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michaelayers

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the s letter or signal that shows on my screen only will show one bar is that the antenna or what i just ordered a new antenna to see if that helps my scanner is a whistler ws1040
 

mmckenna

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the s letter or signal that shows on my screen only will show one bar is that the antenna or what i just ordered a new antenna to see if that helps my scanner is a whistler ws1040

Kind hard to read without punctuation.


No offense, but let me try this, tell me if I'm right:

"The S letter or signal that shows on my screen only will show one bar. Is that the antenna or what?
I just ordered a new antenna to see if that helps. My scanner is a Whistler ws1040."

So, answer would be:
It's indicating that the receiver is not getting a strong enough signal. Without knowing where you are, what you are trying to listen to, and what's between you and the transmitter, there's no way we can help you.
If you had a better antenna it would help.
If your radio was higher up, it would help.
If you were closer to the transmitter, it would help.

The solution to the low signal strength depends on one or more of the above items. Ordering a "new antenna" won't necessarily solve the issue. We don't know anything about what you ordered.
Giving us some more information would likely help us help you.
 

michaelayers

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Well I live in Statesville nc and am trying to listen to the Iredell county trunk freq that I have programmed,and I have my scanner sitting on my table and am not sure if anything is in the way
 

mmckenna

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OK, so you need a good 800MHz antenna, or a multiband antenna that will cover 800MHz.

The antennas that come with these scanners are designed to provide some level of performance across the frequency range that the scanner is capable of. That usually means the are equally lacking across the bands.

Upgrading to a better antenna will help, but you need the right antenna in the right place.
If you are using this in your car, then an external antenna outside your car will be required.
If you are using this in your home, then an external antenna outside your home and up high will be required.

Sometimes you can simply upgrade the antenna on the radio and get better performance, but that isn't always the case. Without knowing a whole lot more, putting a good antenna up outside your house is about the best recommendation I could make. You may be able to get away with less.
 

michaelayers

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Thanks for the help, I did order a 800 MHz to replace my factory antenna,one last thing do you have any suggestions for a external antenna that’s not gonna brake my bank acc and one that’s not gonna be gawldy on my roof thanks
 

mmckenna

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If I was trying to do a basic and inexpensive setup, I'd probably do this:

This base:
http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/laird-technologies-mbc800-1650.html
Mount it to the eaves or high point on your home.

This antenna:
http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/larsen-nmo150-450-800-1050.html
(benefit to this antenna is it will provide some VHF, UHF coverage, in addition to the 800MHz coverage you are looking for.

Getting that signal to your radio is very important. Putting an antenna up on the roof is a good start, but getting a sufficient amount of signal down to your radio is key. A simple solution is to use RG-6, commonly used in the cable TV, Satellite TV or "off the air" TV antenna installations. You can get this cable at a local electronics store or even most home improvement/hardware stores. It will usually have Type F connectors on it, if you purchase pre-terminated cable (easier), or you can install your own connectors (requires some specific tools).
The length of cable is important. Only use the length you need. All coaxial cable has some amount of loss. Keep the length as short as you can.
Of course, the F connectors will not connect directly to the antenna or your radio. For that, you need some adapters.
At the antenna, you'll need this:
http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/enp-26-8020-5908.html

At your radio, you'll need this:
http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/rfi-rfb-1155-5995.html

It's very important to weather seal the connectors that are outside. Water getting into the coaxial cable will damage it quickly.

Lightning protection is necessary, too. You can install one of these where the coaxial cable enters your home. https://www.amazon.com/TII-Broadband-Satellite-Lightning-Protector/dp/B0016AIYU6

That needs to be grounded, preferably to the same ground rod as your electrical panel.

Using the above setup, you should see a drastic improvement in coverage, not only for the 800MHz system your county runs, but also on the VHF and UHF bands. If any one thing will improve your radios performance, it's the antenna.

Good luck!
 

mmckenna

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Also a suggestion for a mobile on for my truck that I don’t have to drill holes for,as u can tell I’m just getting started in this

For 800MHz only, an on glass antenna might be a good option. http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/larsen-kg3e825ud-3247.html

The issue with not wanting to drill holes is that you then need to figure out how to get the cable in to your radio. Often people are tempted to run it through windows or doors. That works fine for a while, but the cable gets damaged. It can get pinched, which will physically damage the cable and can impact performance. If the outer jacket gets breached, then you get water inside the cable which will cause corrosion and destroy the cable.

If a magnetic mount is what you decide on, make sure you figure out how to get the cable inside. As for the antenna, the same one I suggested for your home. It'll work well on VHF, UHF and 800MHz. It'll give you the most flexibility.
You'll need a magnetic mount for it:
http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/larsen-nmommrbnc-4522.html

Some choose to mount the antenna on the fender. That's OK, but it creates a number of issues…
1. You still need to get the cable inside the vehicle. That can be done, but it takes some work under the hood. You have to find a path through the firewall. Some trucks it's easy. Some it's not.
2. Cable can still get pinched by the hood.
3. The antenna mounts are not designed to be mounted with the cable entry outside the vehicle, so you have to take steps to seal it up. If you don't, rain, road salts, oil, etc will damage the cable and destroy it.

There are vehicle specific fender mounts that you can find.
But, a basic on is this:
http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/larsen-tmb34-3847.html
And then you need the mount/cable. In this case, all the antennas I've suggested (except the through-glass mount) are the industry standard "NMO" type. Using this type of mount will give you the most flexibility and give you a very wide selection of antennas.
http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/larsen-nmokhfudbni-7566.html
It's very important that you seal the underside of that mount where it's exposed!

There are other mounting options, but it depends on your vehicle, what your skill level is, etc.
 
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