Antenna Choice help
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3mary2
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I have the Larsen mounted on my truck and it does well with Nellis AB. CB is not my thing so to speak, but I can hear channel 19 when traveling.
I'm using it for a base.. I'm on the 2nd floor indoors, My bedroom has vaulted ceilings so I put it up towards the center of my room as high as I could go. I pull in a few freq's I couldn't before on the 400 range and the 800 range has also improved.. When I try to listen to air band I can here but its very low, and staticy. when I tune to CB, I get barley anything, I hear what sounds like very soft voices but static when they are talking.. I just need an Antenna so I can pull in air and cb.. but If I had to make a choice between the two, I want air band the most.. Thanks for your recommendations!!!
What type of mount are you using for the Larson.
Did you provide a ground plane? Metal ground plane is still required (8" diameter minimum)
W6KRU
Member
That is awfully small. How did you come up with that number?
I am sorry? I don't know what you mean.. All I did was hook up the antenna and mount it up high in the wall and connect it to the back of my scanner via the connector.. I dont really know what a ground plane is.. Im very new to antennas sorry.. I just figured this would be better then the stock whip..
Posted on the solid signal site for that specific antenna as the minumum size for ground plane
W6KRU
Member
Hmm. I can't find anything on the solidsignal. com site for that antenna. After looking around for a while I searched the site for Larsen and it only found 4 antennas and they were all for cell phones.
A friend of mine was living in a tiny apartment while his house was being repaired after the roof collapsed, and he used a couple of mag mount antennas with larger steel cookie sheets for groundplanes. They were pretty cheap and had a use when he didn't need them for use with his scanners anymore.
Hoofy
Member
If you have access to a HAM radio guy or an antenna analyzer you could try this.
I took an old set of rabbit ears and connected the coax center wire and the shield to the individual telescoping antenns and then with the analyzer I lengthened or shortened the antennas until I got what worked the best.
I mounted the rabbit ears in the attic to start with and went from there.
If you try this don't stand too close to the antenna while tuning as it will have an effect on the antenna and tuning.
I took an old set of rabbit ears and connected the coax center wire and the shield to the individual telescoping antenns and then with the analyzer I lengthened or shortened the antennas until I got what worked the best.
I mounted the rabbit ears in the attic to start with and went from there.
If you try this don't stand too close to the antenna while tuning as it will have an effect on the antenna and tuning.
W6KRU
Member
Yes and in my opinion it should be about 1/2 wavelength in diameter which would be about 48" at 120 MHz.
Hmm. I can't find anything on the solidsignal. com site for that antenna. After looking around for a while I searched the site for Larsen and it only found 4 antennas and they were all for cell phones.
My appologies Dan you are correct.
I just did a search again and I was too quick on grabing the info.
The spec given on the size was for Wilson Electronics 301104 which is a cellular antenna.
But yes you do still need a ground plane.
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W6KRU
Member
OK. I'll buy that. 3.5" is a 1/4 wave at 800, so 8" sounds pretty close to 1/2 wave at 850 MHz.
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