How to Connect 3 Antennas To 1 Scanner?

bobmich52 · #1 (**permalink**) 03-12-2006, 11:50 AM

I drive A 2004 Santa Fe That Has 3 Antennas On It For My BC 796d Scanner.

3 Antennas You Say? For The Winter Time, I Have 2 Glass Mount Antennas In The Rear, So They Can Be Taken Off Quickly/ Easily So It Can Get Through The Car Wash. I Have A Permanent Mounted Antenna On The Front, But I Take It Down For The Winter.

My Question Is This.

Is There Such A Thing As A Connector That would Have 3 Receptacles To Take On All 3 Antennas? I Do Have Low Band In My Area That Does Come In Weak, It Is My FD, The Antennas Work Great For All Other Freqs.

TIA For The Ideas & Suggestions

K8PBX · #2 (**permalink**) 03-12-2006, 01:43 PM

You could use an antenna switch. Many different makes and models available. You would probably have to use some adapters or custom cables, but it would do what you're asking.
See an example of a switch here.

kb2vxa · #3 (**permalink**) 03-12-2006, 01:46 PM

Hi Bob and all,

You don't give any details regarding the antennas or what bands they're for so a proper answer is not possible at this time. Going on information supplied you can try a CATV 3 way splitter hooked up backward as a combiner BUT you may experience problems. The worst is having a signal from two or more antennas arriving out of phase causing cancellation, that is weaker than with one antenna alone. Perhaps the best way to go is with a coaxial switch such as the MFJ-1704 and use one antenna at a time.

bobmich52 · #4 (**permalink**) 03-12-2006, 02:03 PM

Glass Mount Antennas Are Rat Shack General Freq Range.

Perm Mount Is, I forget The Name, Has Good Gain. Still Kinda So So For Low Band

Low Band Receiving 30/50 mhz Is Were The Headache Iz, Kinda Fringy To Say The Least

N_Jay · #5 (**permalink**) 03-12-2006, 02:25 PM

Why do you have two of the same antenna? (the glass mounts)

RISC777 · #6 (**permalink**) 03-12-2006, 11:16 PM

K8PBX:

Good examples and pic.s, but do you (or anyone) know of same/similar but BNC ?

I, for one, have everything at the scanner end terminated as BNC, and with the aim of keeping additional adapters out it would be nice to find a source of those type switches but BNC female.

I can find a boxed switch, like a serial or the older parallel printer switch boxes, but most of those don't specifiy frequencies passed.

bobmich52 · #7 (**permalink**) 03-13-2006, 03:21 AM

For Ease To dissasemble To Take Vehicle Through Car wash In winter Time. Dueling Up The Rat Shack Ants ImprovesThe Low Band 30-50 mhz Reception Considerably. I still would Like It Better, Hence My Posting.

K8PBX · #8 (**permalink**) 03-13-2006, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RISC777

K8PBX: ...do you (or anyone) know of same/similar but BNC ?

I've never seen them with BNC connectors - maybe someone else on the board has?

If you're dead set against adaptors, you could modify one and replace the SO-239's with female BNC's.

Based on your application, I'd just use a good switch and quality adaptors.

RISC777 · #9 (**permalink**) 03-13-2006, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by K8PBX

I've never seen them with BNC connectors - maybe someone else on the board has?

If you're dead set against adaptors, you could modify one and replace the SO-239's with female BNC's.

Based on your application, I'd just use a good switch and quality adaptors.

Sounds like the most prudent, not to mention easiest. Maybe the mfr.s think the 'majority' use those type connections.