Railroad Antenna

[ACDCROCKER]

Hi all, I was web surfing and found something interesting. I've noticed that locomotives have strong signals. So I looked one up. I found one, and I think I might buy it. Though, the problem is, will it work with my scanner?
http://www.antenna.com/lm_cat/lmrpg25.html

 

[tom_guess]

A/S makes good products. The antenna is called a firecracker. It will receive 2 meters good. How are you going to use it? It's designed to have a metal ground plane like a locomotove cab. Won't be of much use unless its on top of your vehicle.

 

[W4KRR]

Hi all, I was web surfing and found something interesting. I've noticed that locomotives have strong signals. So I looked one up. I found one, and I think I might buy it. Though, the problem is, will it work with my scanner?
http://www.antenna.com/lm_cat/lmrpg25.html

Where do you intend to mount it? Not on a vehicle I hope! You don't need a locomotive antenna to receive railroad communications well. You just need a VHF high band antenna that is tuned to the 160-161 MHz range, and it should work as well as the locomotive antenna you are looking at. Many 2 meter ham antennas can be tuned to work at 160 MHz, and many should work just fine without tuning for receiving purposes at 160 MHz.

 

[DPD1]

That antenna, and other unique models that you see on locomotives, are mainly designed for survivability... They're look really doesn't have anything to do with how they work. They're typically just a 1/4 wave antenna electrically. As mentioned, you would be better off with a normal antenna for mobile applications.

Dave
http://www.dpdproductions.com
- Featuring the TrainTenna Railroad Scanner Antennas -

 

[kb2vxa]

Hi Rocker and all,

You can buy a locomotive but it won't help your scanner when you need an antenna.

Don't mind me, it's your sentence structure. (;->) Locomotives don't have strong signals, 40 watts or so into a 1/4 wave whip doesn't go far and it doesn't have to, they're never very far from a tower except in dark territory and then it's form D.

I think what you're getting at is an antenna designed specifically for VHF railroad work and there are quite a few commercial antennas available that will perform rings around ordinary scanner antennas. Look in that direction, they come with tuning instructions and you don't need sophisticated equipment, just follow the enclosed sheet.

Now there is the Traintenna designed for receive only although it could likely handle a few watts if you want the no tune option. Just put it high as possible as with any scanner antenna because height is might and don't forget some low loss coax like LMR if you have more than a few pennies to rub together, it's not cheap. Well, you get what you pay for so if you want the best, forget the rest, Al Capone's Pizza.

No joke guys, Brick NJ.

"That antenna, and other unique models that you see on locomotives, are mainly designed for survivability."