Scanner/Receiver Antennas

[kirkman123]

I have a Uniden SDS200 and am thinking about purchasing a 800 MHz UHF Vertical Outdoor Base Antenna (851-869 MHz) sold by DPD Productions. If anyone has any experience with that antenna on a SDS200 I’d like your thoughts. I’m trying to pull in Talk Groups from as far as possible. I’m listening almost exclusively to the Michigan Public Service Communications System in the 800 MHz range, specifically around 851 to 854 MHz. I’d have a cable run of less than 50 feet. I intend to roof mount the antenna but am curious if it would do any good inside a 2nd story room in my home.

 

[Ubbe]

If anyone has any experience with that antenna on a SDS200 I’d like your thoughts.

It all depends of your unique location. How far away any transmitters are that might interfere. Some locations can use a super high gain antenna but other locations might have to use a very small antenna and still needs to run with the attenuator setting enabled, due to too much interference from close by transmitters.

But generally if you only monitor one system and would like to receive from sites far away you should aim for a yagi antenna with gain that are directional and point in the direction where those far away sites are. If you have any interfering transmitters you could then aim the antenna away from them. Those 800MHz yagi antennas are only some $20-$30 but search here in RR for one brand and model that are recommended and actually works. There are several that are more or less useless or overpriced. You might even be able to use a yagi indoors with a much shorter coax.

/Ubbe

 

[krokus]

Are you wanting to monitor just one site, or more sites from a distance away?

 

[kirkman123]

I’d like to monitor multiple sites and they are all in different directions. I’m steering away from a Yagi because I like to monitor several towers simultaneously.

 

[mmckenna]

I intend to roof mount the antenna but am curious if it would do any good inside a 2nd story room in my home.

If you have a strong signal, then no problems with that. 800MHz penetrates buildings pretty well.

As for the antenna, don't get hung up on DPD stuff. A lot of it is overpriced. There are a lot of good 800MHz base omni antennas out there that will work just fine. I've used these at work:

https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191_193_258_976_933&products_id=8796

But you can find cheaper ones, especially if you shop the used market.

 

[kirkman123]

For the past year I’ve used a Radio Shack 800 MHZ antenna. Instead of just mounting it on the back of my SDS200, I have it attached inside PVC on my roof. It’s roughly 25 feet above ground level and I’m using good quality antenna coax. It brings in MPSCS P25 signals from up to roughly 40 miles normally and even further under perfect conditions.

 

[mmckenna]

If it works, why do you want to change it?

 

[kirkman123]

My thinking is that it’s a small antenna, intended for use directly on the radio. Putting it on my roof did bring in a few more towers. Purchasing an antenna built specifically for outside use and tuned for 800 MHz would bring in even more towers. I’m like a little kid (my birth certificate doesn’t agree) thinking more is better.

 

[mmckenna]

Got it. Then the one I linked to above would give you better performance.

 

[kirkman123]

Thanks for the suggestion. I plan to follow up on it.