The Best Antenna

[meduckie]

What is the best all around Antenna for the HOMEPATROL and do you lose any signal when one uses an adapter to change the connection from SMA to BNC. Any info would be great

 

[Viper43]

Thats a loaded question... THere are many variables, like what do you want to listen to? How far are you from the source, what are you willing to spend, mobile, base.... and many more questions with just as many answers!
At home I use a discone feeding a DLI Multicoupler. The antenna is 60' plus high and I use LMR400 coax to the multicoupler. The multicoupler feeds 16 scanners/recievers which also have LMR400 running from the multicoupler to the radios. Not a cheap setup by any means, in fact it's rather expensive.
Mobile I have a RS mobile scanner all band antenna which works well. That feeds a Stridesburg 4 chanel multicoupler and 4 scanners.

You wont see enough loss using an SMA to BNC adapter to worry about...

 

[bfpdb]

I just ordered a Diamond SRH-789 ant for my HP, I think a coat hangar would be an upgrade from the stock ant.

 

[meduckie]

you will have to let me know how that works on your HP. I get really good reception with the stock att,but when I travel I would like to have an att that will pick up signal better. I have a bunch off different BNC att,so an adapter is my next purchase. Don't know why they changed att types. You would think that they would have stayed the same with all equipment. One thing i have to say,this HP is one awesome scanner. thanks for the reply,look forward to hearing about your att.

 

[meduckie]

Thanks for the great info,its certainly a loaded question. It would be awesome to have your setup. Given your setup it would not surprise me if you didn't pick up signals from here in Nova Scotia (lol). Look forward to reading your posts.

 

[Viper43]

lol, nope no Canada .... most of it's encrypted anyway. I do however on occassion hear Chicago and St Louis though I sat one day listening to St Louis Fire on a large structure fire which was fun to hear. Felt bad for the firefighters though as it was in the 90's that day. An one night I picked up Ohio's statewide from Darke County and was logging it on Unitrunker....75 miles from 800Mhz is pretty darn good!
Actually since Uniden went to the 396T (maybe before that too) they have used the SMA type antenna connector.
As for portable use the best antenna I have found is the Radio Shack 800Mhz. It picks up Indy's MECA (P25) system very on all my radios. One night i a storm I was standing on a football field 40 miles East of Indy and listening to MECA and the scanner was inside my coat. It was better than at home in the house.

 

[meduckie]

It's too bad that we have no Radio Shack's anymore in Canada. They switched them all to "The Source". i maybe have better luck online or ebay. Will give that a go and see how I make out. It's nice here I have a repeater tower just around 600 ft from my house. Being on an hill certainly helps out as well. Been nice chatting. keep in touch.

 

[derevs]

Might try looking up Durham Radio on the net. They are in Oshawa Ont and do have a good mail order service.

Just remember to get an antenna terminated in a SMA connector.

One of the better ones is the KS3SMA mag mount.