800Mhz antenna question

Thinking about adding a new 800mhz base antenna to my scanning setup just to see what else I can pickup.

Currently I use a diamond discone mounted on my roof with a 75' run of lmr400. New antenna will also be run with 75' of lmr400 and will either also be on the roof, or possibly in the attic.

Question about getting a new antenna - are 800Mhz antennas always directional? I don't have a particular tower I am looking to pickup, there are lots of them (mostly mass state police), but want to be able to pull in as much as I can - how important is the precise pointing of the antenna?

Seems if I get a directional 800mhz antenna, I also need to consider adding a rotor, correct? or are there any non-directional 800mhz antennas that will give me significant improvement over my discone? I'd prefer not to have to also deal with a rotor install, but also don't want to spend the time/money to install a second antenna and only see a very little bit of improvement over my discone.

Any recommendations on specific 800mhz base antennas would be much appreciated.

I am using a Wilson 800 Mhz cell phone antenna with good results. The antenna is advertised with 14dB of gain. I am able to pick up 800 Mhz channels from Washingtom Dulles airport, Prince William County police and fire, Alexandria Virginia and others near near Washington DC. Since most of my sites are to the east I have no need for a rotor. All are within about 30 degrees of each other and are located from 40 to 60 miles away.

I'm using several Laird/Antennex Omnidirectional antennas.
With a preamp mounted right at the base of the antenna, I can hear anything on the band.

Here are the specs for some of the Antenex antennas

Fiberglass Omnidirectional Wireless Antennas on Laird Technologies

Right now, there are several NEW FG8066 antennas on ebay for $40 each plus $16.50 shipping.
(They normally sell for around $159-$259.)
Antenex FG8066 Base Antenna | eBay

Rich

You'll need some mounting hardware also. (Antenex FM2 or equivalent)

The preamps I use are RF Bay, Inc. LNA-1000 and Mini-Circuits ZQL-1900MLN

LNA-1000
10 1000MHz Low Noise Amplifier LNA 1000 30dB Gain SMA | eBay

ZQL-1900MLN
Mini Circuits Mini Circuits 15542 ZQL 1900MLNW 50O 1800 to 2000 MHz RF Amplifier | eBay

Even though the official specs. for the ZQL-1900MLN are 1850-1910 MHz they work very well all the way down to 400 MHz.



Specs for the FG8066:
Frequency Range 806 - 866 MHz
Tuned Frequency 813.5 MHz
Gain 6 dBD
Length 65 inches
Max. Power 100 watts

Options 4 Inch Wall Mount
9 Inch Standoff (2)
Fiberglass Mounting Bracket (2)
Stainless Steel U-Bolt Mount (2)

Almost any antenna tuned for a particular band would be an improvement over a disk cone antenna. Disk cone antennas have no gain to start with, actually, they have a negative gain factor (as compared to a 1/2 wave antenna which is the standard). 'Gain' antennas don't have to be directional. There are vertical array type antennas that do have gain and are omnidirectional. They won't have as -much- gain as a directional antenna but they do have some 'gain'. Unless you are only going to listen to one 'tower', and if those other towers are all in the same direction from you, then you would benefit from having some means of turning that directional antenna, right? (Or having a lot of those directional antennas all pointed in different directions? Yeah, right.)
Inside antennas are always at a disadvantage compared to the same antenna outside, less 'stuff' between the antenna and the desired signal. So, if you have the option, put that antenna outside and as high as you possibly can and keep things within reason. If your only option is an inside antenna then it will be better than no antenna at all though.
- 'Doc

It sounds like all you need is an 800 omni-directional antenna something like this:

Tram/Browning BR-6280 [Tram/Browning BR-6280] - $44.95 : The Antenna Farm :: , Your Two Way Radio Source!

I'm going to be getting a 396XT, and I'm not sure in a discone or a directional, There is a antenna site on the top of "Iron Mountain" here in Ramona/Poway,Ca. and I'm not sure if all the traffic from the CaLFire, SDSO SDPD, Julian, and the ect.Go through that Cell site, Would like to do the Antena thing ONCE..Then I need to work on the Yota's Ears...

Didn't mean to Highjack...wmscan., You were saying just what i was thinkingto ask too..

What antenna is good for inside .I am having the same problem with my antenna getting anything .
Thanks

Soundman said:

What antenna is good for inside .I am having the same problem with my antenna getting anything .
Thanks

Click to expand...

I have a Comet BNC-24 and it picks up 800mhz inside the house or car with full 5 bar signal strength. AS they say on those commercials, results mar vary though.

Thanks for the responce .I am look to pick up the stupped p25 system that thy put in .I have a yagi directional that is not work so well .I can't put it outside because of home rules and for money resion I can only go so far with cable .So I am needing to look for other ways to pick up this stupped system .

wmscanfan said:

Thinking about adding a new 800mhz base antenna to my scanning setup just to see what else I can pickup.

Currently I use a diamond discone mounted on my roof with a 75' run of lmr400. New antenna will also be run with 75' of lmr400 and will either also be on the roof, or possibly in the attic.

Question about getting a new antenna - are 800Mhz antennas always directional? I don't have a particular tower I am looking to pickup, there are lots of them (mostly mass state police), but want to be able to pull in as much as I can - how important is the precise pointing of the antenna?

Seems if I get a directional 800mhz antenna, I also need to consider adding a rotor, correct? or are there any non-directional 800mhz antennas that will give me significant improvement over my discone? I'd prefer not to have to also deal with a rotor install, but also don't want to spend the time/money to install a second antenna and only see a very little bit of improvement over my discone.

Any recommendations on specific 800mhz base antennas would be much appreciated.

Click to expand...

You want to avoid the electromechanical hassles associated with setting up a Yagi and antenna rotator(?) - an omni-directional 5/8's wavelength antenna for 800Mhz is a viable option.

It will give you significantly better reception than your discone - performance both in terms of Gain as well as noise reduction are going to be better than the discone. In fact I go so far as to say it's the improvement in Signal to Noise Ratio that the 5/8's will offer you that is going to be it's big plus factor.

It's one of the best omni-directional antenna types - at 800Mhz it's small (as are all vertical single element resonant 800Mhz antennas) so you'll be able to locate it easily in-doors/in the attic away from objects which could distort it's near-field pattern if that's what you wish to do, however, it's going to work best outside (as do all antennas).

Get the 5/8's antenna up as high as possible (been a single vertical element type antenna you'll be able to raise it several times higher than the bulky discone and/or Yagi without having to increase mast support). Add a good quality eBay sourced band-pass filter for the 800Mhz band that you wish to monitor to further improve the Signal to Noise Ratio, and perhaps also check eBay out for a narrow-band preamp for the same band-width to compliment the setup, and you are going to have an excellent omni-directional 800Mhz antenna setup - not far off, if not as good as, a small/medium sized Yagi.

Note - internet is full of DIY 5/8's wavelength antenna instructions - they are easy to make.
Don't bother trying to purchase a good quality 800Mhz bandpass filter new - they cost hundreds of $'s. Checkout eBay. You could make one for next to nothing, except that it'll take some time to get a grasp of the theory. Pre-amp's are a lot cheaper than filters, and even cheaper on eBay.

So what the best inside antenna that will get the job done . I get a sweet spot 1 min and then I lost it agin with the yagi .This is driving me crazy . So what the best inside antenna . Thanks for the responce back .

I have been hearing that the good ol' Radio Shack 800 MHz rubber duck antenna for you hand held is the Cats Meow, #20-283, which I going to get one myself..$.02 YMMV

I have tryed that it does not work for the desktop our hand held .