Weird scanner + antenna behavior.

[RedPenguin]

I have a Uniden BR330T radio scanner, and for fun, I typed in a bunch of walkie-talkie frequencies. I have 3 antennas for my unit right now. The factory rubber duck, a RS 800MHZ and the Radio Shack Deluxe Antenna. I noticed if I use the 800MHZ or the Deluxe it will just stop on frequencies and give off static, but I don't know if it's the antenna themselves or because I have to use a BNC to SMA converter. Once I put on the factory antenna though, it actually started searching normally, not stopping on tons of channels just giving static. I entered frequencies from the 30-100 and 400-470 range. Is the random stopping on static channels, an antenna thing or does the converter make an issue?

Also would attempting to use the whole walkie-talkie frequency list from this page, just cause random static?
http://myweb.accessus.net/~090/scan/comfreq.html

 

[scanrrman]

The antennas might be bringing in more signal or more static in your case? Maybe the stock duck is the weakest and the reason you're not picking up the static?

 

[RevGary]

Within the frequencies that you mentioned are numerous first and second harmonics from other services and primary frequencies from Cable TV systems. If there are ANY holes in the cable system near you, you may receive random RF "signals" that can be confused with an actual carrier. If the signals that you are receiving are steady and there all the time, it MAY be RF coming from a Cable System defect OR a harmonic from an FM broadcast station or TV broadcast station video carrier...

You could also be getting "splash" from a NOAA Weather Radio Station since those are just slightly up-band from what you are listening to.



`

 

[zz0468]

Have you tried just tightening the squelch? There is "noise" out there, and maybe with the lesser antenna, you're just not hearing it. If the squelch is set right on the edge with no noise, then an antenna swap brings a bunch of crud to the scanner, it could unsquelch. Just tighten it until the noise stops. That's why they're adjustable.

Hearing an increase in general noise with an outside antenna is not necessarily a bad thing. The hams doing weak signal work use that as an indication that things are working, so long as it's not such a problem that some sort of additional filtering is required. It's just there, and they just deal with it. Tighten the squelch until it goes away.

The "converter" you put in has nothing to do with it. BTW, they're generally called adapters. The term converter is usually reserved for something else entirely.

 

[RedPenguin]

Well

I think it may actually be RF noise or FM noise perhaps because some channels if I remember correctly, stopped on static even with squelch on full blast but not that many. I used to get close call hits on 593.xxx on my scanner in my area, but when I go a couple miles away, I never get those close calls, unless maybe it was due to bad firmware because I am no longer getting them since I got the latest firmware.