GRE super amplifier

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sanman1960

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Anyone have a lead on where to get a GRE super amplifier ? I am in a out of county scanning scenario where I believe I could benefit from one of these, thank you.
 

ka3jjz

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Amps can and sometimes do add more noise and overload problems than they solve.

You didn't say anything about your antenna situation - improve that, and the coax that feeds it, first before you think of an amp.

Mike
 

sanman1960

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All the common scanners sales places seem to not stock this item since it was discontinued. My attenna is a RS 800 duck.
 

joeuser

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All the common scanners sales places seem to not stock this item since it was discontinued. My attenna is a RS 800 duck.
I'd get an external - outside antenna before I got an amp. All you would do is amplify the RFI from your household. Get the antenna outside. Even if you take a magnet mount car scanner antenna & mount it on an air conditioner - it can make all the difference.
 

popnokick

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sanman1960 - Other than "My attenna is a RS 800 duck." you didn't leave us much to go on here. So some questions:
- What do you mean by "out of county scanning scenario"? Do you mean you are away from home (out of county) with a handheld scanner, or you are trying to pick up distant transmissions that are out of county?
- What frequency(s) are you trying to receive (e.g. 700/800 mHz, VHF hi band, VHF low band, etc.)?
- What services are you trying to receive (i.e. where are you and where is what you are trying to receive)?
If you are trying to pick up distant, weaker transmissions then understand that a rubber duck or most any antenna that attaches directly to your scanner (duck, telescopic) is not going to be up to the task. You MUST connect an external antenna such as a rooftop, attic, or even indoor in a window antenna to pick up weaker signals. Depending on your more complete answers to the questions above you will get more complete suggestions about what antenna(s) might work.
 

sanman1960

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Living Out of the county that I want to scan , I am 35 miles away trying to listen to P25 digital Motorola system 800 mhz. Public safety and City services. Previously on analog, this system came in loud and clear. With the Gre 500 stock antenna , no bars , with telescoping antenna , no bars , with rs 800mhz 2-3bars some reception. Thank you for assistance.
 
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I run 3 super amps,

1 for my psr500 & psr800 - I have them fed by the same antenna.Its installed inline before the split.
20ft of RG8X feed the amp, standard CATV 1-2 splitter,14 inch RG59 patch cables. they are for mostly VHF public safety. I pull in towns from 45-55 mi out.
1 for my 996XT,connected to the XT at the back,20ft of RG8X to the antenna. Scanning primarily 800mhz moto trunked conv..And 800 P25.I pull in towns 35mi + out,
1 on my BCT15X same set up as my 996XT.scanning 800,UHF and VHF. same coverage as the 996XT(roughly)

Im in a mountainous area,Strange line of sight reception. Not alot of RF interference. No Cell towers close by.

The GRE Super Amp dose well. Usually turned up to about 50% to 75%.I power them off AC. wallwarts.
I get one to try out. If you dont like the results they are easy to resell. They Are still in demand,and getting less common to find. No more being made,When they sell out they will be gone.
 

KC4RAF

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Considering what frequency your

trying to receive, I'd invest a little bit of money into a Yagi and point it at the area of interest. That way you'd have less noise to deal with. An amplifier is great some times, so times not. If you have a computer, printer and a few other odds and ends turned on, an amp picks up their infernal noises and lets you pull your hair out!!!
 

popnokick

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sanman1960- OK now we're getting info we can work with. A couple more questions:
- Can you put an antenna on the roof?
- Can you put an antenna in an attic/crawlspace?
- Is there a 2nd story (or higher) window in your building facing toward the direction of the 800 mHz system that is 35 miles away?
 

sanman1960

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My house (garage) faces towards the county I am wishing to listen to so I could mount a antenna to my roof but in a area on the side or rear of my garage. I do not have a second floor. I do have a attic over the garage. When I have moved the scanner around, the 2 areas that have a 3 bar signal are, directly in front of my house approx. 4-6 ft off the ground and in the rear of my house, inside at the top of the window area. Other areas including the roof seem to have less strength showing.
 

popnokick

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A rooftop antenna... even on the garage... is going to beat anything I'm about to describe. It's your best choice, just not necessarily the simplest/cheapest.
If I understand what you wrote correctly, you are getting "3 bar signal" directly in front of your house 4-6 feet off the ground (outdoors on balcony/porch?) and in the rear of the house at the top of a window. I'm assuming you're doing this with the rubber duck antenna (?). If you are, then there is a very good possibility that you could use an indoor VHF/UHF TV "blade" antenna to make a major improvement in your desired 800 mHz signal. They are readily available at home stores (Home Depot, Lowes) and online at places like Solid Signal and Amazon. They use regular 75 ohm TV coax cable, so you'll need an adapter (and maybe a length of cable) to go from the TV antenna cable to your scanner. It will be an "F to BNC" adapter that will allow connection of the TV antenna cable's type "F" connector to the BNC on your scanner.
Put the blade antenna at the top of the window (many of them are made to stick in windows... some are even clear) and run the cable to your scanner. Try it in several other locations where you've had some signal on the rubber duck (hopefully one where you can leave it hooked up).
 

N8IAA

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Living Out of the county that I want to scan , I am 35 miles away trying to listen to P25 digital Motorola system 800 mhz. Public safety and City services. Previously on analog, this system came in loud and clear. With the Gre 500 stock antenna , no bars , with telescoping antenna , no bars , with rs 800mhz 2-3bars some reception. Thank you for assistance.

I'm going to presume that you want to hear the Pinellas P-25 system.
35 miles for a P-25 digital system is really stretching the limits without an external antenna. P-25 systems are inherently lower power. They are not like analog trunk systems, which could be heard over longer distances.
Getting an 800MHz yagi is really good advice. You will need to get at least LMR-400 coax to feed the scanner.
Just the physics of radio waves at higher frequencies and line of sight reception.
HTH,
Larry
 

popnokick

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The Antennacraft ST2 is a broad band (wide frequency range) antenna that is not optimal for 800 mHz. HOWEVER, because you wrote that you are receiving with your handheld/rubber duck at two different places in/near your house the ST2 *may* be all you need. You wrote, "I am 35 miles away trying to listen to P25 digital Motorola system 800 mhz." and also "When I have moved the scanner around, the 2 areas that have a 3 bar signal are,...". If the 800 mHz systems are your main interest then the TV antenna system I described above will likely work better than the ST2. As has been noted, the BEST reception will be with a Yagi/beam 800 mHz antenna mounted on a rooftop pointed directly at the 35-mile distant system you are trying to receive. I think that may be overkill based upon what you wrote about two areas that you already have 3 bar signals with a rubber duck. ANY antenna other than a rubber duck.... mounted in a window, attic space, or rooftop (best) is going to improve upon the three bars that are a minor miracle on the rubber duck so-called "antenna".
 

sanman1960

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I tried the "blade" antenna setup and it increased the signal bars by 1/2 but no reception. So I guess im on to try a antenna. How are the attic yagi's?
 
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