Metal Screen Effect On VHF Listening ?

[BOBRR]

Hello,

Never thought about this before, but have started wondering.
Good question for all you experts out there.

Live in a typical New England Colonial with a Louvre in the attic on each gable end that are screened to keep the bugs out. Screens are metal.

In the attic I have two VHF antennas for my scanner. A Scantenna and a Discone.
(do listening only)

Was wondering if the metal screens might have any effect on what I can pick up in the more or less horizontal directions ? e.g., P.D.'s from ou,r or a neighboring town.

Probably have no effect for aero comm listening as the received signals are pretty much from a vertical, or near vertical direction.

Should I go to the trouble of replacing them with plastic screens ?

Distance from antennas to the screens is probably about 20 feet or so.

Any thoughts on this ?

Thanks,
B.

[DPD1]

At that distance, I doubt it... Probably wouldn't change anything.

Dave
www.DPDProductions.com
Custom Antennas & Radio Accessories

[publicsafetyvehicles]

Being the "nut-job" I am, I'm now curious if running and attaching a wire from an interior antenna to a metal window screen would actually improve reception? Believe me, there's no length I wouldn't go to for better reception and coverage. Then again, I often wondered what would happen if you could run antenna wire up to a train track, but of course that would be illegal - and just plain WRONG!

After reading the above, again DO notice where I mentioned that I'm a "nut-job!"

[kb2vxa]

Using a railroad track for an antenna has been talked to death and the consensus finally reached is it's less than useless. If it's an electrified line running a wire to the overhead catenary would give some pretty interesting results.

[publicsafetyvehicles]

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[blinddog50]

What I use at work for HF reception on my ats 909.
It runs 600 ft., N. to S. and E. to W.
Works better than a long wire that I use to use.

It's a chain link fence that runs outside my office.
It's well grounded and gets signals that the long wire couldn't snag.

[Raven95150]

Originally Posted by blinddog50

What I use at work for HF reception on my ats 909.
It runs 600 ft., N. to S. and E. to W.
Works better than a long wire that I use to use.

It's a chain link fence that runs outside my office.
It's well grounded and gets signals that the long wire couldn't snag.

Where I used to live we had a 75 foot steel power pole in the front yard. Out of curiosity I attached a piece of wire to it and my scanner. It got no better reception than with the rubber ducky. Now, if I could have climbed up and put a scantenna on top of that thing.....