signals, you could pick up an old used Pro-2004/5/6. My old Pro-2006 does reasonably well. My display hasn't even burned out the back light yet though. (I kept it on dim all these years.)

 

[N9JCQ]

Novascan, have you tried getting an antenna specifically designed for the aviation band? I use a Diamond RH-77 antenna that works well for aviation. A discone mounted outside would certainly help you out as well.

 

[novascotian]

Sorry for the delay in replying.. had a nice week away in Florida... and a rough week back here in Nova Scotia .. snow, snow and more snow....

Now to reply, I do have rooftop antennas, including a discone... strangely enough though I do best with an old 400 MHz base antenna with its original short ground plane elements intact but with a 2 meter mobile 3/8 vertical taking the place of the 400 upright element... strange... I do very well with this and somewhat less with the discone..... so yes it really is a question of which scanner is the best one... and again I have to say that the old Bearcat 590 is so far above the others that it does seem like the others have something wrong. Thanks for the tip re the older PRO series.. 2004 etc.. not sure if I could afford the R7000 or put up with not scanning.

One thing I was thinking about while flying south and back again was the idea of a dongle.. SDR... I really know nothing about it... You know how an actual scanner is frowned upon or worse while actually in the air... what about the laptop with an SDR setup? Is there a particularly good one for aero reception? Sure I know that maybe not much will be heard anyway inside the plane but would be fun to try. And maybe useful right here at home at my desk...

Also I will look into the RH-77..thanks for that suggestion...

 

[majoco]

strangely enough though I do best with an old 400 MHz base antenna with its original short ground plane elements intact but with a 2 meter mobile 3/8 vertical taking the place of the 400 upright element... strange

Not really strange - more metal in the air makes for more signal - with limitations. Make yourself a ground plane using a SO239 socket with centre and radials all about 22.5" long. Bend the radials down about 45degrees to make it very approximately 50ohms.

 

[novascotian]

Thanks Majoco... sounds like a good simple project to try.

 

[krokus]

I just got the PSR400 and it like the others doesnt pick up my local ATIS and really only gets the strongest of the local airborne traffic, while the 590 will be hearing the ATIS and the tower, ground controller, area controller very well.

Is that with the same antenna?

Sent via Tapatalk

 

[novascotian]

Yes, with the antenna lead just moved between the two receivers.. so for sure the same antenna.

 

[N8IAA]

All of the scanners you listed are basically made for scanning trunk systems. Not saying that the 97 isn't good on the air bands, but, a scanner that does not have 800MHz and trunking involved, would work better on the air bands.
Have you tried a BC125AT? I have one, and it works great on VHF and UHF air. I wish that I could do an outdoor antenna setup, but can't.
The Pro-2004-2006 make great air band receivers, as well as, the BC-780. There is also, the use of VHF air band radios themselves.
HTH,
Larry

 

[novascotian]

Thanks for that tip re the 125 and the 780... I wish I had not gotten rid of the 780 I used to own. I dont recall really trying it out much on the air band. Due to the way things I go I bet it was excellent!

 

[kc2kth]

This got me thinking about how good of a job my 436 h/h scanner is doing. I'm comparing it with my new Eton Satellit. The Satellit is pulling in a lot more on the same frequency (Falls Chuch VA, ZDC and I'm in NJ). Some strong signals on the Satellit are below the noise floor on the 436. Stock antenna on the Satellit, Watson 801 on the 436.

While not technically scanners, how do the h/h receivers hold up these days compared with what has already been discussed? I'm thinking of the 8200, R20 and DJ-X11T specifically.

 

[novascotian]

A local friend was mentioning that the BCT15X was excellent on the air band... anybody have the same kind of results? with the BCT15 in general, not just the X.

Also what about air band handhelds .. in theory I am guessing they should be best but even with them I imagine there is a wide range of reception results...

 

[737mech]

Better Air VHF

Have you read any of the information in the forums about FM traps? They help VHFair reception. The BCT-15 and 15x are very good VHF air and Military UHF scanners.

 

[N9JCQ]

Don't forget the classic handhelds the RS Pro-43 and the Yupiteru 7100 for when you go "oot and aboot."