Motorola antenna for BCD396?

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ke4ppj

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Hello all. I need some help. I've been doing some research lately and coming up empty.
I'm looking to see if it's possible to get a Motorola 800 MHZ antenna portable antenna that will fit on the 396.

In doing the research I saw this on the internet that has a pic of the scanner with the MOT antenna.
http://midwest-ham-l.igorscomputers...96T-digital-APCO25-trunking-scanner-bcd-396T/

In that pic it doesn't look like there is any sort of adaptor or anything??
Any luck on where I can find one?

Thanks in advance.
 

Grog

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Well he says he's selling the scanner with an antenna from the XTS, and those do not have the same mount as the uniden scanner. i have no idea of any motorolas that use the uniden-style SMA.
 

mancow

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The email address listed for contact is: Email to: sale-110066012329 AT members.manualsexchange.com

When I first glanced at it I read it another way... :lol:

"manualsexchange" :p


It reminds me of that commercial where the guy is getting advice from his doctor over the phone to perform an operation on himself at the kitchen table.
 

hoser147

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From the add where he is selling it :* This is a well cared for scanner. I'm the original owner and it has never given me any problems. It has had two modifications performed. First, the stock antenna and jack were removed. The were replaced with official Motorola parts to allow tuned antennas for VHF, UHF and 800MHz to be used for better reception. That should answer your question.. Good scannin Hoser
 

mancow

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Not a bad idea at all...

I wonder how difficult that would be and what SMA he used? The ones off the astro sabers have that retainer ring around them but the Jedi series are just pressed in the frame. The saber series might work.

I just might do that myself. I bet a wideband Vhf Moto antenna would really kick ass.
 

zz0468

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I'm not sure I understand why. An antenna with a Motorola logo stamped on it doesn't have any magical signal attracting qualities.
 

Grog

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zz0468 said:
I'm not sure I understand why. An antenna with a Motorola logo stamped on it doesn't have any magical signal attracting qualities.


But they work 200% better than the crap that uniden/GRE/etc include with their scanners.
 

Grog

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hoser147 said:
From the add where he is selling it :* This is a well cared for scanner. I'm the original owner and it has never given me any problems. It has had two modifications performed. First, the stock antenna and jack were removed. The were replaced with official Motorola parts to allow tuned antennas for VHF, UHF and 800MHz to be used for better reception. That should answer your question.. Good scannin Hoser



I missed that part, but I did see the sexchange address :D
 

ke4ppj

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hoser147 said:
From the add where he is selling it :* This is a well cared for scanner. I'm the original owner and it has never given me any problems. It has had two modifications performed. First, the stock antenna and jack were removed. The were replaced with official Motorola parts to allow tuned antennas for VHF, UHF and 800MHz to be used for better reception. That should answer your question.. Good scannin Hoser



Ahh, I missed that part in the ad where he mentioned the mod to the antenna jack....I was still scratching my head over that sex change.

Thanks for the help.
-Josh
 

W4KRR

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The guy removed the Uniden SMA female antenna connector and replaced it with a male SMA connector from a Motorola radio. IMO, this is a lot of trouble to go to just to use Motorola branded antennas. You could use a double SMA male adapter in order to use a Motorola brand antenna on the stock Uniden SMA jack, although I admit it would stick up too high and look funny.

But there are other solutions; Antenex (for one) makes tuned rubber duck style antennas for just about any bands you would want, and most are available with the proper SMA male connector (SM) that will fit the BCD396 scanner without any modifications. I have found they work just as well as the Motorola branded antennas on their respective bands.
 

ke4ppj

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W4KRR said:
The guy removed the Uniden SMA female antenna connector and replaced it with a male SMA connector from a Motorola radio. IMO, this is a lot of trouble to go to just to use Motorola branded antennas. You could use a double SMA male adapter in order to use a Motorola brand antenna on the stock Uniden SMA jack, although I admit it would stick up too high and look funny.

But there are other solutions; Antenex (for one) makes tuned rubber duck style antennas for just about any bands you would want, and most are available with the proper SMA male connector (SM) that will fit the BCD396 scanner without any modifications. I have found they work just as well as the Motorola branded antennas on their respective bands.


Agreed, I have an Antenex that I use sometimes that works great. The nice thing is that it is only about an inch and half tall. Mine doesn't work quite as good as my Radio Shack 800 MHZ one. I'm just an antenna nut and was curious as to how he did it when I saw the pic.
 

W4KRR

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ke4ppj said:
Agreed, I have an Antenex that I use sometimes that works great. The nice thing is that it is only about an inch and half tall. Mine doesn't work quite as good as my Radio Shack 800 MHZ one. I'm just an antenna nut and was curious as to how he did it when I saw the pic.

Agreed; when I saw the pic, I knew something was modified; either the scanner or the antenna. I don't think Motorola even makes an antenna that would fit directly onto the BCD396 without some type of adapter.
 

blueangel-eric

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why does Motorola have their jacks the reverse of ham radio jacks? I don't see what the big deal is to have standard jacks like ham radios and scanners do. I have a old single channel motorola ht that was given to me and i can't hook it to a power supply because you have to have a adapter and the antenna is gone and the battery is dead. it's as good as junk.
so god knows on what freqs it is or band.
Eric Burris
 

fireant

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Motorola more than likely sets them up that way so they can charge thier prices and force you to buy antennas from them. Where scanner and ham radios have more universal setup and more options and there for have to keep the prices down more. Not saying I am right but it would not suprise me with Motorola.

fireant
 

mancow

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No, the scanner radios are backward from Motorola.

Motorola has been building them like that a-lot longer that the others have. Plus, it's a better design. The SMA is recessed in the radio and far less prone to damage than the exposed threads of a ham or scanner rig.
 
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