New scanner antenna

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crfulkerson

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I am looking for a new antenna and this one caught my eye. I was wondering if anyone else had it and could recommend it or not. Here is the description 3" NMO mount wideband scanner mobile antenna. I found it on ebay. The antenna I have now is a window mount radio shack antenna. I have had it and moved it to each vehicle I have had for the last 16 years. It has worked that well for me. Just time for an upgrade.

I hope this question doesn't get deleted too. As I am serious about this antenna.
 

ofd8001

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Some folks swear by on-glass antennas and others swear at them. If you are in an urban area with lots of signal saturation, they are okay. However if you are trying to pull in distant/weak signals, the NMO mount wideband scanner antenna is as good as it gets for mobiles.

You didn't post a link to your find, so it's hard to say anything more.
 

W8RMH

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That would work for 800 MHz. but I don't know what makes them think that would work for wide band. They list a frequency range of 30 - 996 MHz but I doubt it would perform well, if at all, below 700 MHz.

The best true wide band scanner antenna for that range is the Austin Spectra

If you didn't need the 30 - 50 MHz. coverage the Larsen Wide Band would be my first choice.
 
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crfulkerson

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Alva, Ok
I was wondering that with it being so short and no coil. I'd love get it because of the size, but not if it won't do what i want.
 

toastycookies

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the far east
i would go with the Larsen that was suggested earlier.

you're not going to do better than that with regards to price and performance.

or you could try to go cheap and get some china antenna off ebay that performs worse than a rubber ducky.
 

OutlawHoss

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So this isn't the same type of antenna you're looking for, but I've had really good results with this antenna, "Maxxtena": Welcome You can get it on ebay, and it's not that expensive. It may look a little like a 'bubbasmith' set up, but I use this antenna exclusively on my BCD396T, both mobile, in camp, and at home, and I get more than satisfactory performance (compared to a small handful of antennas I've used previously). Obviously depending on all the mitigating factors of radio wave propagation, equipment, et al & ad nausem, my area of decent reception is consistently the largest I've had compared to other ready-made, low-cost, decent antennas, which is the type I can afford usually. At home, I'm in a valley 10-15 miles across with mountains of + 2,000 feet in 3 directions and get rx from 50 mile +. When I'm at altitude during hunting season (6,500-7,000 ft) the reception is phenomenal, again subject to the laws of physics/nature. I'm not sure how that compares to more expensive antennas, but I'm very happy with it.
It wasn't what I was looking for the last time I needed an upgrade, but it certainly has been. The fellow who makes them is very friendly and easy to talk to. The design allows for a low-profile, which several of the county and muni pd's have taken advantage of and to whom he sells regularly.
For what it's worth-
 
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