Lowband Monitoring

[mjthomas59]

What antenna gives me the best bang for the buck for monitoring VHF lowband? I'm specifically wanting to monitor the 42mhz range. I have asked over in the missouri forum about what the state patrol was using on their cars and they told me the maxrad mlb3001. I wouldn't mind having a ballmount on the side of my car (i've got a retired cruiser for a daily-driver).

My only turnoff to the maxrad is the $140 price, not to mention they seem to be hard to find on the internet. Most places are wanting you to bulk order them. Radio Shack has a 102" CB whip antenna for 25.00, could this antenna be altered to work with my Uniden scanners?

Or is there a better antenna out there for less than the 140 of the maxrad.

Thanks

 

[Grog]

Over the last few years, NC SHP has been installing a base loaded antenna instead of the good old ball mounts. It looks to be the size (roughly) of a VHF Hi 5/8 wave antenna. Antennex makes a ball mount lo band antenna as well.

 

[RevGary]

Take a look at this one - it has been around for nearly 30 years and is a proven winner. It is a very good multiband and performs as well as any 1/4 wave 70 inch ball, spring and whip that we have tested for lowband VHF.

http://www.antenna.com/product_overview_detail.cgi?id_num=10454&styleid=6

 

[prcguy]

I agree with the Rev, the big A/S MON series has the best VHF lo performance in a multiband scanner antenna. If all you need is 42MHz you could go with a Larsen, Maxrad, Antenex, etc NMO style base loaded antenna.
prcguy

Take a look at this one - it has been around for nearly 30 years and is a proven winner. It is a very good multiband and performs as well as any 1/4 wave 70 inch ball, spring and whip that we have tested for lowband VHF.

http://www.antenna.com/product_overview_detail.cgi?id_num=10454&styleid=6

 

[AG4WI]

I have a Stainless Steel whip that i used for the last 30 years to listen to 42 Mhz. You can use a C.B whip and cut it down for low band but always cut it down from the bottom end. 66 in. Would be the size for 42.500.
There are Five eights thread fittings that go on and tighten down with Allen screws.
Also Larson antenna sells a Five Eights wave low band antenna that works well but costs around 4 times as much.
Find out who works on the Highway Patrol Radio,s and buy a whip antenna from them! I found the whip worked well all the way up to thru 512 Mhz. around So. California.

I could still listen to L.A.P.D as far out as Pomona Ca. and at that time were on 512 Mhz.
I am getting ready to mount the whip on my Pickup truck to listen to T.H.P. You will not find anything that works better than a Whip cut for 42 Mhz. if that is what you are wanting to hear.
There are still lots of States that use low band for Highway Patrol and Road Maintenance.

 

[mjthomas59]

I have seen a lot of patrol cars in other states using those base loaded antennas instead of the old-school ballmounts, but it seems like everyone that i've talked to has insisted that you lose a fair amount of coverage area by using those shorter baseloaded designs. I personally don't have any idea, and i also kind of like the look of those huge whips on the quarter panel. But i guess maybe that is just me. Not to mention it would only cost about 50-60 bucks for the radio shack setup w/ the ballmount and long whip.

Thanks for the help

 

[W4KRR]

I agree with RevGary and prcguy, the Antenna Specialists MON series antennas do very well on the VHF low band range, and the other ranges as well. They're fairly long, but this is what's needed for VHF low band. I would choose one of these over a ball mount, unless you're not interested in monitoring anything other than VHF low.

 

[AG4WI]

I have seen a lot of patrol cars in other states using those base loaded antennas instead of the old-school ballmounts, but it seems like everyone that i've talked to has insisted that you lose a fair amount of coverage area by using those shorter baseloaded designs. I personally don't have any idea, and i also kind of like the look of those huge whips on the quarter panel. But i guess maybe that is just me. Not to mention it would only cost about 50-60 bucks for the radio shack setup w/ the ballmount and long whip.

Thanks for the help

I see a lot of Ball Mounts and Whips at Ham Radio Swap Meets! You could pick up everthing you need for less than $25.00.
You could list your wants in the Want Ads here on RR.
There must be Thousands of these things laying around people,s Garage.
If you cut a whip for 42.500 it should be (66 in. long) 234 Divided by 42.500 ---66in.

Most C.B. whips will be 102 in. Long.

 

[mjthomas59]

If i were to go with one of those larsen or some other basefed lowband antenna, is there any way to get a db gain on them? My car already has 2 nmo mount holes near the trunk (one on each side) so that wouldn't be an issue. I could have sworn i saw a coil that provided perhaps 3db gain on the lowband....???

 

[W4KRR]

If i were to go with one of those larsen or some other basefed lowband antenna, is there any way to get a db gain on them? My car already has 2 nmo mount holes near the trunk (one on each side) so that wouldn't be an issue. I could have sworn i saw a coil that provided perhaps 3db gain on the lowband....???

A quarter wave whip on low band, the so called ball and spring mount, would be zero (unity) gain, so a base loaded arrangement wouldn't have any gain over the whip, as the base loaded antenna is already shorter than the quarter wave to begin with. I don't recall ever seeing any base loaded low band antennas having any gain figures over a quarter wave.

 

[AG4WI]

Low Band Antenna

If i were to go with one of those larsen or some other basefed lowband antenna, is there any way to get a db gain on them? My car already has 2 nmo mount holes near the trunk (one on each side) so that wouldn't be an issue. I could have sworn i saw a coil that provided perhaps 3db gain on the lowband....???

I have used both the loaded antenna and the Quarter wave whip! The whip has always outperformed the base loaded antenna. The base loaded has no gain! It is still a quarter wave.
If you can use a whip without haveing clearance problems that is the way to go. In states where there are lots of square miles the moble units have to cover they almost always use the whip. On units that stay close to the transmitter site they use the base loaded antenna.
Fire dept,s that use low band use the whips! Al least where i live they do.
Larson sells a adaptor that you can use a whip on the N.M.O mount but i would not recomend useing it on a moble unit. I have the adaptor but only use it for testing purposes.
I had a NMO mount on my travel trailer and when i would park i would use the adaptor and whip only while i was sitting in one spot.