Is this a legit scanner antenna?

Blackink · May 22, 2018

A friend of mine has this antenna.

I'm not familiar with this style antenna and was wondering if it looks like it should, or are there a couple of elements broken/bent on it?

And one more question: the connection on the end of the RG 59 coax that is connected to this antenna is a huge connection. Me being fairly new to scanners am not familiar with it.
The picture below may not be accurate on the antenna connection but it's close to what it looks like.
Thanks for any help on this.

byndhlptom · May 22, 2018

Antenna

Yes, it is a legit scanner antenna. It was sold at RS for a while, probably other places

Unless it's just the angle, looks like it's missing a ground radial (should have three)

Each vertical element is for a different band (typ VHF-Lo, VHF-hi and UHF)

The connector is probably a SO-239, requires a PL259 (or an adapter) on the coax

The adapter pictured is a SO-239 to Motorola plug (commonly used in older crystal scanners and car radios). It also will plug into RCA connector (another older antenna connection on many radios (Plectron used them a lot, and others)

$.02

ko6jw_2 · May 22, 2018

It is a Radio Shack scanner antenna, but appears to be missing one or two ground radials. It was designed to be a multi band ground plane. Not an ideal design, but they worked. A good discone would work better.

Blackink · May 22, 2018

Thanks for the quick replies.

The friend who has this antenna said he used it on his Radio Shack scanner, I don't know the model of that scanner.
Does that verify that the connection shown may indeed be a S0-239?

He also said that antenna connection comes apart.....does it?
I played with it for a couple of minutes and couldn't get it apart but I am not familiar with that style antenna connection.

Grateful for the help here,
Steve

ko6jw_2 · May 22, 2018

Early Radio Shack scanners used Motorola connectors, hence the adapter you show. I'm talking scanners from the 70's and 80's. Later, I think they started to use BNC connectors. Never saw one with an SO-239, but there could have been some. Early Regency's and Bearcats used Motorola plugs too.

Blackink · May 22, 2018

Thanks for the help

jaspence · May 22, 2018

There are adapters to easily convert the connector to BNC or SMA. Usually they have a short section of small coax to reduce the strain onthe radio.

buddrousa · May 22, 2018

I had that same scanner antenna in 1974

INDY72 · May 22, 2018

Yup missing one ground plane radial.... Supposed to have 3. Spread out in a triangular pattern, though you could point em all in one area to make a sorta yagi.... Would be a nightmare to use on an P25 LSM system in the 700/800 MHz range. Might just do OK on conventional stuff still. All the radials that are still there look clean, connectors look clean. If the cable is still in good shape and not kinked or cracked it may still be good to go. Though you WILL lose some signal via the multiple connectors/adapters you will need.

Blackink · May 22, 2018

buddrousa said:
I had that same scanner antenna in 1974

That'll give you an idea of how long this antenna has been up there!!!

Blackink · May 22, 2018

milf said:
Yup missing one ground plane radial.... Supposed to have 3. Spread out in a triangular pattern, though you could point em all in one area to make a sorta yagi.... Would be a nightmare to use on an P25 LSM system in the 700/800 MHz range. Might just do OK on conventional stuff still. All the radials that are still there look clean, connectors look clean. If the cable is still in good shape and not kinked or cracked it may still be good to go. Though you WILL lose some signal via the multiple connectors/adapters you will need.

The coax is very thin and quite flexible. My guess is it will loose a lot of signal just as it is compared to better coax made today.
And yes, if he was to add more connections to get it to the scanner he has now, a bcd996p2, he will certainly lose signal strength.

I'm hoping to talk him into a new antenna, possibly a discone with new coax.

Thanks for the input

Blackink · May 22, 2018

I'm going to get a picture tomorrow of the connection on the end of the coax and post that here for verification on whether it's an SO-239.

mule1075 · May 22, 2018

Bottom right hand corner of page.
1980 Radio Shack Catalog Low-res page 165 of 176

Blackink · May 22, 2018

mule1075 said:
Bottom right hand corner of page.
1980 Radio Shack Catalog Low-res page 165 of 176

Very nice picture/ad!

Thanks for this. I'm going to print it off and show it to him tomorrow.

Thank you......!

mule1075 · May 22, 2018

No problem do a search for radio shack 20-014 antenna. A lot of pictures come up.

Blackink said:
Very nice picture/ad!

Thanks for this. I'm going to print it off and show it to him tomorrow.

Thank you......!

Blackink · May 22, 2018

Blackink said:
I'm going to get a picture tomorrow of the connection on the end of the coax and post that here for verification on whether it's an SO-239.

I guess from the link/ad mule1075 posted, I know for certain what connection is on the end of that coax!

NC1 · May 22, 2018

I had one of those in the late 1970's all the way to the late 90's and it worked great for VHF/UHF. It does appear that one round plane radial is missing, or it just the angle of the picture hiding the 3rd one.

Of course this was mounted above a TV antenna on the roof of a 3-story house. It was amazing the way it pulled in signals from other states.

One time I heard a DEA agent checking in and getting updates while going from PA to NYC in his mobile (no repeater). The next morning there had been an incident in NYC that was all over the news. I had no idea what was going on at the time but knew it was unusual activity.

Those were the days when they were "in the clear" like that. Of course cordless phones would occasionally "interfere" as far as two towns away while I was searching the bands, LOL. Cellphones later also "interfered" when I was band searching.

I would get it just to see what it will do - you can never have too many antennas.

Station51 · May 23, 2018

those WERE the days

"Those were the days when they were "in the clear" like that. Of course cordless phones would occasionally "interfere" as far as two towns away while I was searching the bands, LOL. Cellphones later also "interfered" when I was band searching."

Oh how I miss that interference lol

dmg1969 · May 23, 2018

I had that RS scanner antenna and it gave fantastic reception..even on low band. The attic in our old house had the room for it. Like others said, it is missing a rod/radial for the ground plane. I got out of the hobby for a while when my county went to Open Sky and I sold it. One of my biggest regrets in the hobby.

Blackink · May 23, 2018

OK, so I am posting some pics to help me clarify if I've ordered the correct part or not. This connector is on the end of the coax that goes to the antenna I posted earlier.

The part I ordered from Amazon is this connector.
Is this the right one to connect to the part I posted (pics below) and to his bcd996p2 scanner?

Thanks...

Is this a legit scanner antenna?

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