Yet another discone opinion thread...

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Kumba

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I'm sure everyone loves seeing these pop up. Just looking for opinions really, though, whether or not anyone's actually used the below product.

Want to look at getting a discone antenna for my scanner (Uniden BCD396T), but not the expensive, outdoor mount versions. So I poked around, and came across two "desktop discone" models. One is made by ScanMaster, called a "Desktop Discone", and is found here (well, found easily):
Radioware & Radio Bookstore - Scanmaster Desktop Discone Antenna

The other one looks like it's a different model. Manufacturer is unknown, but it only seems to be found on UK shopping sites:
Desktop Discone Antenna > Maplin

Is it reasonable to expect a boost in scannable frequencies with something like that, especially over a Diamond RH77CA antenna? Note, I'll probably keep this near my computer, which I know is usually bad because of local RF interference, but I'm wondering if that negative would be offset by any gained ability to detect further-away signals.

Mostly, my RH77CA can pick up my county's local trunked system, but I can barely pick up any other nearby trunked systems (excluding the next-door county conventional system, which comes in fine as well), but I would also like to pick up nearby ham transmissions, especially those used by local Skywarn groups (usually 147.300MHz, plus others). The RH77CA has a difficult time scanning that range.

Any Thoughts? Thanks!


PS: Thoughts on this non-discone scanner antenna?:
Maldol AH-W100RX Scanner Antenna
 

W6KRU

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The first antenna is no cheaper than the Comet DS-150 discone. Is the problem the expense or the inability to mount an outdoor antenna?
 

rvictor

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Mostly, my RH77CA can pick up my county's local trunked system, but I can barely pick up any other nearby trunked systems (excluding the next-door county conventional system, which comes in fine as well), but I would also like to pick up nearby ham transmissions, especially those used by local Skywarn groups (usually 147.300MHz, plus others). The RH77CA has a difficult time scanning that range.

The RH77CA is a pretty decent 2 meter ham antenna since it's a 1/4 wave on 2 meters. I've used it as a transmit antenna on that band with good results. You're not likely to get better results on 2 meters from a wide band antenna in the same location and I would suspect probably inferior results.

If you can get an antenna outdoors or (as a next best choice) in the attic, that would probably make a big difference.

73
Dick
 

Kumba

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The first antenna is no cheaper than the Comet DS-150 discone. Is the problem the expense or the inability to mount an outdoor antenna?
Mix of both. I just use a scanner right now, so I'm not too concerned with transmit capabilities, so mounting something outdoors seems a bit overkill for that application. That, and that wonderful thing called a homeowners association that gripes at you if the color of the trashcans doesn't look right or something silly kinda inhibits an outdoor antenna right now.

I'm pondering outdoor applications if/when I get into Ham at some point.


The RH77CA is a pretty decent 2 meter ham antenna since it's a 1/4 wave on 2 meters. I've used it as a transmit antenna on that band with good results. You're not likely to get better results on 2 meters from a wide band antenna in the same location and I would suspect probably inferior results.

If you can get an antenna outdoors or (as a next best choice) in the attic, that would probably make a big difference.

Well, I think distance has something to do with it. I've kept an eye on the local Skywarn frequencies during severe weather, and it's really difficult to pick up anything when there's even activity being transmitted. The 147.300MHz repeater is way over in Virginia, up near the blue ridge mountains I believe, and I pretty much have to go stand out in the storm just to pick anything up on my scanner (it's a handheld model).

Once, last summer, I did pick up some kind of communication on a branched-off skywarn net that was located in the county east of me, but it was sporadic, and I don't think it was relaying anything from the main repeater.

I figured in both cases, I just needed a better antenna. I asked a ham person at a skywarn class, and she suggested getting a discone would probably work.
 

zz0468

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Mix of both. I just use a scanner right now, so I'm not too concerned with transmit capabilities, so mounting something outdoors seems a bit overkill for that application.

Not if you want it to work. A simple outdoor antenna will usually outperform almost anything you can put indoors.

That, and that wonderful thing called a homeowners association that gripes at you if the color of the trashcans doesn't look right or something silly kinda inhibits an outdoor antenna right now.

I'm pondering outdoor applications if/when I get into Ham at some point.

You may want to consider getting the ARRL antenna book, or looking into other ham radio resources for a solution. There's a TON of hams who live in condos and HOA restricted homes who have come up with some pretty clever ways of disguising antennas. Even if it's for receive only, don't discount any of those methods. Indoor antennas STINK!


I figured in both cases, I just needed a better antenna. I asked a ham person at a skywarn class, and she suggested getting a discone would probably work.

She may have glommed onto the fact that you're using a scanner, and for wide frequency coverage, a discone is a great idea. But you only mention VHF high band frequencies. A discone may be over kill. You could BUILD an antenna out of wire scraps that would kick butt outside, and be easy to hide. This isn't a problem that requires anything complex, or expensive.
 

rvictor

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Mix of both. I just use a scanner right now, so I'm not too concerned with transmit capabilities, so mounting something outdoors seems a bit overkill for that application. That, and that wonderful thing called a homeowners association that gripes at you if the color of the trashcans doesn't look right or something silly kinda inhibits an outdoor antenna right now.

I'm pondering outdoor applications if/when I get into Ham at some point.

Well, I think distance has something to do with it. I've kept an eye on the local Skywarn frequencies during severe weather, and it's really difficult to pick up anything when there's even activity being transmitted. The 147.300MHz repeater is way over in Virginia, up near the blue ridge mountains I believe, and I pretty much have to go stand out in the storm just to pick anything up on my scanner (it's a handheld model).

Once, last summer, I did pick up some kind of communication on a branched-off skywarn net that was located in the county east of me, but it was sporadic, and I don't think it was relaying anything from the main repeater.

I figured in both cases, I just needed a better antenna. I asked a ham person at a skywarn class, and she suggested getting a discone would probably work.

Actually getting outdoors isn't overkill if the reception that you're getting indoors isn't adequate for what you want to do. As another poster mentioned, there are a number of antennas that can be bought or built that will not be very noticeable and yet provide excellent results. Perhaps a j-pole for example. The discone is going to be a bit hard to hide outdoors since it has the appearance of an excited porcupine. I love mine, but it's not inconspicuous.

Distance has a lot to do with it. Since you can't change that, an antenna that is outdoors can help make up for it.

If your main interest is in Skywarn, then you will do well with an antenna that is specifically made or built for the frequency band used for those transmissions which in your case would be the 2 meter ham band that covers 144-148 MHz. Such an antenna is a "specialist" at 2 meters while a discone is a "generalist" that covers approximately 25-1300 MHz. Not surprisingly, the "specialist" antenna will do better on 2 meters than the "generalist", but not as well on frequencies above and below the 2 meter band.

If you absolutely can't get outdoors and have no attic access that might provide a place for an antenna, you might want to consider a mag mount antenna sitting on a cookie sheet or on top of a metal file cabinet. I've got a Larsen 150/450/800 mag mount scanner antenna sitting that way about 6 feet from my computer and it does a nice job. It doesn't do as well as my outdoor antennas, but a whole lot better than the antenna on the scanner and I can take it out and use it on the car when I'm in need of a mobile antenna.

73
Dick
 

Kumba

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Actually getting outdoors isn't overkill if the reception that you're getting indoors isn't adequate for what you want to do. As another poster mentioned, there are a number of antennas that can be bought or built that will not be very noticeable and yet provide excellent results. Perhaps a j-pole for example. The discone is going to be a bit hard to hide outdoors since it has the appearance of an excited porcupine. I love mine, but it's not inconspicuous.

Distance has a lot to do with it. Since you can't change that, an antenna that is outdoors can help make up for it.

If your main interest is in Skywarn, then you will do well with an antenna that is specifically made or built for the frequency band used for those transmissions which in your case would be the 2 meter ham band that covers 144-148 MHz. Such an antenna is a "specialist" at 2 meters while a discone is a "generalist" that covers approximately 25-1300 MHz. Not surprisingly, the "specialist" antenna will do better on 2 meters than the "generalist", but not as well on frequencies above and below the 2 meter band.

If you absolutely can't get outdoors and have no attic access that might provide a place for an antenna, you might want to consider a mag mount antenna sitting on a cookie sheet or on top of a metal file cabinet. I've got a Larsen 150/450/800 mag mount scanner antenna sitting that way about 6 feet from my computer and it does a nice job. It doesn't do as well as my outdoor antennas, but a whole lot better than the antenna on the scanner and I can take it out and use it on the car when I'm in need of a mobile antenna.

The mobile mag-mount antenna sounds like an idea I can try. Attic access is next to impossible -- I'm renting from family right now, and the house was designed kind of strange...there's two attics, and access to the upper level one requires you to be a light-weight midget for the most part to even get into the small access panel.

Outdoors is something I think I'll do when I get my own place, and get more into the field of radio. I do have an ARRL license guide that preps you for the technical exam that I've been reading off and on, and that's helped to explain quite a bit about antennas.

Skywarn is one of the interests I have that I'd like to listen in on, but I also track my local county police/fire on their 800MHz trunked system, which the RH77CA does really well. The RH77CA even does a decent job while mobile, but one thing I'd like to do is pick up the low VHF (~38MHz and such), as that's where MD's state police mostly operate (this would mostly be for mobile purposes -- I'll open a separate thread on mobile antennas for that). A discone looks like it'll do all of this pretty well (Skywanr, 800MHz, VHF, etc..), but I'm not sure if the indoor variety will suffer from interference too much because of the building materials in the way.

Outside of general scanning, I was also thinking of ways to get this shortwave radio I have to tune into different frequencies from around the world. That, I think, needs a different antenna entirely, though.
 

lmrtek

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As with most things, if you have never owned a GOOD antenna, you have no idea how poor a discone is.

Trying to compare a resonant colinear gain antenna to a discone is like comparing a Corvette to a chevette.
 

zz0468

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As with most things, if you have never owned a GOOD antenna, you have no idea how poor a discone is.

Trying to compare a resonant colinear gain antenna to a discone is like comparing a Corvette to a chevette.

This is not really a fair or objective statement. if the requirement is for a broadband antenna, or perhaps just unity gain with as close to an isotropic pattern as you can get, a discone is a BETTER antenna than a collinear gain antenna.

The application and requirements are as much a part of determining how "good" an antenna is, as the antenna itself is.
 
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