Troubleshooting Assistance Required- Please

I have an outside mounted antenna as pictured. It then feeds into the cable, powered, amp/splitter pictured also to 8 scanners. My reception is poor and I wanted to get advice before I begin to troubleshoot and pick it apart. Here is the scenario:

It seems like there is a block in the 460-464 MHz frequencies, as in I cannot pick up the mall and hospital which are less than 5 miles from me. I also cannot get a trunked CC on 460.500 which I can with a rubber duck and a handheld scanner in my living room. I took my handheld PRO 97 with the stock rubber duck in my front yard. I could pick up the NJSP CC on 860 MHz perfectly, and the JCP&L CC on 939 MHz perfectly. Inside with the setup pictured, the NJSP is spotty and the JCP&L system is non-existent. Is this splitter/amp thing the wrong thing to use? Is it split too many ways? I am using standard RG-58 (the thicker TV stuff) and the run from antenna to splitter is less than 25 feet. Can anyone shine some light here? This poor reception is troublesome! It also appears that signals west of my house are problematic. Signals east, like Seaside(s) on 460.35 & 460.225 are crystal-clear. Thanks in advance fellow RR's.

A lot of possibilities here...

First, have you tried with the antenna connected directly to just one scanner?

Second, some of those connectors look a bit "suspect". As in improperly crimped.

Third, the antenna is right next to your house, and possibly touching the chain link fence. At best it's a minor pattern distortion, at worst, it's screwing up reception because that half of the antenna is shorted to ground. Raise it up as high as possible.

Forth, you should be using all good quality 75 ohm cabling and connectors. Yes, good 50 ohm cable will work, but you have a lot going on there, so I'd be using uniform cables from top to bottom. Verify all the cables individually before using them through the amp. And make sure the amp isn't putting out a really hot signal into the front end of the scanner. Could be swamping it.

+1 on his response. You have to get that scantenna up in the clear as the frequencies you want are line of sight. And a few of those cables are crimped enough to possibly be shorted. When you smoosh them like that you bring the outer braid woefully close to the center conductor-if not actually right into contact with each other. With cable, lockjaws are not your friend

To add the above excellent responses, find out the specs on your amp. It could have a high NF, effectively causing more harm than help.

All great advice so far. Simple things first - try direct connection (w/o amp splitter) to each radio from the antenna. Go to one of your "regular" UHF channels and see if things improve. If consistent improvement on every radio... it's the splitter / amp. If some are good, some are bad.... then the connectors / coax are likely at fault. And to get the antenna up higher (absolutely necessary).... move it to the peak of the roof and mount it on the side of the house with a 10 ft (or higher) mast. Google "antenna eave mount" and you'll find a brackets that mount to the eave to hold the mast for your ST-2 antenna.
If you find the splitter / amp is bad (or suspect), get one with known specs such as Electroline or this one:
http://smile.amazon.com/Bi-Directio...=1433809099&sr=8-4&keywords=catv+splitter+amp
For less than $40 you get a splitter / amp with known specs. I have a two port version of the same thing (PCT) and it works great with my OCFD antenna in the attic, 75 ohm coax, and two scanners.

The upper left F connector in your photo looks crimped - but that is a compression connector - you need the right tool to put that on - you can't crimp it.
RG-58 isn't the "thicker TV stuff" - it's thin 50 ohm cable. Perhaps you mean RG-6? If you really meant RF-58, then replace that...it's lossy, especially at UHF and above.
Suggestion on the antenna mounting - if for some reason you can't move it up on the house, you have fence post right there. If that is a sturdy post (e.g. in concrete), perhaps you could put 10-15 feet of masting on it (bracing to the corner of the house would be good too) and get that antenna up a little higher.
I concur on the trying antenna directly on the scanner - no amp or filter - and see what happens.

I am going to try to run the cable directly from the antenna to a scanner. I am using mostly RG-6, which is the thicker coax. I will also check the connectors, I do not have a compression tool. Let me check the signal direct to the scanner and I will report back.
I appreciate all the assistance so far!

You might be able to fix up a compression tool with a few small pipe fittings or sockets and a vice? Better to just go to Lowe's and buy one? Not very expensive. Here's one on ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-C...578?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58bd26d05a

...or with as many F connectors there, just buy a big bag of crimp-ons and the correct crimp tool. Just make sure you get the right ones. They ARE different if you have RG-59, RG-6, or RG-6 Quad-Shield.

I am going to Home Depot today and buying a new compression crimper. I will redo all the coax ends. I am using the F to BNC adapters, and those are all in good shape. Also to answer a previous post, the antenna is NOT touching the chain link fence. It is close, but they aren't touching.

Okay, so I got to test the antenna alone. Still having issues. I took the 25' of coax directly from the antenna into two different scanners. I can faintly get the CC on 460.500 (maybe one bar better as without amp & splitters). My NJSP on 860 MHz is a fraction better, but still no sight of my CC on 939 MHz. It appears I have a bad antenna (is that possible), or is there something that I am missing? I am still plagued with bad reception. Also, I really can't get the antenna any higher- so I am stuck with it as you guys see it

Thanks again for your help!

Since you have access to the antenna connectors, I would first visually inspect the antenna coax run then the antenna to coax connections.
Once you get the connections/signal issue figured out, you might consider a mast fastened to that fence post (XL hose clamps perhaps). Cheap and quick way to get it up in the air a bit. I would be wary of people catching that antenna and breaking an element.
RS has 10' mast on sale for $10 now.

chris

Here's an idea: Take the cap off the fence post, get a piece of galvanized pipe or conduit that will fit down inside the fence post, mount antenna to the top of the the conduit, drop in fence post. Done...

I would seriously look at a better mounting solution before writing off the antenna.

EDIT: So now that we know you actually get BETTER reception WITHOUT the amp, I'm thinking you need to look for a better solution there as well. If you don't mind me asking, why do you have 8 feeds off that one antenna?

How old is the coax? Take a volt meter and continuity test between center conductor and braided shield. Any shorts? Has the coax had any exposure to rain? Are you on top of a hill in Toms River or down in a lower part? I'm originally from Pt Boro by the way. Are there any very serious bends in the coax like crimping a hose? Any time it shorts to the shield you won't hear much. Also have you tried to add the radioshack fm trap before the amp?

This is the Radio Shack antenna, and it was new, old stock that was sitting in my basement. The antenna is brand new, as is the 25' of coax that came included in the box. I might try checking the 75-300 matching transformer, someone mentioned those go bad. Cable was just ran last month, I ran it myself from the antenna into the roof, and down into my radio room. It shouldn't have any kinks or crimps. This location is behind Toms River HS East, which isn't the lowest part of town- nor the highest. I use the amp to provide reception for 8 different scanners that I listen to. I wouldn't say the reception is better without the amp, it was negligible at best.

I totally agree that long term I should move the antenna higher- I am okay with that. The underlying mystery here is how I can get better reception in my driveway with a handheld scanner with the stock rubber duck antenna than I can with this outdoor antenna- even bypassing all the splitters and amps.
Could something be causing interference in the radio room? I really appreciate all the answers and troubleshooting steps- you guys are the best!

1. Get the antenna up higher. It's hard to pick up well at ground level.

2. Make sure your splitter has a built-in amplifier that will compensate for the nearly 10 dB of loss each port will have. I think yours does have the amp, but can't say for certain.

3. Make sure the splitter is spec'ed for the frequencies involved.

4. Yes - look at the balun, as that antenna should easily outperform the rubber duck.

5. Try the stock RG-6 cable with the antenna - even at full length. You can even run it through a window temporarily. Your RG-59 may have a lot of loss even at 25 feet, or may have a bad connector. (RG-59 is the "thicker Cable RG-58"). I would replace the RG-59 with RG-6 in any case.

5A. Since your antenna is, let's say, easily accessible, try your portable scanner at the antenna with a short jumper. Try it without the balun, too (just temporarily connect a stripped piece if feedline to the antenna directly replacing the balun)

Go find the fm trap from radioshack. Install it just before the amp on the feedline from antenna. If you see improvement then you will know there is interference. Best guess FM radio stations, the scanners are overloaded front end because of the amp. How many db's does that put out per port? I also agree what freq coverage is that amp for? The trap will cost around 6 bucks. Worth a try.

Also had to ask if there are old tv monitors in the shack room? Any other appliances that might give off rf?

Or PCs since it's right beside some room of the house...

Does the vertical radial touch the chain link fence? Can the antenna be rotated 90 degrees away from the fence? Just a couple of observations.

The ST-2 has a 75ohm to 300ohm balun near the antenna. Replace it with a better one. They are famous for crapping out due to moisture and other weather elements. Or even arriving defective in some cases.