Help with Choosing a CIty Antenna?

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loss1234

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Right now I am scanning with nothing but the built in antenna on the Pro-2006. But I feel like I can do better if I put up a scanner antenna on the roof or the side of my apartment building.

I live in a very crowded part of Queens with an elevated subway near my window. I have read conflicting things about whether or not an antenna on the roof will help or not due to all the RF interference in the air in NYC.

are there any other NYC scanner people on this forum who could tell me what their antenna experiences have been like?


thanks!!!
 

W2NJS

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Since there's not a whole lot of 800 mHz activity in your area you could consider a good dual-band amateur antenna, line a Diamond X50A which would cover VHF and UHF very well. Cost is around $100 as I recall and mounting is quite simple, with small, about 8 inch, ground plane radials. I've had two of them in the air for about seven years with no problems at all. It has about 4 db gain on VHF and, I think, 7 db on UHF, but you can check the specs in the Diamond catalog.
 

maalox

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hey im in brooklyn u can try a magnet mount install it on your outside ac radioshack has a good one if not u can try the austin antenna with a good magnut mount this antenna had great reviews on here enjoy
 

loss1234

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i had not even thought about a magnet mount! that is a great idea!

i will look into all of these antennas. I live not too far from Forest Park and today I walked up to the edge of the park where there is a nice BIG HILL (the kind you can see all the way to manhattan)

well long story short, I could NOT BELIEVE just how many more frequencies I was picking up especially in the Air Band (JFK and Lagurdia) and I was getting tons of ham repeaters.


so I think I have become convinced that I need to get the antenna out of my house and up as high as possible.


I was even getting stuff on 800 mhz band.


thanks!!
 
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