36" Discone

[TongSlinger]

Anybody have an opinion on this discone for indoor use?

WMM-860 - Desktop Radio Scanner Antenna - Multi Band w/ Discone

Our Heavyweight Champion WMM-860 For desktop or stationary applications, this magnet mount antenna is not your average discone! Standing 36” tall and weighing in at 3.4lbs, the WMM-860 combines a discone design but smaller for internal use along with 4 discrete tuned elements to provide the best...

whistlergroup.com

 

[wtp]

when the girlfriend moved out, i put a radio shack discone on the dining room table.

as long as you have the OK and the room, go for it.

 

[mmckenna]

The actual 'discone' portion of the antenna is pretty small and not going to do much down below probably UHF frequencies.

The multiple length whips on top will give it some performance on those specific bands (looks like VHF, UHF 7/800MHz), but the ground plane presented by the antenna is going to be wonky.

For indoor use, you'll have your antenna close to all the noise makers in the house. Depending on the construction of your home, you may find that it's not going to work really well indoors, so whatever you choose, make sure it's something you can put close to a window if needed, without scaring your neighbors.


For indoor use where wind/rain/snow/ice/overweight birds are not going to be a risk, probably any antenna is going to be fine. For the $90.00 +tax/shipping they'll want for that antenna, I think you can do better, but that's just my opinion.

I'd suggest taking that $90+ dollars and getting something like a Larsen NMO-150/450/800, a basic NMO mag mount, and then run over to Dollar General and get a steel baking sheet and drop the mag mount on that. That antenna will actually have some gain on UHF and 7/800MHz, and probably have a better radiation pattern.
Plus, it won't be so freakin' fugly.

 

[mmckenna]

$39.00 https://www.theantennafarm.com/cata...oduct_info&cPath=191_192_466&products_id=1050
$29.95 https://www.theantennafarm.com/cata...oduct_info&cPath=264_265_280&products_id=4524

That'll save you some money, and get you a better antenna that could be used mobile if you wanted.

No way I'd drive around with that Whistler monstrosity on a vehicle. That's a BCA. (Birth Control Antenna).

 

[bearcatrp]

Looks similar to the D220R except the picture you provided shows multiple antennas on top, the D220R has only one.

 

[iMONITOR]

Looks similar to the D220R except the picture you provided shows multiple antennas on top, the D220R has only one.

Looks somewhat similar but that's where it stops. The bottom elements on the D220R (and D220) are non-metalic with fine wire wound elements there entire length, not solid or tubular metalic elements on the Whistler. The Whistler makes for a cute hi-tech X-Mas tree and that's about it.

 

[W9WSS]

Besides the most sensible alternative that mmckenna suggested, there are so many other antennas that will perform *satisfactorily* indoors, and that's about it. I guess I'm spoiled because, among other antennas I use for Amateur Radio, I have two Scan-Tenna ST-2's.

 

[W9WSS]

The horizontal wire running across the screen is actually pretty far away from this particular Scan-Tenna.
It's one "leg" of the Alpha Delta Parallel Dipole Antennas DX-CC.