Using Sattilite dish for Scanner antenna

[Pr0-164]

I've been in need of a new outdoor antenna for a while because my reception and signal strength is scatchy on my main scanner. is it possible to use a sattilite dish for an antenna? its wired into my basment and i wa thinking i could pick up some wires for scanner antennas at radio shack and just connect them to make a cable. would this work?

 

[ddoorman]

Sounds like a very interesting idea and one that just might work. However I do not understand how you intend to carry the scanner with antenna when you go out?

 

[joetnymedic]

you may pick up stuff nearby but it will be your coax (wire) picking it up not the dish. The dish is way out of the frequency range for it to do any good

 

[reconrider8]

to add to joe the sat. would be very very directional anyway

 

[Pr0-164]

i see, wellly it was just a thought. the only problem is i cant really mount an outdoor antenna on my house any where, unless i want to ruin the siding on it. i have been looking for some types of antennas like the sattilite but i guess im forced to mount one.

 

[coleglenn05]

i see, wellly it was just a thought. the only problem is i cant really mount an outdoor antenna on my house any where, unless i want to ruin the siding on it. i have been looking for some types of antennas like the sattilite but i guess im forced to mount one.

If your not going to be using your satelite dish, can you just mount your antenna off the dish's pole and reuse the coax?

 

[Pr0-164]

you know i was thinking of somthing like that but i was just going to make a new antenna and mount it off of the satillite instead of drilling new mounts. i just need to make the antenna...

 

[kma371]

If you can't mount on the roof, what about mounting something inside your attic?

 

[zguy1243]

If your not going to be using your satelite dish, can you just mount your antenna off the dish's pole and reuse the coax?

Be careful hooking your scanner to old satellite system lines. Lots of systems use a power insertion device that puts voltage on the coax to power the LNB. Make sure all of these devices are gone or not hooked up. Lots of times even though the receivers are gone they leave the power supplies hidden and hooked up in funny places...just FYI

 

[zz0468]

At the frequencies that a scanner listens to, a satellite dish is nothing more than a random chunk of metal, and results will be unpredictable, and probably not real good.