w1av
Member
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2006
- Messages
- 81
I currently am using a Diamond discone up about 20' mounted on back of garage (detached) with a 60' coax run. I am thinking the coax that came with this antenna is not too good...thin rg58 or something. After using this setup for one year, evaluating, I find I have plenty of regular analog signals from all over to listen to. All vhf and uhf.
I don't have digital capabilities (yet) but there are LOTS of standard FM signals to listen to. Scanners are basic Bearcat Uniden BC700A and BD350A.
What I am thinking is better coax. With a 60 foot minimum run maybe the LMR 400 would do the trick and new antenna I am looking at is the Diamond X200a. I've used amateur antennas as monitoring antennas before and they have much better gain that the discone. And seeing that I am only really listening to vhf/uhf, this would suit my purposes better. I dont really want to go over the 8' height of the X200a. I live in a reasonable good location on small hilltop. Here is picture of what my setup is.
The small vertical dipole is cut for aviation band. I live only a few miles from airport and can hear tower ok. Plus I couldnt raise it up much higher. My room is where the coax goes in thru window. Wife said I can do what I want on garage but not house. And I cant climb anymore so getting up on roof is a no go. I live in Cranston RI and like to listen to the police/fire over in eastern Mass. Most are on UHF and I can hear them OK but with crappy thin coax and a no gain antenna I think I can do better. Plus I have 2 HUGE hills to the east and west of me. Luckily signals get thru ok. Nothing to the west to listen to. Its all mostly north, south and east.
I don't have digital capabilities (yet) but there are LOTS of standard FM signals to listen to. Scanners are basic Bearcat Uniden BC700A and BD350A.
What I am thinking is better coax. With a 60 foot minimum run maybe the LMR 400 would do the trick and new antenna I am looking at is the Diamond X200a. I've used amateur antennas as monitoring antennas before and they have much better gain that the discone. And seeing that I am only really listening to vhf/uhf, this would suit my purposes better. I dont really want to go over the 8' height of the X200a. I live in a reasonable good location on small hilltop. Here is picture of what my setup is.
The small vertical dipole is cut for aviation band. I live only a few miles from airport and can hear tower ok. Plus I couldnt raise it up much higher. My room is where the coax goes in thru window. Wife said I can do what I want on garage but not house. And I cant climb anymore so getting up on roof is a no go. I live in Cranston RI and like to listen to the police/fire over in eastern Mass. Most are on UHF and I can hear them OK but with crappy thin coax and a no gain antenna I think I can do better. Plus I have 2 HUGE hills to the east and west of me. Luckily signals get thru ok. Nothing to the west to listen to. Its all mostly north, south and east.