Best way to improve FDNY reception on my scanner

[itopia]

Hi,

I want to improve signal reception for the New York City Fire Department on my scanners as well as other precinct and emergency services. The FDNY signal in Manhattan can be choppy or fade out and my priority is to improve that signal reception.

I am using Uniden handhelds (bc246 and at125) with rubber antenna and also have a bct15. I listen to the scanner in my car and at home.

Will this help: TRAM 1094-BNC Scanner 3 1/2" Magnet Antenna with BNC-Male Connector? I was looking at
Diamond (Original) RH77CA 144/440 MHz. Dual-Band High Gain Handheld Antenna but it is very long at 15".

Is there a shorter antenna for handheld that can improve FDNY signal strength?

Someone suggested the Motorola 7550 and Vertex 7200 have better reception for FDNY. I cannot afford those right now.

Thanks.

 

[IAmSixNine]

The best way to get better reception is to move away from a "scanner" antenna and look for an antenna that is tuned to the frequency area you want. An example is the popular 800mhz antenna that radio shack used to sell. They do work great on 700/800 and about average on the VHF and UHF.
So if your looking for UHF reception look for an antenna tuned to the ranges you want.

Shorter doesnt usually mean better. It might look better.

 

[DaveNF2G]

You don't give your location, so the first question is, are you close enough to Manhattan to expect solid reception with any setup?

 

[itopia]

Thanks, I am in Manhattan and sometimes in Bronx/Brooklyn. Since the FDNY transmits at 482 megahertz is there a car/home antenna that can maximize FDNY signal? I would prefer something as compact as possible but a long antenna would be ok if the reception is really boosted.

Would I need to get a specific antenna to boost this frequency range?

 

[737mech]

Larsen Triband

Try getting the Larsen Triband NMO. Many posts here in the forums of people who love it, as well as many comparison posts to other antennas. It is my favorite when mobile.

 

[itopia]

Hi,

How does Larsen compare to TRAM 1094-BNC Scanner 3 1/2" Magnet Antenna with BNC-Male?

Tram is $13 where as Larsen is $45 and doesn't come with cable(with cable $63)

Is TRAM triband? Listing shows:

Freq Ranges: 30mhz-50mhz/144mhz-174mhz/430mhz-520mhz/800mhz-950mhz
17ft Low-loss Rg58/u Coaxial Cable With Bnc-male Connector Installed

Try getting the Larsen Triband NMO. Many posts here in the forums of people who love it, as well as many comparison posts to other antennas. It is my favorite when mobile.

 

[737mech]

Larsen Triband

Do not know about TRAM I never tried one. Larsen Triband should be $25 and you also find an NMO mag mount with coax pretty cheap anywhere from $10-$40. If you don't want to drill a hole in the car? Or mount it on a trunk lip mount? Might have to change the coax connector or get adaptor? NMO150/450/800 Pulse-Larsen Tri Band Whip 150-940 MHz Omni antenna | Arcadian Antenna

 

[itopia]

Thanks. I will order the Pulse/Larsen SPWH15FT 400 MHz-512 MHz 6" antenna to see if it makes a difference.

Anyone use www.protelecomsupply.com and are they legit? they have it on sale now. is arcadian inc. and wpsantennas.com good? I saw these companies during my search and want to see if they legit if i order other stuff in the future.

 

[itopia]

Hi,

Fire dispatch in NYC is in the 482megahert range. I am also interested in covering other FD and Police Dept frequenceis from around 450-485megahertz. the range on the NMO in the vhf range id 450-470megahertz.

Will 482 be blocked out or will reception be reduced with this antenna?

Do not know about TRAM I never tried one. Larsen Triband should be $25 and you also find an NMO mag mount with coax pretty cheap anywhere from $10-$40. If you don't want to drill a hole in the car? Or mount it on a trunk lip mount? Might have to change the coax connector or get adaptor? NMO150/450/800 Pulse-Larsen Tri Band Whip 150-940 MHz Omni antenna | Arcadian Antenna

 

[itopia]

Is there a short antenna(low profile) that I can attach on a magnetic mount on the hood at would boost 450-485 megahertz? The Laird is 21 inches and would attract too much attention on my vehicle.

 

[itopia]

Hi,

How good is the Laird ETRAB4703 phantom antenna performance vs longer 21" laird whip antennas?

https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/laird-technologies-etrab4703-8291.html

https://www.streakwave.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=ETRAB4703

 

[DaveNF2G]

The greater frequency range it tries to cover, the more of a compromise an antenna will become.

If best possible reception from 450-490 MHz is important to you, then you will probably need to invest in multiple antennas that are optimized for portions of that range.

 

[itopia]

Thanks, Dave. If an antenna is 450-470 range will it be able to pick up 470-485mhz or will i have to get additional antenna for that range?

There is 400-500mhz antenna but i guess that will be less gain than 450-470 for that particular range.

The greater frequency range it tries to cover, the more of a compromise an antenna will become.

If best possible reception from 450-490 MHz is important to you, then you will probably need to invest in multiple antennas that are optimized for portions of that range.

 

[itopia]

Will I get stronger signals in the frequencies listed for the Triband?

I am confused about reception since some videos show you have to tune the antenna to a specific frequency even if the listed range is 400-500megahertz.

Try getting the Larsen Triband NMO. Many posts here in the forums of people who love it, as well as many comparison posts to other antennas. It is my favorite when mobile.

 

[itopia]

Hi Spinthatdial,

Will I have to tune the Pulse/Larsen SPWH15FT 400 MHz-512 MHz 6" antenna for a specific frequency in that range? Do you have to cut the antenna for a particular frequency range?

Does this antenna boost frequencies in the 400-512mhz range without tuning?

Avoid Tram and Diamond products if you can afford the better engineered Laird or Pulse/Larsen base, mobile and portable frequency specific antennas.

Portable:

Pulse/Larsen SPWH15FT 400 MHz-512 MHz 6" antenna with BNC male connector $18.95

Mobile & Base

Laird B132S 132 MHz-525 MHz 21" antenna with SO239 female connector $29.00

Laird MBC base adapter kit with SO239 female connector for mobile antenna $29.95

I have purchased items like these from Antenna-Farm and you can have your connectors match your existing BNC platforms either direct connect or via low loss adapters.

The connectors in the pictures may display other connector styles but they are basic offerings. IMO All these items should solve your problem however your mileage will vary.

 

[DaveNF2G]

Antenna tuning is not as critical for reception as it is for transmission. Practically any antenna or conductor that acts as an antenna will receive something on just about any frequency, but not always efficiently.

If you are actually in Manhattan and a decent antenna cut for UHF does not allow you to pick up UHF signals from base transmitters in Manhattan, then I would suggest that your antenna is not the problem.

 

[Citywide173]

If you are actually in Manhattan and a decent antenna cut for UHF does not allow you to pick up UHF signals from base transmitters in Manhattan, then I would suggest that your antenna is not the problem.

What he said.

Try putting a paper clip in the center conductor hole of the BNC. If you're in Manhattan, there shouldn't be significant coverage issues. If there is no difference between the paper clip and your antenna, I'd start looking for a solder break where the BNC connects to the PC board of the radio.

 

[737mech]

Triband Opinion

The Larsen Triband is a good antenna. I use it at 462 for GMRS and it does a great job. 482 might be a little out of band but worth trying. And with that antenna you can enjoy other bands with your scanner. Remember it's mostly about line of sight when it comes to reception.

 

[Danny37]

The FDNY UHF system can be choppy at times, we never had this problem when they were on VHF. But anyway, you might just be in a dead spot. I wouldn't be surprised since so many buildings are sandwiched together in the city with a lot of interference. Try moving around and find a spot where the signal is clear, I would then get a magnet mount in the 450-490mhz range and put it on a big nice metal surface like a cookie pan etc. also try experimenting with the squelch turn it up and down and listen to the quality of the audio, also may want to look into turning on the attenuator option if you're getting a lot of noise from some other source.