Can't pick anything up?

[Cobra_Commander]

Hi i am having trouble picking anything up on my pro-96 scanner hooked to outdoor attenna that is inside my room and no i can't put it outside i live in apartment. How do boost so i can hear some stuff. i haven't even heard any aircraft traffic at all.

[rdale]

Put it out the window.

[dangitdoug]

Try a magmount. I use one on my bedroom window, metal frame gives a good ground plane. you can also place it on a cookie sheet or on top of a refrigerator or metal filing cabinet.

Doug K

[bobmich52]

Got A Old Soup Or Coffee Can?

I Use A Rat Shack Mag Mount.

Thats What I Use For My Indoor Set Up For My 796d, Works Great, Receives All.

[bwhite]

Are you searching the whole airband for traffic or specific freq's? if the latter, try to search the whole band to tell you if perhaps certain freq's aren't used in your range.
Do you receive NOAA? that us usually a decent test although in my area the transmitter is so old that it drops back to minimal power many times (only allowing close in reception).
Does this model have an Attenuation mode? if so, make sure it is not on, this dampens the incoming signals. Check that squelch too, open it wide.

[Mischief810]

Originally Posted by bobmich52

Got A Old Soup Or Coffee Can?

I Use A Rat Shack Mag Mount.

Thats What I Use For My Indoor Set Up For My 796d, Works Great, Receives All.

That's a neat trick. My magmount was the fix for poor reception in the truck. I never thought about using it indoors on the handheld.

What do you do... Put the magmount on the coffee can on a table?

[bwhite]

The main trick with vehicle antennas when used off the vehicle is creating a ground plane. Set the antenna on something metal (bigger is better), I've heard that a cookie sheet (although not great) ain't bad. I've actually seen people who have stolen road signs use them.

[Quickcall]

Originally Posted by bwhite

The main trick with vehicle antennas when used off the vehicle is creating a ground plane. Set the antenna on something metal (bigger is better), I've heard that a cookie sheet (although not great) ain't bad. I've actually seen people who have stolen road signs use them.

Ive used road signs before! But i didnt steal them, I promise. Its not bad but it will do the job.

[bwhite]

How do you get them without swiping them ?

[HabboX]

Turn on the attenuator.

[bwhite]

Originally Posted by HabboX

Turn on the attenuator.

I think you mean turn it off.

[loumaag]

Originally Posted by bwhite

I think you mean turn it off.

That would depend.

Pro-96 radios easily overload the front end on antennas other than the stock antenna. Sometimes turning on the attenuator allows you to hear something otherwise buried in the overload.

[bobmich52]

M 810

I Have A Progresso soup Can For The Magmount To Latch On To.

I Have A Few Shelves On My Computer Desk/console, One That Holds My AM/FM/CD Player.

Drilled A Small Hole In The Top For The Element, Put The Can Behind The AM/FM, Put The Mag On It & WALAH!!

Very Clean Install, Can't See Nothing Except The Element.

Works Great On My 796D.

Have Had My 396T Hooked Up To It also, Fine Reception All Bands