Ebay Antenna

[firefighter45]

I was wondering if the $15.95 antenna made out of some pvc and wire was a working deal? i'm sure someone on here has either seen them or used them and I wondered if they really made any difference. They say they are better than the factory antenna.

 

[iMONITOR]

I was wondering if the $15.95 antenna made out of some pvc and wire was a working deal? i'm sure someone on here has either seen them or used them and I wondered if they really made any difference. They say they are better than the factory antenna.

I've seen those. You can accomplish the same results by holding your scanner near the window. Basically it's an OK antenna, on an extension cord. Not great, but better than a sharp stick in the eye!

 

[firefighter45]

Call me dumb but for 15 bucks I went ahead and bought one. I noticed no difference in reception except for one spot in my house. I put it on the north side of my living room by a picture window and I noticed that it made a little bit of a difference. There is something in the piece of pipe but I don't know what it is. I can hear it rattle inside the pipe. So for my conclusion, I think on a scale out of 5 its about a 3.

 

[K0ATC]

Call me dumb but for 15 bucks I went ahead and bought one. I noticed no difference in reception except for one spot in my house. I put it on the north side of my living room by a picture window and I noticed that it made a little bit of a difference. There is something in the piece of pipe but I don't know what it is. I can hear it rattle inside the pipe. So for my conclusion, I think on a scale out of 5 its about a 3.

I'm sure it’s just a quarter wavelength of wire inside, ¼ wave at what frequency I don’t know unless you measure it. Your real problem is that it is inside your home. Just putting it on the roof with a quality coax run would make a world of difference. Adding radials to the coax shield, "the grounded part of the connector" would also help, 2 or 4 if you raise it to the roof, about the same length, as the antenna is fine if you are using it for receive only. Again this is very basic stuff, if you really get technical about it, you'll end up building a whole new antenna, which can be very fun and rewarding LOL I build most of my antennas, give these two ideas a try and see how it works. Also if you are listening to public safety that comes in clear with a ducky antenna on your handheld, then you will notice no difference with a thousand dollar antenna. Try this site next time you are looking to buy, great prices, good customer service, and antennas that work.

Scott

www.antennawarehouse.com

 

[DaveH]

Call me dumb but for 15 bucks I went ahead and bought one. I noticed no difference in reception except for one spot in my house. I put it on the north side of my living room by a picture window and I noticed that it made a little bit of a difference. There is something in the piece of pipe but I don't know what it is. I can hear it rattle inside the pipe. So for my conclusion, I think on a scale out of 5 its about a 3.

No I would not say it was "dumb", sometimes there is only one way to find
out, and the money stakes are not high. How long is the antenna, and what
frequency band(s) is it supposed to cover? Judging by the cost it is probably
a single band (VHF) or dual-band VHF/UHF at best.

A respectable 1/2-wave antenna (J or Slim-Jim type) can be made easily
from TV twin-lead, at very low cost. It does not require radials, so might be
one of those. The usual construction does not constrain the cable inside the
tube so this might "rattle" a bit, but no harm. If you can safely take it apart
i.e. it's not glued shut, you could check this out.

Dave

 

[iMONITOR]

Call me dumb but for 15 bucks I went ahead and bought one. I noticed no difference in reception except for one spot in my house. I put it on the north side of my living room by a picture window and I noticed that it made a little bit of a difference. There is something in the piece of pipe but I don't know what it is. I can hear it rattle inside the pipe. So for my conclusion, I think on a scale out of 5 its about a 3.

Is it better than a sharp stick in the eye?

 

[jparks29]

a discone is the best all-around scanning antenna, IMO...IF you have the space/ability to mount it on your roof........or higher..

 

[kb2vxa]

If you hear a rattle in the pipe DO NOT OPEN IT! The sharp stick in your eye will be a fang.

 

[firefighter45]

I'm gonna try those ideas as soon as i have time to mess with it. It works for now so i guess it was worth it. Once i read some more forums i'm going to set up a sweet mobile station in my garage. The wife won't like the antennas on the house,lol. But w/out measuring the tube looks to be 6". The cable, which isn't coax, is 8'. Its an elcheapo but i wanted to give it a try. Right now i'm working out a deal with a guy here in town on some equipment, his stuff can hear everything for miles, its pretty "high tech". Once i get it all running i'll post the picks. Thanks for the feedback guys, i've learned a lot in the couple of weeks i've been a member, and there is always room for more knowledge so keep em comin.

 

[K0ATC]

Right now i'm working out a deal with a guy here in town on some equipment, his stuff can hear everything for miles, its pretty "high tech".

If he sells CB's, run the other direction and don't look back! LOL By the way how do you go about setting up a mobile setup in your garage? Is it attached to an exercise bike? j/j Anyways if you're not going to build your own antennas then go with a proven design, www.eham.net has product reviews on every antenna you can think of, its the best way to find a good antenna for a good price.

Scott

 

[firefighter45]

Yeah i'll try the bike thing. No my head must have up my ass when i was typing. Its been a lon week.