Surrounded by trees

I’m new to scanning and I have a BCD325P2. I live in an apartment complex and can’t put any antennas on the roof. I have a lot of trees around where I live. What is the best antenna and accessories or what not that I can get to get a farther range?

If the stock antenna doesn't seem to draw the signals in you can try the Diamond RH77CA. Make sure it has the BNC Connector. The SRH77CA has the SMA connector. I use it and have good luck. It has some gain which will improve your reception. Here is a link from Universal Radio where I tend to buy my stuff from. https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/scanants/2368.html Good luck!!!!!

An antenna tuned for the band you're trying to receive would be a good start.

lisadafoe said:

I’m new to scanning and I have a BCD325P2. I live in an apartment complex and can’t put any antennas on the roof. I have a lot of trees around where I live. What is the best antenna and accessories or what not that I can get to get a farther range?

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If you are using it stationary, an antenna on a magnetic mount, that is placed on top of a metal object. (Such as a refrigerator, or file cabinet.)

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being indoors and in a forested area is a double whammy. trees are a pia esp. if they are wet. if it was me i would get a mobile antenna such as the fabulous larsen triband .https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_...sprefix=larsen+tri,aps,166&crid=288XL4IVUJS64 to mount it use either a ground plane kit https://www.amazon.com/TRAM-1465-Mo...d=1526297586&sr=8-2&keywords=ground+plane+kit which can be mounted on a piece of pvc pipe or a magnetic mount https://www.amazon.com/Browning-WSP...pID=41x2r7QbZeL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch sat upon a sheet of metal such as a cookie sheet which acts as a ground plane...place near a window or corner of the room..a handheld antenna always gives poor performance indoors...IMHO

Once you post a question be sure to go back hours / days later to read all the replies. You may have not seen all the replies the first time you asked this question here -
https://forums.radioreference.com/new-user-getting-started-forum/369736-antenna-questions.html
But to expand upon my (and others) reply to this the first time-
- Do you have windows?
- Do you have any windows on an upper floor (higher is better for scanner antennas)?
In the highest window you have facing toward the direction where most of the signals from agencies you want to hear are located, put a flat panel "leaf" type TV antenna such as the type sold in every Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, and in many other places. These antennas receive a very broad range of frequencies that include not only TV but also the scanner bands you want to hear. Here is one example, and the link below even shows a picture of the antenna mounted in a window the way you can do it. (If you click the link come back here to read the rest of this post) -
https://www.walmart.com/ip/ONN-50-mile-range-HD-Digital-Amplified-Indoor-TV-Antenna/711725853
You'll need an adapter to go from the F-male connector on the end of the antenna's wire to your BC325P2 BNC female connector. One like this -
Link: http://a.co/d1fJA6l
Temporarily place the antenna in the window. Try turning the antenna 90 degrees before mounting it to the window... listen to one of the weaker signals on your scanner you want to hear and try turning the antenna 90 degrees. You should even try different windows if you have them to see which has the strongest signal. This process of trial and error is exactly the same thing you would do if you were trying to pick up a certain TV station. No different with a scanner and the agencies you want to hear.

Please stop telling people they need to put a mag mount on a fridge, a ground plane kit, or a cookie sheet for a scanner antenna as it is FALSE information. Receive antennas DO NOT require ground planes. If it were the case, you would never be able to set your handheld radio/scanner down as your body is the ground plane when you transmit using a handheld. Same goes for buying higher gain antennas for scanners--gain is a transmit specification and has zero to do with receive.

LISA...please try what POP says...if you need further assistance, please include what systems you wish to scan and where they are related to you (i.e., my window faces them and I'm on the first floor 20 miles away). Best guess if you don't know exactly. I took a peek at the database and York County is using VHF and UHF...the only 800 digital system is the statewide one that may or may not have anything of interest to you. You are a fair distance from the VHF and UHF towers but they are up fairly high. Try to get a clear line of sight to the west--best you can...then you can compare other antennas.

I_am_Alpha1 said:

Please stop telling people they need to put a mag mount on a fridge, a ground plane kit, or a cookie sheet for a scanner antenna as it is FALSE information. Receive antennas DO NOT require ground planes. If it were the case, you would never be able to set your handheld radio/scanner down as your body is the ground plane when you transmit using a handheld. Same goes for buying higher gain antennas for scanners--gain is a transmit specification and has zero to do with receive.

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Need? No. Improve reception, quite possibly, depending on a number of factors. Things that make a good transmission antenna make a good reception antenna, for given frequencies. Reception is more frequency forgiving.

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I live in an apartment complex and can’t put any antennas on the roof.

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Nothing is impossible - antennas don't have to be big shiny things that stick out like a flashing beacon. If you get a look at your HOA agreement you may find that you are allowed a TV antenna - does a TV antenna look like a scanner antenna? No, but it will work just as well, you may even be able to put a rotator on it. Be patriotic - put up a flagpole from a length of plastic pipe, hang "old glory" on it, nobody will know there's an antenna inside the pipe unless they climb up on the roof....

Apartment Complexes in an HOA will NOT Let you Put up a Flag Pole Antenna--You Need Authorization---Thats a Definate Loss Right There--as for TV Antennas--HOA,s Give a Hard time with that also--Its an asthetic issue

I Just Dont Understand why People Always State That and Suggest That

I Live in an HOA its not the administration that a Problem (well sometimes it is..lol)---Its the Nosey Bodies Who Rat You Out

I Myself are Using a Mag Mount CB Antenna Sitting on My Window Sill---Works Well For What I Need it For

Just Remember Your Gonna Get a Ton of Different Answers on Here that Your Head will Spin---I Wish You Good Luck with Your Adventures

**********************************************************

To The Rest Of You---How About a Flat Panel Antenna Suction Cupped to the Window---Your Thoughts???? For Her on This

I_am_Alpha1 said:

Please stop telling people they need to put a mag mount on a fridge, a ground plane kit, or a cookie sheet for a scanner antenna as it is FALSE information. Receive antennas DO NOT require ground planes. If it were the case, you would never be able to set your handheld radio/scanner down as your body is the ground plane when you transmit using a handheld.

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RX on lower bands degrades without the ground plane. Why are you pushing for reduced performance?

Same goes for buying higher gain antennas for scanners--gain is a transmit specification and has zero to do with receive.

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I guess we should stop wasting money on Yagis for fringe reception then. Those damn TV antenna manufacturers with their highly directional gain antennas that we use only for RX - swindlers they are!

I Just Dont Understand why People Always State That and Suggest That

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Have a look where I live and you might understand why I don't know about your stupid regulations.

I_am_Alpha1 said:

Please stop telling people they need to put a mag mount on a fridge, a ground plane kit, or a cookie sheet for a scanner antenna as it is FALSE information. Receive antennas DO NOT require ground planes. If it were the case, you would never be able to set your handheld radio/scanner down as your body is the ground plane when you transmit using a handheld. Same goes for buying higher gain antennas for scanners--gain is a transmit specification and has zero to do with receive.

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They may not "require" a ground plane per say in order to work for receiving, but sometimes the difference between a static filled unreadable signal without a ground plane and a clear strong signal with a ground plane makes all the difference...anything that enhances a transmit signal also does the same for receive...including a ground plane and gain.

Having said that, there is nothing wrong with placing a magnet mount antenna on a wooden windowsill if it hears what you need it to hear...if it works for what you need thats all that matters for receiving