Diamond X50A as scanner antenna?

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freema22

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Howdy folks. I have a simple question for a complex problem. I have a scanner in the basement connected to a Radio Shack scanner antenna. I have been thinking about putting an amateur base station in the basement as well, but my wife (an interior designer) has imposed a 1 antenna limit on the house. If I put in the base station, the Radio Shack antenna would have to come down. I was thinking of putting up a Diamond X50A dual band antenna with a switch for my amateur and scanner needs. My question is how effective of a scanner antenna will it be? I am not so worried about UHF & VHF, but several of the agencies around me are on 800MHz. What do you guys think?

Mike F
 

gewecke

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Well first off,the diamond X50A is a vhf/uhf antenna. I have one,but I have never tried receiving 800mhz. with it,but it does very well otherwise on a scanner.
You could mount the X50A outside,and switch the antenna between your scanner and transceiver,if she'll only let you have one....or offer to do dishes for a month,if she'll allow you to have two??
Also,you could stand the diamond up behind a recliner chair up stairs and run the coax downstairs?
If your walls are white,she might never see it! How observant is she?
N9ZAS.
 
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digitalanalog

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You must have missed the part of the OP where freema22 states:
but my wife (an interior designer)

If anyone would notice an antenna standing behind a chair, it would be an interior designer.

gewecke;
Also,you could stand the diamond up behind a recliner chair up stairs and run the coax downstairs?
If your walls are white,she might never see it! How observant is she?
N9ZAS.

I'm thinking he's NOT going to get away with that......................
 

K2GMZ

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Why not a Diamond Discone?

Why not a Diamond Discone?

Diamond® Antenna ~ D130J Super Discone Antenna

Great all around antenna, not the best at any given thing, but if you only have one choice, this would be a good one. Xmits on 144/440, good receive on everything from 50-1000mhz.

It all depends on what you looking to do with you ham hobby too, gain antenna for simplex or rag chewing on the local repeaters. I've always had a discone for scanning and X-50 for ham, great combo, thats what I have in my attic now. There's also the times I used both for ham op's at the same time, like when MIR was still in orbit, I would be talking on the X-50 on UHF, while tracking MIR or STS with some buddies and and connecting via packet on 2m with the Discone when they flew over.

Do you have an attic? You could do the X-50 on the roof, and simply place the discone in the attic, just sit it on its radals, and as far away from the X-50 as you can to keep stray rf from creeping back into you scanners.
 
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gewecke

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You must have missed the part of the OP where freema22 states:


If anyone would notice an antenna standing behind a chair, it would be an interior designer.



I'm thinking he's NOT going to get away with that......................

I saw that part,but it depends on how bad does he want a second antenna,right? What is he willing to do....or is she willing to compromise?

Yeah,the diamond D130 is a nice discone,but he already has the x50a.
N9zas.
 

N1BHH

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Howdy folks. I have a simple question for a complex problem. I have a scanner in the basement connected to a Radio Shack scanner antenna. I have been thinking about putting an amateur base station in the basement as well, but my wife (an interior designer) has imposed a 1 antenna limit on the house. If I put in the base station, the Radio Shack antenna would have to come down. I was thinking of putting up a Diamond X50A dual band antenna with a switch for my amateur and scanner needs. My question is how effective of a scanner antenna will it be? I am not so worried about UHF & VHF, but several of the agencies around me are on 800MHz. What do you guys think?

Mike F

A one antenna limit? I think you need to examine your options better. Antenna in the basement? When did that silly idea come to fruition? Below ground is not the place for an antenna. The X-50A works very well as a scanner antenna. Just because it's a ham band antenna doesn't mean it won't work elsewhere. All you need is it to be outside on the roof as high as possible, because that's where antennas belong. They don't detract from the value of your home, no matter what other people may say.
 

freema22

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A one antenna limit? I think you need to examine your options better. Antenna in the basement? When did that silly idea come to fruition? Below ground is not the place for an antenna. The X-50A works very well as a scanner antenna. Just because it's a ham band antenna doesn't mean it won't work elsewhere. All you need is it to be outside on the roof as high as possible, because that's where antennas belong. They don't detract from the value of your home, no matter what other people may say.

I guess I wasn't clear in my first post. My Rat Shack antenna is currently mounted on a pole above the roof of my house. No antennae live in the basement.
 

trace1

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Go ahead and put you up another antenna or two and just tell your wife that it is some of that "new wave" art that is all the rage now!!! ;)
 

K2GMZ

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Out of site, out of mind...

Really depends on what you want to do, the limitations of one antenna can be a drag and depends on what your doing with the hobby. I myself usually have 4-5 radios going at a time and a streaming scanner that's on 24/7 365...I would hate to have to switch things cause I want to talk on my ham gear.

If you have an attic or crawlspace, shove a discone in there, if both your cable runs are more than 30ft, avoid RG58 type cables, run some GOOD VHF/UHF coax like DavisRF Bury Flex 9914, it's very good for both antennas, better than 9913, (which can have water problems due to cavities in the cable) spec is close to LMR400 and no special connectors needed, and, its flexible and will outlive you.

The X-50 will do fine for most anything you do, but with 800mhz simulcast systems like we have here in the Phoenix Metro Area, if the signal is not clean and strong its pretty painful to listen to, hence a antenna with 800mhz properties and low loss cable. It becomes an issue fast at 700/800/900mhz so I suggest investigating what others are doing in your area and what issues they may have, as its a good guess as to what you should expect.

The perfect situation is you have dedicated antennas designed to do what they need to do and good cable you'll never have to touch again, no compromising switching things back and forth AND a wife who is happy because you did it once and it was done right! Good Luck...
 
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SCPD

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Whoa there Mike, which RS antenna do you have?

The RS Discone antenna works great on 2m and 70cm! You don't need to replace it. And yes, it's rated to work at those frequencies.

I have one - works just fine on VHF/UHF and 800mhz.
 
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freema22

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Whoa there Mike, which RS antenna do you have?

The RS Discone antenna works great on 2m and 70cm! You don't need to replace it. And yes, it's rated to work at those frequencies.

I have one - works just fine on VHF/UHF and 800mhz.

I have this one:
pRS1C-2266208w345.jpg


It is only rated for transmitting on 2m. I have heard mixed opinions on discones. Specifically, one of the head radio techs for the City of Chicago told me to avoid them and go with something like the X50A.

Mike F
 

gewecke

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Mike,the X50A would be a better choice like you were told because it offers 4.5 decibel gain on vhf and 7.2 decibel gain on uhf. The discone offers little if any gain at all on transmit.
I have an X50A up now,and it spanks the discone I now use for a back up antenna for DTV.
N9ZAS.
 

k1mri

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Howdy folks. I have a simple question for a complex problem. I have a scanner in the basement connected to a Radio Shack scanner antenna. I have been thinking about putting an amateur base station in the basement as well, but my wife (an interior designer) has imposed a 1 antenna limit on the house. If I put in the base station, the Radio Shack antenna would have to come down. I was thinking of putting up a Diamond X50A dual band antenna with a switch for my amateur and scanner needs. My question is how effective of a scanner antenna will it be? I am not so worried about UHF & VHF, but several of the agencies around me are on 800MHz. What do you guys think?

Mike F

I tried that a few weeks ago. BUT on 800mhz, forget about it. My BC15 went from 4 signal strength to a 1 using this set-up. Now the 800Mhz tower(s) are in Boston and I'm in direct line of sight at 5 miles away. For my set-up it just did not work.
 

freema22

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I tried that a few weeks ago. BUT on 800mhz, forget about it. My BC15 went from 4 signal strength to a 1 using this set-up. Now the 800Mhz tower(s) are in Boston and I'm in direct line of sight at 5 miles away. For my set-up it just did not work.

Ah ha! A voice of experience. Thanks.
 
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