Best Ant for MCSO

[chris480]

Ok guys so I have been listening to MCSO more lately now that PHX PD Encrypted C Deck. I know I could probably also pick up Tempe, Mesa, and Chandler if I had the right Ant. I'm located in the N Valley near the 101 and the 51. What is the best antenna for picking up these systems? I was looking at the ST2 from AntennaCraft, I looked for it at Radio Shack with no luck! Is this the best one for these systems and area? Also anyone know someplace local that sells this stuff? Frys Electronics use to have a great selection but not anymore, and Radio Shack hasn't had anything good in years! I could order online, but if I can get it local for same price I would rather do that.

Thanks

[KB7MIB]

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The county system is easy to receive. Program in the 3 main sites: Thompson Peak, White Tanks and Downtown, put in the TG's of interest, and listen.
For the RWC, some people have had the best luck using a Yagi aimed at the nearest tower site.

[KB7MIB]

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Look for a Yagi for 700/800 MHz. Buy the best coax you can afford and keep the run as short as possible.

[chris480]

Will it also help with sky harbor, I get such bad reception of aircraft, thanks just trying to listen to more stuff since PHX shut us out of C Deck.

[AirScan1]

you have hand held or base ?

[Phoenix805]

A couple of local places I'd recommend you try:

Apollo Communications - N/W corner of 43 Ave & Northern - They have (or can get) a wide variety of antennas. They cater to CBers, Hams, Scanner enthusiasts, etc. It's a small shop but they've been in business for like 30-40 years.

Ham Radio Outlet (HRO) - N/E corner 43 Ave & Peoria - They have (or can get) a large variety too. They're a national chain with catalogs, web sales, etc., and a local retail store. The staff is knowledgeable and easy to work with. I don't think they like us posting commercial links on here, but you can do a Google search for them then look at options on-line, and pick one up locally if you find something you like, or talk to them for their suggestions.

The ST2 looks like it should do the trick for a decent price, especially if it includes coax. I have one similar to the ST4 mounted about 10' above the roof that I really like, but I paid quite a bit extra and got some good quality coax.

20-30 years ago Radio Shack would have been good, but now they concentrate on cell phones.

[chris480]

Originally Posted by AirScan1

you have hand held or base ?

handheld with a 800Mhz Ant. I made some changes and pick up MCSO pretty well now, but would like to pick up Chandler, Tempe, here in the N Valley if possible as well as Sky Harbor.

[chris480]

Originally Posted by Phoenix805

A couple of local places I'd recommend you try:

Apollo Communications - N/W corner of 43 Ave & Northern - They have (or can get) a wide variety of antennas. They cater to CBers, Hams, Scanner enthusiasts, etc. It's a small shop but they've been in business for like 30-40 years.

Ham Radio Outlet (HRO) - N/E corner 43 Ave & Peoria - They have (or can get) a large variety too. They're a national chain with catalogs, web sales, etc., and a local retail store. The staff is knowledgeable and easy to work with. I don't think they like us posting commercial links on here, but you can do a Google search for them then look at options on-line, and pick one up locally if you find something you like, or talk to them for their suggestions.

The ST2 looks like it should do the trick for a decent price, especially if it includes coax. I have one similar to the ST4 mounted about 10' above the roof that I really like, but I paid quite a bit extra and got some good quality coax.



20-30 years ago Radio Shack would have been good, but now they concentrate on cell phones.

Thanks! Ill have to check them out! I would rather give business to local guys then ordering online!

[KB7MIB]

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If you use a directional antenna to improve your reception of one particular system, chances are good that it will hamper your reception of everything else. Just an FYI/Caveat. A omnidirectional vertical antenna on the roof may help or hinder your...

[KB7MIB]

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reception of the RWC (Phoenix/Chandler/Tempe/Scottsdale) depending on your location, and how close the tower sites are to you. Not to mention multipath interference which simulcast systems are notorious for. But you won't know until you try.

[KB7MIB]

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You may find, that for optimum reception of the various frequency ranges and systems, that you'll need a directional 700/800 MHz Yagi pointed at the nearest RWC tower, plus an omnidirectional wideband antenna (vertical or discone) for everything else.

[KB7MIB]

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Then of course, you'll need a multicoupler to combine them to feed the scanner. Or two seperate scanners, one dedicated to the RWC, and one for everything else. This is all a moot point though, when you actually take your portable scanner, portable.

[AirScan1]

there should be a ;lot of MC frequencies
most of the MCSO i hear is thier trasporting people to medical places

[Arizona_Scanner]

With the recent change in Phoenix PD I am also moving over to monitoring this system and DPS a lot more than I did before. I just put up a new VHF/UHF Multi Band rooftop antenna by Centerfire that I will be completing installation on and testing tomorrow. It is on a 30 foot mast with LMR-400 cable, a static discharge unit near the entrance to the home, and a LMR-240 jumper to the radio inside. This should work out pretty well for the 800mhz MCSO system and if it works really well I will finally hear Glendale PD properly, along with VHF fire ground stuff for Phoenix fire, valley aircraft (including Phoenix PD helicopter action), and all the DPS sites near the valley. With Phoenix PD gone now (except for the mundane patrol stuff), we scanner guys in the valley are probably going to need to go back to a good rooftop antenna to hear as much action as possible.

MCSO is an easy one with a decent multi-directional rooftop antenna, and you do NOT want to use a yagi for this system.

They have different sites on different frequencies and they often put different things on different sites.

You will want Thomson Peak, White Tanks (if it is not blocked from your location - a roof-toop antenna might make all the difference here), and Mount Gillen. You may be able to pick up the Crown King site, and you would probably get downtown with the outdoor antenna.

Good luck.

[Phoenix805]

Sounds good, I hope everything goes up OK, just watch out for overhead power wires. People forget that when putting an antenna on a 30' mast - if it gets away from you the antenna will land 30' away! Chances are you won't hit the high voltage stuff in the alley, but you could knock out your own service feed wires. Let us know how it works out.

[Arizona_Scanner]

Originally Posted by Phoenix805

Sounds good, I hope everything goes up OK, just watch out for overhead power wires. People forget that when putting an antenna on a 30' mast - if it gets away from you the antenna will land 30' away! Chances are you won't hit the high voltage stuff in the alley, but you could knock out your own service feed wires. Let us know how it works out.

This was my best antenna installation yet. Got the radio early (today) and hooked it up on lunch. It's so sweet to see everything coming in five bars. All the MCSO sites, all the DPS frequencies, the various police agencies, etc. Well worth the many hours of work and $300.

The "Centerfire multi band ground plane antenna" worked super well for my installation. I think it is a step up from the radio shack version which only has three ground radials but is somewhat similar. The Centerfire has better construction as well. Using genuine Times Microwave LMR-400 was well worth it as well. Can't wait to do more intensive testing tonight!

This one has an element for 800mhz and I think it would do really well for you on the MCSO system.

[chris480]

Originally Posted by Arizona_Scanner

This was my best antenna installation yet. Got the radio early (today) and hooked it up on lunch. It's so sweet to see everything coming in five bars. All the MCSO sites, all the DPS frequencies, the various police agencies, etc. Well worth the many hours of work and $300.

The "Centerfire multi band ground plane antenna" worked super well for my installation. I think it is a step up from the radio shack version which only has three ground radials but is somewhat similar. The Centerfire has better construction as well. Using genuine Times Microwave LMR-400 was well worth it as well. Can't wait to do more intensive testing tonight!

This one has an element for 800mhz and I think it would do really well for you on the MCSO system.

How's your testing going? I'm actually getting good MCSO now after adding a few sites, I know an outdoor ant will help as well. How well is your set up picking up the PFD fire channels? Also you mentioned PD helicopter aren't they on the PPD system I use to always here them on the C Decks are they also on other freqs?

[KB7MIB]

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123.025 is the helicopter common channel. All the law, medical and media helo pilots use it to notify each other of their movement around the Valley.
123.550 can be used by Phoenix PD helo's when there's two up at the same time.

[Arizona_Scanner]

Originally Posted by chris480

How's your testing going? I'm actually getting good MCSO now after adding a few sites, I know an outdoor ant will help as well. How well is your set up picking up the PFD fire channels? Also you mentioned PD helicopter aren't they on the PPD system I use to always here them on the C Decks are they also on other freqs?

Things are going really well. The outdoor antenna makes all the difference on signal strength on the MCSO sites, as I am pretty much in the middle of most of them. Simulcast G (Glendale, El Mirage, and Avondale) all come in fairly well now with minimal issues, whereas before I could never get good enough reception on that system to listen to it unless I was within 5 miles or so of the site near 83rd avenue and Peoria. The Phoenix Fire VHF dispatch channel now comes is crystal clear from either site (South or North Mountain) whereas South Mountain was pretty scratchy sounding before, and that is huge for me (have issues with the 800mhz PFD system on simulcast B). As expected with a ground plane antenna mounted up high, Simulcast A & B are pretty bad (simulcast issues), but I had written that system off (at least at my home) some time ago. Now with simulcast C gone, it doesn't even feel like I'm missing the good stuff that PDD does anymore as you can't hear it anyway. Another huge thing is the improved reception on the AM aircraft band, where as the previous poster pointed out, you will hear the valley helicopter pilots chatter. 123.025 is where they all talk. The other frequency is just for the Phoenix PD guys when there is more than one "firebird" up at once, and it's an important frequency as it's the only place you will hear Phoenix Officers talk about anything "interesting" these days with the move towards more and more encryption. While the "firebird" helicopters have their own TGs on Simulcast A, this good old fashioned AM frequency is much more reliable for them. Plus not just anybody can hear them using this frequency, since you need a good scanner, and an outdoor antenna to hear much of what is said. I can now hear the majority of what is said on these frequencies now. I'm hearing railroad transmissions I rarely heard before now also.

With more and more police agencies moving towards encryption, and many agencies "un-listenable" due to "simulcast issues", a good outdoor antenna maximizes the amount of stuff you can hear these days, so I highly recommend it.

[KB7MIB]

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Arizona_Scanner, I think you misspoke when you said Simulcast C is gone. I think you meant the C-deck Hot Call talkgroups. Simulcast C consist of the RWC tower sites that cover the Ahwatukee area of Phoenix, and the cities of Chandler and Maricopa.