Scanner Antenna Questions Please: Diamond RH 77CA

Hello,

Sr. Citizen now, and frankly my antenna knowledge is very poor, so would like to ask the following, please.

Have a Diamond Brand RH77CA antenna that says it is usable for:
120/150/300/450/800/900 MHz.

a. Would this be a good or better antenna to use for a new Uniden HomePatrol-1
Scanner I just ordered ?

Would it "cover" most everything (all the Bands) this scanner is capable of picking up ?
I would like to monitor just about anything and everything.

b. Anything available that is significantly "better", but that is not any longer than the 15" that the length
that the Diamond is ?

c. Probably a silly question, but the only way to learn is to ask them.

Will keep scanner by bedside.
Unusual mounting problem for the antenna. Will probably try to mount higher than the scanner, and connect with some 50 ohm coax.

Question: for these vertical whips (I think that's the correct designation for them), does it matter at all
if they are pointing vertically up, or at 180 deg. pointing vertically downward ?

Is absolutely vertical usually the best orientation at all the Bands ?
Or, is the polarization so mixed up by the time any signal arrives, the polarization which i understand is purely vertical at the transmitter end is totally scrambled by the time it reaches the receiver ?

Much thanks; appreciate the help,
Bob

Indoor antennas generally do not work as well as outdoor antennas for obvious reasons. It is generally assumed that Land Mobile transmitters are vertically polarized. It likely makes little difference if your indoor 12 inch antenna is exactly vertical or not. Experiment by moving your HP-1 around the room seeking a "sweet spot" for best reception I have tried various configurations on the HP-1, a large paper clip inserted into the connector works on my TRS 700 MHz P-25 Phase 1 system as well as anything made by Diamond as I have most of their small antennas including some counterfeit ones. Good luck, just play around with the antenna. Don't put too much faith in the advertising copy, it is not written by the antenna engineers.

This antenna covers a wide array of frequencies, it is not perfect for any but does a decent job. You did not mention what frequencies you are looking to monitor. I would not worry about polarization or perfect orientation. It is designed for portable use so it would be fairly forgiving. As the previous post said try moving the radio around the room or house to find the best spot.

Just remember

If you hook it to your HP make sure the antenna or coax has the SMA or an adapter from BNC.

Also if not using coax you'll want to use an angle adapter or it will stick straight out, not really practical.

I have this antenna and I like it. Picks up rather well at pretty decent distances.

I used to have/use the RH77 and its cousin the SRH77 (with an SMA connector for radios like the HP1 and 396/436) but moved on to the SRH789 which has a 'hinge' just above the connector, allowing for 90° orientation on things like the HP. Its whip also telescopes, meaning you can "tune" it to the particular band you are monitoring.

But as you say, you already have an RH77. Find an SMA to BNC adapter and a 90° elbow and you will have a good antenna setup for your HP1.